Everything I’ve worked for crumbles and splinters into a million pieces right before my eyes.
And all I can do is watch.
For a few seconds, anyway, as the reality of being found strikes me to my bones, crushes them, and leaves me with no air.
But the moment I can breathe again, the second oxygen burns my lungs, I lunge toward the door. I just need to run, to hide. If I disappear properly, they won’t be able to find me this time.
They won’t—
A hand wraps around my wrist with brute force and I’m helpless, absolutely powerless when that same force yanks me back.
I stumble and nearly fall on my face, but the same hold keeps me upright with effortless ease. As if this is a normal occurrence for them. Who am I kidding? It is normal.
The likes of him kidnap, torture, and kill for the mere fun of it.
My insides crumble to my feet and my heart beats out of rhythm.
This is just a nightmare, right? The worst nightmare possible.
If I blink, I’ll wake up and put this whole thing behind me.
But when I slam my eyes shut and open them again, reality crashes into me with no introductions or preparation.
My gaze meets the one who’s grabbing me savagely. Aleksander. The same Aleksander who I should’ve known wouldn’t just forget that incident in the restaurant from a few weeks ago.
He stares at me blankly, his light eyes resembling an icy storm, not to be budged or survived. They’re the same as his hold on me—merciless, savage, and with a coldness that will soon freeze me to death.
And that’s not the worst part.
No matter how violent and efficient Aleksander is, he’s only the right-hand man of a much more dangerous opponent.
And sure enough, when I look ahead, I find his boss. One of the four kings, the most secretive, the most cunning, and the one who might as well be the deadliest.
Kirill sits on my sofa, flipping through one of the takeout menus. But seeing him isn’t what nearly makes me go into a full on panic mode.
It’s the fact that he’s not alone.
Beside him is the strongest man in the Bratva. Some even say he’s more powerful than my father. He’s not only the strategist and the brains, but he’s also the most ruthless man I’ve ever known.
Adrian Volkov.
And he’s going through my spare laptop, his fingers typing at supersonic speed.
Shit. Shit.
“Come join us, princess,” Kirill says with absolute nonchalance, still flipping through the menus. “Let her go, Sasha.”
Aleksander—whose nickname in Russian is Sasha—shoves me forward and I wince as I massage my wrist.
“Now, Sasha,” Kirill reprimands in a tone that suggests he’s used to his senior guard’s brute ways. “No hurting the Pakhan’s only daughter…yet.”
My lips tremble, but it’s not just because of Kirill’s unveiled threat or the fact that he and Aleksander found me, it’s Adrian.
I can’t stop looking at him, even though he hasn’t acknowledged my existence yet. He’s tall, dark, and has an imposing presence that sparks fear without him having to do anything.
His reputation precedes him. Of all people, I’m well aware of how he erases his enemies when they show the slightest bit of disrespect. Anyone in the world I came from avoids his wrath with any means necessary. The moment he puts someone in his sights, they might as well be considered dead.
One thing’s for certain: his loyalty only lies with the Bratva and his family.
And as a runaway, I don’t belong to the Bratva anymore. So if he chooses to, he could shoot me in the head and cover up the whole incident as if it didn’t happen.
Kirill will sure as hell take his side, not mine. Especially since he’s been not-so-subtly eyeing my father’s position for a while now.
Everyone in the Bratva has.
The king’s throne is the most coveted spot. The princess’s only role is to nod her head and be used by whomever the king sees fit.
That’s why I left.
That’s why I risked Adrian’s wrath, Kirill’s violence, and everyone else’s death sentence.
“Did you recognize me a few weeks ago?” I ask Kirill, my attention bouncing between him and Adrian.
I don’t even attempt to run again. It’s useless since not only is Aleksander standing at my back like a demon ready to strike, but I’m sure that Adrian’s senior guards are also surrounding the place or hiding somewhere I can’t see.
He never goes anywhere unprepared, and he sure as hell wouldn’t give me a chance to escape or leave until he’s through with what he’s here for.
“I suspected it, yes.” Kirill smirks, throwing the menu on the table. “I must admit you did a great job, but it wasn’t perfect enough to fool me. Besides, your mannerisms will always give you away, Anastasia.”
I never wanted to hear my name pronounced the Russian way again. It feels like I’m back in the confinements of that prison, unable to use my fairy wings that I always dreamed would let me fly.
“The Pakhan, Rai, and dear Vladimir said you were continuing your studies in Russia. So it didn’t make sense for you to be roaming the streets of New York as an unflattering version of yourself.” Kirill tilts his head to the side. “Am I right?”
My lips part, my mind stuck on the bit of information he just revealed.
The fact that Papa, my cousin, Rai, who’s the head of the Bratva’s legal front, V Corp, and Vladimir, who’s always been like a big brother to me, said I was in Russia.
I obviously wasn’t. They had no idea where I was, except for the note I left saying, “I’m sorry.”
But they…covered up for me?
My eyes fill with unwanted tears at that thought, the fact that they protected me from everyone else. That they didn’t let me take the fall, even though I was prepared for that.
Even though I should’ve taken it.
I’ve been part of the brotherhood for fifteen years, and I know better than anyone that any betrayal’s punishment is death.
No matter who or what you are.
Papa, Rai, and Vladimir didn’t allow that. Despite being the strictest people when it comes to the Bratva’s code, they bent it for me.
“Am I right?” Kirill repeats, raising a brow.
Since I have no clue what Papa, Rai, and Vladimir said, I choose to stay quiet. I’d rather pay with my life than betray my family.
A hand nudges me forward, rattling my whole body. Aleksander. “He asked you a question. Answer it.”
Kirill tsks. “No violence, Sasha.”
I hear what resembles a scoff from Aleksander, but he doesn’t touch me again.
“It’s fine if she doesn’t answer, because I am right. The whole situation reeks of lies and manipulation, and I’m not a fan of those.” Kirill smirks, sliding his glasses up his nose. “Unless I’m the one inflicting them, of course. So, to rectify things, I had a little chat with my number one source of intel, Adrian. Color me surprised when he revealed that you weren’t in Russia. In fact, no one—your father, Rai, and Vladimir included—knew where you were. So I teamed up with this one here to find you, even though I’m still wounded he kept information from me.”
Adrian doesn’t acknowledge Kirill or anyone in the room and continues to type away.
And for a moment, I can’t look away from him. Just what is he searching for? I never keep incriminating information on my laptops, ever.
I always delete everything before I go to bed and make sure to clean any traces. But this is Adrian.
What if he’s able to restore some data?
I’m distracted from him because Kirill keeps watching me with that slight tilt of his head. As if he’s waiting for a bomb to drop.
Just what else has he told Adrian?
Hell, how did he find out that Papa and the others covered for me?
Kirill taps his mouth in a contemplative move. “Now, the real question is, why were you running, Anastasia?”
My gaze strays to Adrian and for the first time, he raises his head. I always thought he was beautiful in a dangerous type of way. He has a rugged type of beauty with his dark hair, sharp cheekbones, and massive build. I swallow when his harsh yet seemingly calm gray eyes fixate on me.
Kirill doesn’t know the reason.
Adrian doesn’t have to say it for me to catch the memo. I’m sure he has his reasons behind not revealing it and he’ll probably use it against me at some point, but that doesn’t matter.
If I can at least have Kirill off my back, it’s worth it.
“I just wanted to get away from it all,” I whisper.
“You don’t get away from the Bratva, little princess. You’re cute to think there’s a way out other than death.”
My muscles lock together and my first thought is Babushka. If I’m gone, no one will be able to take care of her. Hell, if they found me, they might be able to track her down and make her join me and Mom.
“You’ll come back with us,” Kirill announces.
“No!”
“You don’t have a say in it. The Pakhan’s daughter won’t be roaming the streets as a nerdy tech at a law firm.”
“I don’t want to.”
“What you want doesn’t matter. Either you come willingly or Sasha will be given free rein to use force.”
“I’m not going back. I don’t care what you’ll do.”
Kirill stands, sliding his glasses up his nose with his middle finger. It’s crazy how he can make that single motion appear threatening. When I adjust my glasses, it looks anxious at best. “You don’t want me to act on my threats. I could, and would, put your father’s position in jeopardy. The choice of going back is the only courtesy I’ll offer you.”
My fist clenches and I can feel the bulging of the tendons in my neck. When I made this decision, I thought Papa wouldn’t care, as usual. I thought he’d definitely choose the brotherhood over me.
He always has.
He’s so loyal to the Bratva, and so is Vladimir and Rai.
At one point, I thought my great-cousin could probably help me. She always took care of me after Papa killed my stepfather and brought me to live with him. All after Mom was beaten to death by said stepfather.
But I didn’t want to put her in jeopardy after everything she’d worked for. She’s a leader in the brotherhood and an executive manager at V Corp, and it took her so much struggle to be the only powerful woman in the midst of wolves.
And now, if I say or do something wrong, I’ll hurt the only people who ever cared for me.
The only family I’ve ever had.
“Let her stay at Weaver & Shaw.”
Kirill’s and my attention snaps to Adrian, who finally looks up from the laptop, then slowly closes it and places it on the table.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Adrian? Let her stay? The Pakhan’s only daughter can’t be left alone at some law firm.”
“We need to win Matt’s lawsuits since we use his production company to launder money. Weaver & Shaw is representing his daughter and are digging their noses where they shouldn’t. As a member of the brotherhood, the Pakhan’s daughter will play her role and become our eyes and ears there. It shouldn’t be hard with the tech department access and your interesting set of skills. Right, Anastasia?”
A full-body shudder takes hold of me. Interesting set of skills. He knows. Even though my spare laptop doesn’t have anything incriminating on it, Adrian somehow figured out about the hacking.
Does that mean he knows about the stolen funds?
Kirill narrows his eyes at me, then at Adrian as if he’s figured out that something is amiss. He always does. He’s like a dog who can smell anything fishy from a mile away.
But instead of being obvious about it, he lets the subject go. “Though I don’t like it, we do need to win the whole Matt thing. Do as you’re told and I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”
I’m about to say no, but Adrian meets my gaze again and I clamp my lips shut.
He stands up in one swift motion. He and Kirill are so large that they dwarf my small apartment, stealing all the air.
“Sasha will keep an eye on you to make sure nothing goes awry.” Kirill smiles, but there’s no warmth behind it. “And when the case is over, I’ll personally take you back, little princess.”
And with that, he leaves, his guard following after.
I expect Adrian to join them, but he leans close and speaks in a low tone, “We’ll play this my way, Anastasia. You don’t contact Sergei, Vladimir, or Rai. You continue the charade and live as Jane until I allow you to come back. If you don’t, the brotherhood will know you stole hundreds of thousands of dollars and everyone will be out not only for your head, but also for Sergei’s, Vladimir’s, and Rai’s because they helped cover up the theft for you.”
A lone tear slides down my cheek and hangs on to my chin. “They…didn’t do anything.”
“They lied and that, too, is considered a betrayal.”
“Why…why don’t you reveal it now?”
“Because I can use you.”
“Against my father?”
“You allowed yourself to be used, so don’t act victimized. I also need to know where that money went since you’re obviously not using it.”
So he doesn’t know about Babushka.
Yet.
Because I have no doubt that if he puts his mind to it, he’ll eventually figure it out.
“What if I don’t help you? What if I don’t want to interfere in the Matt Bell case?”
“Whether you help or not doesn’t really matter. We’ll win either way. Whether or not we’ll use violence is what you should worry about.” He pauses. “You don’t want your boyfriend to accidentally lose his head, do you?”
I’m flat out shaking, cold sweat covering my temples because I know, I just know that Adrian doesn’t make idle threats.
That he doesn’t target anyone just because.
That he didn’t haphazardly pick Knox without a reason.
“What…did he do?”
“Put his nose where it doesn’t belong. If you want him safe, make him lose or drop the case. Either would work.”
“He won’t listen to me. We’re just casual, so neither of us is important to the other.” I lie through my teeth.
“I’ll be the one who decides that. Play your part and be smart about it, Anastasia. If you do, I might let you come back without shedding any blood.”
