Chapter 10 - Blood on the Hardwood|
The suppressed gunshot sounded like a dull thwip against the rain outside.
Niko didn't flinch. Before the gunman could fire a second round, Niko lunged forward with terrifying speed, grabbing the intruder’s wrist and twisting it violently until the bone snapped with a sharp crack.
The gunman shrieked in agony, dropping the weapon onto the floorboards.
Niko slammed his elbow into the attacker's jaw, sending the man crashing heavily onto the marble coffee table, shattering the glass top into hundreds of pieces.
Marco burst into the penthouse from the elevator, weapon drawn, two guards behind him.
“Boss!” Marco yelled, rushing forward to pin the groaning attacker to the floor.
Ava gasped, running to Niko’s side. “Niko! Are you hurt?!”
Niko stood tall, adjusting his cuffs, his face an unreadable mask of cold rage. But as he turned toward her, Ava noticed a dark, wet stain spreading rapidly across the left side of his dark blue jacket.
“Niko!” Ava cried out, reaching for his arm. “You’ve been shot!”
“It’s a graze,” Niko said calmly, though his voice sounded slightly strained.
“It’s bleeding through your shirt!” Ava insisted, grabbing his arm and guiding him toward the leather sofa. “Marco, get a medical kit!”
Marco ripped the mask off the groaning intruder, revealing a rough-looking man with a dragon tattoo across his neck.
“He’s a hired hitman from the South Side,” Marco reported, his eyes blazing with fury. “Richard Whitmore hired him two hours ago using his private safe cash.”
Niko sat back on the sofa, letting Ava unbutton his shirt. A deep gash bled profusely across his ribs, missing his heart by mere inches.
May you like
Niko looked up at Marco, his dark eyes turning lethally cold.
“Bring Richard Whitmore to the basement of the Aurelia,” Niko ordered softly, his tone chillingly calm. “Now.”
