Dark Christmas: A Bratva Next Door Romance (Silver Fox Daddies)
Dark Christmas: Chapter 34

Gunshots ping off the steel of nearby cars, thudding into the concrete.

I keep my head low, instincts firing, my mind on the safety of Amelia and Sasha. I spot Sasha first, relief flooding through me. He’s got Amelia on the ground, covering her, yelling at her to stay down and out of sight.

I draw my gun, cursing under my breath. I’m not as armed as I was at Daniil’s—no submachine gun, no vest. Still, I’ve got enough, and I know Sasha’s carrying.

Sasha’s already drawn his weapon. Our eyes meet, and we both know what needs to happen.

I move quickly, crouching low, and make my way over to them. “You okay?” I ask Amelia.

“Yeah,” she breathes, her eyes wide. “Should I call the police?”

“No.” I shake my head, scanning the area. “Someone had to have heard those shots. They’ll call. You just stay down.”

Her face is pale, but she nods in understanding. I glance back at the car that the two assholes had jumped out from.

The gunfire pauses and I listen, an eerie silence fills the garage. Sasha leans in, his voice low. “They had one shot at this. They might be running for it now, realizing they fucked up.”

I nod, still scanning the area. “Maybe. But I doubt it.”

I start to get up, but Amelia grabs my arm, her eyes wide with fear. “We need to stay down,” she hisses, her grip tight. “Wait for the police, for help.”

I meet her gaze full-on. “No. I need to end this now. If I don’t, they’ll just keep coming. We’ll never be free.”

She releases me, her hand trembling. “Be careful,” she pleads.

The look in my eyes is my silent promise to her. I have to take care of this. I can’t let her live in fear any longer, not when I have the opportunity to stop it now.

A Russian-accented voice cuts through the garage. “Melor!”

It echoes off the concrete, filled with malice. I grip my gun tighter, rising from behind the car. I scan the rows of parked vehicles, my pulse steady, my mind sharp.

‘Come out and face me!’ the voice taunts. There’s no doubt whom it belongs to.

I move carefully, every muscle tense.

“Denis!” I shout. “It’s your lucky day. I’m in the mood to negotiate. After what you pulled, it’s fair game, but if you leave the woman out of this, I’m willing to talk.”

An amused laugh is his immediate response. “Negotiate? No, Melor, you’re all going to die. But maybe I’ll keep the girl and have a little fun with her first.”

Rage ignites within me and my blood boils, pulsing hot and vicious. Any further thought of talking this down evaporates.

He’s dead.

Gunshots crack through the air, and I instinctively duck behind a car, metal pinging as the bullets slam into the vehicles around us. Every nerve ending is coiled tight with fury. I squeeze the trigger, sending return fire into the garage, the echo of my shots roaring in my ears.

The gunfire is coming from two different positions. I can tell from the pattern of the shots they’re working together, trying to box us in.

I grit my teeth, firing off some more suppressing shots before moving between cars. “Stay down!” I bark at Amelia, then signal to Sasha. We’ve done this dance before.

We’ll take them out one by one. I’ve got no other option.

As I move, Denis’ mocking laughter follows me like a shadow.

You won’t be laughing much longer motherfucker.

“You’re running out of time, Melor! Maybe I’ll let you watch while I play with her.”

A barrage of machine gun fire tears through the garage, the deafening roar of bullets ricocheting off metal and concrete.

I throw myself to the ground, glass shattering around me as I crawl between the cars, my gun ready in my hand. I hear the machine gun’s magazine run dry and take my chance. I raise up and fire, aiming for Denis. But there’s no clear shot.

A new gunshot comes from behind me. Shit. They’ve got us pinned.

Realization hits me—Denis’ machine gun fire was a distraction while his companions maneuvered into a better position. I turn just in time to see him rise, aiming directly at Amelia.

Time slows. My heart pounds in my chest.

Before I can react, Sasha dives over her, shielding her body as I squeeze the trigger. The shooter ducks behind cover just in time, avoiding the shot. Fuck!

I grit my teeth, my blood boiling in my veins. I won’t let them get near her. Not while I still breathe.

Machine gun fire erupts again, the deafening roar of bullets rattling throughout the parking garage. I hear Amelia let out a shriek and rage surges through me, hotter than anything I’ve felt before. My mind blanks, and instinct takes over. I rush toward Amelia and Sasha, barely processing the gunfire raining down around me. They’re trying to pull the same move, using the machine gun to keep me pinned while the second guy lines up his shot.

Not this time.

I press myself against the cold steel of a nearby car, waiting for that brief pause when the machine gun runs dry again. The firing stops. I take a quick breath, steady my hand, and watch the second man rise, his weapon trained on Amelia and Sasha.

This time, I’m ready.

I let the air out of my lungs, sight in on him, and squeeze the trigger. The shot rings out, clean and sharp. The man’s head snaps back, a neat hole drilled in his forehead. He drops to the ground, lifeless.