Chapter 4 - The Sound of Shattered Glass|
Thwack! Thwack!
Two more high-caliber rounds tore through the diner's front facade. The fluorescent light fixtures above us exploded in a rain of sparks and glass, plunging the room into chaotic, neon-lit darkness.
Screams erupted. Jerry hit the floor behind the grill, dropping a tray of stainless steel tongs. The truck driver scrambled frantically toward the kitchen exit.
"Stay down!" Dimitri's voice growled into my ear.
He wasn't frantic. His voice was icy, measured, and dangerously focused. His massive chest expanded against my ribs as he drew a dark, heavy sidearm from his shoulder holster with his free hand.
Beside us, his two guards opened fire through the shattered window, the deafening bang-bang-bang of unsuppressed weapons echoing off the metal walls like thunder.
Gunfire ripped back and forth across the parking lot.
I buried my face into the lapel of Dimitri's jacket, my hands shaking violently against his chest. I could feel the hard ridge of his body armor, the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart, and the raw, terrifying power radiating from him.
"You're hit?" he demanded, his thumb gripping my chin and tilting my face up in the dark.
"No," I gasped, my throat dry with terror. "No, I... I don't think so."
His gray eyes swept over my face, taking in the small cuts from the flying glass along my hairline.
"Good," he growled. "Keep your head tucked into my chest."
He rolled sideways, using his broad frame as a shield, and fired three precise shots through the broken booth frame toward the street. A man's scream cut through the rain outside, followed by the wet thud of a body hitting the gravel.
"Boss! We have two vehicles pulling up!" one of his guards shouted over the gunfire. "Moretti's crew!"
Dimitri's jaw clenched hard enough to crack wood. "They brought a full team to my territory."
He looked down at me, his hand cupping the back of my neck, his fingers warm and slick with my spilled coffee.
"Elena," he said softly, his voice cutting straight through the ringing in my ears. "Look at me."
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I opened my eyes, staring into storm-gray irises that held no fear—only absolute, ruthless intent.
"You just saved my life," he whispered. "Which means you belong to this fight now."
