The Collector: A Dark Russian Mafia Romance (The Cells of Kalashov Book 1)

by Vi Carter

  “I need answers. You told me I pissed off some pretty powerful people. I want to know who.” I close the back door behind me before stepping into the kitchen.

  “If any harm comes to my daughter…”

  “That’s up to you, Gail.” I snap back knowing she’s wasting time. Time isn’t a luxury I have right now. “Now, answer my questions and I will let your daughter go.”

  “How many times do you think my daughter has been kidnapped?” The question is delivered with a raised brow. Gail drinks deeply from her glass.

  “Three times.” She answers her own question. “Those three times the men who took her died a slow and painful death.”

  “You can keep threatening me, but they won’t find your daughter. I’m not stupid, Gail.” I itch to check my phone again. What if they had found Mila? She would be dead. I didn’t think they would find her that fast.

  I had to believe that I still had time.

  “Who ordered the kill on me, Gail?” I withdraw my gun again, wanting her to answer quickly.

  “Oleg.” That confirmed my suspicions.

  “Why?”

  “When you have all your answers, then what?”

  I cock the gun. “Then I leave here and you get your daughter back.”

  Gail holds my eye and I have no idea what is going on inside her head. She’s a clever woman.

  “I don’t know why he ordered your death. I was happy to assist since you killed Dimitri. You were just meant to deliver him to the can and from there I knew I would get him back, but you killed him instead.”

  “What do you mean, get him back?” No one came back from the can.

  Gail steps closer to me, completely ignoring the gun that I still have pointed in her direction.

  She exhales loudly. “Dimitri got out of the Bratva by doing a favor for Oleg. I didn’t learn about that favor until a few years ago. Dimitri had helped cover up the disappearance of Victor’s daughter.”

  She’s talking about Mila.

  “But I think someone discovered the girl and Dimitri was being brought in for questioning. Oleg said it was standard and that he collected everyone from the can, so he would make sure Dimitri was safe.”

  Gail’s hands curl around the counter. “Only he wasn’t.” The fire returns to Gail’s eyes and I don’t want her thinking about Dmitri; I want her to stay focused.

  “What do you think Victor would do if he was aware that you held this knowledge?”

  Gail’s face pales. “I just want my daughter back. I had no hand in his daughter. None.”

  Her voice rises and I hold up a hand, feeling accomplished in what I had wanted to do. Take her mind off Dimitri.

  “It’s not looking good for you, Gail, conspiring with Oleg.”

  “You killed Dimitri, and I was happy to assist with your death. I still am.”

  I grin at her honesty.

  It made sense about how Dimitri got away from Bratva. I wondered who had alerted Oleg to Mila’s whereabouts. Now I’m questioning who sent me the order to collect her. Was Oleg hoping she would try to escape and I’d kill her and then he would wipe me out?

  “You sent your men to my home to kill me, was that the only order?”

  Gail looks away for the first time. “No, Oleg gave me specific instructions to send them into a front living space where a girl was being held. She was to be killed too.”

  “Do you know who she is?” I raise the gun at Gail.

  “No, but I think I can figure it out.”

  The phone starts to ring and Gail looks to it. I point at the phone with my gun. “Answer it, and put it on speaker.”

  Gail doesn’t look away from me as she opens the phone and places it on the speaker.

  “Did you get her?” Gail asks.

  Sirens wail in the background. “They got away. She’s with a blond woman. They pulled the fire alarm in the hotel, and I think others are working with them.”

  I take my own phone out of my pocket and open it up. Mila’s dot is moving. She’s a few blocks away from the hotel.

  “Did you see Irina?” Gail’s voice betrays her emotion for the first time.

  “Yes, boss. She’s fine. We’ll get her.”

  “You better.” Gail snarls before ending the call.

  “I’ll have her back to you within the hour. You can call off your men. Mila witnessed a murder of a young girl by Oleg. That’s why he’s trying to make her disappear without dirtying his hands.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Gail clutches the phone in her hand.

  “Helping him isn’t about Dimitri. He would have killed Dimitri anyway. He knew too much. Maybe I gave him mercy.”

  “You burnt his body. I couldn't even have a final goodbye!” Her angry words fuel her steps. “He won’t stop!” Gail fires out.

  “I know.” I know Oleg won’t stop coming for me or Mila. “Call off your men,” I say, as my own fear for Mila grows.

  “No.”

  “I will deliver your daughter back here.”

  “You think I will heel just like that?”

  “Yes, if you know what is good for you.” I raise the gun.

  I see it in Gail’s eyes. She won’t submit. “If you were going to shoot me, Nic, you would have already done it.”

  She’s right. I didn’t want to leave a child orphaned.

  I put the gun away and slip back out through the back door. Talking to Gail didn’t solve my problem. Mila and I were targets, and that didn’t change. But at least I know who was behind it and why. I’m not stupid to think that Gail won’t have me followed. I take out my phone as I drive and check to see where Mila is. She’s at a park.

  I keep checking the rear-view mirror to make sure I’m not being followed. I’m not surprised when a black jeep takes a left, right and another left just as I do. I wait until I’m coming up to a red light before I stomp on the gas pedal. Horns blow as he tries to follow me, but gets stuck behind the red light. I take off and continue zig zagging through the city until I’m sure I’m not being followed. I dump the car close to the park and start to walk.

  MILA

  Irina walks beside me like we do this all the time. As we pass the swings, she stops. “I never get to go to the park. I never get to go on the swings.”

  “Why don’t you have a go now?” I smile at her encouragingly. Us delaying isn’t wise, but my heart squeezes. What child hasn’t been to the park?

  “No, I’m fine.” She answers me while staring at the swings. I step away from her and sit on one of the swings.

  “What are you doing?” She’s trying to look serious, but I can see the child in her eyes. The one that wants to join me.

  “I like swinging.” I push myself higher and don’t look at Irina. She soon gives up her protest and joins me on the swings. Her laughter is musical and guilt churns in the pit of my stomach at what I am taking part in. I slow down and just watch her as she becomes the six-year-old she clearly never gets to be. I cast my gaze around the empty park. My stomach twists, and something deep inside me stirs as Nicholai walks towards us. Irina slows down on the swing.

  I’m still seated on the swing when Nicholai approaches. I’m waiting for him to stop his approach but he doesn’t, he reaches me and bends my head back. His gaze roams my face before he presses his lips against mine. It’s harsh and quick, but I feel it all the way to my toes.

  “We have to go,” he says the moment he breaks the kiss.

  “Irina goes home now?” I don’t move off the swing and Nicholai shakes his head.

  “Not right now.”

  I’m standing and shaking my head. “No, Nicholai. She’s a kid.” I step away from the swings. Irina is moving slowly listening to us and her mind might be sharpened to adult conversations, but I would treat her like a six-year-old.

  “This was wrong from the start,” I say.

  “Gail gave me some answers, but we could use her to get more.”

  I reach up and touch Nicholai’s face. “If you think
anything of me, you will let Irina go. Please! I’m begging you.”

  I see the turmoil in Nicholai’s dark eyes, and when he looks away from me, I drag his face back to mine. “Please.”

  I’m begging with everything in me.

  Nicholai steps out of my touch and my heart starts to crumble. He takes out his phone and dials a number. His gaze swings around the park.

  “She’s at Park High, sitting on the swing.” He ends the call and reaches for me.

  “Now we go.”

  “We can’t just leave her, Nicholai.”

  “I’ve told Gail where she is. When they get here, we won’t walk away from this.”

  My heart bounces around my chest as I look back to Irina. I walk back to her and she stops swinging.

  “You’re going now?”

  I nod my head. “Yes, your mam is on her way. So stay on the swing, okay?”

  Irina nods. “Thanks for bringing me to the park.” Her smile twists at me.

  “Take care and don’t leave the swings.”

  I want to hug her, but Nicholai calls me. It’s time to go. I leave Irina on the swing and take off with Nicholai.

  “We need to get off the streets.” Nicholai curls his hand around mine, but my mind is still back with Irina. Did anyone collect her? Would she be left sitting there alone?

  “We shouldn’t have left her,” I say softly.

  “Gail will have her already.”

  Nicholai’s hand tightens on mine. “You did well escaping the hotel. I didn’t think they would find you so quickly.”

  I glance up at Nicholai to see pride shining in his eyes. “It was Irina’s idea to pull the fire alarm,” I tell him.

  His grin is instant. “She sure is Gail’s daughter.”

  “What did you find out?” I ask. I needed to take my mind off the little girl on the swing. I had to believe that she was safely with her mother now.

  We leave the main street and slip down an alleyway. Nicholai knocks on a large steel door and it grinds open. Without a word, he walks through bringing me with him. A guy with a bald head and tank top grunts at me before pulling the door behind us. We step into a bar that’s dimly lit. Nicholai walks to the back booth. He lets me in first before sliding in across from me.

  “We’ll be safe here, for now.”

  “Nic, great to see you.” A man steps up to the table. He’s so thin—to the stage of resembling a walking corpse. His caved in cheeks are gaunt and he appears ready to keel over.

  “You too, Carson.” Nic takes Carson’s outstretched hand.

  “Manny is on the door. Any trouble, and we will alert you.”

  Nic nods. “Thanks, Carson.”

  “I’ll get you the usual?”

  Nicholai jerks his chin out to me. “Make that two.”

  Carson smiles, his face is too small for all the teeth he flashes me before leaving.

  “He’s loyal.” Nicholai states and shrugs out of his suit jacket. I take in his tanned forearms as he rolls up his sleeves. My stomach squirms when his eyes meet mine.

  “I know today wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.”

  I didn’t agree, but I don't argue. “What did you learn?”

  Nicholai nods like he knows I’m still not happy. “Dimitri helped cover up your disappearance, which tells me that your father doesn’t know where you are. They must have made up a story and Dimitri backed up Oleg.”

  Betrayal courses through me. I wasn’t exactly close to Dimitri, but he had been my bodyguard my whole life. “But why?” I wasn’t a threat. I was a child then. Why would they want to get rid of me?

  “Dimitri wanted out of the Bratva, so he lied to gain his freedom. Why did Oleg do it?” Nicholai shrugs. “I don’t know. Do you remember ever having any other interactions with him?”

  I’m already shaking my head. “I barely saw my father, never mind Oleg. I took no part in any of it.”

  “Someone from your past spotted you, which is why Oleg wanted you collected.”

  Once again I can’t think of anyone who cared. My mind immediately jumps to Eric, but I dismiss that fantasy that I had held onto for far too long.

  Carson arrives back with a tray carrying two piping hot beef pies. The scent from the pies wafts towards us and its mouth-watering. He places a pie in front of each of us along with cutlery. He leaves and returns with drinks.

  Nicholai starts to eat like we aren’t running for our lives. Maybe having this one moment as something normal would be nice? I unroll the knife and fork from the napkin and start to eat. My stomach appreciates the pie.

  “Wow,” I say after a few forkfuls. Glancing up at Nicholai, he’s smiling at me and my heart jumps around in my chest.

  We eat in silence, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about Irina. “How does Gail come into all this?”

  “I collected Dimitri and he ran.”

  The pie in my stomach sours. “And you caught him?” My words are slow and the moment I say them, I know how stupid they are.

  “Yes, I did. So, she was angry and happily teamed up with Oleg to kill me and you.”

  “Oleg wanted me dead?” Oleg wanted both of us dead, I remind myself. “Nicholai,” I start and he holds his hands up like he knows what I might say.

  “Let’s eat our pie.”

  We do it in silence and I take the time to study Nicholai in this lighting. If I saw him in a bar, I would admire him but walk the other way. Trouble is written all over him. Not trouble, but danger. That’s what I see when I look at him, a very dangerous man.

  Carson arrives at the table. “They are searching for you a few doors down.”

  Nicholai pulls his jacket back on and thanks Carson. Our quiet moment is gone as we leave through a back door where four men wait for us. I glance back at Carson and feel the betrayal towards Nicholai, who seemed to have trusted him. Carson shrugs and pulls the steel door behind him. The four men move in closer. The one with the scar on his face glares at me.

  This isn’t good.

  Nicholai pushes me behind him before stepping towards the men.

  “I’m going to give you a chance to leave and return to your families.” Nicholai’s hands hang at his side. I know how good he is, but four men against him, and they all have guns; I had faith in Nicholai, but I’m not naïve either.

  “The girl is back with Gail,” I say from behind Nicholai.

  The guy with the scar sneers at me. “When I kill him, I’m going to gut you slowly.”

  I move back until my back hits the steel door. Glancing around the alleyway for a weapon, turns up empty. Boxes and trash cans are the only things around us.

  Nicholai bends his head as if he might start to pray. His arms are wide and he looks up. “Fine.” One word falls from his lips before he kicks into action. It happens so fast. Two of the men with guns drawn hit the ground. A knife pokes out of their heads. After releasing the knives, Nicholai reaches up and withdraws two guns from the band of his trousers. He fires quickly. The other men were stunned momentarily. He hits one and the other dives, before twisting mid air and firing back. I hit the ground hard and covered my head. Keeping my eyes tightly closed, I try to disappear into the asphalt. When the sound of gunfire ceases, I finally open my eyes. Nicholai stands and places the guns back into his trousers. Bodies litter the alleyway. I’m being picked up off the ground as Nicholai pats down my body.

  “Are you hurt?”

  I shake my head as my gaze skitters across all the bodies. Taking my hand, Nicholai takes angry steps along the alleyway and up to the front of the building. He releases me as he runs towards the door, using his foot he kicks it in. People slow down to see what all the commotion is about. Nicholai enters the building.

  “Don’t run, Carson,” He calls and I’m rushing behind him.

  “We need to go,” I say to Nicholai, not wanting to see anymore bloodshed.

  Nicholai keeps walking. “You son of a bitch.” He marches to the back of the building. Sirens wail in t
he distance.

  “Nicholai, we need to go.”

  He curses and looks up at me.

  “Now!” He takes one final look at the surrounding space before we leave through the front door.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  NICHOLAI

  Carson the traitor. I don't want to leave the pub. I want to return and kill him. Mila’s small hand rests in mine and I relax at her touch.

  “Going back isn’t an option.” Her words make me smile. It’s like she’s been running her whole life. Most women would have run screaming, but Mila is here holding my hand. I glance down at her just as my phone beeps. Taking it out of my pocket, I open the message. It’s an order to deliver Mila to the can.

  “Who is it?” I’m not sure why she asks. Maybe she can see the tension in my tight jaw? I relax my mouth.

  “I have to deliver you to the can,” I say honestly.

  Mila stops walking. “And if you don’t?”

  She blinks rapidly, like she’s trying to make this situation disappear. I want to reach out and touch her, but while we are standing here on the street it isn’t wise.

  “Come on.” I start to walk again and I don’t have an answer for her. If I don’t deliver her, someone will be sent after us. There is no stopping the wheels that are turning. Right now, I need to get Mila somewhere safe.

  ***

  The motel is run down and the stench has me reconsidering staying here with Mila, but our choices are limited. It wouldn’t be for long. I know what I need to do to keep her safe.

  “You don’t have to do this.” Her voice sounds bruised and I give her a tired smile.

  “I know.” I close the door of the motel room and circle my arms around her. “I want to do this.” I place a kiss on her forehead and pull her into me. I love her, and letting her go isn’t an option.

  “They will kill us,” she’s shaking her head against my chest, “if you don‘t deliver me to the can.” She leans out and pain swirls in her eyes. “We can’t keep running.”