Chapter 40

Nikolai

T he deafening sound of an explosion cuts Adelina off from her manic ranting. The whole house shakes as the impact of the bomb rattles the foundations. The sound of rapid gunfire soon follows. I smile to myself.

Finally, the cavalry has arrived.

I expected that Dimitri would use his preferred extraction method, explosives. Messy, loud, and distracting, they're not always the best option, but for this kind of mission where there are lots of men to take out and draw away from one point, it's the perfect tactic. Especially since he knows we've already secured Mads.

Adelina and her men turn toward the noise, startled. She glances back at me, a look of understanding and begrudging respect cross her face.

"I assume you brought reinforcements then. Bold of you. I didn't think you'd risk your only child's life by being so reckless. I guess the rumors about you are true, you are a heartless bastard who will do whatever it takes to keep his business strong. Will you call them off and ally with me?" she asks.

I'm amazed at her brazen confidence, that she still thinks I'd consider allying with her.

"I don't respond well to threats or demands," I reply coolly.

I'm pissed off by the insinuation that I'd risk Arianna and Mads' lives. The team was under express command to stay out of sight unless I hit the button in my pocket. This was the signal that Mads was safe and they could advance to extract us. Thankfully, I discussed this all with Arianna so she's looking relieved that this will all be over soon. Behind that relief, I can tell she's still confused and hurt by her sister's revelations and trying to wrap her head around them.

Adelina nods and lets out a theatrical sigh. "Well, that is disappointing. But at least now we can have some fun," she laughs, a chilling noise devoid of any true mirth. "You two, go help the others," she orders her men.

The two guards obey, leaving only two remaining. I'm surprised she's made the same choice as her father, albeit with one extra man. Two is still not enough. Not when Adelina made the mistake of allowing me to remain armed. I'm grateful that Arianna seems to know what I need without me trying to convey it to her. She starts to talk, creating a distraction.

"Adelina, stop this madness!" she cries loudly. "This isn't you. Father and Di Stefano must have brainwashed you. Please, tell your men to stand down before it's too late."

I can tell from her voice that this is a performance, nothing more. I know my kukolka has already hardened her heart against her sister, that she's being a brave mother bear protecting her cub in the best way she knows how. Thankfully, Adelina is so confident in her position and in her belief that Arianna is weak, that she doesn't see her sister's words for the ruse they are.

She steps closer toward Arianna, who moves back, drawing her nearer. In her arms, Mads is wailing, scared and confused by the sounds of fighting outside the door and no doubt sensing her mother's distress. Adelina and one of the men focus solely on Arianna and Mads. Then, the other guard makes a fatal error when a loud crash outside the door causes his eyes to dart briefly away from me. I take the shot and he collapses, dead on impact.

I manage to duck out of the way of the incoming bullet from the remaining thug. Before either of us can fire again, Adelina speaks up.

"Oh for goodness sake boys, can't the girls chat, without you getting up to mischief?" she scolds. "Nikolai, kick the gun over here like a good boy. I've got a gun pointed at Arianna's head. We wouldn't want to blow her pretty brains out now, would we?" she says sweetly.

Left with no other choice, I obey, throwing the gun out of reach and stepping out from my cover. Arianna looks at me with fear in her eyes, but underneath it there's trust. She still believes I can get us out of this. That I'm her savior. I wish I could feel the same, but right now, it's all on the others to get us out of this. I just hope they're quick enough. Adelina is unhinged and likely to decide to kill Arianna just for the fun of it.

"Please, they're no threat to you. You don't need to point the gun at them, point it at me. I'm the dangerous one."

She considers my words. Sensing that my logic is right, that out of us I'm the biggest threat, she points the gun at me. My heart rate slows, relieved that she listened to me. I'm not surprised that someone like Adelina wouldn't understand how I would be willing to die for my family. She thinks that I won't move against her if it means getting shot. She's wrong.

The only other obstacle now is the goon by the door.

"Order your men outside to stand down," Adelina demands.

"I have no way of contacting them, your men took our phones as well as our weapons when we arrived," I reply truthfully.

"Luckily, I have a speaker system installed. I'll just click this button here, and then you can be heard throughout the compound," she says proudly, holding up the comms controller with her free hand, the gun still trained on me.

For all her proclamations that her father was stupid and how smart she is, she's being really fucking dumb right now. I allow her to dig her own grave.

She clicks the button, speaking into the comm. I can't hear the speakers outside, which suggests to me the room is bullet and soundproof to a certain extent.

"Kuzmin Bratva, this is Adelina Di Stefano. I am here with your boss, Arianna, and his baby. He is unharmed and wishes for you to stand down. If you do not, I will kill him."

She throws the comms to me, and I catch it with ease. "Tell them," she demands.

"This is your Pakhan. What she says is true. We are in the basement in a secure room with only one exit. There is no way for you to get in, the door is bulletproof and guarded. We are unarmed and they have two guns on us."

I relay this information, hoping that my team will read between the lines and use it to advance accordingly rather than stand down. They know where we are now, how many guards, and how to get in. Adelina's confidence has blinded her, as she does not seem to think that my telling them our situation could be anything other than a warning of why they shouldn't come. The sounds of gunfire cease, and she nods, satisfied.

I just hope they have already taken down enough men and that the rest can be done silently to not arouse further suspicion from Adelina.

"Well, now that's been dealt with, shall we discuss business?" Adelina says casually, as though we're having a normal chat rather than a battle. "Father pretty much summed up my demands. Are we agreed?"

Arianna looks at me in horror, she doesn't realize my plan, she thinks I'm giving in.

"What about Mads?" she asks, panicked.

Adelina doesn't even bother to look at her. With her focus still on me she says, "As much as I can't abide little brats, unfortunately, she will have to remain as my ward. It seems you're both rather attached to the child so it's the best way to ensure our little arrangement doesn't change the second you're out of my sight. Don't worry, I'll buy some Bulgarian whore to mother her, seeing as you're so fond of them dear sister."

Arianna's eyes flash with rage and I can tell she's about to do something rash. I tense, prepared to jump in and protect them.

At that moment, the sound of another explosion rings out, this time so deafeningly close that my ears ring. Debris falls from above us and I realize that Dimitri must have decided that if they can't come in the door, they'll come in from the ceiling—the most likely part to be weak.

The guard, having been knocked to the floor by the blast slowly begins to rise. Silent as a mouse, Kimiko drops through the small hole left by the blast. There's so much dust and debris in the air you can barely see her, she's just a blur dressed in all black. The still disorientated and deafened guard doesn't see her coming. Using her preferred weapons of choice, two small blades, she attacks him in a flurry of slashes. He drops down dead, having not made a sound.

Both Arianna and Adelina ducked for cover when they heard the blast. Thankfully, I'm closer to Adelina. As she begins to rise, I rush toward her. I feel the sharp sting of the bullet hitting my chest just below the collarbone as she fires, but it doesn't slow my approach. I tackle her, taking the breath out of her and sending the gun flying across the room.

Now unarmed and pinned beneath me, Adelina's confidence is gone. She struggles but her slim frame is no match for my strength and she's barely able to move. Seeing the hatred in my eyes, she calls out.

"Arianna, sister, please! Don't let him kill me, I'm sorry!"

She starts to cry, big fake sobs, but her eyes remain dry. The callous bitch thinks she can play her way out of this one. The red mist of rage descends on me, and I forget that she's a woman, that normally I avoid hurting any women, that I give them swift, painless deaths whenever I'm forced to kill them. I want to wring the life from her body slowly, to make her suffer for the pain she has caused me and Arianna. I wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze. She starts to splutter and choke, her eyes rolling back in her head. I am unaware of anything else going on around me, only my all-consuming hatred.

A small, confused voice breaks through my walls.

"Niki?"

Mads.

I release my grip and look up to see my daughter looking at me, she's scared and confused. She has no idea what's going on. Why the adults are fighting. Arianna is holding her, seeming as frightened as Mads to see me without my mask of respectability on. To see the monster that hides behind the version of Nikolai she sees. She knows what I'm capable of, and she's seen glimpses of it, but never like this. Never this raw, animal ferocity. Their fear and confusion take every last drop of anger out of me.

I don't need revenge.

I need my family. To build our life together and protect them.

Kimiko comes over to stand above Adelina, knowing exactly what I need without me asking. She bends down and holds the knife to her throat, whispering, "Don't fucking move."

I get up, going toward Mads and Arianna. My future. I can't stay in the past.

Arianna hands Mads to me, and I soothe her. "It's okay, I'm sorry. Daddy's sorry. You're safe."

She snuggles into me, and her sobs start to ease. Arianna looks at me gratefully, "Thank you."

She doesn't need to say more. I know she's thanking me for choosing them. For not taking the revenge I deserve if it means Mads has to watch it. For not taking away her chance to speak to her sister, to decide her fate. She looks at Adelina, who has been silently watching us all.

Seeing Arianna's acknowledgment of her, she speaks, "Oh, thank you, sister. I knew you wouldn't let them kill me. We're family. We can be happy together to learn how to move forward. You're right. It's Father and Di Stefano's fault, they brainwashed me and forced me to do horrible things," she pleads.

I'm glad that Arianna doesn't believe a word of her lies.

"No, they didn't. You made it perfectly clear exactly who you are and how little me or Mads mean to you. You're a monster, worse than either of them. I'm not stopping Kimiko from killing you."

"But I'm your sister!" Adelina cries, cutting Arianna off in a last-ditch effort.

"No, you're not. My sister died a long time ago. Whoever you are, you mean nothing to me."

With that said, Arianna turns away and comes back toward me and Mads. "Let's go," she says without a backward glance. I nod, more than happy to agree.

"Kimiko, take care of this for us."

As we walk out of the room, ignoring Adelina's cries for mercy as Kimiko dishes out her punishment, one that she has as much right to as us, I know that somehow, we can create a future together. Arianna doesn't expect me to change, to give up the Bratva, and I won't. But I can be a better man. I refuse to be the kind of leader that Adelina, Di Stefano, Lucchese, or De Luca were. I might be a criminal, but I don't need to be a monster.

Moving on and building a family, making the Bratva even more successful without resorting to the kind of things that Adelina stood for, that's how I will honor my mother and my legacy.