Chapter 8 - The Ambush In The Garden
Serena shrieked, jumping backward. "Julian! No! You promised we were just going to talk to her!"
"Shut up, Serena!" Julian snapped, raising the gun directly at my chest. "She ruined everything! My father disowned me yesterday! The bank froze my accounts! Nikolai took my seat on the board! All because of this manipulative bitch!"
I didn't run. I knew that running in heels on wet stone would only give him an easy shot. I stood my ground, keeping my hands visible, my mind racing through every scenario Nikolai had taught me over the last three weeks.
"If you shoot me, Julian," I said, my voice forced into a calm, steady register, "Nikolai will hunt you to the ends of the earth. You won't make it to the highway."
"Nikolai won't know," Julian laughed hysterically. "My friends from Detroit are entering the building through the service dock right now. They're going to take care of Nikolai while I handle you. We'll frame it as a rival hit. I'll step in to take over the family business in the tragedy."
He was completely insane. Delusional from desperation.
"Julian, look at me," I said, taking one slow, deliberate step toward him. "You don't want to do this. You're a coward, not a murderer."
"Don't call me a coward!" Julian screamed, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Before he could pull it, I kicked out with all my strength.
My heavy heel struck Julian’s hand with precise, lethal accuracy.
The gun flew out of his grip, skidding across the wet stone floor into the rose bushes. Julian let out a roar of rage, lunging at me, his hands wrapping around my throat as we crashed onto the cold marble floor.
I fought back savagely, gouging my fingernails into his face, driving my elbow into his ribs. But he was heavier, driven by sheer manic strength.
"Evelyn!" Serena screamed, standing frozen in terror.
Suddenly, a shot echoed through the garden.
Julian went rigid above me. A small, neat hole appeared in his shoulder, and he collapsed sideways onto the stone, groaning in agony.
I scrambled backward, gasping for air, looking up through the darkness.
Nikolai stood at the garden doors. His suit jacket was torn, a red smear of blood across his cheek, and in his hand was his custom silver pistol, smoke curling from the barrel.
Behind him, two Detroit mercenaries lay motionless on the museum floor.
Nikolai didn't look at Julian. He didn't look at Serena.
He rushed across the stone floor, dropping to his knees beside me, his hands frantically checking my neck, my arms, my face.
"Evelyn," Nikolai choked out, his dark eyes filled with a raw, terrifying panic I had never seen in him before. "Are you hit? Talk to me!"
"I'm... I'm fine," I gasped, holding onto his lapels, my heart pounding violently. "He didn't shoot me."
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Nikolai pulled me violently against his chest, wrapping his arms around me so tightly I could barely breathe, his body trembling with immense relief.
"If he had touched you..." Nikolai growled into my hair, his voice laced with absolute, terrifying murder. "I would have burned this entire city to the ground."
