Chapter Twenty-Six – Alyssa
The forest was holding its breath.
The cabin stood alone, hidden in a sea of towering pines, their shadows stretching like long fingers in the moonlight. Viktor’s pulse drummed in his ears as he pressed his back against the rough wooden wall by the door, the cool grip of his pistol steadying him. He scanned the darkness outside through the broken window, searching for any flicker of movement.
Alyssa hovered close, her breaths shallow but controlled. She tightened her grip on her gun, her knuckles white. “Are you sure they’re coming?” she whispered, her voice barely a thread in the still night.
A soft crunch of leaves. The faintest rustle.
“They’re here,” Viktor replied, his voice a low growl.
He felt the air change, thickening like the moment before a storm. He exchanged a quick look with Alyssa, her eyes wide but determined. She was scared, he knew that, but fear hadn't made her freeze. It had sharpened her focus.
“Stick to the plan,” he murmured, eyes never leaving the tree line. “Stay close, and whatever happens, don’t stop.”
Alyssa gave a firm nod. “I’ve got your back,” she said. But Viktor could see the flicker of doubt in her gaze—the silent question if either of them would walk away from this.
Another snap of a branch. This time, closer.
Viktor’s jaw clenched. He could smell the cold earth and the pine needles underfoot, hear the distant hoot of an owl. But all he was really listening for were the soft, lethal footsteps of the Bratva closing in.
Then—BOOM. The door exploded inward, splinters flying like shrapnel. A brute of a man, masked and armed, stormed through. Viktor didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, the force of his tackle slamming the enforcer into the ground with a sickening thud. Pain shot up Viktor’s side, but he ignored it. He had no time for pain.
“Down!” he barked to Alyssa.
Alyssa dropped into a crouch, her aim steady, eyes laser-focused. She squeezed the trigger. The deafening crack of her shot filled the cabin, and the thug trying to sneak up on them fell back, clutching his chest.
Viktor twisted, barely dodging a wild swing from the enforcer beneath him. He drove his elbow down hard into the man’s face, feeling the crunch of bone. The enforcer’s groan was drowned out by another gunshot from Alyssa, her aim relentless. She was a storm in motion, every shot precise, each one hitting its mark.
“Behind you!” Alyssa’s urgent shout cut through the chaos.
Viktor spun, just in time to catch a glimpse of another figure lunging from the shadows. Without thinking, he swung his fist, his knuckles connecting with the man’s jaw. The impact sent the attacker stumbling into the wall, but Viktor was already moving, grabbing the man by the collar and slamming him headfirst into the wooden beams.
They were outnumbered, but he didn’t care. Each movement was fluid, driven by instinct. He had Alyssa beside him, and that was all that mattered. The cabin became a whirlwind of flashing muzzles, grunts of pain, and the acrid stench of gunpowder.
Alyssa’s voice came again, urgent and fierce. “Stay with me, Viktor!”
He turned to see her standing her ground, taking down yet another enforcer. Blood streaked her cheek, but her eyes were blazing. There was a fierceness in her now, something raw that hadn’t been there before. Pride swelled in Viktor’s chest. They were fighting like a single unit, driven by something deeper than survival.
Then the air shifted. A shadow darker than the rest appeared in the doorway.
Lev.
His presence sucked the air from the room. Viktor’s heart stuttered as he locked eyes with his old friend—no, his enemy now. The man who had once been like a brother. Now, Lev’s cold eyes held nothing but betrayal and bitterness.
“You should’ve stayed hidden, Viktor,” Lev said, voice dripping with venom. He stepped forward, casual as a cat toying with a cornered mouse. “You’ve really screwed up this time.”
Viktor’s jaw clenched. “Leave her out of this,” he growled.
Lev’s smirk was a dagger to the gut. “Oh, Viktor... still pretending you’ve turned soft. But we both know you’re just a dog trying to outrun its master.”
“Get out while you still can,” Viktor warned, his grip tightening on his gun. “This ends tonight.”
Lev’s laugh was cold and hollow. “You don’t get to decide how this ends.”
Alyssa moved to Viktor’s side, her weapon trained on Lev. But Viktor held up a hand. This was his fight. He had to end it.
Lev’s smile vanished as he lunged, his knife flashing in the dim light. Viktor dodged, barely, the blade grazing his arm. The sting was immediate, but it only fueled his rage. He slammed into Lev, their bodies crashing against the walls. Every punch, every kick was filled with years of betrayal and loss.
Lev’s taunts came between breaths. “She’s not worth it, Viktor,” he spat, swinging wildly. “You think you can build a new life with her? You’re fooling yourself.”
But Viktor wasn’t listening. He drove his knee into Lev’s stomach, sending him stumbling back. “Everything I’ve done,” Viktor growled, “I’ve done for her.”
With a final burst of strength, he disarmed Lev, the knife clattering to the floor. Viktor pinned him against the wall, his breath ragged. The fight had drained him, but he wasn’t about to give Lev the satisfaction of seeing him break.
“Run back to the Bratva,” Viktor hissed, his voice like ice. “Tell them they’ll have to go through me to get to her.”
Lev’s gaze was burning, but he knew he was beaten. With a sneer, he shoved Viktor away and staggered out of the cabin, disappearing into the night.
The silence that followed was deafening. Viktor turned to Alyssa, her eyes wide, her breaths coming in quick bursts. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.
“It’s over,” he whispered, though he knew better. It was only the beginning.
“Are you sure?” Alyssa asked, her voice shaky but hopeful.
Viktor nodded, pulling back to meet her gaze. “We’re free now. Let’s get out of here.”
Without looking back, they grabbed what little they had and slipped into the dark embrace of the forest. The night swallowed them whole, the danger behind them—at least for now.
But in Viktor’s heart, he knew the Bratva would come. They always did.
Tonight, though, they had won. And that was enough.
For now.