Chapter 23

Audrey

I 'm in a dark room with shuttered windows. Through the cracks, I can hear the occasional traffic outside. I'm guessing it's early morning. I believe I'm somewhere on an upper floor, but I don't know much else since I was too scared and in shock to pay attention to the details. I'm still in the city; that much seems clear, though I'm not sure where exactly.

Judging by the grime on the walls, the dank smell hanging heavily in the air, and the layers of dust meeting my fingers whenever I touch a table or a windowsill, it's an abandoned building, probably an old, condemned apartment building.

I hear footsteps outside, most likely Arkady's men watching my door. They exchange words in muffled Russian.

The floor creaks under my feet, so I move as little as possible. I don't want to draw anyone's attention, not even for a second. I struggle to wrap my head around what just happened, wondering what's coming next.

I don't know much about Arkady's plans. He wasn't that talkative after we left the hotel. I've been on my own for the past couple of hours, sitting here in tomblike silence, shaking like a leaf, and praying to all the gods to keep my baby and me safe. This unborn child of mine deserves better.

I keep thinking of Jason. I wonder where he is and what he's doing. Is he safe? Are Lily and Rita safe? Is he looking for me? I hope he sent them away like he said he would. They need to be as far away from Chicago as possible until this storm passes.

I'm not sure when that will be, however. The game that Arkady and my father are playing is a dangerous one, and I doubt it will end cleanly. Someone has to lose, and when the victor is announced, the streets of Chicago will be bloody either way.

Whether it's Arkady's or my father's blood remains to be seen.

I just want to get as far away from this hot mess as possible. I miss my kids, my job, my life before it all went tits up. I had a semblance of peace and a promise of love and happiness dangled in front of me like a carrot on a stick.

My mind is plagued with horrible scenarios and grim possibilities. I keep trying to find something better to think about, something good to hold on to. Every time I'm tempted to curl up in a ball and cry myself into a never-ending sleep, I remind myself of the life that is growing in my belly, this innocent soul who deserves a brighter start than anything I or my brothers had.

Suddenly, I'm startled by the sound of approaching footsteps. They are heavy and determined. The door is unlocked and swings open and a river of light suddenly pours into the room from the hallway.

"Arkady," my lips move in a timid whisper. "What do you want?"

The smell of freshly brewed coffee hits my nose, and I start to think my thoughts have turned into hallucinations. I was just thinking about coffee, wasn't I?

"It's decaf," Arkady holds the paper cup up for me to see. "I wouldn't want to hurt your baby just yet."

"Just yet?" I mutter.

"Ideally never, but your father can be a stubborn, ill-tempered mule. I'm not a fan of violence against women, Audrey," he says. "If push comes to shove, however …"

"That's very reassuring," I try to add sarcasm to my voice to mask the fear.

He chuckles as he walks across the room, leaving the cup on the table next to me. "Sorry for the absence of lighting," Arkady says. "The wiring in this place is a mess. This whole building is scheduled to come down sometime next month, so everything has been cut off. Lighting, running water, gas, all of it."

"I hope I'm out of here long before that happens."

"Believe me, Audrey, I don't want you to be here for that, either."

"Then what exactly do you want?"

Arkady takes a deep breath, then pulls up a chair so he can sit in front of me, leaving about five feet of space between us.

"It's all about power, Audrey. Power and influence," he says. "My forefathers were fools to leave New York in the first place. I'm just taking back what was always ours."

"So, all of this is about territory?"

"The minute you disappeared from the family, I knew something was off. My men in New York told me about the rumors, about Piotr's bounty on your head, about how your brothers were scrambling to find you before Grigori could," Arkady says. "That told me plenty about your daddy dearest, Audrey. A man who cannot control his own family can hardly control an entire Bratva. I'm like a shark in the water, and I caught the scent of blood."

"How did you track me down?"

"I didn't," he laughs. "That's the beauty of this entire moment. I didn't track you down. A former Fedorov enforcer saw you and followed you back to The Emerald Residence. Then he came running to my office, hoping he'd earned himself a favor with me. He wouldn't tell me why he'd moved to Chicago in the first place but putting two and two together was a no-brainer for me. So, I put a bullet in his head instead, then planned my operation carefully around you."

"Why kill him if he gave you my whereabouts?"

Arkady stares at me for a long, uncomfortable moment. "I don't condone treachery, Audrey, even if it serves me in the end. That man was quick to sell you out after having sworn to your brothers and father that he would forever be loyal to the Fedorov Bratva. Yet he walked into my office and sang like a fucking canary. I can't trust someone like that."

I shiver but deep down, I understand his way of thinking.

"I don't know how well you planned that operation of yours, though," I add, glancing over his shoulder. I see two men flanking the doorway, and I'm guessing there are more stationed all over the building. "You didn't exactly catch me the first time. You didn't kill me the second time, either."

"I never planned on killing you," Arkady says. "But I'll tell you what I told your boyfriend—that hotel ruckus, that wasn't me."

For a second, I'm lost. My mind feels blank, unable to process any of the words coming out of Arkady's mouth. "What are you talking about?"

"Jason Winchester popped by to see me. He's been looking everywhere for you, trying so desperately to save you. That's a good man right there, Audrey. It's a shame I beat him to you," he adds with a mirthless laugh.

My head is spinning as he takes out his phone and snaps a quick photo of me. The flash from the camera temporarily blinds me, and I hear the clicking sound of his onscreen keyboard.

A split second later, his phone rings. "Ah, he's quick," Arkady laughs and answers, tapping the speaker icon in the process. "Hello, Grigori."

"What the fuck are you playing at?" my father's voice growls through the phone and echoes across the room. I can feel his fury reverberating and burning through my veins.

"Dad?" I call out with a whimper.

"Audrey!" my father gasps. "Are you okay?"

"Dad, don't—"

"Hush, hush," Arkady cuts in. "I'm only letting you hear her voice so you know I'm serious. It took a while, but hard work pays off." He motions for me to shut up.

"What do you want?" my father asks.

"What I've always wanted, but I'll go easy on you. Give me East Harlem first," Arkady replies. "East Harlem, and I'll make my way into the South Bronx by New Year's Eve."

"Or else, what?"

"Or else you get Audrey back in itty-bitty pieces. I went easy on your sons because I figured they might still be useful, Grigori. Don't forget that. I got to them once; I will get to them again, so imagine what I'll do to your precious little angel here and her unborn baby if you don't submit to my demands."

My father curses heavily in Russian, prompting an amused chuckle out of Arkady.

"Dad, where are Anton and Vitaly? Are they okay?" I ask, tears stinging my eyes.

"They're both in surgery," he says. "Those deceitful fuckers at least called an ambulance before they ran off."

"Dad—"

"What did I just say?" Arkady hisses, giving me a deadly glare before clearing his throat. "It's time for the Fedorov and the Abramovic clans to learn how to share the same playground again. We're coming back to New York, whether you like it or not. But I'd rather do it nicely."

"You call shooting my sons and kidnapping my daughter nice?"

"It's better than shooting my way through your entire organization and hanging all four of you by your entrails from the top of the Empire State Building, isn't it?"

My father scoffs. "I'm willing to have a conversation about this as long as you don't lay a finger on Audrey."

"That's the spirit. Tonight, eight o'clock sharp. I'll text you the address. Just you, Grigori. No security. No cops. Nothing. Just you, or the next time you hear from me, is when the courier delivers the first pieces of Audrey to your doorstep. Tread carefully, old man."

"If your father were alive, he'd—"

"He'd pat me on the shoulder and congratulate me for having the balls to do what he and my grandfather have always wanted. Your glory days are over, Grigori. You might as well come to terms with that before you lose what's left of your family."

He hangs up.

The silence that follows as he stares at me and I stare back at him is so heavy that I can barely breathe. He is a cold, calculating man, and I believe him. He will absolutely chop me into bits and pieces to prove his point. Arkady Abramovic doesn't care about anyone or anything except himself and his desires.

Right now, his greatest ambition is to bring his family and his operations back to New York.

Even if my father does give him what he wants, how long before he takes more and more and tries to get rid of my family for good?