CHAPTER 21: SHADOW ON THE GLASS
When that crimson laser dot parked itself dead center on her chest, Evelyn suddenly woke up to one brutal fucking truth: no matter how close these two kingpins were glued to her…
…death could still slither in and rip everything apart in the blink of an eye.
That thin red laser flickered like a fragile thread, but it was ice-cold, sharp as a blade kissing the skin right over her pounding heart.
Time froze. Everything went dead silent for one short, terrifying second.
Then Viktor exploded.
"GET THE FUCK DOWN!!"
He lunged like a goddamn beast, hurling his massive frame over Evelyn, slamming her flat and yanking her hard against his rock-hard chest. The violent spin made the world whirl; she lost track of her own limbs. All she knew was his heavy, suffocating body crushing her, shielding her completelylike a living wall of meat between her and the reaper.
Diego dove right after him, rough hand snatching her shoulder, shoving all three of them crashing to the freezing hardwood floor.
BANG!
Glass exploded like a bomb, shards flying everywhere like a storm of knives. One razor-sharp piece sliced through Evelyn's sleeve, carving into flesh, blood seeping out. Diego instantly slapped his palm over the wound, grinding her face into his chest, shielding her from whatever came next.
"DON'T FUCKING LIFT YOUR HEAD!" His voice hissed through clenched teeth, sharp as a death sentence.
Viktor yanked his gun from under the couchso fast the eye couldn't track itthen angled his body to cover Evelyn completely, like a wolf guarding his most prized prey.
"They're aiming straight for her." His voice was low, guttural, vibrating straight into her guts and twisting them tight.
She could hear his heart thundering right against her earviolent, furious, ready to burst out of his ribcage.
Diego pressed in from behind, huge hand locking around her hips, pinning her still. Not a caressthis was a bruising grip, like if she so much as twitched he'd lose her forever.
"Viktor," Diego rasped, "angle?"
"Building across the street. 42nd floor, third window." Viktor flicked a glance through the shattered glass, murder flashing in his eyes.
Diego's lips curled into an icy smirk. "That floor's mine."
"They shot at her," Viktor snarled, "I'm gonna personally rip them limb from limb."
They were talking strategy, but their hands never left hernot for a fucking centimeter. Viktor's palm splayed over her chest, the other crushing her wrist to stop her from sitting up. Diego's arm clamped her waist like a steel vice, hot breath scalding the back of her neck:
"You're only still breathing because you're trapped between the two of us."
Evelyn gasped, soaked in sweat. "You guys… are fucking heavy… let me go!"
Diego leaned in until his lips brushed her ear, voice raw and thick with emotion:
"Muñeca, I just watched you almost die. I'm keeping you pinned like this until I'm damn sure you're still breathing and your heart's still beating!"
Viktor didn't budge an inch, glued to her like tar. "Evelyn," he said slow, each word carving into her skin, "from now on, when I say duck, you duck. Instantly."
She wanted to scream at them, but the two male bodies crushing her from both sides turned her brain to mush. Amid the clatter of falling glass and distant gunfire rumbling like thunder, all she could feel was:
Viktor's chest smashed against her face, scorching hot and heavy as hell.
Diego's hand clamped around her waist like he was terrified she'd vanish into thin air.
Both of them tremblingjust slightly. Not from fear. From the sheer terror of almost losing her, an obsession gnawing at their bones.
And then, in the middle of that chaos, a brand-new fear clawed its way up inside Evelynnot from the bullet, but from these two men.
They weren't just saving her… they were claiming her, every breath, every heartbeat. Was death out there really the only enemy, or was this lethal closeness the thing that would tear her apart from the inside? Her heart hammered so hard she couldn't tell if it was adrenaline or whatever twisted fucking feeling was exploding inside her…
---
Viktor tilted his head, eyes drilling into hers from so close it stole her airhis breath ghosting over her lips like a deadly whisper.
"You okay?"
She opened her mouth to stammer "I'm fine," but Diego cut her off, voice thick with worry and rage: "No, she's not fucking okay!"
His hand slid up her back, checking the gash, hot palm pressing against bare skin and making her jolt.
"Not much blood," he muttered, "but I can't stand the sight of your blood."
Viktor ground his teeth: "Dead would be a hell of a lot worse."
They locked eyes over her shouldersame burning fury this time, no jealousy, just a shared inferno of vengeance.
"Five million bounty…" Viktor growled. "Only three factions ballsy enough for this."
"Two," Diego corrected, eyes blazing. "The third one's already worm food."
"You mean me," Viktor shot him a sideways glare, "or Evelyn?"
Diego's smile was knife-sharp: "Everything she touches turns into a hunting target. Kill on sight."
Evelyn bolted upright: "Don't talk like this is my fucking fault"
Diego slapped a hand over her mouth, shutting her up fast.
"Shut the fuck up. Sniper might not be gone yet."
Viktor dragged her tighter against his chest, voice deep as an abyss:
"Evelyn, listen closeyour body's still shaking like a leaf."
"Huh?" She panted.
Diego laid his palm low on her belly, right where the tremors were strongest: "Right here."
She jerked, face flaming: "II'm shaking because I almost died! Not because"
"Not because what?" Viktor leaned in, nose brushing her cheek. "Not because two men just threw themselves on top of you to save your life?"
She gritted her teeth:
"Will you two please stop turning everything into… that!"
But Diego pressed lightly on her waist, voice gravel-rough:
"Muñeca, you are shaking. And don't think for a second we can't feel every single tremor running through you."
Her breathing turned raggedbecause they were too damn close, because death was still circling, because of the adrenaline, and because… of the chaotic fucking storm of feelings she didn't even understand herself.
Viktor stood first but never let her go. He scooped her upactually bridal-carried herone arm under her back, the other under her knees, cradling her like priceless treasure.
"Viktor! Put me down, I can walk!"
"No fucking chance," he snapped. "You stay in my arms until I put a bullet through that sniper's skull."
Diego followed right behind, wiping the blood from her shoulder, eyes dark with haunted rage: "Get her to the safe room. Now!"
Viktor strode offno questions, no hesitation. Evelyn trapped tight in his arms, face pressed to his neck where his pulse thundered, hot and alive and insane.
Diego shadowed them, footsteps silent but dripping killer intent:
"They want her alive." His voice sent chills down her spine. "That's worse than dead."
Viktor's arms crushed her closer: "Nobody's taking her."
Diego shoved open the safe-room door: "Nobody touches her."
Viktor dipped his head, voice a deadly vow carved into her soul: "Nobody… steals you from us."
The safe-room door slammed shut.
Evelyn stared at the anonymous message that popped up on the control panel screen:
"I WANT HER ALIVE. SAY HI FROM SOMEONE WHO USED TO KNOW EVELYN VERY, VERY WELL."
Sender: V. S.
Not Viktor. Not Diego.
Someone just signed it with her own goddamn initials ghost from the past laughing at them from the dark.