5. Andrei #3
“You’ve really fucked up this time, Semyon,” I mutter through gritted teeth as I try to use brute force to get my pistol to work long enough to get out of this situation.
His cackle grates like sandpaper over my nerves, and I cringe.
If he’s laughing, then neither of us hit him anywhere vital and he may very well have the upper hand .
By the time my gun’s fixed, there’s a puddle slowly spreading on the carpet around Daniil.
Blyad.
Apparently, it’s worse than I thought, and if he doesn’t get to a doctor soon, I’m going to have even bigger problems on my hands.
If Daniil were smart, he’d focus on taking care of himself and let me handle this. He’d keep his head low and let me handle my brother. But outside of a courtroom, he’s always been a bit of an idiot. He’s hotheaded and impulsive, and as soon as Blair gets mixed into the situation, he’s even worse.
It’s why he rushed their relationship before they had a chance to settle. It’s why he proposed to her before he could really grasp the consequences of what that would do for his position with Maksim. It’s why he started fucking Emiliya as soon as he realized his mistake.
And it’s why he shoves himself to his feet before I can do anything, aiming his gun in Semyon’s direction. I lurch toward him, grabbing him so I can pull him back down behind the flimsy chair. He sways on his feet but is strong enough to stay standing while two gunshots go off.
He collapses to his knees, not because of my strength, but because they give out under him. Blood flows, steady as a river, from a hole at the point where his neck and shoulder meet. There’s a pained grunt from Semyon, but it hardly registers.
“Fuck!” My hands shake as I check Daniil over for other wounds, pressing a hand against his neck .
I pull my phone out of my pocket with my free hand, but it keeps slipping in the blood. Daniil lets out a wet gasp and Semyon laughs, cruel and pleased as my vision flashes red.
When Semyon was born, I promised my mother I’d protect my little brother with my life.
But our mother is dead.
I don’t owe her anything.
I press Daniil’s hands against his neck, trying to get him to keep pressure on it, and snatch his gun from where it lies uselessly beside him.
Standing, I look at the pathetic heap that Semyon has become, bleeding from his arm.
He’s grasping at it, eyes darting wildly around the room, his defensive stance relaxing marginally when he sees me.
Acting on instinct alone, I raise my arm and pull the trigger as his eyes widen, my hands as steady as my resolve.
I don’t wait to watch his body drop, turning back to Daniil instead.
I drop his gun and go back to trying to unlock my phone.
I can’t do anything for him, but I can try to keep him alive for a little longer. If I can just get Doc here, maybe—
“Andrei,” he chokes out.
“Shut up,” I mutter, trying to get my phone to register the passcode through the blood, but it isn’t fucking working.
He grabs onto my forearm, trying to make me put down my phone, but his grip is weak. I look him in the eye, and the resigned look he gives me makes my throat squeeze. I shake my head, but he just blinks back at me.
I can’t do this without him. He’s been a royal pain in my ass since the day I met him, but he’s my best friend. He’s the only person I’ve ever trusted with my life, and I’ve never had to navigate life without him. He smiles weakly, even when I place my hand on his neck.
I’m no longer trying to keep him from bleeding, just forcing myself to feel every beat of his heart pushing him closer to death.
“Take care of my family, yeah? Better than me?” His voice is weak, his eyes barely open.
“C’mon, man, they need you. Let me call Doc to come fix you up and you can go home and look after them yourself.” He grips my arm a little tighter, and it feels like an apology.
He’s not going to let me lie to myself, and I want to hate him for it.
Even if the doc was already here, Daniil’s losing blood faster than we could push it into him. I just wish that he didn’t know it, too.
“Promise me, Andrei. She’s gonna need you.” He blinks again, his eyes taking a beat too long before he’s able to force them open again, looking around blankly but not really seeing.
When I nod, it feels like I’m betraying him. “I promise.”
He smiles faintly. “Sorry I was a shit friend.”
“You aren’t.”
He shakes his head, and the heartbeat against my hand is so weak I can barely feel it. “I was, and you know it. I shouldn’t have made you feel like shit. Tell her I’m sorry, too,” he coughs, a wet sound. “Make her happy, yeah?”
Daniil’s head falls forward and I adjust him, moving my hand to his unmoving chest. I have to clear my throat, trying to find my voice.
“I promise, bratan. I’ll make sure she’s happy. ”
Around us the room is quiet. I have no doubt that all of the people in the main room have fled, and someone has turned off the music.
I hold Daniil until the blood cools, and the chill seeps into my bones.