39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Aleksandr

I awoke to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the heavy curtains of my bedroom. Talia's warmth was a comforting weight against me, her hair a dark cascade over the pillow we shared. For a moment, the world felt almost normal. Almost. I traced a finger along her cheek, admiring the softness of her skin. She stirred slightly but didn't wake, her breath steady and even. Her delicate features relaxed, and the peacefulness of her slumber seemed to mock the turmoil within me.

A part of me ached to stay there, to lose myself in the quiet peace of her presence. But peace wasn't part of my future. Especially not with Vic looming in the shadows, threatening to unravel everything. Carefully, I removed myself from Talia's embrace, moving with the practiced stealth of someone accustomed to sneaking through danger. Her warmth lingered on my skin, a reminder of what I stood to lose. I paused at the doorway, casting one last glance back at her. A tangled mix of emotions churned within me: protectiveness, longing, guilt.

The mansion was quiet as I walked the hallways to my office. It was cold compared to the warmth of my bedroom, the chill seeping into my bones. The heavy wooden desk was littered with files and a half-empty glass of vodka from the night before. I downed the rest of the vodka, the burn in my throat grounding me in the present, and then reached for my phone. I needed to speak with Dimitri about Vic. We needed a plan to end that mudak once and for all.

Dialing Dimitri's number, I waited two rings before he answered. " Brat ," I said when he picked up. "We need to meet. Somehow, Vic got Talia's phone number and called her."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "When and where?" Dimitri growled, his voice thick with anger.

"In an hour at the café near the square."

"I'll be there," he replied, and the line went dead.

Quietly, I walked through the hallways, checking on Sasha and Maxim before slipping back into my bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I gazed at Talia, sleeping peacefully. Despite all the wrongs I've done, I ended up with this beautiful woman who was carrying my baby. Brushing a tendril of hair away from her cheek, I leaned down and gently kissed her lips. Her eyes fluttered open, immediately focusing on my face.

"Good morning," she whispered, her voice still husky with sleep.

"I'm leaving to meet Dimitri. Stay with Olga and the children today."

Reaching out, she trailed her fingertips down my arm. "Do you have to leave?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

"As much as I'd love to stay here and pleasure you all day, I need to devise a plan to eliminate Vic."

She sat upright, her eyebrows pinched together in concern. "Please be careful. We don't know what Vic is planning to do."

She gripped my face gently and dragged her lips over mine, kissing me deeply. The kiss was a promise, a plea, a silent bond I vowed not to break. Pulling away, I studied her face, memorizing every detail. With one final kiss, I left to meet Dimitri.

The café was a short drive from my place. The streets were calm before the city fully awoke, the morning light casting long shadows on the pavement. Dimitri was already there when I arrived, seated at a corner table, sipping coffee with a clear view of the entrance. He nodded as I approached, his expression serious.

"What's the situation?" he asked once I sat down.

I filled him in on Vic's call to Talia, my voice low but urgent. Dimitri listened, his eyes narrowing in thought, his fingers tapping steadily on the table.

"We need to hit back hard," he said when I finished. "We can't let him think he has the upper hand."

A waitress wearing a bright yellow apron approached the table. "What can I get you?" she asked, smiling pleasantly.

"Coffee," I replied curtly, eager to get her away from the table. Nodding, she spun on her heels, leaving us to our conversation.

"Let's contact Tommy Lansky again," I suggested. "He might have more information on Vic. And call Denis. Tell him we need to get a location on that motherfucker."

Before we could delve deeper into our planning, my phone buzzed. Olga's name flashed on the screen. I answered, expecting it to be a routine check-in.

"Good morning, Mr. Avilov. I don't mean to disturb you, but the children want to go to the park," she said, her voice slightly strained. "They're begging to ride the carousel."

I sighed, glancing at Dimitri. "Let them go. They need some fresh air."

"There's more," Olga continued. "They want Talia to come with them. They want to ride the carousel together."

My initial reaction was to say no. It was too risky. But then I thought about Talia. Maybe a change of scenery would do her some good after everything that's happened.

"Fine," I said reluctantly. "Talia can go. But I'm sending two of my men with you for security."

"Thank you, Mr. Avilov," Olga said, relief evident. "I think this will be good for all of them."

I hung up and turned back to Dimitri. "We need to wrap this up quickly."

We spent the next hour strategizing and refining our plan to take down Vic. When we were done, I felt a cold resolve settle over me.

Dimitri left cash on the table and messaged all our vors as we left the café to meet at the art gallery. When we arrived, they were already gathered in the back room, eager to hear the plan.

"Vic is planning to make a move," I ground out. "We're going to get to him first and end his miserable life."

I went over every detail, ensuring everyone knew their role. There was no room for error. Vic was dangerous and unpredictable. They all nodded in agreement, dispersing to get ready to take him down.

As we left the gallery, my phone rang again. Olga's name once more. A cold dread settled in my gut as I answered.

Olga's voice was a frantic scream. "They're gone! They're gone!"

My heart stopped. "What happened?" I demanded.

"They were waiting in line for the carousel," she sobbed. "I left to use the restroom. Josh stayed with Talia and the children, and Lev escorted me." She choked on her sobs, barely able to get the words out.

"When I returned to the carousel, they were gone!" she cried. "Lev and I looked around for them but found Josh instead. He was on the ground behind a tree. He's dead." She sobbed into the phone, breathing hard.

A red haze descended over my vision. "Where are you now?" I barked.

"I'm still by the carousel. Lev is speaking with the police. Please hurry, Mr. Avilov, you have to find them!"

"I will," I vowed, my voice like steel. "Stay there. We're coming."

I ended the call and turned to Dimitri, fury and fear warring within me. "Vic has taken Talia and the children. Josh is dead. Call Anton and Boris. We need everyone looking for them."

Dimitri's expression mirrored my own rage. "We'll get them back, brat. And when we do, we'll cut off that bastard's head."

The SUV sped through the streets, my mind a maelstrom of thoughts. I can't lose them. Not Talia, not the children. I won't let Vic harm them.

We reached the park in record time. Olga was near the carousel, her face pale and tear-streaked. Lev was with her, on high alert. She ran to us as we approached.

"They were right here," she cried, pointing to the empty carousel. "I don't know what happened, but they're gone." She wrung her hands, sobbing.

I looked around, my mind racing. Vic had planned this too well. He knew our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities. Somehow, he knew every step we made.

"Check the security footage," I ordered one of my vors. "Find out how he took them."

Minutes felt like hours as we waited for any clue, any lead. When my man returned, his face was grim.

"There's no sign of them," he said. "It's like they vanished."

Despair clawed at me, but I couldn't afford to lose control. I needed to stay focused to find a way to get them back.

"We need to regroup," I said to Dimitri. "Get everyone on this. We're not stopping until we find them."

Dimitri nodded, his jaw set in determination.

Lev was speaking with Denis, looking over Josh's body. Josh's gun was nowhere to be found, and his throat was cut. It seems as if Vic got the jump on him. There was no way to keep this quiet as a crowd of onlookers had already formed.

"We'll find them," Denis asserted. "I'll keep the details out of the police report."

I nodded my thanks. "We'll handle this our way. I won't stop hunting Vic until I get them back," I hissed. "He fucked with the wrong family."