Chapter 60

The hand around Yuri’s pistol trembled. White flame erupted through his mind, and he wanted to tear apart the mouth speaking those words. But Yuri rarely acted on impulse. He endured the rage.

“My father always said it doesn’t matter how handsome a man is. Once he’s been carved up, he looks pathetic.”

The quiet remark ended, and the footsteps moved away.

Yuri remained against the door until they had completely disappeared. Sweat had gathered across his forehead from the sudden anger. Several minutes later, once he confirmed they had all moved above the second floor, Yuri slowly opened the door and surveyed the hall.

No one remained.

The instant the footsteps spread across the higher floors, Yuri silently climbed to the third. Pistol raised, he looked beyond the staircase. One man was opening every door. He wore body armor, making the torso a poor target.

Then the calf or shoulder—

The man abruptly turned.

Their eyes met.

Before he could react, Yuri aimed at his shoulder.

Two gunshots cracked.

The man collapsed and shouted, “Intruder on the third floor!”

Yes. This is the problem.

“Delta, come down with me!”

In a confined building, leaving opponents alive meant Yuri’s position would be reported continuously. He rushed toward the fallen man and seized the rifle that had dropped beside him. The moment two men came down and fired toward his back, Yuri charged into the nearest room and slammed the door.

Bullets struck the other side.

He dragged the bed across the floor and jammed it against the entrance. Then Yuri slung the rifle over one shoulder and returned the pistol to his waistband. He would have to move along the outside of the building. Drawing a deep breath, Yuri threw open the window.

Rain poured through. The sill was slippery. Because the exterior was stone, a narrow ledge ran between floors—just wide enough for his feet. A fall from this height would not necessarily kill him.

But it would make him useless to Cherriot.

“Cherriot.”

Yuri retrieved the phone half tucked into his pocket. Fortunately, the call remained connected.

—“Yuri, where are you? People are walking around outside. They’re looking for me, aren’t they?”

“It’s all right. I’m here too. Stand up and look through the window. Tell me exactly which floor you’re on.”

Cherriot moved. His breathing continued fast.

Yuri searched outside. Then, directly across from him, Cherriot leaned from another window. Though the rain had not touched him, his face was soaked with moisture. His normally healthy complexion had turned deathly pale beneath cold sweat.

“Cherriot. Look this way.”

Perhaps the rain drowned out the words. Cherriot looked up and down instead.

“Cherry.”

At the nickname, Cherriot turned toward him. The terrified face that had seemed near suffocation came alive the moment he saw Yuri.

“Yuri…!”

“I’m coming to you. Stay there.” Yuri shoved the phone into his back pocket and caught the edge of the window frame.

Seeing what he intended, Cherriot shook his head violently. “What are you doing, Yuri?” His trembling voice abruptly cleared. His reddish-brown brows twisted as he shouted with all the strength in his throat. “Stop. Stop right now. Please!”

Shh.

Yuri shaped the whisper with his lips. Without giving Cherriot time to argue, he extended one hand toward the wall and caught a protruding brick. One foot settled on the narrow horizontal ledge separating the floors. He had to press his entire body close to the building and spread his feet sideways to move.

Every sense sharpened. Yuri advanced one step at a time. He repeatedly reached upward, gripping one wet brick after another. Cherriot never took his eyes from him, even with his face drained white.

Yuri almost wished he would close them. With Cherriot watching like that, Yuri could not afford even an accidental fall. Holding his breath, he moved until only two steps remained. Sweat rather than rain ran down his forehead.

Two more. Only two. If he continued—

The instant Yuri reached Cherriot’s window, one foot slipped. He had stepped on moss. His balance vanished, and his body tipped backward. Cold swept down his spine. The instinctive fear was not of death. Only failure.

Cherriot must not see me fall. I might give him another trauma.

“I’ve got you.”

A powerful hand seized Yuri’s left arm and dragged him inside in one movement. His pulse exploded from the near fall. The instant Cherriot pulled him into the room, Yuri released a sharp, ragged breath. “Hah… Haa…” Cherriot’s strong arms wrapped around him. “You almost—fuck, you almost fell.”

His voice shook as he held Yuri tightly. Warmth flowed from the arm cradling Yuri’s head. The heat Yuri had missed so desperately. As soon as he felt it, Yuri buried his face against Cherriot for a brief moment and wrapped his arms around his back. “You saved me.”

“…Yeah.”

They remained in each other’s arms until their breathing steadied. The desire to stay that way surged through Yuri. In truth, delaying might even be safer. He had shared his position with Alexei.

Once the main house was secure, Alexei would come check this building immediately. But the instant Yuri had that thought, two gunshots erupted nearby. More followed in a burst. A rifle.

Cherriot’s arms tightened violently enough to tremble around Yuri.

“Cherry. We need to leave before they realize where we are. The second floor is empty. Go straight down and run outside.” Yuri used the gentlest voice he had ever produced, repeating the nickname to soothe him. He stroked Cherriot’s back. Gradually, the arms holding Yuri loosened.

“…All right.”

“Let’s go.”

Yuri released him first, braced one hand against the floor, and stood. Then he offered Cherriot his hand. Cherriot stared at it before accepting and rising. Yuri pulled him upright.

He considered giving Cherriot the pistol secured at his waist, then kept it himself. He brought the stolen rifle forward. “I’ll cover you. You run down the stairs first.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“It will be fine if we move quickly.”

Yuri met his eyes.

Self-loathing clouded the green irises.

“I’m sorry I’m no help at all. I’m supposed to be an athlete, but I can’t do anything.”

“Cherry,” Yuri said softly, reaching up to cup one side of Cherriot’s face. “You’ve already done enough. This is work for someone like me.”

The conviction in Yuri’s blue eyes silenced Cherriot. His brows twisted, and his lips moved as if he wanted to protest, but Yuri didn’t allow further delay.

“We’re going. On three. One. Two. Three.”

Yuri flung open the door and aimed down the corridor. The two men outside his previous room turned toward the sound.

“Go! Now!” Yuri shouted at Cherriot.

At the same instant, he pulled the trigger and advanced. One mercenary spotted Cherriot emerging behind Yuri and aimed at him first. Killing intent flashed through Yuri’s eyes as he fired at the man’s stomach.

The other mercenary returned fire. Gunshots exploded. Yuri twisted his body as far as possible. Behind him, Cherriot raced down the stairs.

Yuri listened until he was certain Cherriot had descended, then fired three consecutive rounds at the man attacking him. Immediately afterward, two more men came down from the fourth floor. The moment they saw Yuri, they raised their weapons. Bullets flew without hesitation.

Yuri retreated down the stairs.

“Yuri!” Cherriot called from outside, having made it to safety. The close gunfire had left Yuri’s ears ringing, but beyond the numbness, sirens were approaching. Once he escaped this building, Cherriot would be safe.

BANG

Wood splintered beside Yuri’s heel as he descended. Shots chased his feet down the stairs. He reached the first floor.

Cherriot had stopped ahead and was waiting.

“Run! Farther!”

Yuri gestured fiercely for him to keep moving. Then he heard the men pursuing him from behind and turned on instinct. His weapon rose toward the first face he saw. For a fraction of a second, the barrel wavered.

Do not kill.

The brief hesitation brought another burst of gunfire. Yuri fired suppressive shots, buying Cherriot time to escape. When the rifle emptied, he threw it aside and drew the pistol from his waist.

Once he was certain Cherriot had created enough distance, Yuri used the pause while the mercenaries reloaded. He shot the first man once in each thigh. The second, emerging behind him, received one bullet in the shoulder and another in the thigh.

Yuri lowered his arm. The wail of sirens grew louder from the forest road. He bowed his sweat-soaked head and checked whether anyone else emerged from the building. No one.

There had been four. The count was correct. His vision blurred briefly. Perhaps sweat had entered his eyes.

He blinked and released a shallow breath, then slowly attempted to straighten. His body would not fully obey. A bullet had probably entered somewhere in his abdomen or back.

This time… I should probably receive proper medical treatment.

He turned, limping. Cherriot had escaped safely and now stood surrounded by people. Benji and several other men encircled him.

Cherriot had been staring in Yuri’s direction the entire time. The moment Yuri began walking, he broke free and ran toward him. “Yuri!”

He looked badly shaken. Yet watching him cross the open ground finally allowed Yuri to relax. Yuri regretted making Cherriot witness something ugly again, but at last, he seemed safe. Now Joseph and—

Yuri stopped.

His blurred vision sharpened abruptly. The footsteps he had counted inside the room replayed through his mind. One man to the third floor. One to the fourth.

Two moving separately.

And behind them—Joseph.

Yuri realized his foolish mistake and spun around. Amid the fallen men near the broken entrance, a blond head appeared. The young man had crouched among the wounded, concealing himself between their bodies. The instant Yuri discovered him, Joseph rose. A pistol was in his hand.

“Wolfie, it’s over now—“

Yuri’s entire body wanted to turn toward Cherriot’s voice. His eyes remained fixed on the blond man. Yuri and Joseph raised their hands simultaneously. Joseph was not aiming at Yuri. The gun pointed slightly past Yuri’s left side. Toward the place Cherriot’s voice had come from.

Ah. A mistake.

In Yuri’s world, mistakes often ended fatally. Whenever such a moment arrived, only two choices existed: die or kill.

There was no time.

A second split into halves, then halves again.

Inside that sliver, Yuri had to choose. It was already too late to stop Joseph before he pulled the trigger. Therefore—Yuri did not fire. He threw his body to the left. For one instant, he feared his reaction had been too slow. Recently, the left side of his body had often lagged behind his will.

But fortunately—this time, it seemed to obey.

Yuri blinked once.

Violent pain tore through his upper body. He had survived death countless times. This one felt different. Perhaps Alexei had been right. Perhaps Yuri should have remained inside the car.

No.

Not truly.

Had he made that choice, he would have learned only later that Cherriot was in danger. This had been better. Of every choice Yuri had made in his life, this one felt the most right. He had obeyed Benji and kept himself from coming too close to Cherriot.

He had obeyed Alexei and allowed himself to be greedy.

And because of both—he had saved Cherriot.

For the first time since deciding he must survive, Yuri closed his eyes with perfect peace.

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