Emilie’s POV:The rain followed us, a steady drum against the van as we pulled up to a massive iron gate, hidden deep in the woods outside the city. Dimitri’s estate loomed ahead, a stone mansion with tall walls and dark windows, like something out of a ghost story. I clutched my dad’s hand, his breathing steady but weak from surgery, his face pale under the bruises. Milo sat across from me, his jaw tight, his eyes scanning the trees like danger was already here. Andrew was in the back, silent, his bandaged arm stiff, his hurt from my kiss with Milo in the hospital cutting deeper than any wound. Lena, the nurse, checked my dad’s pulse, her calm voice hiding something that made me uneasy. Rico, one of Milo’s men, drove, his eyes cold every time they flicked to Andrew.I was exhausted, body and soul. The hospital fight, the van chase, kissing Milo, kissing Andrew, it was all too much. Guilt twisted my heart, for my dad, for Andrew, for letting Milo pull me in when I didn’t even know
Milo’s POV:The hospital’s halls were too quiet, the kind of quiet that hides danger. My gun was steady in my hand, my heart still racing from Emilie’s kiss in the waiting room, her lips hot, her body pressed against mine, her moan echoing in my head. But Andrew’s hurt eyes and Boris’s warning about Viktorov’s men snapped me back. They were here, somewhere in this maze of white walls, hunting us while Victor fought for his life in surgery. Emilie was behind me, her breath shaky, her hand brushing mine as we moved toward the surgical wing. Andrew trailed us, his gun ready, his silence louder than any argument.“Boris, report,” I whispered into my earpiece, my voice low. He was at the main entrance with my guard, watching for Viktorov’s men.“Two guys spotted in the east stairwell,” Boris said, his voice tense. “They’re armed, Milo. Moving your way.”I cursed under my breath, glancing at Emilie. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear for her dad, but there was strength there, to
Emilie’s POV:The hospital’s sterile smell hit me as we rushed through the back entrance, the fluorescent lights harsh against my eyes. My dad was on a stretcher, his face was gray, his breathing was shallow as the doctor and a nurse wheeled him toward surgery. Andrew stayed close, his bandaged arm stiff, his eyes still burning from our kiss in the van, a kiss I could still feel, hot and desperate, making my heart race with guilt and want. Boris was outside, checking the perimeter with Milo’s guard, watching for Viktorov’s men after that chase. Milo had caught up, his presence heavy as he strode beside me, his gun tucked under his jacket, his face hard but his eyes soft when they met mine.We reached a small waiting room, the door clicking shut behind us, leaving just me and Milo as Andrew went to get water, his jaw tight like he couldn’t stand being near us. My dad was in surgery now, his life hanging on a thread, and I felt like I was breaking apart, torn between Andrew’s kiss, M
Andrew’s POV:The rain hadn’t let up, drumming against the van’s roof as we sped through the city’s dark streets, heading for the hospital the doctor had promised was safe. Victor lay in the back, strapped to a stretcher, his breathing was weak, his face was pale under the bruises. Emilie sat beside him, her hand clutching his, her eyes red from crying. I was next to her, my bandaged arm throbbing where the bullet had grazed me at the factory, but the real pain was in my chest, watching her, knowing what I’d seen in the safehouse, Milo kissing her, her leaning into him like she wanted it. It cut deeper than any bullet could.Boris drove, his eyes on the road, while one of Milo’s guys sat up front, gun ready. Milo had stayed behind to deal with Viktorov’s latest attack, his words to me still burning: “You screw this up, Andrew, and you’re done.” He didn’t trust me, and I couldn’t blame him. I’d met Irina, fallen for her lies, and now Emilie was caught in the middle of this war, her
Emilie’s POVThe safehouse was cold, the single bulb casting long shadows across the room where my dad lay, his breathing ragged and weak. I sat beside his cot, my hands trembling as I pressed a damp cloth to his forehead, his skin hot under my fingers. The doctor had left an hour ago, saying he’d done all he could, but the words “internal bleeding” and “needs surgery” kept echoing in my head. My dad, Victor, was slipping away, and I couldn’t stop it. The rain outside pounded the windows, a relentless roar that matched the storm in my heart.Milo stood by the door, his gun still in his hand, his face hard as he watched the street through a crack in the blinds. Andrew was in the corner, his arm bandaged from the factory fight, his eyes dark and distant. The air was thick with tension, Milo’s words from earlier “You’ve been sneaking around, Andrew”—hanging between them like a blade. I wanted to scream at them to stop fighting, to focus on saving my dad, but my throat was tight, my te
Milo’s POVThe safehouse smelled like damp wood and antiseptic, a cramped apartment tucked in the city’s edge where no one would look. Victor lay on a cot in the corner, his face gray, his breathing shallow. Emilie knelt beside him, her hands shaking as she held a wet cloth to his forehead, her eyes red from crying. Andrew sat across the room, his arm bandaged where a bullet had grazed him, his face pale but hard, like he was ready to fight again. Boris was outside, guarding the door, his gun ready for any sign of Viktorov’s men. The rain still pounded the windows, a reminder that we weren’t safe, not after the factory, not after Irina’s betrayal.I stood by the door, my gun in my hand, my mind racing. Victor was alive, but barely, his bruises and cuts telling a story of Viktorov’s cruelty. Irina’s words from the warehouse“He’s coming for you, and your precious wife won’t save you” kept echoing in my head, mixing with the note I’d gotten weeks ago: “Victor’s debts run deeper than