49. Dead

Innessa was shivering as she gently kissed him. Her lips moved as she softly pecked him. Slowly the gunshots faded away and she was tossed away from reality where all she could feel was his wild heartbeat against her chest and his lips on hers.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she kissed him while hugging him tightly making sure she was covering him so he wouldn't get shot.

A soundless gasp left her lips as she broke the kiss, her back arching and eyes hazy. The girl chewed on her bottom lip to suppress the pain as her brows drew together. Her teary eyes met his misty gaze and she smiled slightly despite the pain before falling forward, her head resting on his shoulder.

"NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!" Issac roared his whole body shivering as he got the glimpse of blood on her back.

"Innessa, baby. Wake up," he pleaded as tears streamed down his cheeks and his wrists bleeding badly because of his wild struggles.

"Innessa, please. Please, I beg you," he broke apart as he faintly noticed Artyom pointing a gun at them but before he could shoot Innessa someone shot his hand causing the gun to fall as he screamed in pain holding his hand. Faintly a second passed before two shots were fired from two different spots. Victor's bullet pierced Artyom's forehead right from between his brows and Victor's younger brother; Ivan's bullet pierced Artyom's temple at the perfect spot.

"Innessa, don't give up on me," Issac clamored, gently touching his head with hers but the girl wouldn't budge.

There was not a single noise of bullets as everything went deadly silent. Bodies lay everywhere and the whole floor was now a pool of warm blood. Issac's voice was the only noise in that place as someone quickly undid the ropes on his arms and feet.

Victor passed through the bodies as he stared at the blood on Innessa's back. He gently grabbed the girl and rested her body on the floor as Issac thrashed to free himself while Victor's men searched for the keys of the cuffs on his wrists.

Victor tilted the girl as he examined her wound by touching it but Issac growled. "Don't f*cking touch her," Issac spat as Victor made the girl lay on her front so she wouldn't lose so much blood as he undid the binds on her wrists. At the same time, Issac growled, the cuffs finally snapped out of one of his wrists, and he broke his finger to free himself as he dropped to his knees holding Innessa to his chest.

His wrists were bloodied, broken finger and a profusely bleeding arm with a bullet lodged in it as he stared at Innessa holding her close. He gently caressed her cheek only for his blood to coat her skin as his whole body trembled.

"Open your eyes, Innessa. Don't do this to me," he whispered as he tried to carry her in his arms but failed because his bleeding arm wasn't cooperating.

Innessa was limp in his arms as Ivan stepped forward but Issac shoved his hands away glaring at him.

Victor stepped behind Issac as he gripped his arms, caging him.

"Take the girl to the car," he said as Ivan picked up Innessa in his arms while Issac growled at him to stop as he struggled to free himself. Victor then helped Issac to his feet as they walked through the mess of dead bodies.

Someone opened the door of the back seat and Victor helped Issac inside.

Ivan gently placed Innessa in Issac's arms as he closed the door. Someone opened the door of Issac's side and wrapped a cloth on his arm to stop the bleeding while Issac was fully focused on Innessa. He couldn't look away. It was like he couldn't breathe.

He cradled her to his chest gently caressing her cheek. His hand which was on her back felt warm as he pulled his hand back only to stare at the crimson coating his hand. It was her blood. She was hurt. Innessa was dying.

Victor was driving at maximum speed without getting them killed by accident as he did his best to get to the nearest hospital ASAP.

"Please, don't do this to me, Innessa. I beg you please," Issac whispered, shaking as he gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

"She's bleeding so much. Drive faster!" Issac growled as he kept pressing a cloth on her wound.

"Just hang in there," Victor said as he pushed the accelerator.

Issac checked her nerves and they were so slow. He pressed his ear on her chest and her heartbeat was so low that he felt his heart ripping apart.

"I love you, precious. Please don't kill me like this," he whispered so brokenly, holding her close as his tear fell on her cheek.

"Please, wake up. Hurt me. Hit me. Don't kill me like this. I can't lose you, please. Please, don't give up on me," he pleaded as more tears blurred his vision. He rested his face on her shoulder and sobbed, holding her lifeless body closer.

Something slipped out of her jeans pocket as Issac pulled it out and his heart crumbled into millions of small pieces when he noticed it was the same tulip, the bouquet which he had given her in the restaurant.

"Why God why? Please, she's your pious human. Don't hurt her. Please," at this moment Issac didn't even know what he was blabbering.

Victor's grip on the wheel tightened and his jaw clenched. He wanted to bring Artyom alive and kill him millions of times again. Victor had never seen his friend like this. Issac loves this girl so much.

Issac felt lightheaded as they got closer to the hospital. Victor pulled over the car with a screeching noise as Issac shoved the door open. He stumbled out and held Innessa in his arms. He was about to drop her but he growled holding her up not caring about his arm. Ivan offered to carry her but Issac walked past him into the hospital as he lay her down on the stretcher as the staff hurried the stretcher to the operating room.

They took Innessa into the operating room and slammed the door shut forcing Issac to stay out. He yelled at them to let him in but Victor pulled him back trying to calm him down. A nurse approached them requesting him to get medical help because his arm was badly messed up but Issac refused to move from the door.

The nurse secretly informed Victor that if Issac didn't get himself treated ASAP he might lose his arm or worse he could die. Victor was left with no choice but to drug Issac which knocked out Issac as he helped him onto the stretcher and they took him into the operating room.

Issac woke up startled as he gasped. His eyes crinkled as he blinked to adjust his sight to the blinding lights. His eyes darted around the room as he noticed an IV attached to his hand and then his gaze fleeted to the drip, the heart monitor and finally, he noticed a gauze around his arm and wrists and it hurt like hell, and just like that everything came back to him with full force.

He abruptly sat up straight, groaning in pain as his head throbbed. He touched his head. "Innessa," He whispered, ripping off the IV as he hobbled to his feet only to stumble. Tears sting the back of his eyes at the thought of losing her. "Please be alive," He whispered shakily.

He got rid of the heart monitor and didn't care about the blood now coating the back of his hand where the IV was as he hurried to the door and yanked it open.

Victor, who was leaning against the wall, stepped forward blocking his way.

"Where's Innessa?" Issac asked, his voice breathless but it was deep and raspy.

"She's fine. Why the hell are you out of the bed," Victor gritted but Issac just pushed him away as he frantically searched for Innessa only to barge into the room beside his, and there she was soundlessly lying on the bed looking so pale and fragile. Her heart monitor was doing fine. There was an IV attached to her as the nurses gasped at his intrusion and asked him to leave when Victor stepped inside handling the situation and telling the nurses Issac was the patient's husband.

He requested the nurse to shift Innessa to the bigger room where Issac could be with her as well.

Issac stared down at his precious. She looked so pale and ashen; her lips were chapped and blue. Seeing her condition brought him to his knees as he gently cupped her cheek.

"H... How is she?" Issac asked, still not looking away from Innessa.

"She didn't get shot. The bullet grazed her back. Her spine got saved by mere inches, she lost blood and lost consciousness because of severe stress," Victor said.

"She's fine now, out of danger. The doc said she'll wake up in a couple of hours," Victor said.

Innessa and Issac were shifted to the huge VIP room which had two hospital beds but he couldn't stay away from her. Once he got his drip, the nurse removed it. He took off his heart monitor and ambled to her bed. He carefully lay beside her as he stared at her with a broken gaze.

Issac gently caressed her cheek. She got hurt because of him. He should've been cautious; he should've kept her away from Victor but he brought her into this mess and it was heavily weighing down on him.

Issac didn't realize when he drifted off to sleep holding her hand in his because the next thing, he woke up feeling a gentle caress on his cheek.

His eyes flew open and they widened when his eyes met with the tired ice blue eyes that peered up at him silently with her hand resting on his cheek.

"You're alive," she croaked out in a small voice, a tired smile on her lips as she blinked at him. Her gaze darted to his bandaged arm and wrists before meeting his gaze again.

Issac couldn't believe his eyes. She was alive. She was fine. Tears brimmed his eyes and he couldn't mask his emotions anymore as he pressed his hand on his eyes to hide his tears.

His shoulders trembled as tears poured out of his eyes. She gently pulled his hand away, staring at him. Issac didn't open his eyes until she cupped his cheek and he slowly blinked his eyes open.

Issac stared at her with so much love, regret, and sadness that her heart melted for him.

"You're okay," he whispered cupping her red cheek as she winced, he gently caressed her cheek, his thumb stroking her eyebrows and eyes as she breathed in deeply.

"I was so scared," he whispered in a shaky voice.

"I thought I'd lose you," his deep voice trembled.

"Why did you do it, Innessa? How could you put your life in danger knowing I couldn't live without you? Please, I beg you. Please, don't ever do this again," he sounded so pained as tears welled up in her eyes.

"How could I watch you getting hurt right in front of my eyes? I... I don't know, I just wanted to protect you," she whispered as a tear trickled down the corner of her eye, trailing down her temple, and got absorbed into the pillow.

"I was supposed to protect you, Innessa. Not the other way around. From now on you're not allowed to put your life in danger. You're supposed to stay away even if I'm in danger, if I can't protect you, I want you to run, save yourself, not put your life at risk for me. Why do you think I could live without you? Y... You've no idea what I had felt seeing you bleeding in my arms. I was dying every second," he said in a broken voice which was heavy with all the emotions.

"I'll try but I can't promise," She whispered as he shook his head pressing his forehead against hers.

"I don't deserve you, Precious. You're an angel for a man like me," he said as she gently wiped his tears with her thumb and caressed his cheek, the same way he was doing for her.

"But you love me," she whispered.

"I do. I do love you a lot. More than anything in this world. It took everything from me to give you those divorce papers, I didn't even sign them hoping you wouldn't either. I... I just wanted your happiness. And if you were happy being away from me then I was ready to spend the rest of my life just watching and loving you from afar. I... I swear I'd let go of boxing in the underground ring. I'll let go of everything that you want to eliminate from my life. I'll do anything for you. J... just be with me. Be my love. My wife. My everything," he rasped, inhaling deeply as she cupped his face and pressed her lips on his forehead lovingly.

"I know you'll do anything for me. All I want from you is trust and sincerity, Issac. I gave us a chance but please don't ever break me again because if you do, I won't be able to handle it-"

"I swear I won't. I promise I won't ever hurt you. I trust you with all my heart, Innessa and if ever in your life you want to leave me, just tell me, okay? My love for you is stronger than anything. I... I won't force you to be with me ever. Just be by my side with all your heart. I love you so much-"

She slapped his bandaged arm and he jolted badly, groaning and wincing in pain as he clenched his teeth to suppress the pain.

"Ughh, W... Why would you hit me, Precious? It hurts," he grunted, adjusting his arm so it would hurt less as she glared at him.

"Why would I ever leave you? Take back your words," she gritted as Issac blinked at her before a smile donned his lips.

"I'm taking back my words. Don't ever leave me," he said and she huffed in acceptance making him grin as he kissed the tip of her nose making her jerk back in surprise with wide eyes.

"Umm... W... Why are we in the same bed?" She asked after a long pause because Issac was staring at her with hearty eyes and it was making her nervous.

"I... I didn't want to stay away from you," he said honestly and she tried not to smile.

At the same time, the door opened and someone walked in as she abruptly tried to pull back to create distance between Issac and herself but winced because of the pain.

Issac quickly sat up straight so Innessa didn't have to move and hurt herself, he grunted when he felt pressure on his arm because of the sudden movement.

"You both are awake," Victor's deep voice filled the room as he stepped further inside and sat on the chair near the bed on Innessa's side facing them.

"How are you feeling?" Victor asked as he glanced at his friend Issac before facing Innessa who blinked at him a little scared.

"I'm fine," her voice was small.

"I didn't get to introduce myself nicely when we first met, I'm Victor Volkov," Victor said.

"Innessa Laskin," the girl said in a small voice.

"I'm sorry that because of me all of this happened. I can assure you it'll never happen again. And as compensation for causing, you so much stress and pain, you can demand anything and I'll try to comply with it-"

"Don't make Issac participate in underground boxing and if possible, try to leave the bad work and apply for a good job," she said in one breath with mustered-up courage. Issac couldn't stop his laugh while Victor blinked at the girl, surprised.

"Apply for a good job, Victor. This line of work is not good for you," Issac mused, taking Innessa's side as Victor stayed mum. He'll deal with Issac alone; he doesn't want to scare the already terrified girl. And Victor doesn't talk to girls much so talking this much to her was a task.

"I'll look for jobs," Victor said to Innessa using his gentle voice which was reserved only for his mom.

"That's very kind of you," she said and Victor lowered his gaze, nodding silently but Issac knew it was impossible for Victor.

Victor faced Issac and then looked back at Innessa.

"He was behaving like an idiot once he got his consciousness back. He ripped off his IV and went berserk searching for you. I had to get you shifted to this room just because Issac wanted to be with you. I offered a big king-sized bed but he demanded a single bed so he could get cozy with you despite knowing you both were hurt-"

"The f*ck are you spouting, mate," Issac growled, annoyed because the bed thing was made up by Victor.

Innessa had her gaze lowered as she refused to speak, her cheeks turning pinkish.

"Look, that's his bed but it's not even creased because he refused to leave your bed," Victor said pointing at the bed that was behind him in the same room.

Issac glared at Victor who only smirked as Innessa blinked at the empty bed.

"We need to talk," Issac said grumpily as he got out of the bed, leaning down he dropped a kiss on Innessa's forehead who closed her eyes for that brief second.

Victor gave her a slight nod before he stepped out and Issac followed right behind him.

As soon as they were out Issac turned him around and landed a solid punch on his jaw with his good hand making Victor spit out blood as he grabbed his jaw and moved it slowly looking at Issac with void eyes.

"She could've died you bastard," Issac hissed as Victor sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.

"She's alive," Victor said and Issac was about to punch him again but he raised his hands in surrender, stepping back.

"Alright... Alright, man. I'm sorry. It will not happen again." Victor said but Issac was fuming.

"How are you so sure? That f*cker Artyom wasn't even a big deal but he caused so much damage what if the bigger sharks came after her? I don't want her to be in danger, Victor. I swear if anything like this happens again, I'll kill you with my own damn hands," Issac growled as the nurse tremblingly requested him not to make any noise before she scurried away.

Victor knew Issac was mad at him and didn't mean half of the things he was saying, also he was upset with the things that happened and was scared for his woman. Understandable enough.

"I'll have my men keep her safe from afar for some time. Don't worry I won't let anything like this happen again. You have my word. And if I fail to keep them, you're eligible to kill me. After all, Pakhan's words are more important than his life," Victor assured him and Issac finally calmed down as he nodded.

Issac also noticed two of Victor's men standing at the corners and keeping eyes on them.

"Very well, I trust you on this," Issac said as Victor patted his shoulder.

"I've informed Theodore and Maddox. They'll be here soon. I need to deal with certain matters so I'm leaving," Victor said as Issac nodded and he left.

Issac went back into the room only to find her sleeping peacefully as she breathed softly through her parted lips.

Issac couldn't explain in words how peaceful he felt at the moment. He didn't ever want to go through the trauma of losing her again. He might die if anything happened to her ever.

Innessa was the brightest star in his dark life. His sweet little angel.

His, precious.