Chapter 10

THANE

My phone calendar dings as I’m heading out the door to pick up Red. It’s a reminder to add Red’s next appointment on everyone’s schedule. We saw the OB last week, and she assured us everything was on track for eight weeks. Red will have appointments every three or four weeks or so, and I’ll attend every single one. We’ll know the gender of the baby at the fourteen-week ultrasound.

I pull up to the curb and the clock reads seven on the dot. She should come walking up any moment. I mess with my phone and look up and recognize women who are in her program pass by my vehicle. Seven fifteen pops up on the vehicle clock and dread raises up my spine. Something is wrong. I press the button to turn off the SUV and exit my vehicle, running to the hospital. I enter the door and stop the first person I see with an employee badge.

“I’m looking for my fiancée. Her name is Scarlet Petrova.” A catch in my chest makes me realize how easy it was to call her that.

“Which department?”

“She’s doing her rotation in obstetrics.”

“Down the hall to the elevator and up to the third floor. Take a right. But I’m pretty sure the students have all gone home for the day.”

I run full speed down the hall and hit the elevator while it’s still open. It takes too long to go up three floors, and my heart is beating out of my chest. The door opens, and I blurt out to the first person I see. “I’m looking for Scarlet Petrova.”

“She left early today.”

“What?” Fear crashes down on me as bile rises up in my throat.

“She had an emergency at home. One of the male students took her.”

Dread is now pressing down on my shoulders and screaming in my ears. I pull out my phone and dial. She doesn’t answer. I call again. Still no answer. I call the enforcer on the security team in my building.

“Did Scarlet come home?”

“What? No! Let me double check the cameras in your hallway.”

Time drags and my stomach twists. Something bad has happened. “Come on.”

The enforcer breathes heavy as he speaks again. “No. No one has gone into your penthouse.”

“Fuck!” I scream and startle the nurse. “Who took her home?”

“Antonio.”

I don’t respond to the woman and run for the exit. Dialing Fingers, my father’s hacker. “Hey. I need you to find Antonio, or Tony.” Red calls him Tony. “He’s that guy in her class.”

Fingers sputters. “Your girl? You’re still with her?”

“Focus Fingers. He took her.”

Fingers clacks on the computer. Typing faster, reminding me that he’s good. I push air in and out of my lungs as I take off, heading toward my penthouse.

Fingers clears his throat. “I’m still looking. Where did Scarlet go?”

“They said home. Wait.” My brain catches up to me. “Home might have meant her grandmother’s.”

“I’ll search for cameras around the area. Mrs. Abashin’s place has cameras.”

I pull to a light and slam my hands on my steering wheel. I have no idea where I should be going.

“There’s no activity at Mrs. Abashin’s. She hasn’t been back since she left this morning.”

I growl. “Where the fuck is she?”

Fingers types and clicks without a break until he speaks. “I’m pulling up footage from the university. Fuck!”

“What?”

“The guy who calls himself Tony, isn’t the actual Tony.”

“What do you mean, Fingers?”

“The faces don’t match. They’re close, but not exact. Damn it! I should have caught this. I’m so stupid.”

“Fingers! Concentrate. Bash yourself later. Can you find the guy on facial rec?”

Fingers clacks on the computer and blows out a huge sigh. “I found him. I’m texting you his address. I looped in Wystan. He’s meeting you there. I’m sorry, Thane.”

The address pops up on my phone. I hit the maps button and gun my SUV heading to Brooklyn. “What else are you finding, Fingers?”

“His real name is Tony Martinez. He’s involved with La Familia Morejon. They’re the cartel who shot up Mrs. Abashin’s house.”

“Fuck me. Georgie was working with them. What did Anatoly get from him before they took him on vacation?” Another phrase that means murdered. Anatoly killed Georgie once he confessed that he’d been working for the Morejon Cartel.

Fingers snorts. The euphemisms we use to not incriminate ourselves on an open cell line are rather amusing. “He’d been on their payroll for eight months. He gave them her address, but neglected to mention she was part of our bratva. Convenient omission, don’t you think?”

I don’t think, I just fly through traffic.

Wystan and I pull into Tony’s apartment complex at the same time as three other Bravikov enforcers. My little brother offers me a head bob. “Didn’t know things had progressed with Red Riding Hood.”

“Mind your business, Wystan. We need to find her.”

He nods as I flip my hand in a circle to the other enforcers. “Every entrance. His photo is on your phones.”

Fingers chats away in my earpiece. “I’ve tapped into the cameras in the building.”

“I’m surprised they have cameras.”

He scoffs. “I’m not. The super keeps tabs on everything in the building, but the cameras look hidden, so I’m not sure everyone realizes they’re being watched.” He pauses.“I don’t see any sign of him or Scarlet.”

“I don’t know where else he would have taken her?”

Fingers stops typing, pausing for dramatic effect. “Are you sure he took her?”

“What the fuck does that mean? She didn’t decide to go with him to fuck him.”

“Dude. She’s a stripper.”

“She’s mine.”

“Women have a way of making you think that, even if they’re knocking boots with another guy.”

“She’s living with me, Fingers. My baby is in her belly. She’s not banging anyone else.”

Fingers coughs. “Oh shit. Wow. Man. Congrats. You haven’t told the family.”

I blow out a breath. “No. I haven’t. You and Wystan are the only two that know.”

Wystan tips his head in agreement to the conversation he’s heard in his earpiece as we step out of the stairs, standing in front of Tony’s apartment door. I drive my shoulder into the door, and it breaks through the jamb. Wystan moves into the apartment with his gun drawn. He may be my younger brother, but he’s my go to when I need help. He’s violent in a silent assassin kind of way. He scrutinizes each room throughout the apartment and comes back, putting his gun in his pants. “No one.”

“Fuck. Tear the place apart. Who the fuck is he? Where would he go?” Fingers makes a funny sound on the phone. “What?”

“Uh Nothing.”

“Damn it. What?”

“Do you know who your girl is?”

“That’s not ominous at all. What did you find?”

“She’s a Petrov.” Fingers clicks his tongue. He’s no longer typing.

“Scarlet Petrova. Yeah. What of it?” I hold my breath afraid of what Fingers has found about the woman I love.

“She’s that Petrov.”

My mind flicks to nine-year-old me seeing Ivan Petrov with a gun in his hand aiming at my head. “How?”

“She was with her grandmother when the hit went down.”

“She would have been an infant.”

Wystan stares at me. It’s the same look he gave me when he wrecked my car when he turned fourteen. He glances at the papers in his hand. Scarlet’s photo sits atop a bunch of papers. There, in black and white, is a dossier of my Red. She’s the long-lost daughter of the man who tried to execute my family.

I flick through the pages. Her grandmother remarried a few times since her husband, Dima died forty years ago. That’s why her name is different. Ivan bought his mother the house before Red was born. Shit, I bellow. “Fuck!” I look at Wystan. “There’s nothing about me in this file. This isn’t about me.”

My phone buzzes. Mrs. Abashin is calling. I answer and disconnect the call with Fingers. “Hello?” My brother is giving me the ‘be cool’ look, and I need to be careful.

“Scarlet’s in trouble.” Her voice is strained like she’s been running.

“Where is she?”

“A man called and said if I didn’t come to him, they were going to kill her. They think I’m going to tell the police about the murder I saw those men do.”

“Okay. What did they say?”

She describes where and when she’s supposed to meet them. I blow out a cleansing breath as Wystan calls Anatoly. Papa is out of the country, so Cynric is the acting Pakhan. I decide not to tell him about any of this, so I’m going to use Anatoly. I hear Wystan explain what’s going on. I revert my attention back to Mrs. Abashin. “Stay where you are. I’ll handle the assholes who took her.” I disconnect the call as Wystan hands me his phone. “I need help.”

Anatoly growls. “And help you’ll have. I have to ask, does this have anything to do with Arturo and his mystery information about Ivan Petrov’s living child?”

“Fuck. I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll call Marco. We’ve got three hours before we have to meet at Central Park for the exchange with Mrs. Abashin. We all know that exchange will never happen. They’re just trying to trick Mrs. Abashin.”

Anatoly pauses. “How are we handling that?”

“Not sure. I’ll have Fingers pull the video feed and see if there’s anything there now. We’ll get back to you.”

Wystan sighs. “Now that Anatoly is on board, where do you want to bring everyone together?”

“Let’s see what Fingers finds.”

My brother smirks. “Oh, congratulations. I wanted to mention when I found out a little while ago, but afraid you’d be pissed that I knew.”

“How do you know?”

Wystan scoffs. “Seriously. People tell me everything. I knew when you made her appointment.”

“I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t. Your son is a Bravikov heir, and we’ll get them back.” Wystan’s frown deepens. “She’s the mother of your child. This is all yours to work out. Let’s just get her back, and then you can unwrap this little puzzle about her family.”

I roll my eyes. He’s too fucking smart for his own good. I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial the number I’d rather not use.

“Bueno, Thane.”

“Marco, I need all the information you have on Scarlet Petrova.”

He chuckles. “Ah, you figured it out.”

“She’s been taken and you’ve had her under surveillance.”

“We. Uh…”

“Now, Marco.”

“Si. I’ll send it now. We were just looking out for you.”

“Yep. And if you get a bit of leverage, so much the better.”

The pause makes me rethink his intentions, but I don’t have the time to smooth his feelings. “I would never.”

“Okay. Antonio of La Familia Morejon has her.”

“Shit. That’s not good. They traffic. Are you sure she’s still alive? Why did they take her?”

“They’re using her for leverage on a family member.”

“May I help you?”

“I’d appreciate any help you can give.” I’m sure I’ll pay for it the next time they want something, but she’s worth it. He’ll go all out to help me find the man and my woman.

Wystan taps his earpiece and flicks his head toward the exit.

“I’ve gotta go, man. Gracias.” “De nada. Your hacker should have everything we have. We’ll get you what we have on the Morejons in a few.”

My phone rings. “I found your guy. He’s alone at La Hacienda about a block away from you. It’s a family run Mexican restaurant.”

Fingers is the best. I bypass my SUV and start running. My brother and the enforcers that have arrived will follow. Anatoly, Cynric’s lead enforcer, catches up to me on the run and indicates he’s headed to the back of the restaurant. I hit the door like an explosion, knocking it against the wall, as I slam my body full on, into the man in question. He flies, hitting the adjacent table and ends up slammed against the wall. My hands are on the smaller man as he’s reaching in the back of his pants. I pull his gun and toss it to Anatoly, who’s just barreled in. “Where is Scarlet, Tony?”

“Why do you care? I’ve seen you in the vehicle, dropping and picking her up like a little puppy. She wanted to kill you.”

“Where. Is. She?” My hand reaches around his neck as I pull him from the ground and push him against the wall.

“Just stay put.” Anatoly and my other men have commandeered the restaurant, and they’re containing the patrons, and I’m assuming some of his cartel members.

“Tell me where she is or I’m going to cut off body parts.”

“Fuck you.”

I unsheathe my knife and grab his arm, slamming it above his head. I drive the blade into his hand just below his right index finger. “I’m going to take your finger, in five, four, three, two, one.” I slide the blade and drive it through the finger, just above the joint.

He screams and blood sprays. People gag around me as Wystan lets me know in my ear piece[DB1] he has disabled the cameras and removed the files of our arrival. “I gave her to my cousin to sell. The old lady is coming to save her, and they’ll kill her, so the girl isn’t needed?”

I bellow. “Do you know who I am?”

“Some stupid gringo who let his woman take his balls.”

I curse in Russian as the color drains further from his face. “Bravikov.”

His eyes widen so much I think they’ll just roll up in his head. “No.”

“Yes. Who did you sell her to?”

“My cousin. Rafael. She said she was going to kill you. She meant it too.”

I growl as spittle hits his face. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

I hear my name as men enter the restaurant. I turn to see Marco parading toward me. He scoffs at the man in my grip. “He’s nothing.” Marco flicks his head at his second youngest brother to take him from my grasp. “Did he tell you anything while you made this mess?”

“He gave her to his cousin to sell.” Wystan approaches with a wet rag to wash the blood off my arm.

“Tsk, tsk.” He speaks rapid Spanish to the man in his brother’s hands. Once he mentions his name the younger man starts begging. He’s a low man in the Morejon organization. They planted him as a way to keep an ace in the hole against Mrs. Abashin. Apparently she mentioned the shooting to someone in her neighborhood and that stirred up trouble with his cartel. Fucking women and their need to gossip. Mrs. Abashin knows better. I stretch my neck from side to side, making loud popping sounds expressing my frustration.

Fingers pipes up in my earpiece. “I found Antonio’s cousin’s apartment. I’m not sure he’s there.”

I tip my head to my brother. “Let’s go.”

Marco speaks. “I’ll go with you.”

Taking a deep breath, I remind myself I have to agree. I need everyone I can get. “I appreciate the help.”

“I’ll ride with you.”

“Sure.” I walk outside with Marco on my heels as my SUV idles at the curb. Someone was doing their job. A young new guy stands next to my SUV with anticipation dripping off him like syrup. “Climb in the back.”

He beams. “Yes, sir.”

Marco jumps into the passenger side as I head to the address Fingers fed me earlier. The entourage of black SUV’s reminds me of a political convention. We’re all getting on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on our way to Staten Island.

Irritation grates on my brain as I snap at Marco. “You could have just told me about Scarlet.”

“Eh. Hindsight. Didn’t realize she was more than a fuck buddy.”

I’m gritting my teeth so hard I’m surprised they don’t snap like Pez candy and spray the cab of my SUV. “How have you guys let the Morejons get a foothold in New York?”

“Until recently, they weren’t stealing from our clientele. Lately, they’ve tried to make a move. This little skirmish gives us cover to run them through their paces and see what they can do. They’re going to be surprised when the Bravikov Wolf stumbles into their territory. Let the chaos begin.”

“Fuck you, Marco. If they’ve touched her, I’ll kill every last one of them.”

“I have no doubts, brother. None at all.”

The ride to Staten Island takes almost thirty minutes, and I’m spiraling by the time we get to the cousin’s address. I take a deep breath as I exit the SUV, turning to the new bratva soldier. “Stay here and keep your eyes out for Scarlet.”

He smiles. “She’s the Little Red Riding Hood stripper?”

I glare at the young pup. “She’s my woman. It would be sad if you came all this way for me to gut you because you’re stupid.”