Till Death Saves Me (Forced Mafia Marriages)

27. Ivan

27

IVAN

I settle into position, my rifle an extension of my body as I scan the warehouse through my scope. The night air is crisp, but I barely notice, my focus laser-sharp on the task at hand.

This is our first of three warehouses we're going to hit. We've broken up into small groups, spread out across all the boroughs, so we can take down everything the Red Serpents have simultaneously.

With the help of my four friends — if mumbling mutilated bodies count as such — I got the locations of all the supply warehouses. Now, they'll lose all their product, all their weapons, and if I'm good, their men, too.

But we have to move fast. We need to get through all three locations before they can alert one another. The only thing we really have on our side is that Nikolai is sitting down with their boss right now, making sure he's distracted.

Volkov will learn that his empire has been burned in an hour…And then meet an untimely death himself.

Lev's voice crackles in my earpiece, confirming everyone's ready.

"On my mark," I murmur, watching a guard pass below. Three. Two. One.

The shot rings out, and the guard drops. All hell breaks loose.

Our men swarm the building, Molotov cocktails arcing through the air. Flames erupt, casting eerie shadows. Through my scope, I pick off targets with cold precision. One. Two. Three. Each shot finds its mark.

Lev's down there, a whirlwind of controlled violence. I watch his back, dropping a Red who gets too close. He flashes me a quick thumbs up before disappearing into the smoke.

Time blurs as we work. The warehouse is engulfed, screams and gunfire filling the air. I breathe steady, in and out, as I continue providing cover.

"Clear!" Lev's voice comes through. "Move out!"

We're a well-oiled machine, piling into vehicles and speeding towards our next target. My hands are steady on the wheel, but my mind races. Two more to go. The clock's ticking.

The second warehouse looms ahead, a hulking silhouette against the night sky. No time for finesse now. We hit hard and fast, a storm of bullets and fire raining down on our enemies.

I'm in closer this time, my trusted rifle exchanged for a sleek handgun that feels like an extension of my arm. The acrid smell of smoke fills my lungs as I move through the chaos, my senses on high alert.

A Red charges at me, his knife glinting menacingly in the flickering light. I sidestep with practiced ease, my bullet finding its home between his eyes before he can even blink. His body crumples to the ground, but there's no time to dwell. Keep moving. Keep shooting. It's a mantra that's kept me alive all these years.

The flames are spreading faster here, licking up the walls and casting eerie shadows. We need to wrap this up before we're all barbecued.

I catch Lev's eye across the room, noting the fierce determination in his gaze. He gives me a nod, a silent communication honed by years of working side by side.

Time to go. We've done what we came here to do, and now it's time to disappear into the night, leaving nothing but ashes and bodies in our wake.

We all do a sweep as we make it back to the SUV, shooting anyone that is still moving and leaving the fire to do the rest. We aren't taking prisoners tonight. We're razing everything, even if all New York has to go with it.

As we race towards our final target, adrenaline surges through me. We're cutting it close, but we're almost done. One more, and then I can get back to Virginia. The thought of her, locked away safe, pushes me forward.

As soon as we stop, I leap onto the SUV's roof, my rifle already at my shoulder. The night air whips around me as we screech to a halt in front of the last warehouse. Unlike the others, this one's alive with activity. They're ready for us.

My finger finds the trigger, and I start picking off targets with mechanical precision. One. Two. Three. Bodies drop as our explosives team inches closer to the building.

The air crackles with gunfire and shouts. I tune it all out, focusing solely on the task at hand. My world narrows to what I see through my scope.

A Red pops up from behind a crate. I don't even blink as I squeeze the trigger. He falls, and I'm already moving on to the next target.

"Almost there!" Lev shouts from somewhere below.

I grunt in acknowledgment, too focused to form words. My finger never stops moving, each pull of the trigger another life snuffed out.

Finally, our guys reach the warehouse. I watch through my scope as they plant the charges, my rifle never stopping its deadly rhythm.

The explosion rocks the night, a massive fireball lighting up the sky. A grin splits my face as I watch the warehouse go up in flames. We did it. All three targets down.

Suddenly, white-hot pain explodes in my shoulder. The force of it nearly knocks me off the SUV. I gasp, my vision blurring for a moment as the agony threatens to overwhelm me.

Gritting my teeth, I force myself to focus. The bullet missed anything vital - I can still move my arm. But fuck, it hurts.

I swivel, searching for the shooter. There. On a nearby rooftop. I can see the glint of his rifle in the firelight.

Ignoring the searing pain in my shoulder, I bring my rifle up once more. The world narrows down to just me and my target. I exhale slowly, steadying my aim.

The shot rings out, and I watch with grim satisfaction as the sniper topples from his perch.

Around me, the battle rages on. Lev and the others are engaged in close-quarter combat, taking down the remaining Reds with brutal efficiency.

I swing my rifle around, providing cover fire where I can. Each shot sends a jolt of pain through my wounded shoulder, but I push through it. We're so close to finishing this. I can't falter now.

I grit my teeth against the pain in my shoulder as I squeeze off another round. The last Red falls, and suddenly, the night is eerily quiet. The crackle of flames is the only sound breaking the silence.

"Clear!" Lev's voice rings out, followed by similar calls from our other men.

I slide off the SUV's roof, my legs shaky as the adrenaline starts to ebb. Lev's at my side in an instant, his eyes zeroing in on my bloodied shoulder.

"You good?" he asks, voice gruff with concern.

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet. The pain's a bitch, but I've had worse.

We pile into the vehicles, a tense silence settling over us as we speed towards our main warehouse. My mind races, replaying the night's events. Did we get them all? Did the other teams succeed?

The warehouse comes into view, and I feel my muscles tighten. Other cars are already there - a good sign, but until we're sure...

We burst through the doors, weapons at the ready. The scene that greets us is one of controlled chaos. Men are moving about, some nursing wounds, others securing prisoners. But there's an undercurrent of excitement in the air.

Lev grabs the nearest guy. "Report," he barks.

The man's face splits into a grin. "We got 'em, boss. All targets hit, just like planned."

Relief washes over me, so intense it's almost dizzying. Or maybe that's the blood loss talking. Either way, I allow myself a small smile. We did it.

Lev's phone rings, cutting through the noise. He answers, his face going blank as he listens. My heart rate picks up again. What now?

After what feels like an eternity, Lev ends the call. He turns to me, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Volkov's dead," he says simply.

The words hit me like a physical force. Volkov. Dead. It's over. We've won.

The warehouse erupts as men are ready to celebrate, but I barely hear them. My thoughts are already racing ahead, to a certain safe room and the woman waiting inside.

Virginia. I can go back to her now. We're safe. We're free.

I turn to Lev, ready to make my exit, but he pins me with a look.

"You're hurt." I start to shake my head, but he glares at me. The other injured are already being rounded up and dealt with. Lev shoves me in the direction. "You're getting stitched up first."

I grumble, clenching my fist as he pushes me toward the other side of the warehouse. All I fucking want is to see my wife.