CHAPTER SEVEN

Arielle’s POV

The gunshot came exploding beside my ear and for a second, I could not hear anything except the violent ringing inside my head. My body froze completely as terror was ripping through my chest.

Blood came splashing across my cheek and a  body hit the concrete floor behind me with a heavy thud. I gasped in fear. 

Before I could turn around, Viktor moved quickly that everything was happening too fast.

One second he was standing several feet away from me, the next he has crossed the distance like he was about to unleash something. He wrapped his hand around my arm violently as another gunshot came tearing through the warehouse.

Viktor was yanking me against his chest and spinning  us behind a metal container just as bullets were slamming into the steel above our heads.The impact of the bullets were echoing loudly. My breathing turned ragged instantly as I don’t know what next was coming for us.

“Stay down,” he ordered coldly like this entire situation was merely an inconvenience.

I was pressing myself against the container, trembling hard while chaos was erupting around us. More gunfire were still exploding through the warehouse with metals crashing somewhere nearby.

Viktor was looking terrifying, he had blood stains on the sleeve of his black shirt. His jaw was tight enough to crack a bone while his eyes were scanning every corner of the warehouse with frightening precision.

But here was no panic or fear in him which really surprised me.

Just then one of Alora’s men came rushing towards us from between the containers with his weapon raised. 

A shot came ringing out before I could even realize that Viktor had pulled his gun. My stomach twisted violently as the man dropped dead instantly.

 “We need to move now.” He said grabbing my wrist without even blinking.

I was stumbling after him through the warehouse while bullets were ricocheting around us. The air smelled of smoke, blood, and rusted metal.

My legs were already feeling  weak from whatever drug they had used on me earlier, but Viktor was dragging me forward without slowing down for once.

“Arielle! There are more men by the west exit,” A tall unfamiliar man informed us whilst emerging beside us holding a knife.

“Where’s Alora?” Viktor asked with his expression darkening.

“She disappeared during the shooting.” The man answered. 

“Hope you can walk on your own?” Viktor asked with his gaze snapping towards me. The question sounded more like an order than concern.

“I’m trying so hard to,” I shot back breathlessly. His eyes kept narrowing  slightly like my answer annoyed him.

Gunfire came exploding  again nearby and I flinched instinctively which Viktor noticed and an unreadable expression crossed his face for sometime before he grabbed the back of my neck firmly forcing me to lower myself in order to prevent the bullet from hitting me as bullets were tearing  through the air above us.

“Stay close to me unless you want to die tonight.” He said again and that sent a chill down my spine, not because they were harsh but the fact that he said them so calmly like death was ordinary to him.

When I looked upon I saw three armed men appear between the containers and gunshots started exploding violently through the warehouse. Viktor fired twice with terrifying accuracy while pulling me behind him at the same time.

One of the men dropped  dead immediately and the second barely managed to fire before Viktor shot him directly in the chest, the third man ran deeper into the warehouse.

I was starring in horror because had no hesitation or emotions in him just the efficiency.

Viktor handed his weapon to the dark-haired man beside him without taking his eyes off the shadows ahead.

“Take her outside now.” He ordered.

 “What do you mean? Are you leaving?” I asked with my head snapping towards him immediately.

“No. I’m not.” He answered. Both men looked at me even I looked surprised by my own answer.

But something about leaving with strangers while Viktor goes deeper into this nightmare give a wrong feeling.

“This place isn’t safe, boss.” The dark-haired man said frowning.

“And you think splitting up is safer?” I fired back.

Then distant footsteps came echoing from somewhere above us, everyone froze as we were all surprised that there is another level in the building. 

Viktor’s expression was turning deadly and I realized something horrifying. Alora never had the intention to stay trapped here, as the entire warehouse was already prepared as a trap beforehand. 

The overhead lights were flickering before half of the warehouse was swallowed in darkness. My pulse was spiking as gunfire was erupting  again from above.

“We’ve been surrounded!” The dark-haired man shouted shoving me behind another container as bullets were raining down from the second level.

Viktor grabbed another weapon from one of the fallen men with frightening calmness.

Then he looked at me, and for the first time since finding me, I saw a dangerous rage cracking  beneath his control. This is the kind of rage that can destroy everything silently.

“Stay here,” he ordered. Before I could respond, he disappeared into the darkness.

Another explosion came shaking the warehouse violently and the ground was trembling under us.

Dust was raining from above while alarms were suddenly screaming through the building.

“What was that?”  I asked with my heart slamming against my ribs but no one answered me.

There were several rapid gunshots echoing from somewhere in the darkness which was followed by a terrible silence. I could hardly breathe properly anymore.

When I remember that Viktor is still out there, it makes the tension inside my chest to tighten painfully which surprises me the most because I wondered why I really cared anyways.

Footsteps started approaching slowly through the darkness between the containers. The dark-haired man immediately raised his weapon. 

Two figures emerged, it was Viktor with his hands covered in a huge amount of  blood. His expression remained terrifyingly calm as he walked toward us, but there was a brutal look in his eyes now. 

“Did you find her?” The dark-haired man asked lowering his weapon carefully the moment he realized that it was Viktor.

“No, I didn’t” he replied.

“Then whose blood is that?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“It doesn’t matter.” He answered looking down on his hand like he had forgotten about them. The way he said it scared me more than the blood itself.

Suddenly, distant sirens were heard echoing outside the warehouse. I had a feeling that the police 

 “We need to move now.” The dark-haired man cursed softly. But Viktor didn’t respond immediately as his eyes remained fixed on me.

“You’re bleeding.” He said. I blinked in confusion before touching the side of my face where Alora’s gun had grazed me earlier, my fingers came away red.

“It’s nothing.” I replied. Viktor stepped closer with his  fingers gripping my chin suddenly and forcing my face upward toward the dim light. Every nerve in my body tightened. His thumb was brushing near the cut slowly while his jaw hardened.

“How dare she touched you,” he said quietly amd a strange chill crawled down my spine because he said it in a dangerously possessive.

Then shouting started erupting somewhere outside the warehouse.

“Go and start the car, we need to leave.” Viktor ordered.

The man hesitated briefly before leaving, it was only us now and the warehouse suddenly felt too quiet.

 “Who are you?” I asked swallowing hard.

“I don’t think you want the answer to that question.” Viktor replied as the expression on his face became unreadable again.

“That’s not an answer.” I retorted

“No, It’s a warning.” He agreed calmly.

Before I could respond, his phone vibrated inside his pockets and he answered immediately without taking his eyes off me.

Then his entire expression changed enough to make fear creep into my stomach again.

“You’re certain? Then we are leaving now .” he said coldly. Then his jaw tightened dangerously before ending the call.

“What happened?” I asked immediately he ended the call.

For a second, he didn’t answer then  he stepped closer again.

“There is a traitor inside my house and whoever it is helped them find you tonight.” He said quietly and my stomach dropped.