Mafia Bloodlines

Chapter 21

Mikhail's pov

My eyes narrowed as I noticed the black car behind us. We are being followed. Faina can surely visit her friend another day.

" I'm afraid we  have to go back home right now. I think we are being followed." I tell Faina as I was about to make a U-turn.

" You are being paranoid . It's probably just nothing. " Faina said nonchalantly.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my eyes scanning the rearview mirror for any sign of the car. Faina's dismissal of my concerns still lingered in my mind, but I pushed it aside, focusing on getting us out of this alive.

As the car behind us accelerated, my instincts screamed at me to react. I floored it, weaving through traffic with precision, but the attackers were relentless. Another car joined the chase, and I felt a surge of adrenaline as I fought to shake them off.

"Faina, hold on!" I yelled, as the car clipped our bumper, sending us careening out of control. We hurtled over the bridge, and my stomach dropped as the car plunged into the dam below.

The impact was immense, and my head spun. I struggled to free myself from the wreckage, my eyes scanning the water for Faina. I spotted her, her eyes wide with panic, as she struggled to stay afloat.

I kicked towards her, grabbing her and pulling her close. "Stop moving, Faina! You're going to drown!" I shouted, trying to keep jer from panicking. I roughly pulled her as I swam across the dam, she was not making my job easy. I didn't understand if the problem was that she couldn't swim or was she just in shock.

As we broke through the surface, I realized we were stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no phone and no way to call for help.

"The attackers could still be out there, waiting for us.We need to get out of here, now." I said as I scanned our surroundings,  taking in the dense forest that loomed before us. I knew we had to keep moving, but Faina's eyes looked glassy, and she clung to me like a lifeline. As we stumbled through the forest, I realized Faina was injured. A bullet wound marred her side, and she was bleeding profusely.My training kicked in, and I quickly administered first aid to stem the bleeding.

Faina's eyes fluttered closed, and she whispered, "I don't want to die...not like this...weak..."

My heart twisted in my chest. I couldn't let Faina die, I am her protector, I should have taken that bullet, died for her. I held Faina's frail body in my arms, her ragged breathing echoing through the forest. Her eyes were wide with terror, her pupils constricted as she stared up at me.

"You're going to be okay, I've got you." I whispered to her.

But she didn't respond. Her body continued to shake, her chest heaving as she struggled to draw in air. I recognized the signs of a panic attack.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close as I spoke softly into her ear. "Faina, listen to me. You're safe. I've got you. Just breathe, okay? Just breathe for me."

But she couldn't. Her body was rigid, her muscles locked in a desperate bid to escape the terror that gripped her.

I held her to my chest, tighter, my voice growing more urgent. "Faina, please...you have to calm down. You're going to hyperventilate. Just focus on my voice, okay?"

Slowly, incrementally, Faina's body began to relax. Her breathing slowed, her chest still heaving, but no longer racing. I held her close, my heart pounding in my chest as I felt her warm breath on my skin.

"It's okay, Faina," I whispered, my lips brushing against her ear. "I've got you. I've got you, little witch."

With a newfound sense of determination, I scooped Faina into my arms and continued through the forest, driven by a singular focus: to get Faina to safety. As we stumbled onto a deserted road after finding a way out of the forest, I spotted a car approaching. I flagged it down, and when the driver stopped, I knocked him unconscious and commandeered the vehicle.

I glanced over at Faina, who lay pale and still in the passenger seat. Her eyes, once bright and sparkling, now seemed dull and lifeless.

" Whoever did this will pay. Once I've made sure you are okay I'm going after them, believe me." I declare.

I pushed open the door, Faina's limp body cradled in my arms. The room fell silent as the family's eyes landed on us. Anastasia's face went white, her eyes wide with worry.

Vladimir rushed forward, his face etched with concern. "What happened?"

I shook my head, my eyes scanning the room for Ivan. "We were ambushed. Faina's been shot."

Ivan,  quickly stepped forward, his eyes assessing Faina's injury. "Let's get her to the medical room, now."

As Ivan tended to Faina's wound, Anastasia and Vladimir hovered anxiously, their faces etched with worry. Ivan told us that Faina had lost a lot of blood but she would be fine, the wound was not deep.

"We can't thank you enough, Roman . You've ensured our daughter's safety." Anastasia said, her eyes never leaving Faina. But as I looked around the room, I couldn't shake off the feeling that this was far from over. The ambush had been too coordinated, too deliberate. Whoever had done this was still out there, waiting for their next chance to strike.