Claimed by the Bratva: A Dark Mafia Romance (Bratva Brotherhood Book 3) Page 7

  I make a split decision as the sirens grow ever nearer, weaving into the woods by the side of the road. Internally, I curse myself for not picking the SUV on offer that could handle off-road. It was more expensive, but it would have been worth it right now. This Cadillac isn’t built for this terrain, but we don’t have a choice.

  Sofia holds on tightly, as the car travels through the trees. The motorcycles will have a better time through the trees, which goes against us.

  The blaring sirens fade into the distance, but the headlights of our pursuers push ever nearer.

  We’re fucked. I’ve got to think quick if we’re going to make it out alive. Sofia will survive, but her fate will be worse than death once her father gets her back. Luka may be a cruel man, but he wouldn’t order his men to kill her. She’s too valuable to him.

  On the other hand, I will probably be retrieved and fed to Amari. Luka loves feeding that damn leopard with people who cross him, and they’re always alive when he does.

  I’ve watched on as my pakhan became sicker and more twisted in front of my eyes. I’ve watched him feed men to the beast who have been loyal to him for years but made mistake and endured their screams.

  Many times, I’ve wished that Amari would get revenge and rip him to shreds. He treats that poor animal badly, and he’s always starving. It’s a disgrace, and he’s a disgrace.

  It’s kind of hard to believe that man fathered the stunning woman sitting beside me.

  “Miron,” she shouts my name, panic lacing her voice.

  A deer is right in front of us, and I swerve. I miss the deer but go careering straight over a ditch, bottoming the car out.

  Fuck.

  Somehow it keeps going, despite the terrible chugging sound. We’ve got to hope that somehow the Cadillac holds on. Otherwise, it will be game over.

  10

  Sofia

  A bullet ricochets off the back of the car. The bikes are too fast. Miron weaves down a trail in the woods, trying to stop them from pulling down the side of the vehicle. We both know what will happen if they succeed.

  He pushes the old engine harder, revving it and swerving off the road entirely, heading out of the woods and onto some barren terrain. The main road is in the distance and I can see lights up ahead and realize the risk we’re posing to the general public. I’ve never seen this side of him before.

  “We can’t lose them,” I say, glancing out of the back window of the Cadillac.

  Miron’s jaw tightens. “Keep your head down. I’m going to get us out of here.”

  I do as he says, shrinking down in the seat and staring ahead. Despite being born to this life, this is the most danger I’ve ever been.

  I hold on, keeping my head down as the bullets ricochet off the panels of the car. Miron swerves across the grass, trying to escape them. The next one hits the back window, shattering it to pieces. My heart pounds in my chest as it becomes increasingly less likely that we’ll make it out alive.

  I wouldn’t bet on my father, allowing me to live after this. The chance of escaping Dima would be zero.

  “How are we going to lose them?” I ask as Miron swerves again.

  The bikes are on our tails, and the longer the chase goes on, the more likely it is that they’ll catch us.

  Miron is so focused on the road ahead that he doesn’t even hear me. One of my father’s men shoots through the back window, and the bullet grazes his arm. He swerves again, wincing at the pain.

  “Miron, we’ve got no choice but to surrender.”

  He shakes his head. “Not a chance in hell.”

  “They’ll kill us,” I protest.

  Miron tenses. “They’ll kill us if we stop, too.”

  He pushes the engine harder, racing for the main road. This car isn’t built for off-road, and the sounds it’s making aren’t good. We may have to stop anyway.

  Miron passes me his gun. “Have you used one before?”

  I stare down at the piece of metal in my hand. My father forced me to take lessons when I was younger, but I’ve never shot at a person—only a target.

  “Yes, at a range.”

  He nods his head. “I need you to try and slow them down.”

  I swallow hard, glancing between the gun and him. He’s focused on the road again as another bullet bounces off the side panels of the car.

  I turn and aim the gun out of the black window, hands shaking. The chance of me hitting a target is more or less zero in my state. I’m a mess. I flip off the safety and cock it, finger resting on the trigger.

  The two motorcycles chasing us swerve from side to side. I focus on the one on the right and pull the trigger.

  “Fuck,” I shout, as it goes too far right.

  “Focus,” Miron says, still with his eyes on the road. “Breathe and picture the bullet’s path.”

  I do as he says, calming my nerves. My hand stills as I breathe in deeply. I focus on the same biker, keeping my eyes on his chest. I pull the trigger, shooting the biker in the shoulder. It wasn’t my target, but it’s enough to bring the bike down.

  I can’t help the guilt I feel the moment it hit him. Despite my father’s insistence that I take target lessons, I never imagined I’d shoot anyone.

  Two of the men are off our backs, but there’s two more of them to deal with on the other motorcycle.

  Miron jerks the car back onto the main road, throwing me off balance. I try to shoot them again, missing.

  “Fuck.”

  “Sofia, keep your head down,” Miron orders, as a bullet flies through the back window. It misses me by inches.

  I move back into my seat, ducking my head down. Miron races into the opposite lane, trying desperately to lose them. It’s impossible to keep calm.

  How did we get into this mess?

  I know it’s my father’s fault, but this isn’t what I want for Miron. The man I’ve been in love with for years. He has abandoned everything he knows and his brotherhood. He’s standing up against his former brothers.

  Why would he give all of that up to save me?

  As always, that flicker of hope over his possible feelings grows inside of me. Our intimate moment in the guest room earlier this evening made that hope grow, but he hasn’t said anything to make me believe he cares for me the way I care for him.

  “Hold on,” Miron shouts. “I’m going to try and force them off the road.”

  I hold onto the handrail on the door, gripping so tight my hands are turning white. This is the closest to death I’ve ever flirted with. At least I’m with Miron, the only man I’d ever trust to protect me. If anyone can get me out of this and save me from Dima, it’s him.

  The bike revs down the side of the vehicle, and Miron jerks the car into it. I glance out of the window, seeing the bike crashing to the ground. The two guys—Miron’s ex-brothers—get up and shoot at the car. This time, they’re more accurate. They shoot the wheels of the vehicle, forcing us to stop.

  Miron holds his hand out to me. “The gun, Sofia.”

  I stare at him. My heart pounds frantically. He can’t go out there in a shoot out.

  What if he dies?

  “Now, Sofia,” he growls.

  I don’t dare deny him, passing the gun into his hand. He opens the busted up driver’s side door and drops onto his knees at the side. I wait and listen, watching the man I love throw himself into danger.

  The clap of the gunshots makes me flinch, keeping my eyes on Miron. He ducks as a bullet hits the side of the car. I hate how powerless I am in this situation. A sitting duck, waiting and relying on Miron to save our skin.

  A few more gunshots ring out, and then a deep grunt makes my heart still — a splatter of blood shoots into the air from Miron.

  “Miron,” I cry, launching myself over the center console in an attempt to reach him.

  The rest of the gunshots have subsided. “I’m fine,” he says, but I can detect the pain in his voice. “Sofia, stay inside.”

  I ignore him, dropping to my knees by his side. “You’ve been shot.” My eyes widen as blood pours from a hole in his shirt. “You’re losing a lot of blood.”

  “It’s just a flesh wound. I can take care of it.”

  I shake my head, wishing he wouldn’t be such a damn martyr. If it doesn’t get sorted, he’ll die from bleeding out. “I’ll do it. Where’s the first aid kit?”

  Miron gets to his feet, despite the wound. “In the trunk.”

  I dash around the back of the Cadillac and open it up. The first aid kit is in a pouch on the side, and I grab it. “Sit on the hood of the car,” I say.

  He glares at me for a moment before doing as I say. Miron winces as he tries to unbutton his shirt.

  I walk toward him. “Let me,” I say, brushing my fingers over his.

  He stares into my eyes, and I feel my heart stop beating a moment. The intensity and heat still there even with his injury. He drops his hand, and I unbutton his shirt. It’s impossible not to think about last night and what he did to me.

  Once the buttons are undone, I try to push the shirt over his shoulders.

  “Fuck,” he grunts, as I push it past the wound.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He shakes his head. “You didn’t.” He jerks his head toward the two dead men a little way behind us. “They did.”

  For the first time since I stepped out of the car, I glance back at the men he shot. Both of them are lifeless and lying in a pool of blood. They’re dead.

  Miron perches on the hood of the car. I open the first aid kit up, staring at it uncertainly. A bottle of saline solution catches my eye, and I grab it.

  Miron shakes his head, smiling at me. “You need to get the bullet out first.”

  My eyes widen. “It’s still in there?”

/>   He nods his head. “Yeah, and it hurts like a bitch.” He pauses a moment. “I can do it if you’re not up to it?”

  Dealing with blood isn’t exactly a strength of mine, but I shake my head. There’s no way I’m leaving him to try and pull a bullet out of his arm. “I’ll be fine to do it.”

  “You need those metal forceps. The bullet isn’t deep.”

  I nod and pull out the forceps, glancing back at the wound. The thought of hurting him makes me sick to the stomach.

  Come on, Sofia. You can do this.

  I give myself an internal pep talk. Perhaps I take too long, as Miron moves for the forceps. “Give me them. You can’t do it. It’s fine.”

  I shake my head and take a deep breath. “Hold still.” I move the forceps into his wound as more blood oozes from it.

  Miron grunts, clenching his fists hard. “That’s it, push them until you hear the clang of metal against metal.”

  I swallow hard, pushing the metal tool into the bullet hole. The forceps hit something hard. “I think I’ve hit it.”

  “Pull it out,” Miron grunts.

  I open the forceps to find the edge of the bullet, managing to get a grip on it. I put some pressure on it to pull it out, making Miron cry out. I stop, but he shakes his head.

  “Keep going,” he hisses.

  I hate being the one to hurt him, but I do as he says. The bullet moves through the wound, and I can see it. I pull the bullet through the hole, more blood squirts from the wound. My dress is bloody, but I can’t find it in me to care.

  “What now?” I set the forceps and bullet down on the hood of the car.

  Miron clenches his jaw. “Clean the wound, stitch it and then bandage it.”

  Stitch the wound.

  I’m not sure what is worse, pulling a bullet out or sewing him back together. I grab the bottle of saline and a gauze pad. First, I wash the wound with the saline. I then wipe it with the gauze pad before repeating.

  Miron is in pain, I can sense it, but he doesn’t make a sound. I glance at the needle and thread, wishing I didn’t have to do it. “Stitches now?” I ask.

  He nods. “It will help me heal quicker.”

  I grab the needle and thread and prepare it, washing the needle to ensure it’s not dirty. My stomach churns as I return my attention to the bleeding wound. I can’t believe I’m about to thread a needle through his skin.

  “What are you waiting for?” Miron asks.

  I take the plunge and thread the needle through his skin, making him grunt. He clenches his other fist tightly as I sew the wound as best I can. Once finished, I use a fresh gauze pad and bandages to cover it. “All done,” I say, grabbing a wet wipe out of the first aid kit and wiping the blood from my hands.

  He grabs my hand suddenly. “Thank you, Sofia.”

  “For what?” I shake my head. “I should be thanking you for saving my life.” A well of emotion rises in my chest as I stare into his beautiful hazel eyes. Everything he does only makes me fall more deeply in love with him.

  We stare into each other’s eyes for what feels like forever. I want him to kiss me. Instead, he wraps his arm around me and holds me close. I let his warmth imbue me as we hug each other tightly. If I’d lost him, I wouldn’t know how to carry on.

  We’ve escaped twice now, but will we be so lucky the third time?

  11

  Miron

  That was too close. I’m supposed to protect Sofia, and instead, we ended up in a car chase.

  By now, Yov will have heard the news. They’ll know we’re together, and where we were last seen. This route only has one obvious destination—New York. Andrei Petrov doesn’t know it yet, but I’m bringing a war into his territory.

  We were friends at one time, in Russia. We’ve maintained a certain sense of fraternity in passing, but I can’t rely on it. If he turns me away, we’ll be exposed. Luka will find both of us, and the punishment is not worth thinking about.

  I glance at Sofia, who is staring out of the window quietly. She hasn’t said a word since I stole this car at gunpoint from an unsuspecting couple, but she doesn’t realize the danger of lingering there. She may have been brought up in the world of the bratva, but she’s never really seen the brutality and immorality of it first hand. Not to mention, she also shot a guy today. “Are you okay?” I ask.

  Her stunning blue eyes meet mine. “I don’t know…”

  I clear my throat. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t believe the danger we’re both in. How are we going to make it?” Her eyes are dazzling with fear—a fear I want to take away. I never want her to be scared again.

  “Don’t worry, Sofia. We’ll make it to New York before they can get us, I promise.” I want to grab her hand in reassurance, but after crossing the line with her last night, I’m more conflicted than ever.

  She’s a fucking virgin. Why would she want me to take her virginity? Her words keep repeating over and over in my head. I’ve been saving myself for you.

  She couldn’t have said anything more fucking tempting. It took every fiber of my willpower to resist fucking her there in that damn room if I hadn’t been so damn exhausted, I might have.

  “New York?” she asks.

  I clench my jaw, “Yeah, I have no other choice. Andrei Petrov is our only hope.”

  She gasps. “The pakhan of the New York Brotherhood?”

  “Yes, I hope he will help.”

  The concern in her eyes is impossible not to notice. “That’s not a good idea. Andrei won’t like an opposing brotherhood member approaching him, especially not with his enemy’s daughter.”

  She is not wrong. It’s dangerous to approach another brotherhood’s pakhan. It’s the last resort, but it’s the only option available to us. We are trapped between limbo, and Andrei holds the key to our safety. He will have our wellbeing in the palm of his hands.

  “I’ve known Andrei since I lived in Russia,” I say, shrugging. “I’m sure he will help us. He has to.”

  Sofia doesn’t look convinced by my insistence that Andrei will help us—she’s right to doubt it. I’m not even convinced myself. I focus on the road as silence falls between us.

  I know there’s going to be a moment when I need to bite the bullet. Andrei’s number is sitting on my burner phone, waiting for me to dial it. I couldn’t bring my cell phone, knowing Luka could track me.

  The question is, am I brave enough to make the call? All our hopes could be shattered in the space of a minute.

  I’ve been driving for over eight hours since I lost Luka’s men—my ex-brothers. I’m exhausted and hungry, which makes it difficult to keep driving. We’ll need to stop soon, even if it’s only for a short stop.

  Sofia is fast asleep. She looks so peaceful. There’s got to be a diner somewhere along this road. A flashing signs up ahead catches my attention. Thankfully, it is a diner. There are a few cars parked in the parking lot.

  Sofia wakes as I park, turning off the engine. “Where are we?” she asks, glancing around.

  “A diner. We need to stop for some food.”

  Sofia’s eyes narrow. “Is that a good idea?”

  I shrug. “I need a rest.”

  “I told you I could drive,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why don’t you let me?”

  I give her a stern look. “Would you have been able to drive away during that car chase?”

  The confidence in her eyes fades, and she swallows. “No, I doubt it.”

  I nod. “There’s your answer. Come on, let’s get some food.” I don’t wait for her to get out of the car, walking toward the entrance.

  Every moment I spend with the woman I’ve secretly longed for the past two years, makes resisting her more and more difficult. She’s my soul mate—the woman I’m destined to be with.

  It’s cruel that fate would throw me into her orbit, forcing me to betray my brotherhood—forcing me to betray my best friend. Life is never easy or simple. It’s something I’ve learned from experience.

  A roar of a bike engine passing on the main road makes my stomach twist with apprehension.

  Sofia hastens her footsteps behind me. “Wait up,” she calls.

  I stop, waiting for her to catch me up. Her hand lands tentatively on my back. “What’s the rush?”