Chapter 50
Leo
M y hunch that the house might be rigged with explosives was correct. I just hope that by triggering them from a safe distance, I’ve bought myself some time and that Quinn won’t see me coming. I won’t let myself entertain the possibility that Nora and Tatiana could still be inside.
I head in the direction of the pier, hoping Quinn might be taking Nora somewhere by boat. I keep telling myself that he needs her alive to use her as leverage against me. The flames from the house illuminate the beach and the pier in the distance. I see a familiar figure climbing into a boat.
Tatiana.
But she’s alone.
Confused, I scan the beach.
My heart stops when I see two bodies. Quinn lies in a pool of blood, half of his head blown clean away. Beside him, Nora is completely motionless, half submerged under water.
My world ends at that moment.
I’m too late.
She’s gone.
And with her, so is my heart. Looking from Nora to Tatiana I suddenly realize what’s happened. If Nora is dead and there’s no danger, why is she leaving? Unless she’s part of this. She must have killed Quinn. My instincts tell me she’s the mole, she’s the one who betrayed us.
“Tatiana!” I shout as I run forward onto the beach and fire my gun again, but she’s still too far away.
“Nora doesn’t have much time, Leonid!” Tatiana answers. “You can come after me, or you can save her. It’s your choice.”
Hope fills me that I’m not too late.
I don’t even have to think about my choice. I’ll get my revenge one day. I sprint down the beach toward Nora, aware of the distant sound of the boat’s engine as Tatiana makes her escape.
The tide is coming in fast, it’s almost up to her neck.
“Nora!” I shout as I skid to a stop at her side.
I pull her limp body further up the beach, out of the water, as I frantically check to see what’s wrong. Her eyes meet mine and they fill with tears.
“Leo, thought… you… died,” she gasps, her voice coming out barely more than a whisper, the words mumbled as she can’t move her lips. She’s almost lifeless in my arms and I realize Tatiana must have given her a drug. I just pray that the effects aren’t permanent.
“I’m here, Nora, I’ll get you help,” I reassure her even as I’m overcome with fear.
I hold her close, pulling her onto my lap.
She’s soaking wet and icy cold to the touch, so I desperately try to warm her as I call our trusted doctor, instructing him to come as fast as he can.
He’ll be quicker than an ambulance, and this isn’t something easily explained to the police.
The distant sounds of fire engines tell me we don’t have long before they arrive to inspect the explosion.
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you here. I’m so sorry…” I repeat, blaming myself. It’s my fault she’s like this.
I left her alone and vulnerable with Tatiana. I should have known she was the traitor. I never trusted her, always saw through her acts to see the narcissistic, ambitious sociopath she hid so well.
“S… okay. Not your fault…” Nora manages to get out.
“Shh… save your energy. It’s okay, everything will be alright,” I promise, hoping with all my heart that my words are true.
I hold Nora tightly. She might be hurt, but she’s here, she’s alive. I have to hold out hope that she’ll get better.
As I wait for the doctor, I watch as our home burns.
From along the beach, I see a dark shape approaching. For a moment I wonder what it is, then as it gets closer, I see. “Josef, you’re alive!” I say with relief as the cat purrs and winds itself around Nora’s feet.
If cats have nine lives, I pray that god can grant Nora a second and save her.
I don’t know how long I sat on the sand beside Nora, but the roar of an approaching vehicle tears through the quiet, and headlights cut across the sand.
I shield Nora with my body, momentarily unsure if it’s friend or foe, until the sleek black SUV screeches to a halt and our family doctor climbs out.
Dr. Kirov is older, his white hair pulled back into a ponytail, his medical kit in one hand. He’s worked for the Bratva for decades and owes more than a few favors to my family.
“She’s been drugged. She can’t move,” I say quickly as he kneels beside us, setting down his case.
He begins checking her vitals without needing to ask a single question. “Pupil response is slow, but steady. Pulse is weak but consistent. Good signs.” His voice is brisk, clinical, but not unkind.
“Will she make it?” I ask, hating the weakness in my voice.
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he opens her mouth gently, checking her airway and nodding to himself.
“I need to run tests. Could be a neurotoxin, maybe something paralytic but non-lethal. I’ve seen similar cocktails used in underground trade,” he mutters. “We’ll take her to my place. We can monitor her there and get her what she needs.”
He looks up at me, serious. “It won’t be comfortable, but it’ll be safe. No hospitals, no questions. If we act fast, she has a strong chance.”
I nod. “Do it. I don’t care what it costs.”
He calls in his team, who arrive within minutes with a stretcher and supplies. I hover, refusing to let go of her hand as they gently load her into the back of the SUV.
“I’ll ride with you,” I say.
Kirov nods once, and I climb in beside Nora, holding her cold fingers in mine the entire ride.
But even as the vehicle pulls away from the burning ruins of our home, and the shadows of the beach fade behind us, part of me is still back there—watching the silhouette of the boat vanish over the dark water.
Tatiana.
I had her in my sights. I could have ended her. The traitor who played us all, who betrayed my trust, and nearly killed the woman I love. She deserved to die. And I let her go.
To save Nora, I had to make a choice—and I would make the same one again. But it doesn’t sit easy in my gut. Every second she’s out there, she’s a threat. And I know her well enough to understand she won’t go quietly. She’s ambitious, ruthless, and clever.
She’s still playing the game.
And next time, I won’t hesitate.
I look down at Nora, still silent, still unmoving but alive.
“You’re going to be okay,” I whisper against her temple. “We’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.”
Because as long as she’s breathing, there’s still a war to win. And I won’t stop until the last piece is in place and every last enemy is buried.