53. Kaz
I can’t letthem go after Caelia. My uncle must have altered his plan, targeting her now as well. It will be his final mistake. I should have returned to Russia by now. I need to see Dedushka and explain what the hell is happening. He won’t approve of the path I chose. Sevastyan insisted on keeping these plans a secret from him, and now I understand why. Dedushka might hold some answers, and I have been foolish not to seek him out sooner. He’s the revered leader everyone fears, and our interactions have been scarce over the past months, aside from one conversation before I returned to New York. I asked him for a hidden safe house.
Firing openly in a crowded hospital is not an option. People are already panicking, and I must get out before the police arrive. One of my men is erasing all evidence of my presence from the security footage. Caelia has offered nothing to the hospital or the police, consistently claiming amnesia and ignorance about her identity or what transpired.
I have no clue how many people are hunting me or Caelia right now. I’ll just have to take them out once she is safe again. I’m not running anywhere. I’ll remain where I am, waiting for the man who followed us. As soon as he opens the door, I aim my gun through the empty window space and fire. It’s a shoot now, ask questions later scenario. No remorse or guilt fills me. I’m simply doing what needs to be done. More screams and shouts follow. I hear footsteps ascending the stairs, so I head in that direction. Running won’t stop them from coming after me later.
It feels like hours since the shot was fired through the window, narrowly missing Caelia. Three figures emerge, walking down the stairs three flights up. Leaning over the banister, they point their guns directly at me. I take a deep breath, steadying myself for the imminent clash. My fingers grip the cool metal of the gun, and my hand is steady and composed. I pull the trigger, missing my target as the men dodge out of the way. They return fire, their shots missing me as I sprint up the stairs. It feels like a suicide mission, especially when I hear footsteps echoing behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Dmitri.
“It took you long enough.”
“Sorry, sir. I had to clear the way.”
He leans against the wall near me, patiently awaiting for the men’s reappearance.
No one will ever harm Caelia again.