Chapter 18: Dark Obsession: Chapter 18

The explosion rips through the hospital’s main entrance, shattering glass and making the whole building tremble with the force of it.

Holy shit.

I tighten my hold on Elena, pulling her close and bracing myself against the overturned table, my body shielding hers. The heat and noise are overwhelming but all I care about is keeping her safe.

The blast fades, leaving behind the sharp smell of smoke, the screech of fire alarms, and distant screams. The air is thick with smoke, dust, and debris.

Slowly, I release Elena, my heart still hammering in my chest. I run my hands over her, checking for injuries, making sure she’s okay. She’s rattled, but she’s fine.

I rise to my feet, surveying the wreckage. The conference room’s a mess—glass everywhere, chairs toppled over, the windows blown out. Smoke seeps in from the hallway.

I hear shouting and footsteps below us, down near the entrance. It’s pure chaos, people scrambling, trying to make sense of what just happened.

‘What the hell is going on?’ Elena asks.

I move to the window, looking down. Through the smoke and haze I spot figures moving—fast. Men heavily armed, spilling out of the wrecked van.

“It’s the cartel. They’ve come to finish the job.”

“Jesus, in a hospital, Grigori?”

“Stay put,” I tell Elena, my tone leaving no room for argument even though I know damn well she hates being told what to do. Sure enough, she shoots me a look like she’s ready to argue, but something in her eyes shifts. She knows how bad this is. After a moment, she nods.

I pull out my gun, then reach down to my ankle holster and pull out a second one. I hand it to her, my eyes locking on hers.

“Remember what I always tell you, princess?”

She grips the gun, a small smirk on her lips. “Never hesitate.”

I lean in and kiss her—fast and hard. Then I’m gone, moving into the hallway.

The place is in absolute disarray. Doctors and nurses are shouting orders as patients rush for cover, the smell of smoke hangs in the air. It’s a goddamn nightmare, and all I can think about is how the cartel doesn’t give a fuck about the innocent lives they’re putting in the crossfire.

Cowards.

I grit my teeth, my rage building. They’ll pay for this. Every single one of them. They came here to finish the job, to take Elena or kill her—or both. And I’ll die before I let that happen.

I push forward, scanning the area for threats. Through the hysteria, I hear more shouting, followed by gunfire. They’re moving fast but I’m faster.

I rush to the stairwell, taking a quick look to make sure it’s clear.

I’m sure the cartel did their homework. They know exactly where Elena is. My gut twists at the thought, and I move faster, pushing through the hall until I reach the room where I left her.

I swing the door open. She’s already on edge, the gun I gave her in hand and pointed at the door. ‘What’s going on?’ she asks.

“We need to move, now,” I tell her. Her eyes widen but she doesn’t hesitate.

“What about my brothers?” she asks.

“They can handle themselves,” I reply, my voice gruff. “Right now we need to get you the hell out of here.”

She nods, slipping into the role of survivor like it’s second nature. No fear in her eyes, just determination. That’s my girl.

I grip my gun tighter. ‘Stay close.’

We move quickly into the hallway, my mind racing through the options. Elevators are out of the question—too risky. The stairs are too obvious. We’d be walking right into a trap.

I stop a maintenance worker, grabbing his arm as he rushes by. “Is there another way out of the building?” I demand.

The guy looks panicked, eyes wide, but he manages to stammer, “S-s-service stairs, other side of the building.” He rattles off quick directions.

Elena stays close, following my lead as we weave through the chaos.

We reach the far side of the floor, the service stairs just ahead. As we round the corner, two cartel members burst through the main stairwell door.

I don’t hesitate. I raise my pistol and squeeze the trigger twice. Both shots are clean, both men drop instantly.

I hurry over to one of the men, grabbing the submachine gun from his body and doing a quick check to make sure that it’s loaded. Good. I turn to Elena and hand her my gun, trading it for the smaller ankle pistol, which I tuck back into its holster.

The stairwell is narrow and dimly lit, but it gives us a good view all the way down to the first floor. I glance over the railing, scanning the steps below. So far, the coast looks clear, but I know better than to let my guard down.

We descend quickly, my eyes darting between the stairs and the doors. When we reach the first floor, I stop, listening for movement on the other side.

I crack the door open just enough to get a view, and what I see makes my gut twist.

A dozen cartel members fill the lobby, all heavily armed. And there, standing right in the middle of them, is Claudio Sanchez.

I shut the door quietly, turning back to Elena. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What now?” she whispers, her grip tightening on the pistol.

“Sanchez. He’s here, and he brought a small army with him.”

We need another plan—fast.

She looks alarmed for the first time, and I know I need to keep her calm.

“We’re going to get out of here,” I tell her, keeping my voice steady and controlled.

She nods, swallowing, regaining her composure.

‘Ready,’ she says, her voice stronger.

I turn to the door. The machine gun in my hands will help, but charging out there guns blazing is a fast way to get us both killed. On the other side of the door I hear gunfire and look to see that the Ivanov men have joined the fray.

A grin pulls at my lips. ‘Your brothers are putting up a fight.’

Elena smirks; the fire is back in her eyes.

I motion for her to follow as I slip through the door, keeping low. We move quickly down the hallway, ducking into a side room for cover. Through the thin door, I can hear Claudio barking orders in Spanish, his voice sharp with frustration.

Their target is Luk.

It hits me then—this isn’t just about me. They’re trying to cut the head off the Ivanov Bratva.

Fortunately, the room we ducked into has a computer setup. Elena immediately goes to work, her fingers flying over the keyboard. I stand guard, scanning the room, but my eyes flick to the screen when she pulls up the security feed.

There’s Claudio, storming off with a few of his men as he tells the others to stay behind and guard the room. Elena looks up at me, her face tight with tension. “What’s happening?” she asks.

“They’re staying put, making sure no one gets through. Looks like we’re not getting out of here without a fight.”

I glance over at the observation window that looks out onto the main room. Cartel members are spread out, guarding every exit. Wonderful.

An idea hits me. “You know what covering fire is?”

She raises an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “No, I missed that lesson in my computer science classes.”

“Fair enough. Here’s the plan. You’re going to fire through that hole in the glass,” I point at a cracked part of the window, “just enough to keep them ducking. I’ll handle the rest.”

She nods, her grip tightening on the pistol I gave her. She might be terrified, but she’s no damsel. That’s why I need her by my side.

“Get in position,” I say quietly, leaning in close. “Wait for my signal.”

Her eyes flash with determination as she moves into place.

I open the door slowly, peering out into the hall. Three men. Shouldn’t be too hard, but I’m going to need the element of surprise if we’re getting out of this without a scratch. I glance back at Elena, showing her three fingers. She nods, her eyes sharp, focused.

I count down silently—three, two, one—then mouth the word, now.

She sticks the gun through the cracked glass, the room filling with the pop, pop, pop of gunfire. Her shots aren’t meant to hit them, just to scatter them, and it works. The cartel members duck and scramble, trying to find cover.

As soon as they’re out in the open, I move. Three quick bursts, three perfect clusters of fire. One man drops, then the next, then the last.

Within seconds, the room is clear. The bodies slump to the floor, leaving the ringing silence of a job well done.

I nod to Elena, my lips pulling into a small smirk. “Nice work, princess.”

She breathes out, adrenaline still pumping through her, but there’s a grin tugging at her mouth, too. “What can I say? I’m a natural.”

I chuckle, then glance down the hallway. “Come on. Let’s go save your brothers.”