1. ANDREY

Chapter 1

ANDREY

I stand by my father’s hospital bed, the cold, clinical light making his bruises and bandages stand out starkly. My mother, Grace, sits beside him, looking exhausted and worried. The machines beep steadily, a constant reminder of the fragile line my father is walking.

“Does anyone know what happened?” I ask, my voice low.

“No,” she replies, shaking her head. “He walked into the Velvet Lounge when the first of the staff got there and collapsed. Heather called an ambulance, and they brought him here.”

I clench my fists, frustration and worry boiling inside me. “So no one knows where he was or how he ended up like this? Where’s Marco Moretti?”

Grace shakes her head. “I’ve tried calling Marco, but there’s still no reply. Genevra doesn’t know where he is, either. She’s distraught, especially after hearing about your father.”

I grit my teeth. “We need to find Marco and hope he’s still alive because someone needs to let us know what the fuck happened to my father.”

Grace nods, rubbing her temples. “When Marco and your father went missing, I was hoping it was just one of the impromptu trips they take.”

“Unless they had a car accident on their way,” I say, “this looks more like the Irish mob beat him.”

I take a deep breath, trying to push down the anger at whoever dared to do this to my father. I still haven’t ruled out Konstantin, as he did mark my father, but James seems to believe he didn’t kidnap Marco and my father. Konstantin also looked pissed that they were missing.

James had pointed out that if it had been Konstantin who captured Marco and my father, they’d never have gotten out alive. Sergei seems to think that Konstantin has orders not to kill my father or Marco.

It could’ve been a warning from the hackers who threatened to release information that would point to the painted lady containers coming from my family. It seems the hackers are trying to put a new spin on an old game that almost brought down the Morettis and Belovs twenty-nine years ago.

James is trying to find out who has hacked into Velvet Transport’s servers and is using my late brother’s code on the old system to pass containers through. We tried to shut the back door into the new system from the old one, but the hackers caught us and sent out another container. With my father now in the ICU and Marco still missing, we can’t even find out what the fuck the hackers want.

Christ! I hate technology. At least when we have someone skimming or stealing products, there’s always a way to find the fucker and deal with them. Now, we are dealing with a faceless enemy that has obviously employed some slick black hat to help them hide behind a computer, God knows where.

I look over at my mother. Her worry is etched into every line on her face. “Mom, you need to rest. Sitting here isn’t going to help Dad. I’ll stay and keep an eye on him.”

She shakes her head, her eyes filled with stubborn determination. “I can’t leave him, Andrey. I need to be here when he wakes up.”

I sigh, knowing better than to argue with her when she’s like this. “Alright, but at least get some coffee and something to eat. You need to keep your strength up.”

She nods reluctantly and stands up, squeezing my hand before heading out of the room. I turn back to my father, studying his face for any sign of change. The steady beeping of the machines is the only sound in the room.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, seeing a message from James.

I’ve got a lead on the hackers. Meet me at the office ASAP.

I hesitate, glancing back at my father. I don’t want to leave him, but if James has a lead, it could be the break we need. I type out a quick reply, telling him I’ll be there soon.

As I head out of the hospital, I send a quick text to Sergei, asking him to keep an eye on my father and let me know if anything changes. I also shoot a message to Genevra, asking if there’s been any word from Marco. I’ve had no response yet.

The drive to the office is tense, my mind racing with possibilities. If we can find these hackers, we can get some answers. And if we find Marco, we can piece together what happened to my father.

When I arrive at the office, James is already there, pacing back and forth. He looks up as I walk in, his expression grim.

“I found something,” he says, leading me to his computer. “The hackers have been using a series of proxy servers to hide their location, but I managed to trace one of the signals back to a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.”

“Do you think they’re there now?” I ask, leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen.

“Hard to say,” James replies. “But it’s our best lead. If we can get there and catch them in the act, we might be able to get some answers.”

I nod, adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. “Let’s go.”

We gather a few men and head to the warehouse, the drive filled with tense silence. As we approach, we park a few blocks away and make our way on foot, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

The warehouse is dark and silent, but there’s a faint light coming from one of the windows. We creep closer, guns drawn, ready for anything.

I signal my men to split up and approach from different angles. I take the side entrance, easing the door open, and slipping inside. The interior is filled with crates and machinery, casting long shadows in the dim light.

Moving carefully, scanning the area for any sign of movement, I near the back of the warehouse and hear voices. I signal to the others, and we converge on the source of the sound.

Bursting into the room, we find a group of young men huddled around a table, computers, and monitors set up around them. They look up in shock as we storm in, but there’s no time for them to react.

My men surround them. Three of them go for guns, and my men take them down quickly while the rest surrender, holding up their hands.

“Step away from the computers,” James instructs and glances at my men. “If any of them so much as looks at the screen, shoot them.”

Wow! I didn’t think James had that in him, but then again, he is the one Marco’s been grooming to take over his business.

“Which one of you is in charge here?” I ask, hoping we haven’t shot him.

They quickly point to the shortest and smallest of them standing at the end of the table. He has his head bowed and a hoodie covering his face.

“Bring him to me.” I nod to Ren, who is the closest to the man.

Ren drags the guy over and yanks off the hoodie. To my surprise, it’s not a man at all but a young woman who couldn’t be much older than nineteen. Her startling blue eyes narrow at me, and her chin lifts defiantly.

“How old are you?” I ask her.

“Fuck you!” she spits. “You won’t get anything out of any of us.”

“That’s a shame.” My eyes travel around the room, looking at her fellow hackers. “Because that means I don’t need any of you, and as you’ve been hacking into our business for a while now, I’m guessing you know who we are. Which means if you’re of no use to me, I can’t leave loose ends or a chance you might get back into my systems.”

“I’m not scared of you,” she sneers. “Trust me, I’ve gone up against worse motherfuckers.”

“Wow! That’s quite a mouth you have on you.” I give a tut-tut. “You must make your mother so proud.”

“Who do you think I got it from?” The young woman doesn’t try to pull her arm from Ren’s grip. She just glares at me without fear. She nods toward the other hackers on their knees, hands behind their heads, with my men towering over them. “Let them go. You have me. You don’t need them.”

“How old are you?” I ignore her plea for her fellow hackers.

“Old enough!” she retorts, her head turning as she watches James settle down at the terminal she was on. “What are you doing asshole?”

James starts working on the computer. “Want to give me your password?” He tilts his head past the monitor and looks at the teen.

“Fuck you,” she snarls.

“No thanks.” James smirks. “You’re far too young for me, and even we have a code against shit like that.” He winks at her. “I also have good taste.”

“Funny,” the young woman retorts. “Let’s see how funny you are when you fuck up my password, and my system deletes everything !“ She looks at me smugly. “Including everything on the Velvet Transport system.”

“What?” My brows raise, and I look toward James. “Is she shitting me?”

“It’s fine.” James doesn’t seem worried as he works his magic. “I’m in.”

“What?” Now, the woman tries to yank her arm free of Ren’s grip. “Impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible, potty mouth,” James tells her as his fingers fly over the keyboard. “Or should I say GhostByte.” He dips his head around the monitor again. “ You’re GhostByte?”

“I’m not saying another word!” She purses her lips.

“Do you want an attorney?” James asks her sarcastically.

”I have an attorney,“ she surprises all of us by saying. “And he’s going to put you all in prison for this.”

“Really?” My brows furrow as I look at her, snorting, “Sweetheart, look around you. Do we look like we give a fuck about an attorney?“ I start to laugh. “Let’s not forget, you and your merry bunch of tweens have hacked my systems. Who do you think will win that case?”

“Because you’re a big bad mafia boss with some slick blood-sucking demon you sold your soul to who acts as your attorney?” she spat.

“I’m mafia.” James raises his hand correcting her, and points to me. “ He is not.”

“What’s the difference?” She eyes us with disgust. “You’re all filthy crime lords.”

“Backgrounds, for one,” Ren informs her before launching into a small lecture. “The dynamics, territories, and methods vary greatly between families. And not all of us are in bed with demons or practice the same kind of... arrangements. Some families are more about loyalty and tradition. Others are ruthless and opportunistic. Knowing these differences helps us navigate the intricate web of alliances and rivalries without stepping on too many toes or getting caught in the crossfire.”

“I’m sorry, did I ask for a fucking lecture?” she growls at Ren.

“Rude!” Ren admonishes her. “Can we gag her boss?” He looks at me pleadingly.

“In a bit,” I tell him, and her eyes widen with fright. “I just need to ask her a few more questions.”

“I don’t think she’s too big on telling us what we want to know,” Ren says to me before glaring at the young woman. “And kid, you’re a black hat, which is just another type of filthy criminal.”

“I hack assholes like your boss and corporations stealing from the poor and middle class,” she spits.

“That’s funny,” Ren tells her and grins. “We do that too. But we have the guts to face them and don’t hide behind computers like cowards.”

“Fuck you!” The teenager spits again.

Ren sighs and gives me a pained look. “Can I gag her now?”

“Let’s first give her another chance!” My eyes narrow, and I scan the others on their knees. Fuck they are all so young. The one doesn’t even look like he shaves yet. What the hell! “If you don’t talk to us, I’ll ask one of your hacker buddies.” I raise an eyebrow and look at her. “I think it’s sweet how you’re protecting them, yet they gave you up in a heartbeat.”

“Because I’m in charge here,“ the young woman informs me. “They don’t need to take the heat for what I’ve gotten them into.”

“And that is?” I glance at the four dead men on the floor and frown.

The kids don’t have guns, but those guys did. They also look older, which means they’re probably hired muscle, and I don’t think they were here looking after the kids. I’m sure it was more to keep them in line.

“Making T-shirts!” she says sarcastically. “What the fuck does it look like we’re doing?”

“Have some respect, kid,” Ren warns her. “You’re lucky you and your friends are still breathing right now.”

“He won’t kill us!” Her eyes look at me with disgust. “He needs us.”

“Not all of you.” My brows rise up as I look at her, making my unspoken warning clear from my look and her face pales.

A noise has our heads turning and distracting me. There is another door. “Did anyone check out that room?” I look at my men in alarm.

“I did,” Gunther tells me. “It was clear. It leads to a hallway with some bunk beds, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a living room off it.”

I’m beginning to wonder if this isn’t a type of cyber sweatshop as I follow the noise through the door and into a hallway. I notice it’s neat and clean. It strikes me that the teenage she-devil must be the one taking care of the other three kids.

Further down the hall are a few bedrooms, each with three or four bunk beds. There is a bathroom at the end of it with a shower, bath, basin, and toilet. It also looks clean and neat, with clothes hanging on the railing and drying. I frown when I notice a dress that doesn’t look like the she-devil would fit into.

After checking the rooms, I stand still, listening for the noise I heard and hear a sneeze. It’s coming from the first bedroom to the left. The one that I guessed must belong to the she-devil as it’s more girly. It also has worn and faded girls’ clothing in the closet. Walking into the bedroom quietly, my eyes look around it. I’ve already checked the closet. There are no secret panels or compartments. I’d checked the floorboards as well. The two bunk beds and the third single bed in the room are neatly made.

Another sneeze catches my attention, and this time, the blanket on the bottom bunk moves. My head tilts, and my brows furrow. What the fuck! Pulling the covers back, I’m surprised to find a young girl no older than five or six lying in a hollowed-out mattress.

“Hello!” The child looks up at me with startling blue eyes, making me wonder if she’s related to the leader of this rag-bag crew of hackers. Her young voice is gruff. “Are you one of the bad men?”

“That depends,” I tell her. “Who are the bad men?”

“The men who come to feed us and make sure everyone is doing their work.” Her eyes don’t leave mine.

“No, I’m not one of them.” My brow creases some more. “Why are you hiding in the mattress?”

“Because Tilly doesn’t want them to find me. They might take me back to Daddy.” She tells me, then puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say shit,” I point out. “What do you mean the bad men will take you back to your father? Did someone take you from him?”

She sits up in the mattress cocoon, which is quite an ingenious idea, and I would never have found the little girl if she hadn’t sneezed.

“No.” She shakes her curly blond head. “My sister saved me from him.” Her eyes start to fill with tears. “Daddy is a bad man.”

My eyes widen. “Is your father one of the bad men that feed you here?”

“No.” Her head shakes again. “But he owes the bad man, and that’s why Tilly and our friends are here.”

“Why are Tilly and your friends here?”

“Because Tilly needs to pay the bad man for Daddy,” she tells me.

“Who is Tilly?”

“My sister.” She smiles proudly. “She runs the hackings.”

Ah! Now, I’m getting a clearer picture. “How old is Tilly?”

“Sixteen and...” Her little brows furrow as she counts on her finger. “Four months.”

Holy fuck! “She looks a lot older.”

“She’s tall,” the little girl says, sitting up. “I’m going to be tall like Tilly one day.”

“What’s your name?”

“Tessa.” She smiles, and her little cheeks dimple before her smile fades and her eyes narrow. “Are you a bad man?”

“Not one of the bad men after you,” I tell her honestly. “How old are you, Tessa?”

“Almost six,” she says proudly.

“How did you and Tilly end up here?”

“Mommy got very sick and she left us. Tilly says she had to go be an angel,” Tessa tells me, her big eyes filling with tears. “Daddy drank all his money and couldn’t pay the hospital bills, so the bad man paid, and now Tilly has to work for the bad man.”

“How did you end up here?”

“Tilly brought me with her,” Tessa tells me. “The nice bad man, Stan, helped her bring me here, so I wasn’t around when Daddy got angry at his booze.”

Jesus Christ! I run a hand through my hair, biting my tongue so I don’t cuss out loud. This kid’s father is a grade-A asshole using his daughter to pay off his debt.

My eyes take in the cute little angel with long blond curls. She is so adorable with porcelain skin and dimpled cheeks. Tessa is also clean, which means Tilly has been taking care of her and the three younger boys.

My conscience gives a little tug at what I’m about to do. But it might be the only way I get Tilly, the teenage she-devil, to talk to me.