Page 116 of Darkest Sin

Nico steps out of the way and in his place is Mikhail.

Chapter Twenty

Natalya

The sight of Mikhail alive is all I need to feel alive again myself.

Our eyes catch across the room and there’s so much unsaid between us. How much we missed each other. How much we were scared of losing each other.

And how much we love each other.

I gasp, realizing my husband is alive.

And then all hell breaks loose.

Mikhail raises his gun and fires it at Cillian, hitting him in the shoulder, and knocking Cillian to the floor.

“I was going to shoot him,” Nico grumbles before he starts firing at Cillian again. I dive out of the way and fall to the floor, shielding my head as if that’s going to change anything.

Cillian’s men start returning the fire, causing Mikhail and Nico to duck behind a pew. But the men Nico brought with him begin to fire as well and soon there’s a whole shootout happening. I notice four of Cillian’s men get killed in quick succession leaving only one left: Liam.

He must realize the situation he’s in because he makes a run for it. Mikhail tries shooting at him but misses and soon turns his attention to Denis, who has rounded up my sisters and mom and has placed them in front of him.

Nico walks straight up to Cillian and shoots him in the head. The priest faints.

I cry out, covering my head harder. I can feel Nico right next to me. He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill me.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he goes over to Mikhail’s side. “We’re even now, Mikhail. I got to kill Cillian. Thanks for not getting in my way.”

“I need him dead,” Mikhail growls, nodding at Denis.

“Then shoot him.” Nico motions to his three guards and they all raise their guns.

“Don’t!” I shout, running down the steps to stand before my family. “If you shoot at Denis, you could kill my family. Don’t.” I can hear Irina and Ana crying behind me. Their fear is palpable.

“Natalya, get out of the way,” Mikhail says. “I can’t lose you. Not when I’m so close to getting you back.”

“Don’t shoot,” I repeat, staring at Nico. I know Mikhail won’t risk my safety but Nico? There’s a chance he could gun down my entire family and not even blink an eye.

“She’s not going to get out of the way, is she?” Nico muses.

After a beat, Mikhail shakes his head. “She’s stubborn when it comes to her family. Don’t shoot at my wife, Nico. We havea tentative truce. We agreed. You kill Cillian and I get my wife back. Killing her isn’t getting my wife back.”

Nico sighs and motions for his men to lower their guns. “Fine. But how do you propose you kill Denis if he keeps hiding behind all these women?”

“Let us go,” Sasha says, shocking everyone. “Let Denis go. We’ll leave with him. No one else has to get hurt.”

“Sasha, no,” I say. “If you leave with him, he’s going to hurt you for this. He’s going to make you marry a man of his choosing.”

“I’m not going to get myself shot for a man who doesn’t love us. I’m not going to risk my entire family.” She looks Nico straight in the eye. “Let us go. Let Denis go. Please.”

“He needs to die,” Mikhail growls.

“Listen to the girl, Mikhail,” Nico says. “You don’t want to upset your wife, now do you? If we start shooting, they all die.”

I turn to Sasha. “Don’t do this.”

“We have no choice. Denis is literally using us as a shield. I don’t want to die.” She wraps her arms around me and speaks into my ear. “If you and Mikhail are alive, there’s still a chance you can save us. This isn’t goodbye for forever. Just for now.”