44. Doc
H ours after the clinic closes, I’m in my office going over paperwork. Without James or Soren here to curb my workaholic tendencies, I can sink into what’s been familiar to me for so many years, even if it’s just paperwork.
The bodyguard Joel sent to replace James isn’t one who’s spent much time on my guard, so he doesn’t know I’m not allowed to stay this late, which works in my favor. Especially since Soren texted to say he’s going to be busy with his friend for a while.
A loud bang has me looking up from what I’m doing, especially when it’s followed by a few thumps. My office is all the way in the back of the clinic, so I can’t tell what’s making so much noise.
When everything suddenly goes silent, I’m on high alert. The only people who should be here right now are me and my temporary bodyguard. After a lifetime as part of the Amato Family, I’ve learned to trust my instincts.
Cristian and Tennant made sure I was well equipped and trained to their exacting standards. That they saddled me with a permanent guard tells of my importance to the main Family—and maybe my penchant for letting my mouth get me into trouble also led to the decision of giving me a guard.
I can take care of myself, but I’ve never had to because I’ve always had guards. That doesn’t mean I’ve been lax in my training, though.
Silently, I push my chair away from the desk and stand. Pulling the scalpel out of my sleeve, I find the correct grip. Automatically, I want to hold it as if I’m going to cut someone open for surgery. Tennant’s always made fun of my weapon of choice, but as a doctor, no one would question having the blade on me. I’m sure most doctors don’t have their sleeves modified to hide their scalpels, but those doctors aren’t cool enough to need them.
On quiet, cautious feet, I cross my office to the door. Peeking out, I don’t see or hear anything, which isn’t exactly an encouraging sign. As silently as possible, while holding my scalpel beside my hip, I walk down the hall, sticking close to the wall.
It’s been a long time since my attack, since I was in any situation where I had to seriously defend myself, but the feeling in the air, the wrongness of it all, is exactly the same as before.
When I get halfway down the hall, someone turns the corner and appears at the mouth of the hallway. I don’t let him see my surprise, though my heart begins to race in my chest at the sight of Soren’s father in my clinic.
“Mr. Petrov,” I say in a slow, measured voice, trying to emulate Tennant’s calm and stoic demeanor as much as possible. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
His face twists into an ugly sneer. I try to find something of Soren in his features, but aside from his bright blue eyes, he looks nothing like his son; I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
“Don’t act as if this is a social call,” he snaps.
It takes effort to keep my expression blank, but somehow I manage. “Then what is it? And where’s Anton? I highly doubt he would have let you in without alerting me first.”
Nikolai smiles, and it’s almost as sadistic as Tennant’s can be. “He will not bother us, don’t you worry.”
Fear shoots through me, but I shove it down and focus on the man in front of me as he takes a step forward.
“Soren isn’t here,” I say, trying to figure out what he’s after.
“I know,” he replies with a smile that’s anything but friendly. “My son is taking care of the Novikov brat,” he spits. “It’s disgusting how the three of them fawn over him. I always told Mak it wasn’t healthy to have boys be so close, but he didn’t listen, and now look at what’s happened. I was forced to take care of the problem growing in his house, all because he didn’t have an iron grip on his sons.” He shakes his head, as if he’s saddened by the turn of events.
My breath catches in my throat, and it’s all I can do to not take a step back. I don’t want to believe what I’m hearing, but… “You sent him after his own son?” I ask cautiously.
Nikolai shrugs. “I knew my brother wouldn’t do anything if I went to him.” His face twists. “He is weak, as both a father and a man, but he gets results as Pakhan. Though, aligning himself with the Amatos was not his smartest move.”
Swallowing back my indignation at the disrespect shown to the people I care about, I’m unable to help myself, and say, “So that means you turn someone else against their own child?”
Nikolai grins. “I was doing Mak a favor. He needed to know what was going on.”
My breath catches as dread washes over me. “But to orchestrate something so…cruel…”
“As I said, my brother won’t do anything about his son’s disgusting habits. Mak and I, however, are not so forgiving.”
Fear has my heart racing, and I adjust my grip on the scalpel in my hand. I want nothing more than to lunge forward and sink it deep inside him, to flay him open and bathe in his blood, but…not yet. I can’t show my hand so quickly. Especially not when I have a sinking suspicion he’s more unhinged than he appears.
“That wasn’t your decision to make,” I say, knowing he doesn’t care what I have to say. The more I get him talking, though…the more information I can gather, the better. “Soren is your son, and if you’re upset with him, that’s one thing, but you shouldn’t have gotten in between another father and his son. Especially knowing how close Soren is to his friends.”
“Mak’s sons are too…attached to Soren. It is unhealthy for them all. Though I blame my useless nephew for dragging the four of them down the path of depravity.” His eyes meet mine, so similar to Soren’s, but cold and lifeless, whereas my Daddy’s are bright and full of love.
“And you ,” he sneers.
“Me.” I touch my chest, voice going high and light, as if I don’t understand what he’s implying.
“You’ve sunk your claws into my son and corrupted him. You and your pathetic excuse for a Boss. ”
“Cristian Amato is a better man than you’ll ever be. Don’t be jealous that he has someone who loves him and you don’t.”
Nikolai scoffs. “Love? There’s no room for that in this life, and there’s no such thing as love between two men.”
I laugh, long and loud, as I take a step forward. “I hate to rain on your parade, but you’re so full of shit.”
He reaches behind himself and I still when he pulls a gun on me. “I don’t have to listen to you. I’m only doing this for my son’s own good, and maybe yours, too.”
I shake my head and take another slow step toward him.
He’s off his fucking rocker .
“I’d like to see how that works out for you.”
He narrows his eyes. “Are you fucking stupid? I’m going to kill you, and you think this is a joke?”
I laugh humorlessly. “Oh, I know you’re going to try , but you’ve made one. Critical. Error.”
Before he has a chance to ask questions, or figure out my intentions, I launch myself at him. Tennant is going to murder me for being so reckless, but there’s no other option.
With me literally on top of him as I knock him off balance, he can’t shoot me. The hallway is far too exposed to try to run back to my office, and I don’t have good odds at getting into one of the examination rooms lining the hall before he can get a shot or two off.
So, needs must.
Nikolai loses his balance as I throw myself at him, and we both crash to the floor. It’s a scramble of arms and legs as he tries to push me off, but I won’t be deterred.
I manage to stab him a few times, but I don’t have enough leverage or room to get him nice and deep. Still, seeing his blood stain his skin is satisfying.
A blow across my face knocks me off balance. My vision swims for a moment and blood fills my mouth. Without hesitation, I spit at him, aiming for his face. That earns me another hit to the head, but it doesn’t hurt nearly as badly as the first.
Hooking a leg around his, I throw him further off balance as he tries to get up. Nikolai falls on me and it knocks the wind out of me, but it’s better than him standing up and shooting me point-blank.
With him on top of me, there aren’t many options, but that doesn’t mean I’m powerless. His throat is right there, and if I can get the angle right, this can be all over within moments of hitting his artery. With a quick flick of my wrist, I tear his skin open across the side of his neck, missing my target, but still ending up in a shower of blood.
Pulling the scalpel out, I adjust my grip again, the slick blood coating my fingers and the handle, making me fumble for a moment.
It gives him enough time to hit me again, and dive to the side for his gun. I try to stab him in his side and back, aiming for his kidney, but he knocks me down once more. The feel of cold metal under my chin as he straddles me, gun pressed painfully into my flesh, has everything in me stilling.
My heart whooshes through my ears, every molecule in my body aware of the precarious position I’m in. The only satisfaction I have is that he’s steadily bleeding on me. Maybe he’ll survive this, but knowing I’ve injured him badly enough to bleed everywhere is comforting. Even if I die here, my Daddy will know I fought for him. For us .
Dying doesn’t scare me, it hasn’t since my first experience twenty-two years ago. What does scare me is leaving Daddy alone. I know the Amatos and James will take care of him, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
Nikolai leans over me. “You’re not so tough, are you? Playing games you have no stake in.”
I grin at him. “As I said, you made a critical error.” Taking as deep and slow a breath as I can, I tighten and then loosen my grip on the scalpel.
“And what’s that? From where I’m sitting, you’re the one about to die.” His arm twitches slightly as he adjusts his grip on the gun. I imagine he presses his finger against the trigger.
“I’m an Amato,” I say softly. With that, I bring my arm up, knocking his away, even as I aim the blade at his neck.
My fast movements knock him off balance, though he’s still sitting on me. It’s a scramble as both of us try to gain the upper hand, but I’m just a little bit quicker. My blade cuts through flesh as it glances off his shoulder.
Sitting up, I bring my arm back and try again, this time hitting my mark, stabbing him in the juncture between his neck and shoulder.
Over and over I stab at him, even as he tries to fight me off. He scrambles for his gun, while I continue to stab him, mostly getting him in the shoulder, and just above his collarbone.
But all it takes is one distracted moment on his part, when he tries to block me and hold his gun steady. I slip past his defenses and sink the blade deep into the side of his neck, jerking it roughly toward me, ripping his flesh open.
He gasps and coughs, and my vision begins to gray. As I yank hard on the scalpel, ripping it out of him, the pounding in my head and ringing in my ears are the first indicators that something is wrong.
The way my arm and hand shake as I try to stab him again, is the second indication. My body feels…wrong, and I seem to quickly lose strength.
Nikolai slumps over me and I cry out as searing pain shoots through me…from where he managed to shoot me as I stabbed him in the neck…
As soon as I acknowledge what happened, the pain becomes the only thing I can focus on, and my bloody, slippery hand finally releases the scalpel that is sticking out from his flesh…