Midnight Poison : An enemies to lovers, mafia romance (Zarkov Bratva Book 2)

1. Brooke

The explosion lights up the night, and the glass in the windows shakes. Outside, the night is lit up by a sudden orange glow before it’s swallowed into the darkness.

Oh God, no…

Standing at the window, all I see is carnage in the parking lot below.

What used to be Lev’s car is a smoldering wreck. It’s a blackened shell of twisted metal. Glass is everywhere. Several feet away from the vehicle is what looks like a body.

No, please don’t let it be Lev.

Then I realize it must be Igor, and my heart drops. Tears well in my eyes as I search for Lev.

Then I see him. He wasn’t near the car, but the force of the blast sent him flying backward into the garden lining the sidewalk.

He’s not moving.

He’s dead.

The dread erupts in my chest, and I feel my knees go weak.

But then he moves, and a wave of relief washes over me.

I start banging on the window. I feel so helpless. I see a dark hooded figure walking toward him, its arm outstretched and pointing a gun at Lev. I scream and bang louder on the glass. I see Lev look up at me.

Don’t look at me.

There’s someone coming for you.

But the figure quickly diverts his path when two of Lev’s men appear out of nowhere, followed by a swarm of hospital and security staff running outside to see what happened. I watch the dark figure turn away and disappear quickly into the darkness.

I don’t bother with clothes or shoes or anything sensible like that. Instead, I try to flee the room, but one of the two men Lev has posted outside of my door tries to stop me.

“Get out of my way,” I demand, desperate to get to Lev.

“The pakhan said—”

“The pakhan is lying out there injured.”

“We heard the noise. Vinnie has gone to investigate. But you must stay here where it’s safe.”

I shove him in the chest. “Go help your pakhan. He needs you.”

“The pakhan won’t be happy if I leave you. Or let you leave this room.”

I grab his collar. “You listen to me. Go and help your pakhan, or so help me God, I will shoot you myself.”

He looks a little unsure. The noise drifting up from the parking lot is getting louder as more and more people join the commotion outside.

“We are to stay here,” he says again.

“What is your name?” I ask.

He looks confused.

“It’s not rocket science. I’m just asking for your name.”

He frowns like he’s never been asked the question before, then cautiously adds, “Toby.”

I steady my breath and in a controlled voice say, “Right, Toby, I am going to leave this room with or without your help. What’s it going to be?”

But he won’t budge. “We stay.”

The eerie wail of approaching police sirens cuts into the night.

I have to get to Lev.

Catching Toby off guard, I slam my elbow into his solar plexus and make a run for it. But with every step I take, my body protests. Every bruise lights up with pain as I make my way through the maze of corridors and stairwells to get outside.

By the time I burst outside, the night air is heavy with the stench of burning metal, and my body is screaming for me to stop. But I can’t. I need to get to Lev. I need to know he is okay.

An EMT is with him, checking his vitals. Lev’s eyes are closed. And suddenly, Im terrified for him. My hand goes to my belly where our baby is nestled inside me.

I look around us. Everywhere is chaos. People yelling. Hospital staff running around. Bystanders appearing out of nowhere. I glance around at the people who have gathered to watch from a safe distance and scan the area for a figure in a hoodie. Is he here watching this unfold? Waiting for the right moment to finish what he started?

I shiver with dread. This was an assassination attempt.

“Miss, you shouldn’t be out here,” an EMT tells me as he rushes past. “There’s glass and debris everywhere.”

Toby appears by my side and he looks pissed. “You need to get back inside. There could be a secondary device.”

More panic rolls through me. And suddenly, I’m being pulled away and ushered inside by Toby and another man who is yelling something, but I can’t hear because all I can see is Lev being treated by the EMT on the ground.

And he doesn’t look unconscious.

He looks dead.