Chapter 6 #2
Scanning the area, I keep an eye on our left, making sure Vasya’s back is covered, and when he steps into the brick building, we find what we’ve been looking for.
The dealer in the corner barely has time to recognize the trouble he’s in before Vasya’s shot him between the eyes.
He falls to the ground right as we hear a scuffling sound coming from the corner.
With guns drawn, we step closer, and it’s Nikolai who takes the shot as soon as he sees another guy trying to sneak his way out the back.
We hear a few shots in the distance, knowing our guys have found a few other stragglers, and when we’re sure the warehouse is clear, I lead the way back outside.
I’ve barely got my foot out the door when I feel the bullet hit my arm.
Sharp, burning pain radiates through my arm, but the spike of adrenaline is enough to make me forget it long enough for me to fire off two quick shots, hitting the fucker who was waiting in the shadows.
“Fuck,” I growl, feeling blood soak my arm and drip down my hand.
Vasya and Nikolai make sure we’re alone before coming back to see how badly I’ve been hit.
“It’s nothing,” I tell them. “Just a scratch.”
Nikolai ignores me and rips my shirt so he can get a better look. “It grazed you,” he says, “but it needs stitches. You’re bleeding all over the place, and you’ve completely fucked up my ink.”
“Sorry, man. Maybe you can salvage it after it’s healed.”
He eyes the large evergreen tree I’d asked him to put on my arm, the one that currently has a bloody, jagged slash running through it.
“Come on,” I say with a grin. “We both know you’ve got the talent. You can make it look like lightning struck it.”
He thinks about it, loving the challenge I’ve just presented for his artistic skills. “Maybe,” he finally says.
“Let’s go,” Vasya says. “There’s a first-aid kit in the SUV.”
I don’t bother arguing. It’s not a life-threatening wound, but it still needs to be treated.
The sooner, the better. We’ve all had minor medical training, and stitching up my arm isn’t going to be an issue.
Knowing the drill, I sit my ass in the back as soon as we reach the vehicle while Vasya and Nikolai get the supplies.
My shirt is ripped from my shoulder down, and when I’m doused with antiseptic, I grit my teeth while the two of them laugh.
The others walk over right as Vasya starts injecting me in a series of very painful shots of lidocaine. I swear he’s enjoying every second of this. He proves me right when he slides the needle in once more and asks, “You sure you haven’t fucked her?”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I say.
Volodya eyes us, watching his brother get the needle and thread.
He’s a man of few words, so I’m not all that surprised when he keeps silent.
Valeri, on the other hand, couldn’t keep quiet if his life depended on it.
His dimple makes him look deceivingly sweet, but there’s no way in hell I’m buying the angelic grin he’s giving me.
“If you lie,” he says, “he’s just going to sew you up crooked.”
“I’m not lying,” I tell them. I meet all three sets of eyes when I say, “I’ve never once lied to any of you.”
“Okay,” Vasya says as he stabs the needle into my skin. “Let’s say you’re telling the truth and you haven’t fucked her.”
“I haven’t,” I say again while he pulls the thread a little tighter than necessary.
His eyes briefly meet mine before he focuses back on my arm. “But you want to.”
It’s not a question, so I don’t answer. My silence earns me a grunt from Volodya.
“It’s not like that,” I say.
“Not like what?” Valeri asks.
“It’s not a fling,” I say.
This time all three of them laugh at me.
“What the hell is so funny?” I ask.
Valeri points a finger at me. “You insisting it’s not a fling is what’s funny. We’ve watched you fuck your way through Moscow and now Oregon, but all of a sudden you’re done with that?”
“Yeah,” I say, “kind of like how we all watched you do the same and then stop as soon as you met Evie.”
Volodya barks out a laugh. “He’s got you there, little brother.”
Valeri lifts a brow at me, the dimple safely hidden behind his scowl. “So you’re trying to tell us you’re in love, that you’re planning on marrying this woman?”
“I am, yeah,” I say, letting them hear how much I mean every damn word.
Nikolai chimes in with a, “He hasn’t been to the clubs since he met her.”
“I didn’t know he was capable of going that long without sex,” Andrei says.
“Yeah, me either,” Nikolai says with a laugh. “Shocked the hell out of me. He’s been obsessed with Lily ever since he saw her. Follows her around like a lost little puppy. It’s pretty fucking cute.”
“All right,” I say, while they have a laugh at my expense.
Vasya ties off the last stitch, slathers on a bunch of antibiotic cream and then puts a big sterile bandage over what will soon be the newest addition to my collection of scars.
Before he backs away, he looks at me and asks, “Are you sure about this? Are you sure you can be faithful to her?”
“I’m sure,” I tell him, “and I’d never fucking cheat on her.”
Volodya leans in and says, “If you do, we’ll cut your balls off.”
I meet the dark eyes of the craziest Medvedev brother. “I’ll hand you the knife myself.”
He grins and smacks my arm, the one that’s just been stitched up, while Valeri gives me a much more gentle nudge of the shoulder while he says, “Congrats, man. Evie will be thrilled to hear it. She always swore you’d settle down, but my little wife is a romantic.
” He grins at his brothers. “She always wants everyone else to be as happy as we are.” Turning back to me, he adds, “That means you have to treat her right. Treat her like a queen and worship her in bed. That’s the key to a happy marriage. ”
“Amen to that,” Vasya says.
Volodya shrugs and adds, “And chase her through the woods every once in a while because even queens like to get filthy every now and then.”
Valeri laughs. “Whatever works. I’m not judging.”
By the time we get back home, the numbing shots have worn off, and my arm is screaming at me.
We all unload at Vasya’s, and as much as I’m dying to see Lily, I don’t want to scare her half to death by showing up covered in blood.
I’m just about to make a quick stop at my place to get cleaned up before going to see her, but she beats me to it.
When I hear her yell my name, I freeze at the terrified sound of her voice.
Instinct takes over, and all I can think is that she’s in danger, but when I look up and see her, I realize the reason she’s screaming is because she thinks I’ve been hurt.
She runs for me, eyes wide and terrified, and before I can tell her I’m okay, she’s throwing herself in my arms and sobbing against my neck.
“Hey, baby,” I quickly say, cupping the back of her head and gently rubbing her back. “I’m okay.”
“You’re all bloody.”
Her words are shaky, voice soft, and when I feel her hot tears on my skin, I swear my heart breaks in two. I never want to hear her cry again.
“I’m fine,” I say again. “Please stop crying, Lily. You’re breaking my goddamn heart, baby.”
“Why are you bleeding?”
I brush back her hair and kiss her head. “Because some stupid asshole tried to shoot me.” When she tenses, I quickly add, “The bullet just grazed me. I’m fine. I promise. All it took was a few stitches, and now I’m good to go.”
She pulls back to stare at me. Her green eyes are still watery from crying, cheeks blotchy, and her hair is a mess.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” I whisper, running my eyes over her. Dragging my finger under her eye, I swipe away the tear that’s just fallen.
“Marry me, Lily,” I say in a rush.
“What?”
I cup her face and kiss her. “Marry me,” I whisper against her soft lips. “I can’t promise you that I’ll never come home bloody again, but I can promise you that I’ll always love you, I’ll always keep you safe, and I’ll always take care of you. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
She still looks stunned by my question, and I swear my heart stops beating until I hear the soft yes leave her lips.