Page 34 of Bratva's Secret Girl

“I will have repayment of my debt, yes.” His tone is light, but he’s serious.

He hangs up, and Hayley and I stare at each other, speechless, for a second.

“I’ll message the coordinates King’s Cross sends to my private pilot so we can pay them a visit,” I say.

“How long will that take? He won’t hurt her, will he?”

I shake my head. “This is so out of character for a Bratva boss like Feliks Rykov, I just wonder…”

“What?” she asks, her brow furrowed with concern.

I don’t want to voice my suspicion for fear of disconcerting Hayley even more, but could this have been a protective move by Beckenham.

“Why don’t you try calling her again?” I suggest. “Maybe an internet call?”

“She would have contacted me if she could,” Hayley points out, but she grabs her phone and seconds later it’s ringing.

We wait. And we wait. And we wait.

Payton doesn’t answer.

Hayley’s bottom lip wobbles, and I pull her into my arms. “I’ll get her. I promise.”

Burying her head in my shoulder, she begins to cry. My sweet girl.

As I comfort her, whispering in Russian oaths that I won’t rest until her sisters are found. I consider whether to hire locals to search for Payton, or send over my own men.

Both, I decide.

Hayley sobs inarticulately and I stroke her hair.

A shrill ring cuts through us.

Hayley jerks her head up, and lifts her phone. “It’s Payton.”

Swiping her tears away with her sleeve, she takes a deep breath, and hits accept to the video call.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t answer.” A girl who is superficially similar to Hayley, but not as beautiful and without the spark that makes my girl so perfect, comes up on screen. Her long brown hair is wet, and she’s wrapped in a bright beach towel, with a bikini strap looping around her neck. She’s in what looks like a beach hotel room, and through the window there’s blue sky and a waving palm tree.

“Sorry you didn’t answer?!” Hayley yells. “Why didn’t you call me as soon as you could?”

“I couldn’t!” Payton glances to the side. “Look, I shouldn’t even be talking to you now, but I heard my phone ringing and ran out of the water.”

“No, you shouldn’t be using that phone,” comes a gruff man’s voice in a Russian accent, pretty similar to mine. But he sounds… Almost indulgent?

I put a possessive arm over Hayley’s shoulders.

“Rykov,” I growl. “What the fuck?”

“Who’s that?!” Payton’s eyes go wide and dart around as though finally taking in Hayley’s surroundings. The unfamiliar apartment. My shoulder with all its tattoos, and the intimacy of the pose.

Hayley gives me a happy glance. “Uh, well, some things have happened.”

I smirk back. They really have.

“Are you okay?” Payton says worriedly. She doesn’t seem scared of her captor, but more concerned about her sister. “I thought you were safe at home.”

“Yeah. Safe.” Hayley slants an eyebrow at Payton. “Your boyfriend tried to kill me, you know? A head’s up would have been nice.”