Ivan walked closer to where they were sitting, and while he didn’t exactly smile, his severe expression lightened up a bit. “Is that so? So, it’s your sister that Yuri has right now?”
I felt tears burn my eyes at the reminder. “Yes,” I choked out.
Ivan simply nodded. “It’s being handled, Hannah.” He said this in a flat tone that I guessed was supposed to be consoling, but only reinforced how stoic he seemed.
Katya continued. “Hannah, this is my brother, Ivan,” she said this as her eyes sparkled with tears. I was taken aback; I hadn’t known that Katya even had a brother. She’d never mentioned him and neither had Nikolai.
“Brother?” I questioned.
Katya smiled and nodded, reaching up for Ivan’s hand. He allowed her to take it but didn’t look overjoyed at being touched. “Yes, we all though he was dead. He’d been in hiding for nearly two years and with Nikolai’s father being…. removed,” she stated awkwardly. That was one euphemism for assassination. “He is able to come back and be part of the organization again.”
“Nice to meet you, Ivan,” I said with ridiculous formality, given the circumstances. He nodded his head at me in greeting and walked toward the bank of windows at the front of the house.
“Where has he been?” I whispered. Katya’s smile dropped a bit as she shot her brother a glance.
Katya’s luminous gaze moved back to me. “I don’t know,” she whispered sadly.
Ivan’s cell phone broke up the awkward moment.
He put the phone to his ear and his slightly softened expression vanished, replaced with a hard, angry scowl. “Why the fuck would he do that? Jesus Christ.” Ivan’s looked back out the windows at the front of the house. “Yeah, I got him. He’s here.”
Katya and I exchanged looks of confusion as we both got up and looked out the window. There was a Lincoln Town Car with darkly tinted windows sitting at the end of the walkway that leads from front door to the circular driveway.
“Wh-what’s going on?” I asked fearfully. “Who is that?”
“Yuri,” Ivan bit out, putting his cell phone away.
“Why is he here?” I asked hopefully. Maybe he was here to give up my sister. My sister was twenty feet away. I felt myself starting to sweat, feeling the need to run out there and pull her into the house.
As if Ivan was reading my mind, he stood in front of me. “No, Hannah. We’ll get her back. You’ll only cause more problems if you go out there. Don’t even think of it,” he said sternly.
Katya came up beside me and put her arm around my shoulders. “They’ll get her, Hannah. You’ll see,” she quietly assured me.
Ivan grabbed a gun from the back of his pants and pulled back the slide on it. I wasn’t sure what his plan was, when I was distracted by someone getting out of the car. “Look,” I said.
The driver got out and slowly walked up the walkway toward the door. He way he walked warily, his eyes darting around looking for threats, obviously aware walking up to this house could be fatal.
He got to the door and Ivan quickly opened it and pulled him in. Ivan slammed the guy against the wall next to the door, and while holding a hand at his throat, Ivan put his gun to the guy’s head.
“Hello, Piter. What the fuck is Yuri up to?”
Piter gasped in shock. “Ivan? I thought…thought you were dead.”
Ivan gave a cold smile. “Not quite. Now answer the question.”
Piter’s eyes swung over to where we were hovering in the doorway of the living room, then back to Ivan’s hard, cold stare. “He wants the girl. He wants to do a trade for her.”
I gasped. Was he talking about me? “Why me?”
Piter looked at me in confusion. “Not you. Her,” he said nodding his head toward Katya.
Katya was the one gasping now, a look of horror and fear transforming her features. She looked between Piter and Ivan in incomprehension.
Ivan looked even more homicidal than before, which I didn’t think was possible. He pressed his hand even harder against Piter’s windpipe. “Are you fucking crazy, Piter? I’m not giving my sister to that motherfucker. Why does he even want her?”
“She belongs to him. He paid your father for her,” Piter gasped out, clearly not thrilled at having to impart this bit of information to the increasingly angry Ivan.
“What? Paid for me?” Katya rasped, her hand rising up to her chest as if to rub an ache there. “My father sold me to Yuri?”
Piter merely nodded his head, struggling for air under the crushing pressure of Ivan’s hand.
“What happens if she doesn’t go?” Ivan questioned, although he looked like he already knew the answer. We all did.
“He takes the other girl and leaves. Forever. No one would never see her again.”
I heard a loud cry, and, when everyone’s gazes swung in my direction, I realized it had come from me. “No, you can’t do that. She’s only a kid. She’s only sixteen,” I cried, tears streaming down my face. It was taking all of my willpower not to storm outside and rip open the car door to get my sister out of this mess.
Ivan looked at me, and for the first time, I saw an emotion on his face.
Regret.
Chapter 44
Nikolai
We had no idea what my father could be doing at Katya’s, and even though we were so wanted to go directly there, we needed to know what Yuri was up to, why he would risk going to Sergei’s house. We knew that Ivan would protect the girls with his life and keep Yuri there. So, we paid Sergei a quick visit. It was gratifying to see that weasely asshole duct taped to the chair, blood running down his chin, his left eye swollen shut.
Drago put his hands on the arms of the chair, leaning his face close to Sergei’s.
“Why is Yuri at your house, Sergei?” Drago asked with fake politeness.
“I don’t know,” Sergei gasped out. Maybe he had some broken ribs too.
“Oh, I think you do,” Drago responded calmly. Andrei handed Drago some latex gloves. “Do you really want to find out why I’m wearing these gloves, Sergei?”
Sergei’s dark eyes darted around the room, as if looking for allies. There were none to be found here. “I don’t know anything,” he whined.
Drago laughed humorlessly. “Oh, I think you do.” Drago turned to one of the other men, Andrei. “Get me some pliers and a mouth retractor.” The retractor was used to keep the mouth open for dental work. I imagined this is what Drago was planning to do. A little dentistry.
Sergei obviously figured as much, too, as he began babbling and jerking away.
Drago smirked, while taking the tools from Andrei. “Don’t bother trying to get away, Sergei, there is nowhere to go. No one to save you. You can save us a lot of time and yourself a lot of pain by just telling us what Yuri is up to.”
Sergei paused, so Drago asked a couple of guys to hold Sergei still while they fitted him with the retractor. This brought a keening wail from Sergei.
“No, no, no…. I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you,” Sergei cried, tears and snot mixing with the blood on his face.
Drago paused, staring at him expectantly.
Sergei took a deep breath. “He- he’s there for Katya.”
Drago and I both stopped and looked at each other in shock. “Why?” Drago barked out.
“Because,” Sergei stopped, understanding what he was going to say was not going to win him any friends in the room. “Because he paid me. He wants her. He always has, since she was a child. I managed to keep him at bay, but she’s eighteen. I couldn’t hold him back anymore. He is obsessed with her.”
Drago swung his fist and smashed into Sergei’s face, almost knocking over the chair. He then grabbed Sergei by the throat. “You sold your daughter to Yuri? What the fuck is wrong with you?” Drago didn’t let him answer, just swung on him a couple more times.
Sergei screamed. “I waited! I waited until she was eighteen. He wanted her when she was twelve.” Like he was a good guy, or something. I wanted a go at him mys
elf. Katya was like a sister to me.
I moved toward him, but Drago stopped me. “No, we have to go. He wants to take Katya and there is no fucking way I am letting that happen.”
I started to move toward the door, but Drago moved back to Sergei and grabbed him by the collar again. “If anything has happened to her I will come back and dismember your body one joint at a time. You will pray for death.” With that, Drago pushed him back hard enough to tip the chair over and pulled the open the door hard enough to nearly rip it off the hinges. I heard Sergei still crying and making excuses as we ran to the car.
Chapter 45
Hannah
They weren’t going to do it. They were going to let my sister die. I couldn’t let that happen, I had to do something.
I looked at Ivan’s blank, intense expression as he held Piter by the throat. He appeared to be considering something. Maybe planning something? Who could tell with him?
“How do we know that you’ll give her sister back, even if we gave you Katya, which I am definitely not allowing?” Ivan asked conversationally.
Piter, still struggling to breathe under Ivan’s crushing grip, wheezed out, “We make an even trade at the same time. I walk out with Katya and he sends out the other girl. When I have them both, I send the girl in to her sister and send Katya to Yuri.” I felt Katya shudder beside me, and although I desperately wanted my sister back, I could understand her repulsion at the idea of being in Yuri’s clutches.
Ivan laughed humorlessly. “So, I’m supposed to trust you to do this exchange? What’s to stop you from just taking off with both girls?”
Piter’s color deepened and Ivan’s grip tightened at his throat. “Or was that the plan?” Ivan hissed.
Piter, gasping like a landed trout, babbled on. “It wasn’t my idea! Originally, we were going to just use the girl to exchange for Katya. Yuri was sick of waiting and he knew the organization was turning on him. But he likes the girl, wants to keep her, too.” I felt sick to my stomach. Poor Emmy, stuck with that monster. I felt even more urgency about getting her out.
“Okay, Piter, this is what we’re doing. You are going to help us get Emmy back, but you are not delivering Katya to Yuri. You are going to help us, because if you don’t, I’m going to personally break every fucking bone in your body. Do you understand?”
Piter nodded spasmodically. “Yes, I’ll help,” he breathed out pathetically.
“Where is Yuri? Is he driving right now, or in the back?”
Piter hesitated, and Ivan grabbed Piter’s forefinger tightly in his fist. “Do you want me to start with this finger? You must know how easily I can break it. Effortlessly, even.”
“No, No, I’ll tell you. He’s in the driver’s seat right now. He was worried he’d have to make a quick getaway if I was in here negotiating with you.”
I sighed in relief for Emmy. At least Yuri had to be somewhat alert, and perhaps less likely to be abusing her while they were waiting.
“So, the girl is in the back seat?”
“Yes, he was going to release the door lock to pretend to let her out.”
“Okay, Piter, this is what’s going to happen. Apparently, Yuri thinks we are all morons and that you two were just going to be allowed to waltz out of here with the girls. That’s not happening.”
Piter looked anxious. “He-he doesn’t know you are here, Ivan. He thinks you’re dead. We all thought you were dead.” I watched Ivan’s jaw tighten at that. “He thought the girls were alone; that’s what he was told by one of the men who’s with Drago. He knows Drago is after him, but he was told they were focused on going after him, that Katya was vulnerable. He figured any men you left here would still fear him enough to comply,” Piter’s anxious gaze flitted between all of us as he revealed this disturbing plan. “He thought it would be easy. He thinks he deserves the girls, like a parting gift, or something, for leading the organization and being forced out. I told him not to. I told him to just get out of town, be happy he’s still alive, but he’s obsessed. I felt bad taking that other girl.” Piter finished with questionable sincerity.
Ivan shook his head in disgust and disbelief. “Well, this is what’s going to happen, Piter. You are going to walk out there and give him the signal that you are making the trade.” Ivan raised his finger to Piter’s face. “If you give him any, and I mean any, indication that anything else besides the trade is happening I will shoot you myself, but I won’t kill you. I’ll drag your body into this house and torture you for hours. Do you understand?”
Piter moaned slightly and nodded his head. “What- what are you going to do?”
Ivan frowned. “You don’t know need to know. Just walk out there and stand in the middle of the walkway.” Ivan released Piter and pushed him toward he door.
Piter breathed heavily, inhaling previously deprived oxygen, and grabbed at the door knob. “Walk slowly,” Ivan commanded, leaving the door ajar.
Ivan turned to one of his men and whispered something in his ear. After receiving his orders, the man turned and ran to the back of the house. I looked at Katya, but her expression was dazed with shock and worry. I imagined I looked similar.
“What are you going to do, Ivan?” I whispered frantically. “You’re going to save my sister, right?” I half-begged.
Ivan looked at me stoically. “Yes.”
He looked at Katya, his expression altering dramatically. He gazed at her and, with a wealth of apology in his expression, he gestured her forward. Putting his hands on her face, he looked at her intently. “Sestrichka, you have to trust me. I just want you to stand here, in the doorway. I’ll be right here, just out of sight, and I will not let him take you. I have to let him see you, so he will let Hannah’s sister go,” Ivan explained gently.
I could see Katya bite her lip uncertainly. She looked over at me and must have seen my pleading look because she sent a sympathetic smile, turned to look at her brother and nodded her head. “I’ll do it.”
Ivan quickly kissed Katya’s forehead and nudged her slowly toward the open door. I moved to the window, staring from the side so I would not be detected by Nikolai’s father. Piter, now holding a gun, looked at Katya anxiously and impatiently as he beckoned her forward.
“Ask to see Emmy,” Ivan whispered to Katya.
“I won’t come until I see Emmy,” Katya shouted to Piter, and presumably Yuri. Piter turned his head as if indicating to Yuri that Emmy needed to come out of the car for the exchange to proceed. I held my breath as we waited for the door to open. I aged ten years before I saw the door slowly open and Emmy’s loafered foot appear beside the car. Tears of happiness and anxiety roll down my face as I waited to see her.
As she emerged, she kept looking at back inside the car, as if listening and responding to instructions. Yuri was obviously coaching her because she didn’t even leave the open span of the car door. She stood there looking terrified, her face tearful and uncertain.
“Tell him that Emmy needs to move away from the car before you’ll move,” Ivan quietly instructed. I wanted Emmy to run, but Piter currently holding a gun on her and she didn’t know he was following Ivan’s commands.
“Let Emmy move away from the car,” Katya instructed.
Piter, again looking nervous and agitated, gestured Emmy away from the car. Emmy expression melted into relief at the gesture, stepping gratefully toward Piter. Suddenly, her head snapped around as she turned to listen to Yuri from the car. When she looked toward us again her panicked expression had returned. “He said I can’t move away from the car until Katya moves toward it. He has a gun aimed at my back and says he’ll shoot if she does not start moving in this direction,” Emmy relayed in tremulous voice.
“Fuck,” Ivan whispered. “Katya, I swear, I will not let him take you. Take two steps toward the car, but no more. Do it slowly. Demand that Emmy be able to move at the same time you’re moving.”
“I will only move forward if Emmy is allowed to move forward,” Katya insisted.
Emmy looked back into the car, waiting to get permission to move. She turned back to Piter and nodded her head.
Although looking terrified and conflicted, Katya took a very slow step toward the car. Emmy followed suit, at a slightly faster pace, obviously still very aware of the gun being used to control her. When Katya stopped after two or three steps, a barked order came from the back of the car, causing Emmy to stop, a squeak of dismay leaving her mouth.
Suddenly, out of the backseat came Nikolai’s father, moving up behind Emmy, holding his gun to her head as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “You think you can play with me, girls? You think you can fool me?” Yuri spat out.
Katya jerkily shook her head. Emmy didn’t even move, her eyes wild with panic.
“It’s okay, Katya, I won’t let anything happen to you,” Ivan reassured softly. Could he give me the same reassurances about Emmy? I didn’t dare ask. I think my vocal chords were frozen.
“Answer me!” Yuri demanded. Then he turned and pointed his gun at Piter. “You working for them, eh, comrade?” Yuri asked bit out, paranoia evident in his darting eyes.
“What? No! No, Pakhan! I am loyal to you,” Piter insisted, terrified at the implication of his disloyalty. Yuri stared at him for a moment, then shot him in the head. Katya and Emmy both screamed in horror and fear.
“Traitor!” Yuri screamed at Piter’s fallen body. He turned his attention to Katya. “Come to me, malyshka,” Yuri purred to Katya. It was creepy and disturbing.
“Do not walk to him, Katya,” Ivan demanded.
“Come to Katya, or I kill this girl here right in front of you,” Yuri threatened harshly, pressing the barrel of the gun harder against the side of Emmy’s head. Emmy closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, as she anticipated being shot at any minute.
Again, Ivan whispered instructions to Katya. “Try to stall him, I almost have a bead on him. He has Hannah’s sister blocking my shot.”
“Okay, I’m coming, but can I say goodbye to my good friend, Hannah, first?” Katya replied, trying to give Ivan the time he needed to get a shot on Yuri.
Nikolai (Dangerous Love Series Book 1) Page 23
