51. Maxim
51
MAXIM
I ’m the first one through the apartment door, my Glock steady in my hand, every muscle in my body coiled and ready.
“Clear the left!” I bark, my voice sharp and commanding. Two of our men peel off, their footsteps muffled on the carpet as they move into the adjacent room. Gunfire erupts immediately, the staccato bursts echoing off the walls.
My eyes sweep the main room. Empty. Too empty. This is bait.
From the corner of my vision, I catch movement—a shadow darting through the hallway. I pivot, raising my weapon.
A split second later, a thug bursts into view, his gun aimed right at me. I fire first, the bullet punching through his chest with a sickening thud.
He drops, and I’m already moving, stepping over his lifeless body like it’s nothing. It has to be nothing.
“Fire escape is crawling with them!” Nikolai shouts over the cacophony of battle. “They’ve got reinforcements coming in!”
“Let them come,” I growl. “The more we kill today, the better the message we send tomorrow.”
The sound of breaking glass draws my attention. I whip around to see Sophie crouched behind an overturned table, her gun raised.
Her eyes lock on mine for the briefest moment, and I see it there—fear, yes, but also determination. She’s not waiting for rescue. She’s joining in the fight.
More gunfire erupts from the kitchen, and Nikolai’s voice cuts through the noise. “They’re pulling back! Push forward!”
A shout cuts through the noise, and I pivot just as another of Federico’s men barrels into view. He’s big—too big to be that fast. Before I can think about squeezing my trigger, Sophie fires.
The shot is perfect. It hits him dead center, and he crumples to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.
I glance at her, a mix of pride and worry tightening in my chest. “Nice shot.”
Her lips quirk into the faintest smile. “I had a good teacher.”
Before I can respond, another figure emerges, this one more cautious, sticking to the shadows.
Sophie’s already moving, ducking behind an overturned chair, her gun steady as she waits for a clear shot. I’m impressed. Hell, I’m more than impressed. She’s handling this like a pro.
I move to cover her flank, firing off two rounds at another thug who tries to rush us from the side. He drops, but the moment leaves me exposed.
A shot grazes my shoulder, the sting sharp and immediate. I grit my teeth, forcing the pain down, and return fire. The man who hit me doesn’t get a second chance.
Sophie’s voice cuts through the chaos. “Maxim, behind you!”
I spin just as another man lunges, a knife glinting in his hand. Sophie fires again, the shot whizzing so close to me I feel the air shift. The thug drops, the knife clattering to the floor.
I turn to her, my chest heaving. “I had that.”
“Sure you did,” she says, her tone light but her eyes serious. “You’re welcome by the way.”
Another wave of Federico’s men surges forward, and Sophie doesn’t hesitate, taking aim and firing with precision.
Each shot lands true, and I can’t deny the pride swelling in my chest. She’s proving herself over and over, not just as a fighter but as someone I can rely on. Someone I can trust.
We clear the kitchen together, our movements synchronized. The space falls silent except for the distant sounds of gunfire from the other rooms.
I glance at Sophie, her cheeks flushed, her breaths coming fast, but her grip on the gun steady.
Then I hear him.
“Had to go running to Maxim,” Evan’s voice carries through the air, smooth and taunting, dripping with mockery. “Couldn’t do the right thing just this once.”
I grit my teeth, motioning for Sophie to stay behind me as we walk toward the end bedroom. Her hand brushes against my back, a fleeting touch. My men continue to fight, clearing the way for us to end this.
We find Evan standing behind Amber, gun to the old woman’s head.