Page 27 of Cruel Russian Pakhan (Safin Bratva #1)

Katya was infuriating.

Why couldn’t she understand that just because she wanted something to be true didn’t make it so? Her brothers were loyal to Artyom. And Artyom? That bastard was only loyal to himself.

She met them once. Once. For a few damn hours. And somehow, she believed they'd drop everything for her because of shared blood?

That wasn’t how the world fucking worked.

Maybe not your world. But maybe in hers, that's exactly how things work.

I sighed, frustrated. This was why Bratva men married inside the culture. A Bratva wife would've understood how deep loyalty ran. Katya might have her father’s blood, but she was still an outsider, whether she liked it or not.

But would she even listen to that?

Of course not! She'd just flash those blue eyes of defiance at me angrily.

Like I said, she's infuriating!

And impatient as hell.

Why couldn’t she just wait until we were home to talk? Why here, where anyone could overhear?

Again, your world is different from hers. Everything is shadows and secrets for you. For her…it’s not.

But she was in my world now, and she needed to adjust.

After the day she had, I just wanted her to rest. Tomorrow, I’d take her home, make slow, sweet love to her, then talk about our future, our family.

I knew I fucked up when I walked out after the doctor told us she was pregnant. I heard the hurt in her voice. Felt it crack straight through my chest.

It’s not something I ever want to do again.

I don’t want to hurt Katya. I want to make her happy. I want to erase every nightmare with something beautiful.

And if making her happy meant letting her see her siblings? Then so be it. I leaned against the wall outside the clinic, dragging a hand through my hair.

I’d put my pride aside.

I’d renegotiate with Artyom, for Katya instead of Vera. It’d cost me. But I didn’t care.

Whatever it took for us to be together, for us to be happy, for her to be happy…I’d do it.

I loved her.

And it was time to let her know.

I walked back to her room with purpose, adrenaline pounding in my veins. And if she wouldn’t shut up long enough for me to say the words, I’d just kiss her senseless and…

I froze as I stepped into the room.

The bed was empty.

I stalked over to the bathroom. Nothing. At this hour, nurses were busy with rounds. No one would've noticed her slipping out.

Did she really walk out on me?

Was she really that serious about seeing her brothers without telling me?

Before I let myself spiral, my eyes caught something on the table by the bed.

Her phone.

If she was going to meet Zahkar and Yegor, she’d need it to contact them. I picked up her phone. There was something under it.

A sonogram.

I picked it up, staring at that blurry, beautiful image. Our baby. The very first image of life growing inside her.

I shoved both into my jacket pocket as it dawned on me. She didn’t walk out on me.

Katya was taken.

“Fuck!” I roared, grabbing the bed and hurling it against the wall with a crash.

It had to be Artyom. That was why Vera and Kira showed up. I was stupid to think he would've just let Katya go. I was stupid to think they were here because they cared about her. I was stupid to think he wasn't tracking them!

I should’ve seen it coming.

She must’ve told them she was pregnant. Hell, the damn sonogram was still on the table. If Katya had left of her own free will, she never would’ve left that behind. No fucking way.

Artyom dared to take her while she was pregnant?

And the fact that no one had been alerted? That meant she was restrained, maybe chloroformed.

If Katya had even one scratch on her when I found her, I was putting a bullet through Artyom’s skull. Consequences be damned.

I tore out of the clinic and jumped into my car without a word to Rocco, who was talking to the guards and who’d just arrived.

As I sped out of the parking lot and punched in a conference call to my brothers.

They answered almost simultaneously.

“Katya's been abducted from the clinic.”

“I'm assuming you know who has her,” Jaroslav’s voice was cold. “Where do you want us to meet you?”

“Kira and Vera visited her. When they left, I checked on her, she was still in the room. I stepped out for a few minutes, and when I came back, she was gone. I’m heading to the Rykovs’ mansion to put a bullet in Artyom’s skull.”

“We’ll be there.”

The line went dead.

I’d torn through the streets like a bat out of hell, arriving in half the time it should’ve taken.

Now, with my headlights off, I coasted to a stop a few houses down from the Rykov mansion, choosing the darkest, most secluded stretch of road I could find.

My heart slammed against my ribs, harder, faster, more brutal than it ever had, as I stepped out of the car.

For the first time…I was afraid.

Afraid to fail.

Afraid to die.

Afraid I’d never see Katya again.

I scanned the area.

Clear.

The only way in was to scale the wall.

I took one last look over my shoulder, and I ran. My hands caught the top of the stone edge, and with one powerful pull, I vaulted over and dropped silently into the yard.

Before my feet even settled, my gun was in hand. Safety off.

I kept to the shadows, moving low and fast, like a phantom. At the back door, I knelt and picked the lock in seconds, slipping inside without a sound.

I listened. Light, careless laughter floated down the hallway, followed by female voices.

Vera and Kira.

My rage boiled over.

Those witches had the audacity to laugh? To be happy after reporting back to Artyom? After betraying Katya?

She was probably terrified, maybe even hurt, and they were sitting, probably sharing a damn bottle of wine like it was just another evening.

It made my blood burn.

They'd sold her out. Just like I'd warned her.

And if her own sisters could betray her, what the hell made her think her brothers wouldn’t?

I crept forward, until I came to the lounge. Vera sat with her back to me, swirling a glass of wine. Kira faced her, and the second her eyes lifted and met mine, they went wide.

Too late.

I surged forward, clamping an arm around Vera's neck and dragging her upright, her glass shattered on the ground. My cold gun dug against her temple.

“If either of you scream, I'll kill you, Vera. Understood?” I asked icily.

They both nodded.

I dragged Vera with me deeper into the room, positioning us near the window that faced the doorway.

I didn’t have time to waste, the house had security cameras. That gave me minutes, maybe less, before their brothers descended on me.

But I wasn’t leaving without answers.

Or Katya.

“Where’s Katya?” I growled.

“She’s at the clinic where we left her,” Vera said, voice trembling.

“You told Artyom where she was. And he took her.” I tightened my grip around her neck just slightly, enough to send a message. “Where. The fuck. Is. Katya?”

“We don’t know!” Kira shrieked. “We didn’t tell anyone anything!”

“Stop playing games with me. Return Katya to me…” My voice dropped into a cold, deadly promise. “Or somebody dies tonight.”

“The only person dying tonight is you, Safin,” Artyom snapped from the doorway, “if you don’t get your fucking hands, and that fucking gun, off my sister.”

Artyom, Yegor and Zahkar, all had guns raised, aimed at me, as they walked into the room.

The air crackled with tension.

Zahkar moved fast, stepping in front of Kira and carefully backing her toward the doorway.

But just as she disappeared into the hallway, she reappeared. Her arm was gripped by Marten and fear was painted on her face.

His gun was aimed at her head. Not touching her, but close enough to make her brothers freeze and lower their guns slightly.

Marten was followed into the room by Jaroslav, Pyotr and Avit, guns raised, each gun targeting a different brother.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a little standoff, Artyom,” Marten snarled, never taking his eyes off him. “And guess what?”

He nodded in my direction, a devious smirk curling his lips, his blue eyes freezing over, right before he turned his gaze back to Artyom.

“We’re at the fucking advantage. Now I’ll ask this question, and I expect an answer. Where the fuck is Katya?”

“The last time I saw Katya Lev was dragging her away. Just because his wife ran away doesn't mean she came here,” Artyom shot back.

“Your sisters visited Katya today.”

Artyom glared at them but didn't say anything.

“After your sisters left, Katya disappeared. Coincidence? I think not, especially after your plan to marry her off as quickly as possible.”

When Artyom spoke again, his voice was laced with controlled fury.

“Vera,” he said, eyes fixed on her and I felt her shrink against me. “Did you and Kira visit Katya today?”

I eased my grip just enough for her to speak.

“We did,” she said, shakily. “We wanted to see her…and we knew you wouldn’t have approved. After we left, we came straight here.”

Artyom’s face darkened.

“Fuck no, I wouldn’t have approved, and this is why, Vera!” he exploded. “We don’t trust them. And they sure as hell don’t trust us. So if anything happens to Katya, we’re automatically the number one suspects!”

Artyom lowered his gun, as did his brothers. “We don't have Katya. I wasn't the one who took her.”

“I'm sorry, Lev,” Vera whispered. “Kira and I didn't mean to cause Katya any harm. We just wanted to know if she was okay. We don't have any connection to her disappearance.”

Then who the fuck has Katya?

I lowered my gun, released Vera, and took a few unsteady steps backwards.

My mind reeled, voices around me sounding faint…distant.

It had to be the same people who’d been terrorizing the faction. Blowing up our properties, stealing our goods, trying to kill our men.

Fuck.

And we still had no names. No faces. No goddamn clue who they were.

Double fuck.

Katya wasn’t just missing.

She was in the hands of an unknown enemy.

And I just hoped I wasn't already too fucking late.

I bolted out of the house, heading in the direction I entered, yanking my phone from my pocket. I needed to call Timur, check if he caught anything on surveillance. Vans, faces, license plates, anything I could use to get her back…to get them back.

God. I couldn’t lose her. Not now.

I scaled the wall, landed hard on the other side, and jumped into my car. Tires screeched as I tore down the street, my phone pressed to my ear, waiting for Timur to answer.

“Boss.”

“Mrs. Safin was taken. I need you to find her.”

I gave Timur the address of the clinic she was taken from. I wanted him to check every license plate that came into the clinic parking lot. There was only one way in and one way out. I wouldn't rest until I found the bastard.

As I cut the call, two black SUVs cut across my path, forcing me to slam the brakes. Artyom stepped out of one. Yegor and Zahkar climbed out of the other.

I jumped out, and stormed forward. “What the fuck do you want?”

Artyom’s tone was flat. “Katya is our sister. We want to help you find her.”

I froze. Since when did Artyom view Katya as family?

I scoffed. “You don’t even like her. Get the fuck out of my way.”

“Whether I like her or not is irrelevant,” he said coolly. “She’s a Rykov by blood. We have every right to go with you to save her. We can either stand here and waste time arguing…or the eight of us…” he nodded behind me.

I turned. My brothers were there, stepping up beside me, eyes fierce.

I returned my gaze to Artyom, and he continued, “...can work together to get Katya back. The clock’s ticking, Safin. So, what’s it going to be?”