Page 119 of Beautiful Trauma

We sped off as a fire truck screeched up to Ralph’s. Although I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in tears, I remained stone-faced. I had to keep my wits about me if I was going to help Kellan.

From time to time, Denis would turn in his seat to glance at me. I think he was unnerved by how I was acting. When he did it again, I said, “I came to your wedding.”

“I remember.”

“I made sure a gift from my family arrived when your daughter was born.”

He had the decency to wince. “I am Bratva, Mila. I have to follow orders.”

“Yes, weak men often do as they’re told.”

Denis’s expression darkened. “And sometimes Bratva women forget their honor to their families and becomeshlyukhasfor Irish scum,” he spat.

With venom pumping in my veins, I replied, “I’ll choose to be his whore as you say until my dying breath.”

He slowly shook his head. “Your father is right to want to kill you.”

I turned my head then and looked out the window. To keep from sobbing, I bit down on the inside of my lip until a metallic rush filled my mouth. Closing my eyes, I prayed that the Nerettis would know their men had been killed, and they would alert the Kavanaugh’s.

When we got to Father’s mansion, we didn’t park in the front. Instead, they drove around to the back. When Denis opened the door, I didn’t bother fighting him. One way or the other they would be getting me out of that SUV, and I didn’t want to waste my energy.

At the sight of Kellan, I rushed forward. Two men had him by the arms, dragging him while his legs slid behind him. Just when I reached him, I was jerked back by Denis and Bogdan.

“You aren’t going where he is,” Denis said.

“Where are you taking him?”

“Your father has instructed him to be taken to the chamber.”

My heart shuddered to a stop. The chamber was a soundproof room where men and sometimes women were tortured for their crimes. Most who went in the room never came out.

“No!” I screamed as I fought against them.

As the two dragged me down the opposite hall, I kicked my legs and snapped my teeth at them like a feral animal. I couldn’t let them lock me up. If they did, there would be no one to help Kellan.

“Knock the bitch out,” Bodgan growled.

“While the boss might appreciate that, Dima would have our ass.”

I momentarily stopped kicking at the mention of Dima. “He knows that you’re detaining me?”

Bogdan gave me a cruel smile. “Yes, princess, he does. Your precious Dima is the only reason why you’re not six feet under at the moment.”

I swallowed hard. Dima had fought for me? He’d refused to let Father kill me. Although I should've been grateful, I still couldn’t help reflecting that he’d also allowed me to be imprisoned. At the same time, I reasoned it was a step. A baby step to get Dima to see that Father needed to go.

After they threw me on the narrow cot in the bleak cell, something jabbed into my back. I remembered shoving my phone down my dress when we started to evacuate. Somehow with all the fighting and kicking I’d done, it had shifted over to my back.

Hope surged through me. If I had it, I could try to call Callum.I remained motionless after they locked the cell and started down the hall. Slowly, I rose off the cot and went over the bars. Leaning against them, I checked to see if the hallway was empty. When it appeared that it was, I was alone, I pulled out the phone.

To my surprise, I actually had a few bars of cell reception. I knew that there was no way of trying to search for the Kavanaugh’s numbers online. Those would be buried deepunder a cyber wall. The only chance I had at getting one of them was to call Bandia.

After finding the number, I called. It rang and rang before it went to voicemail. “Dammit!” I cried.

At the beep, I said in a hushed voice, “This is Mila Korolova, and what I’m about to say is the absolute fucking truth. Kellan has been kidnapped by my family. You need to get to Philadelphia ASAP–”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” a voice demanded from the hallway.

After giving the address, I hung up. Since I didn’t want them to know who I’d called, I threw my phone against the opposite cell wall. It broke into pieces before falling to the floor.