Chapter 51
Nikolai’s POV
My arms burned like fire. The pain shot through my muscles, sharp and deep, from holding on to Nina and pulling her up into the chopper.
I had taken two bullets earlier—one grazed my side, tearing skin and leaving a hot trail of blood, the other lodged in my shoulder, making every movement feel like knives twisting inside.
Blood soaked my shirt, sticky and warm, dripping down my arm. But I could not let go. Not of her. Not now.
The helicopter shook as Dante pulled us higher into the night sky. Bullets from below pinged off the metal hull, each one a loud crack that echoed in my ears. I gripped the door frame with one hand, fingers numb from the strain, while my other arm wrapped tight around Nina’s waist.
She dangled there, her body limp, her head lollin
