Captured by the Bratva (Sharov Bratva #3)

Chapter Twenty-Five - Violet

As Joe begins to speak again, I feel a growing sense of unease and panic. The room feels stifling, and my mind races with a thousand thoughts, none of them comforting. My heart pounds in my chest, and I can barely focus on his words.

“After the autopsy report, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to worry anybody,” Joe says, his voice steady but weary. “Those meetings Kirill saw were to pay for information, to get men to investigate, to dig up what they could. Information that a policeman or a private investigator couldn’t obtain.”

I watch him, my eyes wide with disbelief and fear. Every word he says feels like a new weight pressing down on my chest.

Joe continues, “I needed to get to the root of the problem. I hired some people—those gangsters—to look into the matter and find out who is hurting our family and who killed Jeff. I have the medical report that confirms it was murder.”

The room is silent, everyone hanging on his every word. I feel a lump forming in my throat, my emotions swirling in a chaotic mess. I can barely process what he’s saying.

Joe turns his gaze to me, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and determination. “Violet, I always wanted you to succeed your father in the company. I was concerned about your safety. You were in danger whenever you were out in the open. To keep you safe, I temporarily took the role of chairperson.”

I feel tears welling up in my eyes, my hands trembling as I struggle to hold myself together. “Why didn’t you tell me, Uncle Joe? Why keep me in the dark?”

Joe’s face softens, his expression pained. “I didn’t want to keep you in the dark, Violet, but I thought it was the safest way to protect you. I’m sorry. I truly am. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel betrayed.”

The weight of his words crashes down on me, and I can’t hold back the tears any longer. I sink into a chair, my body shaking with sobs. The room around me blurs, and all I can feel is the overwhelming sense of loss and confusion.

Joe steps closer, but I can’t bring myself to look at him. “Violet, please understand. I did what I thought was best for you, for all of us.”

I want to believe him, but the pain is too fresh, too raw. “You should have told me,” I manage to say between sobs. “I had a right to know.”

Joe nods, his face etched with sorrow. “You’re right. I should have. I was scared, Violet. Scared of what might happen to you, of losing you too.”

I feel Kirill’s hand on my shoulder, a steadying presence amidst the chaos. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

I look up at Kirill, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and determination. Despite everything, I know he’s right. We have to find the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

Joe takes a step back, his voice breaking. “I’m sorry, Violet. I truly am. I didn’t want to keep you in the dark, but it was the only way I knew how to keep you safe.”

Joe takes a deep breath, his shoulders sagging under the weight of what he’s about to reveal. “I owe some favors now,” he admits, his voice tinged with regret. “I’m not proud of what I had to do to get the information, but I don’t regret it. It had to be done.”

I watch him, my heart pounding. The man in front of me is a mix of the familiar uncle I grew up with and someone entirely different—a man who delved into the darkness to uncover the truth.

“I found the contacts in Jeff’s books,” Joe continues. “Old debts, shady dealings. I called them myself and organized meetings. I had to pretend to be someone I’m not, make promises I never thought I would. But It finally led me to the right evidence.”

The room is tense, everyone hanging on his every word. The air feels thick, and I can barely breathe. Kirill stands beside me, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on Joe.

“Who killed him?” Kirill demands, his voice low and threatening. It’s the question on everyone’s mind, the one we need answered to make sense of all this.

Joe looks at me, then at Kirill, and finally down at his hands. “According to the evidence we gathered, only one other person went into the Harrison mansion that night.”

My breath catches in my throat. The anticipation is almost unbearable. I can see the curiosity in Kirill’s eyes. I know my own are dark with fear.

Joe takes another deep breath, his face pale. “The security footage, the digital trails… everything points to one person.”

“Who was it?” I whisper, my voice trembling.

“I think you know, dear.”

There’s a slow, mocking clap that echoes through the room. Caleb steps out from the shadows, a grin spreading across his face. “Bravo, Joe. You figured it all out.”

My heart sinks, and I feel a cold dread spreading through my veins. “Caleb…?”

Caleb’s grin widens, his eyes gleaming with a malicious light. “Yes, Violet. I’m the one who went inside that night. I’m the one who killed Jeff.”

The room falls into stunned silence. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Caleb, who has been like a brother to me, who I trusted implicitly—he’s the one behind all of this?

“I wanted to get rid of the Harrisons one by one,” Caleb continues, his tone dripping with contempt. “But now, I can do it all at once.”

As if on cue, men step out from the shadows, all armed with guns. There must be almost twenty of them, surrounding us, their expressions cold and menacing. How did they get in here without us noticing?

Kirill moves to step in front of me, his body tense, ready to protect me.

Caleb just laughs, a cruel, mocking sound. “Oh, Kirill. Always the protector. You’re outnumbered and outgunned. You can’t save her.”

I can feel the tears streaming down my face, the betrayal cutting deeper than any knife. “Why, Caleb? Why would you do this?”

Caleb’s grin falters for a moment, but then he shrugs. “Why not? Power, money, control. Your father was in the way, and so were you. You were too stupid to see it, Violet. You trusted me, and now you’re going to pay for that mistake.”

Joe looks devastated, his eyes filled with sorrow and guilt. “Caleb, you don’t have to do this. We can work something out.”

Caleb’s face hardens. “No, Joe. It’s too late for that. You figured it out, and now I have no choice but to eliminate all of you.”

The room is charged with tension, everyone on edge. I can feel Kirill’s body coiled like a spring beside me, ready to strike at any moment. But the odds are against us, and the danger is very real.

Caleb steps closer, his eyes locking on to mine.

I can barely breathe, the fear and betrayal choking me. I look at Caleb, my heart breaking, and find my voice. “You were like family to me, Caleb. How could you?”

The men surrounding us are a mix of hardened thugs, their faces cold and expressionless. Each one of them holds a gun, aimed directly at us. The metallic glint of their weapons catches the dim light, making my heart race even faster. I can feel the panic rising in my chest, my breaths coming in short, shallow gasps.

Dimitri and Kirill have their guns drawn, their eyes darting around the room, assessing the situation. But there are too many of them, and we are vastly outnumbered. Just then, a group of Kirill’s men rush in, their weapons ready, but they pause when they see the overwhelming number of guns aimed at Kirill and me.

“Stand down!” Kirill commands, his voice steady but filled with a dangerous edge. “I won’t have Violet or anyone else harmed on my account.”

Caleb’s smug grin widens, clearly thinking he’s won. “That’s right, Kirill. You know when you’re beaten.” He turns his gaze back to me, his expression almost mocking. “Violet, come stand beside me. I’ll tell you everything. You’ve earned that much.”

“No!” Kirill barks, his voice sharp and commanding. “Don’t move, Violet.”

I look at Kirill, my eyes pleading for understanding. “I have to,” I say softly, my voice trembling. “If I don’t, he’ll shoot. I won’t let that happen.”

Reluctantly, apologetically, I step away from Kirill and move towards Caleb. Every step feels like a betrayal, but I know it’s the only way to keep Kirill and the others safe. I stand beside Caleb, feeling his cold, triumphant gaze on me.

“There we go,” Caleb says, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “See, Violet? This is where you belong. By my side.”

Kirill’s jaw clenches, his eyes filled with fury and helplessness. He can’t make a move without risking my life and the lives of everyone in the room.

Caleb’s men keep their guns trained on us, their expressions unchanging, their fingers resting on the triggers. The tension in the room is palpable, every second stretching out into an eternity.

“You’re smart, Violet,” Caleb continues, his voice smooth and condescending. “I’ll give you that. You’ve figured out a lot. But there’s so much more you don’t know. Now, you’ll hear it all from me.”

I feel a shiver run down my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. I glance back at Kirill, silently apologizing for the position I’ve put us all in. I know that Caleb’s words are just the beginning of a twisted game, one where he holds all the cards.

Kirill’s eyes narrow as he raises his gun, aiming it directly at Caleb. “I’ll shoot you right here, Caleb,” he growls, his voice deadly calm. “What makes you think I won’t?”

Caleb’s grin doesn’t falter. “What would you do then, Kirill? You’re outnumbered, and even you can’t do shit now.”

The armed men surrounding us are like a suffocating presence. My heart races, my body trembling as I stand beside Caleb, feeling the weight of my decision. I glance at Kirill, his fury barely contained, and I see the helplessness in his eyes.

Suddenly, Joe darts forward, his eyes wild with desperation as he reaches for me. “Violet, get away from him!”

Caleb’s grin vanishes as he fires a warning shot into the ceiling, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. “Stay back, Joe!” he snarls.

Dimitri moves quickly, grabbing Joe and pulling him back. “Don’t be stupid,” he hisses, his eyes flashing with anger.

I look at Joe, trying to reassure him, even though my own fear threatens to overwhelm me. “Uncle Joe, please, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

Joe’s eyes are filled with guilt and despair. “I’m so sorry, Violet. I didn’t know it would come to this.”

Caleb’s grip on my arm tightens, and he leans in close, his voice a cold whisper. “See how easy it is for me to control everything, Violet? Even your beloved uncle can’t save you now.”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. I need to understand why Caleb is doing this, to find some way to get through to him. “Caleb,” I say softly, “why are you doing this? What did my father ever do to you?”

Caleb’s eyes darken, and for a moment, I see a flicker of pain beneath his cold exterior. “Jeff was like a father to me,” he says, his voice bitter. “He took me in, gave me a place in his family. In the end, he betrayed me.”

I frown, confusion mingling with my fear. “Betrayed you? How?”

Caleb’s grip tightens, and his voice rises with anger. “He didn’t even write me into his will, Violet. Not until after all of his blood family. I was nothing more than an afterthought to him. All those years, I was loyal, I did everything he asked, and he still treated me like I was disposable.”

My heart aches at his words, but I push through the fear, trying to keep him talking. “That’s not true, Caleb. My father cared about you. He always said you were like a son to him.”

Caleb laughs, a harsh, bitter sound. “Words, Violet. Just words. When it came down to it, I was nothing compared to you and your family. I was just the help, always second place.”

I glance at Kirill, who is watching Caleb intently, his gun still trained on him. Dimitri is holding Joe back, and the rest of Kirill’s men are tense, ready to act but unsure of how to proceed with so many guns pointed at us.

“Caleb,” I say softly, trying to reach the part of him that once cared for me. “Killing us won’t change anything. It won’t make you more important; it won’t give you the respect you deserve. Please, let’s find another way.”

Caleb’s eyes flicker with something—doubt, maybe?—but then his expression hardens again. “It’s too late for that, Violet. I’ve come too far to turn back now.”

I feel a wave of despair wash over me, but I force myself to stay calm. “You don’t have to do this, Caleb. We can figure something out. We can make things right.”

He shakes his head, his jaw set. “No, Violet. This is the only way. Jeff’s gone, and now it’s time for the rest of you to pay.”