Chapter 38

38

NIKOLAI

" I don't fucking care that tonight is the governor's ball; shut it down or he won't make it to tomorrow," Alek growls into the phone. "No, Thomas, that wasn't a threat it was a fucking promise."

Aleksandr clicks off his phone, stalking back to the conference table in the Petrov building. Our eyes lock with those of the ruthless leaders of the Irish, Polish, and Italian mobs. None of us has our security and Nadia has been missing since I said I'd kill our father.

"Gentlemen, I have invited you here for a favor." I lean over the table, my fingertips spread in a tense web.

"You didn't invite us, Nikolai, you dragged us out of our houses with guns and threats," says Dante, the head of the Italian mafia, a man with pitch black hair and a constant low gaze that makes him look more predator than human.

"My apologies, Dante," I comment, squeezing my eyes shut as I keep a trained gaze on the table in front of me .

"This better be good," Mr. Doyle, the head of the Irish Mafia comments, adjusting his navy blue robe.

"Boris has taken someone very important to me," I say, my voice strained as I stand up straight, cracking my knuckles—a nervous tic I haven't succumbed to since I was twelve.

"The curly black haired girl?" Jakub, the head of the Polish mob answers nonchalantly and I narrow my gaze on him.

"What do you know about her?" I growl, taking small steps towards his seat.

"Oh come on now, Nikolai, you are not the only one who keeps tabs on everyone," Jakub taunts, reclining back in his chair as I make my panther stroll closer to him. "But I swear I know nothing of her missing."

I stop two steps in front of Jakub as I continue to speak. "I need the forces of everyone to find out where Boris is and where he has taken her."

"And in return?" Dante questions.

"Anything," I snap back, looking over in his direction.

The doors burst open, and Nadia in her normal all black attire, just covered in dirt with a strong stench of metallic, storms in, her eyes puffy and her face red. "Sorry to interrupt the sausage party," she says with a teasing grin, before her eyes narrow in on me. "But I couldn't see how this conversation could happen without me, so I'm here," she snaps, her tone laced with sarcasm as she drops into a chair and kicks her boots onto the table.

"Nadia," I warn.

"Now, Nik, don't worry about me. I'm just here to make sure you don't murder my father, since you disowned him," she counters, and my stomach twists. If only I could disown the bastard, but he is not even my father to abandon.

"Now is not the time," I growl, my voice deadly, but she ignores me, her gaze sharp as a knife as she meets my eyes.

"I don't care what time it is. Matter of fact, I think now is the perfect—" she starts, but Aleksandr cuts her off, his voice a bark.

"Nadia, go," he commands, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She jumps to her feet, both hands placed flatly on the table, her jaw tightening as she smiles something ruthless. "Make me, psycho boy."

Aleksandr tenses to the point he looks statuesque and I step closer to Nadia, growling through my teeth. "Both of you cut it out!"

The door creaks open again. This time, Lily steps in, her satin night set clinging to her frame, the matching robe trailing behind her like a whisper of silk. All eyes, but mine, fall on her innocent frame.

"Lily," Aleksandr says, his voice dripping with irritation, "Go home, and change."

"Excuse me, Aleksandr, but I have a job," she retorts, her chin lifted in defiance.

Doyle leans forward, his voice a lazy drawl. "Yeah, let her stay, Aleksandr. She can hang with the big dogs, can't you, doll?"

Aleksandr's eyes flash with anger. "If you want to keep breathing, Doyle, you' ll mind your business."

Lily raises a hand, taking a cautious step closer to Aleksandr who keeps his eyes trained on Doyle. "Woah, okay," she whispers, standing on her tip-toes to catch Aleksandr's eye line. "No need to fight. I'll go home and change," she reassures him, her voice soft but steady.

He nods tightly and sighs, and Lily turns to look directly at me. "But, Mr. Petrov, there's a woman in the lobby waiting to speak with you. She won't leave until she does."

The room falls silent, the weight of her words hanging in the air. I look between my siblings and the mafia leaders, the tension crackling like a live wire. "Handle things here," I order Aleksandr, and then I look at Nadia. "You come with me."

"You don't give me orders, Nikolai," Nadia snarls, but I zero in on her, my gaze cold and unyielding.

"Now, Nadia." Without waiting for a response, I stride out of the room, towards the lobby.

I hear Nadia's reluctant footsteps behind me, and I push forward, the anxiety gnawing at me with every step.

"Sorry, Mr. Petrov, I tried to tell them no, but the girl threatened to skin me alive," Lily squeaks as we approach the lobby. My heart pounds so loud in my chest a pain rings in my rib cage, but I push it aside as I round the corner.

Kelsey and David—Gwen's best friends—stand there, their faces etched with worry. I recognize them from pictures and the light stalking I had done into Gwen's background when we first started dating. While Kelsey is fiercely protective of Gwen and a complete spitfire, David is calm, coolheaded and the only thing that pushes him over the edge is when Kelsey and Gwen are in danger. He had been like this since they were kids .

Kelsey stomps forward, her face red in anger. "Where is she?"

"It's nice to meet you too, Kelsey," I respond in an almost bored tone as I extend my hand for a handshake.

"Cut it, partner. Where is our Gwen?" David snarls, standing like a protective dog behind his woman. I would have cut his tongue off for calling Gwen his if I didn't already know their history.

"David." I nod, turning back to a nose twitching Kelsey, lowering my voice I say. "Gwen is missing, but I have it handled."

"Missing?" Kelsey snaps, poking my chest. "What the hell do you mean by missing? You were supposed to protect her."

I can feel my gaze darken, and I take a step back like I've been punched.

"Hey, back off," Nadia snarls, removing Kelsey's french tip acrylic off of my chest, moving to stand between Kelsey and I. "We will get her back."

"Auntie Kel, what happened to Mommy?" The voice of a scared little girl forces my gaze to drift down, and I notice two small figures huddled close to David, looking up at me with wide eyes. A boy and a girl. A girl calling Gwen her mommy.

A deafening ring fills my ears, drowning out all other sounds as I fixate on the little girl in front of me. Her golden curls cascade down her face, framing eyes that are an exact copy of Gwen's hazel brown orbs. My gaze shifts to the boy standing next to her, his jet black hair falling in untamed waves around his face like a shroud. And then it hits me like a freight train - recognition. My breath catches in my throat because those ocean blue eyes and that dirty blonde hair… No, it can't be .

Before the words can leave my lips, before I can process this revelation, Kelsey snaps me out of my trance. "Mason is a gang leader Gwen's father owes money to and she has been on the run from him. That's the guy who took Gwen, has to be."

"Mason? Nik, did you know about Mason?" Nadia questions.

"Whose children are these?" I say in an almost deadly calm way.

"Shit." David coughs, looking down at the two. The girl clings to Kelsey, her small hand gripping her skirt tightly. The boy stares up at me, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and fear and his fists stuffed into his jean pockets.

"Gwen was going to tell you," Kelsey whispers, holding onto the little girl tighter.

"No fucking way," Nadia scoffs looking between the two children and me.

"Nikolai," Kelsey says in an unsure tone. "Meet your children: Mia and Gio."