Chapter Seven
Nikoli had to really sprint to keep up with her.
Briar would look back and give him yet another glare. Finally, she stopped and told him, “Quit following me!”
He stepped up close and retorted, “Not gonna happen.”
“Why?” she asked. “You don’t even like me.”
“I never disliked you either. But Serenity loves you.”
Cocking her head at him she asked, “And what does that have to do with you following me?”
“She is married to my son. She has been mistreated by me and I do not wish to lose her, my son or my grandson. So, I will shadow you until you return to the hotel.”
“I don’t want a freakin’ shadow.”
“And I don’t want to see Serenity grieve you.”
“Ooohhh!” she exclaimed in frustration.
Nikoli shushed her and grabbed her arm, violently shoving her behind him.
Landing on the ground, Briar had the breath knocked from her. Looking up, she gasped.
Blood dripped down along Nikoli’s arm as he raised it. He held a gun and took a shot at someone.
A loud shout rent the air and the person he shot landed on the ground.
Briar tried to see who it was then she gasped as recognition hit her. “The knife guy!”
Nikoli held the gun trained on him and stepped closer. “Blin!” he swore. “I did not want him dead.”
Rising finally, Briar stepped over and looked down at the downed man. “Well usually, shooting someone between the eyes will make them very dead.”
“It was instinct.”
Briar nodded as she admitted, “Yeah, and you were quick with that.” Then she stared at him to see that the bloody knife was still embedded into his upper arm. “Fuck, doesn’t that hurt?”
“Yes, it hurts,” Nikoli gritted out.
“You are really bleeding bad.” Briar reached down and tore a hole into her shirt, then she ripped the entire bottom of her T-shirt off. Moving closer, she gave him a nod. “Step over by this big tree with me.” She headed over to it then stepped behind it. “Come on, we gotta hide while I do this.”
Groaning a bit, Nikoli followed her.
“Sit,” she ordered.
He looked around at the grassy ground.
“Come on, Nikoli. I don’t have a couch ready,” she urged. “You are bleeding!”
He sighed in resignation and then sat down on the ground.
“Ok, take this.” She handed him a small stick from the ground.
He stared at it then took it.
“Now, place it into your mouth,” she instructed.
He shook his head. “It could be filthy.”
“Maybe but you need to bite down on it.”
He stared at her. “You’re going to take this knife out?”
“Hell, yeah I am,” she replied. “I mean if you like it that much, you can keep it for a souvenir. But it can’t stay where it is.”
He slowly shook his head at her constant hardcore attitude. Then he placed the stick into his mouth.
“Ready?” she asked.
Nodding, he sat still and bit down on the wood.
Reaching over, she placed one hand on his arm to hold it steady, then grasped the knife with her free hand and did it swiftly.
A loud groan came from Nikoli as he then dropped sideways into a faint.
“Oh, fuck!” Briar called out as she scooted over and grabbed his good arm to drag him up onto her lap. Quickly, she removed the small stick and tossed it away.
“You fucking bitch!” a man yelled.
Snapping her head up, she spotted another man standing a few feet away. “Uh, oh,” she muttered under her breath.
The man stared down at the dead guy and he did have similar characteristics to the man with the bullet between his eyes. Growling, he turned and headed toward them.
Without thinking, Briar picked up the bloody knife and tossed it expertly.
It hit the man in the throat before he could reach her and Nikoli. He clutched at the knife sticking out of his neck, then the man crumpled to his knees and faceplanted in the grass.
“Damn, I killed him,” she mumbled.
Nikoli raised his head up and snarked, “Yeah, that happens when you play with knives.”
Looking down at him, she laughed.
He chuckled despite the pain in his steely blue eyes.
“I never knew you were funny,” she stated as she picked the t-shirt material up.
“I can be. And damn, can you toss a blade, girl.”
She allowed herself a smirk as she wrapped the torn shirt material around his arm. “Ok, take a deep breath,” she warned.
“You are bossy.” He then took a breath.
Quick-like, she tied the t-shirt off tightly.
“Fuuuckkk,” he exclaimed in pain.
“According to Serenity, you aren’t funny at all,” she returned to their previous conversation.
He smiled then winced again as he looked pale now. “Yeah, she has a point. I was mean to her for a while. I finally told her why and apologized. I hoped to get past my mistakes, but I think I am losing them both.”
“Why were you mean?”
“That is a long story.”
“Ok, tell me later. For now, give me your cell so I can text Sergi to send someone to get you.”
“And you.”
Shaking her head, she argued, “I have somewhere to be.”
“Not alone, you aren’t,” he said and then grunted in pain.
“Look who’s bossin’ me now. You aren’t in charge out here.”
“Who says?” he asked.
“That guy,” she whispered as she motioned her head forward.
Looking up, Nikoli spotted another man coming over.
He stopped and stared down at the two dead men on the grass.
“Well, shit. Guess it’s my turn again,” Nikoli muttered low and picked his gun up.
“Bylad!” The man swore in Russian and looked around. Apparently, he was yet another brother. Spotting them, he grabbed his weapon from his waistband and raised it.
Nikoli got a shot off.
The man dropped his gun and landed on his back with a hole in his chest. He gasped for air then laid still.
“Well fuck, Nikoli,” Briar groused. “You are one deadly sumbitch.”
Nikoli smirked as he lowered his weapon. “I am Bratva.” He then leaned his head back and passed out on her lap.
Staring down at him, Briar checked his pulse at his jugular then she sighed with relief.
She reached into his pocket and got his cell phone.
Tapping it, she looked under contacts and found the number she needed.
In her message, she told Sergi where they were and told him to send men who could carry Nikoli out.
“Is he okay?” Sergi immediately texted back.
“Got a knife in his arm, but is gonna make it.”
“Are you alright?” he texted back.
“Yes, cuz of Nikoli, I am.”
“Come home. We want you safe.”
Briar stared down at the message. And whispered aloud, “Home?”
“Artem has been falling apart since you left,” Sergi texted then he actually sent a grinning emoji.
Blinking at it in shock, she had to chuckle. “Sergi Constantine using an emoji? Will wonders never cease?”
Suddenly, she heard bootsteps running. Dropping the phone, she picked up Nikoli’s gun. Swinging it around, she cocked it.
Artem raised his hands and came to a running halt. “Don’t shoot, babe!”
“Damn, how did you get here so fast?” she asked as she lowered the weapon.
“I was already out here hunting for you. Sergi texted me.” He walked closer and looked down at Nikoli. “Is he okay?”
“I am,” Nikoli replied as he opened his eyes. “Because your girl is a fucking badass.”
Artem stared at him then he grinned. “I know. Why do you think I am in love with her?”
Briar looked from Artem to Nikoli and shook her head. “Why are you trying to get on my good side?”
“You mean you have one of those?”
Briar peered up to see Felix now and scoffed. “Oh, great. My scaredy-cat cousin has arrived.”
Felix shook his head as he knelt and grabbed Nikoli up like he was a small sack of potatoes, which he certainly wasn’t.
He laid him over his shoulder as gently as he could and smirked at her.
“Scaredy cats cannot do this, cousin.” Turning, he took a step.
Then he halted as he spotted the dead men on the grass.
“The fuck?” he exclaimed. “You killed three men, Briar?”
She smirked at him. “Yeah, and that’s why you should be scared of me, cousin.”
Nikoli grunted from Felix’s shoulder then grumbled, “Hurry up Felix, I’m bleeding again.”
“Damn, Nikoli,” Felix griped back. “I just bought this shirt!”
Briar had to snort. “You Russians are a riot.”
“Hey!” a man yelled.
They all looked over.
It was one of the Dmitrcoff brothers and he looked like the other ones... he aimed a gun at them. “You fuckers killed my brothers!”
Felix knelt down while balancing Nikoli on his shoulder and tried to protect him.
Artem dropped his body on top of Briar to protect her.
The armed guy took a shot at them.
A loud but odd scream rippled through the air as someone else came barreling out of the bushes like a running blur and leapt up onto the gun toting man’s back.
Just as he landed on the ground, the gun in his hand went off again.
Raising up, Briar saw that Artem was bleeding. “No!”
Concerned, Felix looked over at them.
“He’s been hit!” Briar kept shaking her head as she turned Artem over.
Artem smiled at her. “It just nicked me. I am okay.”
The running blur of a man got up from where he had dropped on top of the Dmitricoff brother and he looked over at them all. “Are you alright, Briar?”
Raising her head, she gasped when she saw who it was that just saved them from near disaster. “Willy?”
He nodded then glanced down at the man who accidentally shot himself when he went down. “I-I got him. B-but we n-need to run n-now.”
“Run from what?” Felix asked as he hoisted Nikoli up again to carry him.
“There’s a dozen armed men coming this way!” Willy yelled in a panic as he turned and ran off.
“Shit,” Briar swore.
“It’s gotta be the Nomads,” Felix said.
“Are you sure?” Briar asked him.
“Nope,” Felix replied. “But a man can hope, right?”
They all turned and hurried over to the bushes by the big trees.
His cell buzzed and Felix took it from his pocket. He read it then he asked Briar, “How many Dmitricoff brothers are left?”
Briar looked over at the dead men and counted then replied, “Um, one? And that would be Pavel.”
“Damn,” Felix swore. “So, it is possible. Someone called Sergi and told him that Misha was taken hostage at the airport.”
THIS STORY CONTINUES IN brATVA WARRORS#4