Chapter 3

Viktor

CHAPTER THREE

I check my phone for video surveillance of Lydia. When I heard of her engagement, I did my best to get her out of my mind, but I might as well take my heart out of my chest and try to continue to live.

But now that Mikhail has given me the green light and my marriage to Lydia Ivanova is a go, she’s taken up full residence in my every waking thought. The familiarity of my damn near obsession with her makes me breathe easy again.

I check the monitors in my office to see where she is—still sitting at dinner with that despicable asshole. I want to reach through the camera and pull her to me. Bring her home.

If her father wasn’t already dead, I’d personally put him in a fucking shallow grave for allowing his daughter to be within ten feet of the fucking asshole. I check my phone, wishing I could have the accuracy of surveillance on the road that I do at home, but we had to move.

We were one hour out when the call came in from Nikko.

“Move. He knows. He’s got her in a restaurant right now, and she doesn’t suspect a thing, but she isn’t safe. We have footage of him putting a large duffel bag, rope, duct tape, and gloves in his car. Not good, Viktor.”

I’ve never driven so fast in my life.

“What’s the plan?” Lev asks, sitting in the passenger seat as I weave in and out of traffic, driving over a hundred miles an hour with practiced ease. Aleks is in the back, blocking any police interference from catching our speed. We’re ten minutes out.

“Fucking get her out of there.”

“Vera texted her before Nikko realized what was going on.”

“Shit.”

“What did she say?”

“Said something cryptic about her being in danger and getting out of there.”

Shit. If Yudin finds out, she’s fucked. I shake my head.

“Tell her to stop. He could be tapping her phone.”

“Of course he’s fucking tapping her phone,” Aleks mutters.

Jesus.

I need her to stay safe so I can bring her back home to me. It won’t be the solution we need all around, but here is the best place for her. We’ll deal with whatever shit the men of the Ledyanoye Bratstvo give us after she’s here with me.

“She’s tense. Vulnerable,” Lev says, looking at the footage on my phone. “She knows something’s up, doesn’t she?”

“Who knows what the fuck he’s saying to her.”

“I do,” Aleks says with a grin. He taps something on his phone, and Lydia’s beautiful, sultry voice comes through the speakers.

“You’ll keep me safe, won’t you?”

“Always, Lydia.”

A third voice joins the conversation. “May I offer you a dessert menu?”

“No, we don’t need dessert,” the asshole says. “We’re leaving.”

Fuck.

As long as there is breath in my lungs, Yudin will never touch her. I will protect Lydia with every ounce of my being. I will not allow anyone to inflict harm upon her. What happened to my sister will never happen to another innocent, fragile soul. Not while I’m alive.

Not ever.

I do a mental check of the weapons I’ve got—a sleek handgun and hidden blade.

I’m ready.

I can still see my sister’s tear-streaked face. I can still see her broken body in my arms. I can still feel the way she clung to me as if clinging to life itself, and I was the only one who could save her before she drew her last breath. Every day, I remind myself of the vow I took because of her.

“When we get there, keep the car ready. We might need to move quickly. I don’t know what kind of backup he’ll have.”

Lev nods while Aleks taps something out on his phone as fast as his fingers can move.

I bet she’s scared. That bastard better not have said anything to hurt her. If he did, I’ll fucking break his jaw for that. See how easy it will be for him to insult her then.

“They’re getting ready to leave. Their car’s been pulled around to get them.”

Fuck.

“Got the car on our radar. We’re closing in.”

I hit the accelerator.