Chapter 16 - Vera
The explosion felt like the world splitting apart in two.
One second, I had been standing in the living room staring at Nico, and the next, the floor lurched beneath my feet as if it would break open and swallow us whole.
I had never experienced something even close to this before.
Glass shattered somewhere behind us as the walls trembled around me.
A deafening boom echoed through the house, and for half a heartbeat, I froze.
But Nico didn’t. “Get down now!”
The command cracked through the chaos. It was strong, sharp, and absolute as if Nico had been preparing all his life for situations like these.
He probably had been. When we had been together, I had not been aware of his bratva background, but now I knew everything in perfect, precise detail.
His arm wrapped around my waist before I could even react as another explosion thundered somewhere around us.
I couldn’t even understand how this was happening.
The lights flickered violently all over the house, but then steadied before beginning to flicker again.
Every alarm in the house erupted at once.
The sound was unbearable. Red emergency lights flooded the corridors, and smoke drifted through the distant hallways.
It felt like I was caught in an action sequence of a Hollywood movie, only this was real.
And all of this was probably happening because of me.
My heart slammed against my ribs. “What the hell is happening, Nico?”
Nico was already moving, his focus absolute. Within seconds, he had shifted from the man I was just laughing with to the precise enforcer he was born to be. His hand tightened around mine in a death grip, clearly not wanting to let go. Even in a time like this, he only cared about me and my safety.
“Keep moving, Vera. Now. Don’t stop.”
I stumbled after him. The version of Nico I had spent months arguing with disappeared instantly because this was someone else. He was not the bitter man seeking revenge, and definitely not the wounded man trying desperately not to love me.
This was Nico Romanov.
The man people feared. The man who commanded armies.
The man born into violence. Everything about him transformed.
I noticed how his movements became precise, efficient, and controlled.
Every hesitation vanished, and every emotion disappeared.
He took out a gun out of his suit pocket, making me realize I hadn’t even noticed it earlier.
This was serious.
Another blast shook the house, and shouts echoed somewhere outside. I could hear men. Lots of men. Everyone was running and yelling; gunshots were already being fired. Within seconds, the main door was thrown open, and soldiers marched inside, the Romanov insignia shining on their chests.
They were Nico’s men, Viktor amongst them.
“What’s the status?” Nico asked, his hand still clasping my arm as if I would disappear if he let go. I clung to him already, unwilling to be away from him for even one second.
“Bad. Soldiers are gathered outside, and the blasts are not stopping. We have started attacking back as well, rather than just defending,” Viktor replied.
“Who is it?” Nico asked, but I was sure that he already knew the answer to that. I did too.
“Who else could it be? It’s Petrov.”
“Make sure he cannot escape alive.”
“On it, boss.”
The realization hit me hard. This attack was no longer just a warning or intimidation like the warehouse attacks had been. It felt as if someone was trying to kill us, or at least kill Nico and his men, in order to get me out of here. I was the reason more men would end up dying. I hated that.
“Nico, listen to—”
“Keep moving.” I wanted to stop him and tell him to return me to Adrian just so all of this could stop. Guilt had been eating me alive since the warehouse attacks because I knew I was the one causing all this chaos. I was the reason things were happening, and I hated it.
I hated being the cause of such pain to innocent people, but Nico was in no mood to listen.
His voice remained calm. Almost frighteningly calm as we rounded a corner. Three armed guards appeared immediately, all of them carrying rifles. I couldn’t even guess where they might be coming from. One stepped forward, his eyes on Nico.
“Perimeter breach on the east side. We are trying to contain it, boss.”
Nico didn’t slow down. “How many men are out there?”
“Unknown.”
Something dark flashed through Nico’s eyes. It wasn’t fear. Never fear. But calculation instead. The guard continued.
“They have come prepared, as if they had been planning this attack for weeks.”
“I noticed.”
The guard actually looked embarrassed despite everything.
Despite the explosions. Despite the attack.
And it almost made me laugh. Only Nico could intimidate people during an active assault.
It was something about the way he handled people and things that demanded respect and attention.
He was excellent at commanding a room, and he knew it.
“Keep going. Make sure no one enters the house.”
“Yes, boss.” The three men scattered, running towards the action.
We reached a concealed section of wall, and Nico pressed his hand against a hidden panel.
A lock disengaged immediately, and the wall slid open.
I stared. I had been here for months now, and I had no clue something like this existed, which was stupid of me.
If there was anyone who was always prepared for an emergency, it was Nico.
“Seriously?”
He glanced at me. “What?”
“Who are you? Batman?”
The corner of his mouth twitched, but the small smile quickly disappeared.
The hidden door opened fully, my eyes falling on the reinforced room that waited beyond it.
It was made out of concrete and steel, and security monitors were placed on all corners.
I noticed the tons of emergency supplies in one corner, along with a mountain of weapons.
Definitely Batman.
Nico guided me inside, and the door sealed behind us with a heavy metallic thud.
For the first time since the attack began, silence settled around us.
Despite the thickness of the walls, it was not complete silence.
The distant alarms still echoed faintly, but they were no longer loud enough.
Still, they were enough for me to finally breathe.
My hands were shaking.
I hadn’t even realized it until then, but Nico noticed immediately. Of course he did. He noticed everything.
“Sit down, Vera,” he said, pulling out a chair for me while he remained standing. The room was simply decorated with white walls and minimal décor. A bed, a desk, and a wardrobe were the only items of furniture in the room. The room had been built for survival.
I sank onto the edge of a chair; my pulse was still racing.
The room suddenly felt very small. Very real.
Because this time, I knew none of this was just training or a practice drill for when things got difficult.
This wasn’t a movie but a proper attack.
And judging by Nico’s expression, this was worse than he might have expected.
“How could Adrian have reached us, Nico?” I asked, my head spinning. The safehouse was supposed to be hidden.
Nico didn’t reply as he continued to move around the room, checking monitors and weapons and exits. Every movement looked practiced and familiar, as though he’d done this a hundred times before. The realization hurt, because nobody should be that comfortable preparing for war.
Especially not Nico. My Nico.
The thought of his life being in danger hurt more than anything else.
“I underestimated him. The only way he could have found out so quickly is by having me followed or following me himself. That is the only plausible explanation.”
A loud impact rattled somewhere outside, and my stomach dropped, but Nico barely reacted.
I watched him move. Watched the concentration on his face.
Watched the tension in his shoulders. The beautiful man I’d fallen in love with.
The dangerous man who had kidnapped me. The same person.
Always the same person. I suddenly hated how fragile everything felt and how close we had come to something good.
But all of this only reminded me of how quickly it could all disappear.
“Nico.”
He looked over, still appearing distracted. “What?”
The answer almost escaped before I could stop it because the truth was simple. Terrifyingly simple. I was scared.
Not of him. Not anymore.
I was scared for him. Scared something would happen to him before I managed to fix everything between us.
Scared my father had finally delivered on his threat.
Scared I was running out of time. Scared that this could potentially be the last time he was before me.
The very thought of it all made my heart bleed.
“Nico.”
His gaze sharpened, and the second repetition caught his attention.
I stood from the chair and slowly made my way towards him.
He stopped checking the monitors and finally gave me all his attention.
The room felt smaller with every step toward him, and his expression softened slightly, as if he could see the concern and fear in my expression.
“What is it, Vera?” he asked. “I have to go out there soon, my love.”
I swallowed.
“Do you have to? Can’t you stay here with me? You have trained soldiers to handle situations like these.” I knew I was being selfish, but I didn’t care. Letting Nico go back out there meant trouble, and I didn’t want anything to happen to him. I wouldn’t be able to take it. I knew that.
“I’m not weak, Vera. I cannot act like a coward and leave my men alone to fight my battles while I hide away. I would never be able to live with myself.”