by Vi Carter
“Who said that’s the reason I want to see him?” I say and point at the car. “Start walking.”
Oleg does, and I make him stop before climbing into the car. Patting him down, I remove the gun from his waistband.
“Don’t move.” I keep the gun pointed at him as I search the car. I find one more gun in the glove compartment.
“Get in.” I climb into the passenger seat and Oleg gets in. He slams the door like he might be able to stop this.
“I can’t just take you to Victor.”
He roars when the gun impacts with the side of his face. “You will take me to Victor,” I say. “Now drive the fucking car.”
He starts it up and we leave the can. I don’t check my phone until we are on the road for a few minutes. Mila is still moving, she’s going in the opposite direction. What is she doing? She is too far out for it to be Gail’s. I have no idea what she is up to.
“Did you kill the girl?” Oleg asks me while dabbing at his bleeding face.
“No. That’s what you would have wanted and then you would have had me killed. I know all about your little plan with Gail.”
He’s smart enough to keep driving and not open his mouth to me again. I have no idea where Victor lives, so I won’t know what I’m up against until I’m face to face with the man himself. Until then, I wouldn’t know for sure if Oleg deceived me or not.
MILA
I hate how my legs shake as I press the button on the gate. I have no other options. This isn’t the brightest decision I have ever made, but it seemed like the best one in this situation.
“Hello Kitten.”
I force a smile at Anita’s voice and glance back at the cab, waving him to go. I wasn’t leaving here until someone helped me.
“Can I speak with Lucca?” I try not to shuffle. I can’t see Anita, but I’m picturing her smiling. I get radio silence before the gates slowly start to open. I walk through and up to the front door. Lucca opens it. He doesn’t look surprised to see me as he drags the door fully open.
“What does he need?”
I step into the hallway and meet Anita’s eye. She’s in a sky blue tight fitted dress that leaves nothing to the imagination.
“Hello Kitten.” Her eyes smile at me and I focus on Lucca. Now that I’m here I need to make him help me.
“He’s gone to see my father.”
Lucca closes the door and I try to shake off the feeling of being a trapped animal.
“He should have run.” Lucca speaks before turning to me. “What do you want from me?”
All the friendliness is gone now.
“I just need you to make a quick phone call and I’ll be gone.”
Anita laughs and pushes off the doorframe. “She’s not in the family for two minutes and she's looking for favors.”
I know most people would start throwing the weight of their father’s name around, but I didn’t want anything from my father. So I focus on Lucca.
“Anita, give us a minute.” Maybe he remembers who I am.
“See you around, Kitten.” Anita strolls from the hallway and I’m left with a very intimidating Lucca. His silver eyes never leave my face as he takes another step towards me.
“I don’t know if you’re very smart or very stupid.”
I swallow. “Nicholai put himself in the can and is waiting for Oleg there so he can force Oleg to take him to my father.”
Lucca curses and runs his hands through his dark hair. “He should have run,” he repeats.
“I need to get there and convince my father not to kill Nicholai.” That is my grand plan.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t exactly have a direct line to your father.”
No one did. Not even me. My father didn’t like technology. He was paranoid, thinking someone was always listening in on him. That’s why you had to go through his secretary, whose number I had no idea of.
“I need you to ring Eric.”
Lucca raises both eyebrows. “Eric? Who Nicholai shot?”
I exhale loudly. I didn’t think this would be easy, but I also didn’t need Lucca to make this harder than it already was.
“Please, if you just ring Eric, I’ll be out of your hair.”
He’s staring at me and I try not to squirm under Lucca’s heavy gaze.
“Don't move from here.” He points at the floor and I nod quickly as he leaves me in the foyer. I can only hope that he’s gone to ring Eric—who I have no doubt will return for me—or he’s going to kill me.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
NICHOLAI
The large white house is somewhere I can imagine the leader of the Bratva living. I’ve spotted ten snipers on the rooftops. They aren’t hidden. Their positions are visible for effect. The barrel of my gun I keep pointed at the back of Oleg’s head and hope he is important enough to get me in front of Victor.
“You’re making a mistake.” Oleg tries to turn around, but I push him forward.
“Keep walking.” We climb five large marble steps and into a sitting area that’s empty.
“Where is he?” I want to shake Oleg, but I also don’t want to take the gun from the back of his head.
“You know, if he wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” I hate the gleam of pleasure in Oleg’s gaze at this knowledge.
He keeps walking and we step out into a foyer. A long white pavement runs a few meters to a small sitting area, under a large umbrella a man sits, watching us.
“You should let me go,” Oleg speaks, but I keep pushing us forward. I spot more snipers out here, along with armed men along the house. None of them move, and the closer I get to Victor, I know I am alive at his grace. I just wasn’t sure how long that grace would be extended.
“Oleg, you brought The Collector to my home?” Victor’s gray hair is slicked back from his tanned face. He picks up a large glass of red wine and drinks deeply, at ease as if his home hasn’t just been invaded by an armed man.
“I didn’t have much of a choice, boss.” Oleg speaks up.
“We always have a choice, Oleg.”
Victor’s blue eyes spring to me and I see Mila in his features. “I want you to throw your gun down. My men can take you out in a second. The only reason that you are still breathing is because I’m very curious as to why The Collector has a gun pointed at my right-hand man’s head.”
I’m weighing my options while glancing around. I could be dead in a second either way. I had to give Victor something back, since he was the only reason I was alive. I remove the gun from Oleg’s head and put on the safety before throwing it on the grass alongside the white pavement.
Oleg steps away from me immediately. “Kill him.” He commands.
Victor takes another drink and watches me over the rim. Once the glass is put down on the round table, he speaks. “Be quiet, Oleg.”
Now Victor’s attention is on me. “I have your daughter.” I start with. He doesn’t seem surprised at all. “Oleg and Dimitri lied to you. She never ran away. They hid her.”
Oleg starts to laugh. For the first time, I see a flicker of anger in Victor’s gaze as he cuts across to Oleg. “I know what he has done. I know how he deceived me all those years ago.”
I hadn’t expected him to know.
“I didn’t…” Oleg starts and Victor holds up a finger.
“You hid my daughter from me because she took my attention away from the business with all her antics.” He circles his hand in the air. “I understand why you did it, and I allowed it to go ahead because I agreed, but don’t stand here and lie to me.”
This isn’t going the way I had expected at all. He had known what Oleg and Dimitri had done to his daughter.
Now Victor turns back to me. “Is that why you brought Oleg here? To confess his sins? Tell me Nicholai, what are your sins?”
“He tried to kill her and me,” I fired.
“He’s lying.” Oleg speaks out of turn again, and I see the warning in Victor’s gaze.
Oleg falls silent and Victor returns
his heavy gaze to me. “You have proof?” Victor asks.
“No, only your daughter’s word.”
Victor glances behind me. “Where is she?”
I can tell from the look in his eyes that he already knows that Mila isn’t here.
“She’s safe.” I glance at Oleg. “He murdered a girl in front of Mila.”
Surprise filters through Victor’s gaze, and I pray this is a turn in the right direction.
Oleg narrows his gaze at me before turning back to Victor. He seems to weigh his words. “It was a whore, she got out of hand and things got intense.”
Victor nods. “Mila witnessed this?”
Oleg’s face has paled. “Boss, I didn’t…”
Victor smiles and stands up. His fingers are coated in rings that he joins. He walks to Oleg and places a hand on his left shoulder. “You have been loyal to me since you were a boy.”
Oleg nods, but worry starts to fill his eyes.
“That’s why I made you my right-hand man. You hid my daughter away, I allowed it, because the intent was good. So now old friend, tell me. Did you try to have her killed?”
Oleg shakes his head. He is hardly going to admit trying to kill Mila. It’s an instant death sentence. “No, boss. He’s lying.”
Victor squeezes Oleg’s shoulder again and nods. “Okay, Oleg.”
He steps away from Oleg and walks back to his seat. It’s the smallest of movements, but he raises his index finger. The whoosh of a bullet has me spinning as it impales itself in the back of Oleg’s head. He hits the ground just as Victor sits back down. He doesn’t glance at Oleg’s body, but picks up his glass of wine and takes a sip. My gaze is assessing his fingers, watching for him to raise one.
“Do you think it was wise to come to my home?”
“No, but I had to keep Mila safe. I knew you were the only person capable of doing that.”
Victor stares at me. I want to remove my tie and jacket as the heat of the sun and this situation had sweat slowly making a pathway down my back.
“What do you think will happen when word gets out that The Collector entered my home with my right-hand man at gunpoint?”
“I’m sure everyone will know I only entered at your grace. You could have had me killed at the gate.” I’m aware the gun is only four large strides to my left. I wouldn’t have much of a chance of getting out of here, but if I had Victor at gunpoint, I might be able to stay alive until I got far enough away so I could get Mila and run.
He picks up the glass again and I notice his pinky finger raises ever so slightly, I dive as a bullet is released from a sniper on the roof, the impact tears through my side as I slam into the ground.
MILA
Eric didn’t speak the whole drive. I insisted on driving since he could only use one leg, but his car had automatic transmission. He looked far too pale to be driving, but he wouldn’t give in. I knew he would come when Lucca rang him, I just wasn’t so sure that he would take me to my father. We pull up at my father’s home. Once they see Eric driving, they let us pass. I don’t say anything as I climb out of the car. My stomach is in knots. Please God, tell me I’m not too late. I enter the house and am very aware of the amount of armed men. I had forgotten the wealth we had lived with as I stepped through the open entry hall. I move quickly through the sitting room. My home the last six years would fit into the hall four times over.
“Maybe we should let your father know we are here before you go out there?”
I ignore Eric and step out into the foyer. The blood in my veins freezes. Two bodies are on the white pavement, both pooling with blood. I sense my father’s heavy gaze on me as I run towards Nicholai.
“Nicholai!” I pull him around and he groans out in pain.
“Mila, what are you doing here?” His words are breathy.
I smile with relief he isn’t dead, but he is losing a lot of blood. I press down on the wound along his side and for the first time look up at my father, who watches me over the rim of a wine glass.
“Hello, Mila.”
I want to spit at him. “Let me take him to a hospital.”
My father smiles, there is nothing fatherly or warm about his smile.
“Why?” He asks and I glance back down at Nicholai, whose skin seems to pale further.
“Please, father! I’ll do anything!” I plead.
“Anything?” My father takes a drink, like the blood flowing from Nicholai isn’t alarming.
“Yes, anything!” I shout.
Laughter bubbles up from my father’s mouth. “Very well, Mila. Pick up the gun to your left.” I glance over to where my father indicates and I see a gun. My stomach churns as I glance back at my father.
“Shoot The Collector and then you can take him to a hospital.”
“What?” warm liquid flows over my fingers.
“Shoot him and then you can take him to a hospital. Prove your loyalty to me.”
Nicholai’s breathing is growing more faint. I know I’m running out of time. “You’ve always hated me.” A lump in my throat nearly chokes me. “I’m your only child and I’m begging you to let me take care of the man I love.”
Tears spill and I hate the man I’m looking up at. There is no remorse in his face.
He takes a large drink. “The decision is yours, Mila.”
I’m up and race to the gun. My blood soaked fingers wrap around it and I point the gun at my father. “I should kill you!”
His laughter has my hand shaking. “Don’t be foolish. Look around you, Mila. I raise one finger and you die. I think we both know that I won’t hesitate, so either shoot The Collector or watch him die at your feet.”
I hate him. I had no other emotion, only hate for this man. I lower the gun because I know I can’t win with anger. I slowly step back over to Nicholai. He blinks and looks up at me as I point the gun at him.
“Just do it,” His words are low, but I hate them. I swallow the saliva that pools in my mouth along with the tears that refuse to stop falling.
“What if it kills you?” My hand shakes.
“If you don’t shoot me, I’m going to die here, Mila. Aim for my shoulder, try not to hit… any organs.”
He’s smiling with his eyes closed like this is a joke.
“I’m waiting.” My father sounds very pleased with himself.
I glance back at Nicholai. “I love you.” I tell him before I pull the trigger.
EPILOGUE
MILA
There are times when the decisions we make shape us to become better people. We grow from our circumstances. We grow from good and bad decisions. We grow in general. I think since meeting Nicholai, that’s exactly what’s happened to me. I’ve grown so much. I’ve lost a lot and gained even more. I glance over my shoulder and smile at Nicholai as he walks towards me with two beers. We’ve parked up on The Rocky Mountains and are watching as the sun starts to set. I take the cold beer as Nicholai joins me on the hood of the car.
It’s been three months since I shot him. My gaze travels to his shoulder that always seems stiff. I hate myself for hurting him, but it was also the only way to save him from my father, who I swore I would never speak to again. I honestly didn’t think my father cared if he saw me or not, and I hadn’t spoken to Nicholai about it. I didn’t want to talk about that day. I lean into Nicholai and he circles his arm around my shoulder. I love the smell of him as he leans in close and plants a kiss on my head.
“Are you happy?” He asks. It’s something he asks me a lot. Maybe I look sad when I start to think, but with time I know that will ease. I had my family right beside me and that’s all that mattered.
“When I’m with you, I am.” I smile up into his handsome face and love how his dark eyes drink me up before he bows down and places a kiss on my lips.
“Did I tell you how lucky I am?”
I laugh at his question. “Every day.” And he does.
He takes a deep swallow from his bottle, his phone bleeps and I hate the sound it makes. H
e takes it out and reads it.
“Is it a collection?” I ask, hating that he still had to work for my father. A part of me felt I should stay in contact with my dad so I could get Nicholai out of the Bratva, but I wasn’t ready to face that demon yet.
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are here, in my arms.” He tightens an arm around me. “I wish you didn’t have to do it anymore,” I say the useless words.
“No one leaves, Mila.”
I frown up at Nicholai. I reach up and touch his face. “Maybe you can be the exception to that rule.” Pain tightens around my throat when his dark eyes grow sad.
“Maybe.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“I hate him,” I tell the setting sun. I don’t have to explain to Nicholai who I am talking about. He knows.
“Do you want to know why he killed Oleg?”
My stomach churns and I take a deep drink from the bottle. “Why?”
“Because he put his hands on you.”
My head snaps up to Nicholai. I’m looking for deceit in his words and I hold out hope that maybe, just maybe my father cared. It makes me feel foolish that I could for one second hope. “I know he hasn’t done right by you, but you are still Victor’s daughter.”
I’m ready to look away when Nicholai stops me by placing his fingers under my chin. “I know right now it’s too hard, but in time, you should try to forgive him.”
I snorted. “He made me shoot you,” I remind Nicholai.
He smiles like he admires my father for that. “I’m here,” Nicholai says.
I didn’t want an argument, and especially not about my father.
“Yeah, I’ll think about it,” I say. Maybe one day I could become strong enough to speak to him about letting Nicholai go. That would be the only conversation I would ever have with my father.
Nicholai pulls me into his side. “I’m so lucky that I found you.”
I relax into his touch. “I suppose you are.” I tease while smiling up at him.
