Chapter 30: Dark Obsession: Chapter 30

We move through the narrow, dimly lit back halls of the warehouse, the sound of gunfire and shouting ringing in the background.

My focus is razor-sharp. Alexei is close at my side with Elena right behind us, her gun drawn and ready. The squad of Alexei’s men is with us, too.

We’re in deep now, no chance of retreat.

“Lev and Luk are somewhere on the main floor with their men,” Alexei says, glancing back to Elena. “If we take out Molina here, we stop his push before it spreads further. But we’ll need to hit hard and fast.”

I tell him about New York—the mountains of guns and drugs stacked high like they were building fortresses out of them—and the squads of fresh muscle they’re gearing up.

“They’re ready for war, Alexei. This isn’t just a takeover. They’re mobilizing to lock down Chicago, hell, maybe the whole state if we don’t stop them here.”

“Then we’ve got one shot,” he replies.

We come to a side entrance that gives us a view onto the main warehouse floor. From there, we can see the battle unfolding—men crouched behind crates, shouting and firing. I can make out Lev and Luk on the other end, rallying the rest of our guys.

Alexei turns to me, his expression half-serious, half-amused. “Listen, Grigori. You’ve got to get Elena out of here. And hell, while you’re at it, haul your own ass out, too. You look like something out of a damn horror flick. When the adrenaline wears off, you’ll feel it.”

I grunt, brushing off his concern. “I’m fine.”

“Sure you are.” He chuckles, though his eyes are sharp with worry. “But you’ve got a duty now. Elena’s safety comes first.” His gaze flicks between the two of us, steady and unwavering.

I know he’s right. I glance back at her, her face defiant and strong, holding up better than half the men fighting. But it’s my job to get her out alive, and I’ll do it, even if it means leaving Alexei and the others to finish the war without me.

“Alright, but I’m coming back,” I say.

Alexei gives me an amused grin. “If you can drag yourself up off the pavement, sure. Now go. We’ll hold things down.”

As we step out onto the main floor, I catch sight of Lev and Luk in the distance, taking cover behind crates and machinery. I give them a signal, and Lev nods in understanding, waving a hand to rally his men closer.

Alexei shouts to me over the din, “Yuri’s outside with reinforcements. They’re holding steady, but they’re not going to last forever.”

Shots ring out all around us, echoing through the cavernous warehouse. Bullets ricochet off metal shelving and crates, sending up bursts of dust and fragments. Alexei and his men open fire, covering us as Elena and I move toward the side entrance.

I push Elena forward, keeping her shielded as best I can. A cartel soldier darts out from a corner, gun pointed at us. I raise my pistol, firing a clean shot to his chest. The man drops, and we press forward, ducking and weaving through the chaos.

Finally, we reach the side exit and slip out into the cool night air, where a small army of Ivanov soldiers is stationed, weapons raised and ready. They’re surrounding the building in a wide perimeter. I spot Yuri directing reinforcements, his face fierce. Elena lights up, relieved to see him. She rushes over, embracing him in a quick reunion before stepping back.

“Good to see you both in one piece,” Yuri says, slapping Alexei on the back. “We’re throwing everything we’ve got at this place. They’re fighting back hard, but they’re slipping.”

I frown, something gnawing at the back of my mind. “How’s their backup?”

Yuri shrugs. “Reinforcements have been spotty at best. They’re putting up a strong front, but it’s nothing like what we were expecting. We’re holding the upper hand for now.”

That’s when it clicks. Sanchez, Molina, this whole setup— it doesn’t make sense. Why would Molina plant himself here, knowing damn well the Ivanovs would come down on him with everything they have? He should’ve had more men, a stronger defense.

My eyes go wide as the realization hits me like a punch.

Elena tugs at my arm. “What’s going on?” she asks.

I look to Yuri. “How was the main road getting here?”

“Main road was clear enough for us to punch through without incident. They’ve since reinforced it, though. It’ll take a hell of a lot more firepower to move them now.”

“And the side roads?”

“Locked down tight as hell. They’ve got them all choked off. No one’s getting in or out except through the main.”

Elena’s eyes dart between us, her hand still gripping my arm. “What are you getting at, Grigori? What’s going on?”

I curse under my breath, glancing back at the warehouse.

“We’re playing right into Molina’s hands. He’s got every road covered, most of our men drawn into the fight right here, right now. He’s baiting us, keeping us occupied while he’s somewhere else, finishing what he really came here to do.”

Her face goes pale. She takes a sharp breath, her grip tightening. “You’re not going back in there, Grigori. You’re staying with me. Let the others handle it.”

But I can’t let this go. I can’t stay back while Molina’s out there, possibly gearing up for something even more catastrophic. This fight might be a decoy, but it’s also a distraction. I have to hunt him down before it’s too late.

“I have to do this in order to protect you, to protect all of us. I need to find him and end this.”

Her eyes fill with tears, her jaw set with the kind of resolve I’ve come to love.

“No,” she whispers, shaking her head. “I almost lost you once, Grigori. I can’t go through that again. You can’t just—”

I pull her close, brushing a tear from her cheek, my thumb lingering on her soft skin. “This is the only way I can keep you safe, Elena. I need you to trust me.”

Her voice breaks as she says, “I love you,” her gaze intense and unwavering. “Don’t make me say goodbye.”

I press a hard, urgent kiss to her lips, letting it say everything I can’t. Then I pull back, hands lingering on her shoulders for a second. “I love you, too,” I say, my voice rough.

Before she can protest again, I slip away and head back into the fray, leaving her behind as my heart falls apart with every step.

I hurry back into the warehouse, pushing through the chaos as Ivanov men work to eliminate the few cartel soldiers left.

I cut through the hallways and descend into the basement, hoping I can find Molina there.

I don’t see him, but as I turn down the first corridor, I see something just as damning—two blocks of C4 strapped right against the concrete pillar, hidden behind a loose metal panel.

He’s rigged the entire warehouse.

My mind races, piecing together the twisted brilliance of Molina’s plan—gather the entire Bratva force in one place, then wipe us out in a single explosion.

I kneel down and look over the device, adrenaline kicking in as I spot the detonation timer blinking in sinister silence. The wires are nestled into a plastic compartment—red, blue, and green. One wrong snip and it’ll all be over.

I work quickly, pulling out my pocketknife to pry open the panel. The device is wired for remote detonation, so if I cut power to the relay wire first, I might be able to kill the entire charge. I slice through the green wire, holding my breath as the blinking stops. One down.

The next pillar, down the far end of the basement, holds another device with an identical setup. Red, blue, green. I repeat the process, severing the relay wire first, then the timer itself. Two down.

I check the remaining basement corridors. My gut tells me there’ll be four charges in total, placed to collapse the foundation completely. On the third column, I find another C4 rig, disarming it as quickly as the others. Three down.

Finally, I make my way down the last hallway. I round the corner and freeze. There, crouched against the column with C4 in hand, is Molina himself, calmly attaching the final bomb.

I lift my gun, aiming it squarely at him.

‘It’s over, Molina.’

He grins, glancing back at the C4 strapped to the concrete support. ‘You’re not stupid enough to fire at a live explosive, Grigori.’

I keep my gun steady. ‘The rest of your bombs? All disarmed. You’re not bringing this place down.’

Molina raises an eyebrow, impressed but unmoved. ‘Perhaps. But one bomb will still collapse this entire structure, my friend, along with whoever happens to be nearby.’ His grin widens. ‘I like to be thorough.’

Before I can respond, he raises his gun and fires. The shot goes wide, but I still lunge to the side, and pain flares like wildfire through my body, the damn injuries from that torture catching up with me. He sees the grimace on my face and chuckles coldly.

‘You’re a broken soldier, Grigori. Time to retire.’

‘Not a fucking chance.’

I grit my teeth, the pain clawing at me, but I push through. He fires again, and this time the shot connects, a searing burn in my shoulder. I stagger, clutching the wound, but I’m not stopping.

I close the distance between us in a few strides, his smirk faltering just a fraction before I slam my fist into his face, sending him reeling back against the wall.

Molina, still grinning, wipes the blood from his mouth. ‘You might want to get to work on that last bomb. It’s timer is much shorter than the others.’

My eyes dart to the device strapped to the support and my heart drops. Twenty seconds left, red numbers ticking down in a sickeningly fast sequence.

Shit.

Molina seizes my momentary distraction, landing a hard punch to my gut. I stumble back, pain lancing through me as I instinctively raise my gun, squeezing off a few rounds that go wide. He laughs as he darts toward the stairwell, his voice echoing mockingly.

“Well, Grigori, looks like you have a choice—follow me and let your beloved Bratva die, or stay here and let me get away.”

My roar fills the basement, fury boiling in my blood, but I know he’s right. I have to disable the bomb, or everyone I love will die. I sling my gun back over my shoulder, glaring at the last place I saw him as he disappears up the steps.

Hate gnaws at me, but I swallow it down and focus on the task at hand.

This bomb is tougher, wires tangled in a more complex configuration than the others. I work quickly, fingers steady as I strip the casing, revealing the detonation system. Red, yellow, black—one wrong cut, and its lights out.

My heart pounds as I snip the last wire, and the countdown halts at two seconds. Relief crashes through me like a wave. The Ivanovs are safe, and I know they’ll mop up the rest of the cartel soldiers, but it’s only a matter of time before Molina resurfaces, wreaking havoc on us all.

I think of Elena. She’ll never be safe, not while that bastard’s alive.

I can’t leave this unfinished.

I sprint up the stairs, every step a reminder of the torture I endured just hours ago. Blood soaks through my shirt from the bullet wound, my muscles scream, and my head throbs, but I keep going, emerging just in time to see Molina speeding away in a black SUV.

He’s not getting out of this city alive.

I scan the lot, catching sight of a motorcycle parked among the cartel’s cars. Perfect. I rush over, ripping out wires until the engine roars to life. The bike jerks forward under my hands, and I grit my teeth against the pain, blood pounding in my ears as I gun the throttle and take off after him.

The pain is brutal, every bump on the road sending fresh agony through me, but there’s no stopping now. I don’t know how much time I have, but I know one thing for sure.

Molina dies tonight.