18. Chapter Eighteen #3
“You can go check for yourself.” She nods at a panel in the wall. “The door is hidden in there.”
“I don’t trust you to shoot me the moment I turn my back. You go first.”
“Lana doesn’t have much more time, if any. I would hurry if I were you.”
I can’t risk turning my back to Svetlana. If I’m dead, then I’m no help to Lana. But if I kill Svetlana and my wife isn’t here, then I might never find where Lana is. I have to make a choice.
That’s when I hear a scream come from downstairs and I know instantly it’s Lana. I just know.
“What the fuck?” Svetlana hisses. “She’s supposed to be dead.”
As soon as the scream happens, it all goes quiet.
“Where is Lev?” I demand. “Where is he?”
“Where do you think?” she taunts.
I’ve had enough of Svetlana’s bullshit. I shoot her in the stomach. She lets out a gasp and falls to the ground. This way she can bleed out slowly in case I have any more questions.
I leave Svetlana to bleed out and head for the door. My fingers roam around the panel in the wall until I can pull the door out. I shoot the knob and kick the door in before rushing down the stairs.
I find a familiar sight. Lana on the ground by a dead body. But the dead body isn’t some innocent ballerina. It’s Lev.
And Lana is currently bleeding out.
“Help us,” Adriana gasps. “Help us.”
I don’t even think as I pick Lana up into my arms and carry her upstairs. Adriana follows.
The sound of a gunshot fires through the air. Svetlana. She still has enough strength to aim her gun and fire. Fortunately, the bullet misses me.
“Run,” I tell Adriana, who doesn’t hesitate to listen to me. She’s out of the house in seconds.
I set Lana on the floor before I pick up my gun and shoot Svetlana in the head. She makes no sound as she slumps to the ground. Good fucking riddance.
Lana’s eyes are closed but she still has a pulse as I lift her up. That’s a good thing. I carry her to my car and set her in the backseat.
“She’s bleeding out,” Adriana gasps.
It’s then that I see the bullet hole in her leg. I take off my belt and wrap it around her leg to stop the bleeding. “We have to hurry. Get in.”
Adriana isn’t afraid to snap at me to drive faster once we’re on the road. That’s good. She’s still feisty. She hasn’t been broken.
But Lana… Lana might not make it.
I drive to the nearest hospital, which is thirty minutes away. Lana is completely limp and cold in my arms when I pick her up and carry her inside. “I need help!” I shout.
The doctors and nurses on duty immediately move into action, getting Lana on a gurney and wheeling her into one of the emergency rooms I’m not allowed to follow. A nurse stays behind and asks me questions but I don’t know what happened.
“She was shot,” Adriana says. “In the leg. He used a tourniquet on her.”
I give Adriana a nod of thanks. The nurse leaves to tell the staff working on Lana. I slump into the nearest chair I can find.
“You found us,” Adriana breathes out. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I’ll always save Lana’s life. Always.” I sigh. “I need to call your parents. Let them know you’re alive.”
She sits down in the chair beside me. “You can do that but in a moment. I don’t want my parents here right now. I just… need a moment.”
“What happened?”
“She killed him.” Adriana’s lips barely move.
“She threw herself in front of me and got shot in the leg. And that asshole wrapped his belt around her leg to keep her from bleeding out so he could torture her. And then he…” She shuts her eyes, breathing deeply.
“And then he tried to kill me with a rusty saw. So Lana…” Adriana whimpers.
“She took the belt off her leg knowing she’d bleed out so she could wrap it around his throat.
Then she cut his throat with the saw before she passed out.
Oh my god. She saved my life. She did all of that to save my life.
” Adriana leans forward, pressing her head to her knees.
I feel the pinprick of tears hit my eyes but I hold them back. Now is not the time to cry. Lana is not dead. Not yet. I have to be strong for her. I’d always promise I’d handle everything for her.
But this time, Lana saved herself. She handled it. I’ve never been more proud and now, she could die.
“I have to call your parents,” I say gruffly. I dial Gregory’s number to distract myself and inform him of what happened. He tells me he’ll be there soon.
A doctor approaches me. He’s middle aged with a kind face. Similar to Ivanov. “Mr. Smirnoff? We have to take your wife into surgery. She lost a lot of blood and we have to get the bullet out.”
“Of course. Do what you must.”
He hesitates. “As for her leg… we might have to amputate. We might not. Do we have your permission to do what we must to save her life?”
“She could lose her leg?” Adriana jumps to her feet. “How is that his decision?”
“She’s your wife,” the doctor says. “You have to make the call in situations like this.”
“You said she might be able to keep her leg,” I say.
He nods. “It’s a possibility. We won’t know until we’re in there.”
I know Lana will be devastated if she loses her leg but I think her life matters more. “Do what you must. Save her life.”
“Of course.” The doctor leaves.
Adriana turns her fiery anger onto me. “How could you make that decision?”
“Would you rather your sister die?”
“Dance is her entire life. What is Lana without it?”
I wince. This changes everything. “We just have to hope she can keep her leg. But even if she gets to… that doesn’t mean she’ll ever dance again.”
“Lana’s entire dance career is just… over.” Adriana slumps down in the chair beside me. “Just like that.”
“Lana is strong. She has to be. And when she can’t be, I’ll be strong for her. Don’t you worry about that. I know you don’t like me, Adriana, but I am a good husband to her.”
“You’re the reason she was even in danger in the first place. Never forget that.” She walks to the wall opposite me and turns her back, wrapping her arms around her body.
Adriana’s words sting because I know they’re true. I wanted Lana more than anything in this world and I was determined to get her no matter what.
No matter the cost.
And now, Lana’s life could be that cost.
Adriana’s family arrives and her mother checks in on her while Gregory storms over to me. Elena remains by herself, looking worried.
“What?” I ask tiredly.
Instead of getting into a fight, Gregory sits down beside me. I wait a moment but he doesn’t do anything. Just sits there. We both silently wait to hear news of Lana.