Page 38 of Sin in My Inbox (Sexting Spark #1)

Avery

The ropes were cutting off circulation to my wrists, and every breath made the rough hemp scrape against my skin, leaving burning pain in its wake.

But the physical agony was nothing compared to the terror eating me alive.

Dmitri's gun was pressed against his own temple, and the resolve in his eyes made my heart nearly stop beating.

No, not like this. I couldn't let him die for me.

My fingers frantically searched behind my back for the knot Ella had tied. My gut told me she hadn't betrayed me—this couldn't be a death knot. Sweat and blood made my fingers slippery, every touch incredibly difficult, but I had to believe, had to keep trying.

"Thirty seconds. If you don't pull that trigger in thirty seconds, I'll kill this bitch first." Thomas delivered his final threat, tapping the gun barrel hard against my temple. The pain made me grunt, but I immediately bit it back.

Dmitri's finger trembled slightly on the trigger, that tiny movement stabbing at my eyes. This man, who was always so composed, was now shaking because of me .

The knot loosened a bit! Hope bloomed in the darkness, and I desperately suppressed my surge of joy, continuing to fake helplessness.

"Twenty."

Dmitri's gaze cut through the darkness and locked onto mine, his lips curving into a gentle smile.

Those blue eyes held so many complex emotions—love, reluctance, guilt, and something almost religiously devoted.

He was saying goodbye with his eyes, that silent farewell more heartbreaking than any words.

I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down like broken pearls. No, Dmitri, don't do this stupid thing for me!

"Ten."

The ropes came completely loose! Blood rushed back into my numb wrists, bringing sharp pain but also strength.

My eyes locked onto Dmitri, trying to communicate through my gaze.

Trust me, give me just a moment. He seemed to read my eyes, nodding slightly.

"Five."

I feigned shock, losing my balance and collapsing, about to fall to the ground. Thomas instinctively pulled me closer to him.

Now!

All the strength in my legs instantly exploded upward, and with all my might, I slammed my head back, slamming it hard into Thomas's face.

"Ah!" Thomas's scream tore through the night air as he instinctively loosened his grip.

Dmitri moved like a hunting panther, instantly spinning his gun around.

Bang!

Dmitri's first shot precisely hit Thomas's gun hand. The sound of the bullet tearing through flesh was clearly audible in the air, and Thomas's weapon hit the floor with a dull clang of metal on concrete.

But Thomas reacted faster than I'd expected. Even with his wrist injured, he could still pull out a backup weapon with his other hand and aim at me .

A series of gunshots came my way, thunderously deafening. Bullets screamed through the air, each one carrying the threat of death. I could hear the sharp whistle of bullets cutting through air, could feel the pressure they created as they passed.

The first bullet grazed my arm, the hot lead tearing open skin as warm blood instantly poured out. Pain consumed my nerves like flames, but that agony actually made me more alert. This was proof of life, a signal that I was still alive.

The second bullet hit the shelving behind me, metal clashing with sparks flying.

"Damn it!" Thomas roared, blood gushing from his shattered nose, painting his face a horrific red.

I had to kill the lights! In this bright environment, we were all sitting ducks. I lunged toward the circuit breaker on the wall, slapping my palm hard against it.

The entire world plunged into darkness.

The loss of sight made my other senses incredibly sharp. I could hear three people breathing, could smell the mixture of gunpowder, blood, and sweat in the air, could feel every subtle change in the space.

"Fucking bitch!" Thomas fired blindly in the darkness.

Continuous gunshots exploded in the darkness, muzzle flashes lighting up the surroundings like lightning. In those brief moments of illumination, I saw bullets hitting shelves, walls, ceiling, sparks flying everywhere, and debris scattered.

One bullet hit a water pipe near me, and a high-pressure stream instantly shot out, forming silver arcs in the darkness. Water splashed everywhere, quickly turning the floor into muddy swampland.

Another bullet hit a hanging light fixture, glass fragments raining down like drops, making crisp sounds of impact in the darkness. Every piece of glass glittered dangerously in the moonlight.

"Avery, get down!" Dmitri's voice came from another direction.

I immediately dropped onto the slippery floor, cold concrete against my cheek. The ground was covered with broken glass and metal shards that cut into my palms and knees, but these small pains actually kept me alert .

In the darkness, an invisible war was raging. I could hear footsteps moving through the space.

Thomas's breathing became rapid and panicked; he was lost in the darkness. I could hear him changing magazines, the sound of metal clashing particularly clear in his trembling hands.

Bang!

Dmitri fired. The bullet seemed to hit Thomas precisely, the sound of blood splattering clearly audible in the darkness.

"Ah!" Thomas's scream was as shrill as a wounded beast as his body crashed heavily to the ground.

But the madman didn't give up. Even injured, he was still fighting back.

Two gunshots exploded in the darkness, muzzle flashes illuminating Thomas's twisted face. His eyes burned with near-insane hatred, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth like a real demon.

But anyone could see the difference between the two men. Dmitri was ice-cold calm, every movement showing trained precision. In comparison, Thomas's movements were increasingly frantic.

In this life-or-death showdown, the outcome was already clear.

Thomas seemed to anticipate the ending too, his voice completely losing all reason, "Dmitri! You stole everything that belonged to me! You all have to die!"

He started firing wildly, gunshots crackling like firecrackers.

Bullets flew indiscriminately through the darkness, hitting every possible target. The sounds of metal impacts, breaking glass, and exploding concrete wove together into an apocalyptic symphony.

"You know what, Dmitri?" Thomas was still roaring in the darkness, every word dripping poison, "Your fiancée's betrayal back then? It was me! I told her where you'd be!"

This secret exploded like a bomb in the darkness. Even though I couldn't see, I could feel Dmitri's shock. The temperature in the air seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

Bang!

Dmitri's response was a precise bullet, hitting Thomas in the chest. In the instant the muzzle flash lit up, I saw Dmitri's expression .

His eyes were cold as ice, devoid of all emotion.

"I made her see your true face! I arranged that ambush!" Thomas laughed maniacally, blood pouring from his mouth, "Too bad you're hard to kill—took three bullets and still didn't croak!"

The darkness fell into deathly silence.

Then I heard a sound that froze my blood.

Click.

The metallic sound of a grenade pin being pulled was particularly clear in the silence. That sound was like death's pendulum, beginning the countdown of our lives.

Thomas laughed insanely, "I can't kill you, Dmitri, but you're going to hell with me! All of you! We'll still be brothers there! Fight against each other all over again!"

Time suddenly became incredibly clear. I knew grenades usually had a four to five-second delay. Four to five seconds—four to five seconds that would determine our fate.

"Avery!" Dmitri roared my real name, his voice more panicked than I'd ever heard.

Before I could react, I felt a warm body crash into me like an avalanche.

Dmitri!

Dmitri's figure covered me, once again using his flesh and blood to build the final barrier for me.

Boom!

The explosion erupted with fire and light, shockwaves sweeping over everything like a tsunami.

I felt my body being dragged by an enormous force, as if sucked into a bottomless whirlpool.

Heat waves crashed over us like hellfire, the temperature instantly rising to scalding levels.

The air itself seemed to be burning, every breath like swallowing flames.

I could feel Dmitri's back being hit by countless fragments. With each impact transmitted to my body, I could feel his muscles tense with every blow, could hear his suppressed cries of pain.

Something liquid flowed onto my cheek, so warm yet so terrifying. I understood—he was bleeding for me, bearing the pain that should have been mine. In this destruction, his body became my only sanctuary.

The explosion's aftermath lasted several seconds, but felt like centuries. When everything finally quieted, the world had become ruins.

"Dmitri?" My voice trembled, echoing in the broken space, "Dmitri!"

He finally moved, slowly pushing himself up. Moonlight streamed through the blown-open roof, silver light illuminating this apocalyptic scene.

In that gentle light, I saw a heartbreaking sight—his back was a bloody mess, his white shirt completely soaked in blood. Countless tiny fragments were embedded in his skin, like a garment woven from pain.

"You're hurt!" I cried out, tears instantly flowing.

"Just a scratch." He said through gritted teeth, but the sweat beading his forehead and blood trickling from his lips betrayed his agony.

Even at a moment like this, he was still trying to protect me from emotional impact. This instinctive tenderness made my heart ache even more.

"How are you?" His hand gently touched my cheek, still tender enough to break hearts.

"I'm fine, just my arm—"

I wanted to answer him, wanted to tell him I was okay. But darkness rushed in like a tide, swallowing my consciousness.

Before completely losing consciousness, I heard Dmitri shouting, "Nick! Get the car ready now, we're going to the hospital!"

Then his trembling voice was by my ear, carrying fear I'd never heard before, "Hang on, baby. For our child, you have to hang on."

The child? Yes, for the child.

I had to hang on. I had to.

"Please, Avery." His voice broke, "Don't leave me. I can't lose you and our child. "

I wanted to tell him I wouldn't leave, but I was so tired, so very tired.

I felt myself being lifted, then the jostling of running. Wind whistled past my ears, his heartbeat strong as drums.

"Sir, you're injured too—" Nick's voice.

"Shut up! Drive!" Dmitri roared.

The car door slammed, the engine growled, and the tires screeched against the pavement.

"Faster, damn it!" His voice was raw, almost unhinged. "Fucking faster!"

I wanted to open my eyes, to look at him, to tell him not to worry. But my eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, refusing to budge.