Chapter Thirteen

Nikolai.

Shit! That piece of shit really shot me. Thank goodness it was my arm. Dmitri was holding me trying to apply pressure on the wound. My boys, almost a dozen of them had gathered and were beating up Dominique. I should let them beat him to death but he could only die by my hands. No one else had the right to take his life not even him.

" Enough!" I yelled.

Everyone stood still but one of the boys made sure he added an extra kick. Dominique was writhing and groaning in pain.

" Call Andrea. " Dmitri said to Roman.

Roman rushed out with another of my boys. The rest rallied round me shouting and panicking. They half carried me out of the room down to the east wing where my room was.

" Put me down you dimwits and quit fussing. " I said irritatedly.

They helped me onto the sofa, arranging my legs on the table.

" Pakhan. Are you okay? " Rusev said massaging my legs. " Get him water!"

" It's just my arm you fools. I'm not dying. I've survived worse. "

" Where the hell is Doc?" Dmitri yelled.

Immediately, the door busted open. Andrea rushed in with her medical kit. Rowan was right at her heel.

" How did this happen?" Andrea asked kneeling beside me.

" He shot me. " I said.

" Who? Dominique? " Andrea asked with a look of disbelief on her face. She chuckled softly as she set the first aid box on the sofa and opened it.

“Hold still,” she said, opening her medical kit.

I glanced at the wound.

“I am holding still.”

Andrea gave him an unimpressed look. “You have a gunshot wound and somehow you're still arguing with me.”

“I don't remember asking for commentary.”

“And I don't remember asking for a patient who thinks he's indestructible.”

She carefully examined his arm before reaching for her forceps.

“The bullet is still lodged inside. I'm going to remove it.”

“Do it.”

Andrea positioned herself closer.

“This is going to hurt.”

“I know.”

“Then hold on tight.”

I gripped the edge of the sofa with my good hand.

Andrea worked carefully, removing the bullet before placing it into a small metal tray.

“There,” she said.

My eyes briefly moved to the tray.

Andrea examined the wound again.

“You're lucky.”

I raised my head to look at her eyes.

“The bullet missed the major tissues and muscles.”

“I've had worse.”

“ And I'm the one who keeps stitching you up.”

Andrea reached for a bottle of antiseptic solution and poured some onto a piece of cotton wool.

“This is going to sting.”

She cleaned around the wound carefully, making sure it was properly disinfected before discarding the cotton.

I watched her in silence. Andrea had been the personal doctor of the household for about ten years now. She was skillful, avoided asking questions, does her jobs and gives advice where necessary.

Andrea then wrapped the wound securely with a clean bandage and checked that it wasn't too tight.

“Keep this dry,” she instructed. “Don't soak your arm, don't put unnecessary pressure on it, and try not to use that arm too much for the next few days.”

“I have work.”

“You should be grateful you still have an arm attached to your body.”

I gave her a flat look.

Andrea closed her medical kit.

“And change the dressing as instructed. If the pain gets worse, you develop a fever, or the wound starts looking infected, you call me immediately.”

“I'll remember.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

She stood and picked up her bag. Looking at Roman, she said.

“Escort me out,”

Roman nodded.

Andrea looked back at me.

“And no fighting.”

My brows crooked.

“I make no promises.”

Andrea sighed.

“Of course you don't.”

Roman followed her out, leaving me with Dmitri and the rest of the boys.

" Boss does it hurt?" Bobby said rubbing my good arm.

I snatched it away with an irritated look. They didn't have to be so fussy. I've dealt with worse pain.

" Don't y'all have work to do? Go on. " I said. " Get your asses out of here. "

" We'll be right here if you need anything, Boss. " Rusev said.

One by one they went out of the room. Only Dmitri was left behind. He took a seat opposite to me and sat down.

" That little shit could have killed you. " Dmitri said after a while.

" But he didn't. " I replied.

" Yeah but... "

" Drop it, Dmitri. " I said in a tone of finality.

I leaned back against the sofa, my bandaged arm resting against my side.

“What do we have? Any update?"

Dmitri reached into his coat and pulled out his phone.

“We found him.”

My expression hardened.

“Who?”

“Viktor Sokolov.”

The name hung in the room.

“Where?”

“Mexico.”

Dmitri unlocked his phone and pulled up a photograph.

“He's been there for almost three months. Keeps a low profile, moves between properties, never stays anywhere longer than a few days.”

“And now?”

“He's moving something.”

I looked at him.

“What?”

“We don't know yet.”

A brief silence followed.

Dmitri continued.

“But whatever it is, he's treating it like it's worth killing for. He's brought men in from three different countries, changed his usual route twice, and shut down every communication channel he normally uses.”

My fingers tapped slowly against the arm of the sofa. My brain was moving in different directions at once.

“Which means?”

“Whatever he's moving isn't ordinary.”

My eyes went to the photograph.

“Who else knows?”

“Very few people.”

“Good.”

I turned my gaze to Dmitri.

“I want eyes on Sokolov. No contact. No mistakes. Find out where he's going, who he's meeting, and exactly what he's moving.”

Dmitri nodded.

“And if we confirm it?”

“Then we take it.”

“And Sokolov?”

Slowly, I stood, ignoring the discomfort in my injured arm.

“He comes with it.”

Dmitri nodded. I made my way to my bed and sat on it. Dmitri was still there.

" Say what's on your mind. " I knew him too well. He definitely wanted to say something.

" He will be your end, Nikolai. What do you plan on doing with him. "

" That's for me to decide. "

" Nikolai. "

" Goodnight Dmitri. " I said laying on my back.

" Goodnight. "

" And Dmitri. " I called out as he was about leaving. " Have Roman check on Dom, will you?"

" Okay. " He replied obviously biting down his complaints.

Dmitri left, closing the door behind him and I was left with my thoughts.