Mikhail

34 (R)

The door of the passenger's side slammed shut hard enough to shake the entire black SUV.

With my heart thudding in my ears I hastily unbuckled my seatbelt and rushed after Mikhail, who proceeded to near Vinnie murderously, the bulging muscles rippled across his body squeezed tight.

The giant man held a gun, unfazed by the frightened eyes of civilian onlookers and the rifle aimed at his head.

"No!" I shrieked, panicking when I watched Vinnie's finger tighten on the trigger of the rifle.

The bright sun bounced off the metal, glimmering blindingly.

"You," Mikhail seethed, fury enough to send an immobilising shiver down my spine as I neared the two.

With one final stride he towered over Vinnie, whose eyes were cold and glazed, yet burned with fiery hatred for the dangerous man.

The rifle was ripped away as if the hold on it had been nonexistent.

The superhuman force and tug caused Vinnie to stumble, before a firm piston of Mikhail's fist into his gut left the green-eyed man crumbling down onto the concrete of the road.

I stood by the enraged man, mind drawing a blank as I took in my friend wheezing for air and coughing by our feet.

Mikhail's gun aimed down at him, and muffled gasps sounded from the sidewalk. We couldn't afford them witnessing an execution.

We hadn't much time. For this to happen in broad daylight, in the centre of the city, would result in consequences even our corrupt police forces were unable to brush past. There were too many witnesses, but none of it mattered to him.

"Natalia," he grumbled, demanding my go-ahead to ruthlessly shoot the defenceless man.

Vinnie had been my friend since childhood. Our romantic dalliance had been short-lived and, despite his feelings clinging onto the past, I loved him dearly. He was a brother to me.

I frowned, Mikhail's words drawing me away from my thoughts. His dark eyes murderously glared down Vinnie, who hung his head in defeat.

"Come with me, Natasha," he croaked out, breathless after the air had been knocked out from his lungs.

"You've lost everything," I gritted out the realisation, my heart clenching painfully.

He wheezed out a laugh, pitying himself. He raised his head, finding my narrowed gaze.

"Natalia," Mikhail pushed, his fury growing.

With a disgusted curse he lifted Vinnie to his feet by the collar of his shirt, as if the man weighed zilch.

"Don't think I'll let you so much as look at her," Mikhail promised him, his menacing words slow enough to frighten even me.

Vinnie's glazed eyes averted from mine, his limbs slack as the towering man all but held him up. The barrel of Mikhail's gun pressed painfully against his neck.

"He's not worth it," I decided, and heated dark eyes spun to me with a glare.

"He deserves to die," he gruffed, rage directed to me now. I held his gaze, standing my ground.

"Do you really want to kill someone with so many witnesses?" I inquired firmly, and his dangerous glare harshened, "we need to leave."