Chapter 46
“This place makesour office look like Buckingham Palace,” I mutter as we drive by the Zhukov Bratva headquarters—an abandoned storefront on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
Viktor’s men have been watching the building for hours. All their top lieutenants are inside right now, despite the early hour.
Pavel smirks. “Maybe that’s the point.”
From the backseat, Savin hands us Kevlar vests and comms. A quick glance in the side view mirror confirms our men are in a van behind us, waiting for my signal to move. We”re going in armed to the teeth and prepared to engage unless we get some answers. One way or another, the truth is coming out tonight.
Viktor briefly glances up from his computer. “You’re clear to enter the building through the side door. Judging by the thermal signatures, only a handful of guards are patrolling the perimeter. Most seem to be in the basement.”
“And both brothers are there?” I ask, sliding bullets into the magazine of my gun.
Viktor nods. “Sergey has been here for hours, and Nikolai arrived not long ago.”
I check my phone again.
Pavel frowns at me. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and slip the earpiece into place. “I thought I’d hear from Feliks by now.”
Pavel’s mouth tightens. “Give him a little more time. He probably has his hands full with Sofiya.”
I shake off the anxious feeling pulling at my gut. Pavel is probably right.
I send Liza a quick message to let her know I’m okay, not that I expect to hear back. It’s the ass-crack of dawn, so I’m sure she’s sleeping.
“You boys ready to do this?” I ask my men. There”s no point in waiting. It”s time to go in before the Zhukovs get wind of us.
With a final gesture, we file out into the early morning darkness.
The building is quiet as we slip through the side entrance, each man peeling off to his position with practiced silence.
I’m the first one down the stairs when a Zhukov guard steps into my path. He curses, his eyes going wide, but he doesn’t have time to raise his gun before Pavel steps from behind me and delivers two bullets between his eyes. Savin drags the dead man’s body out of the way, and we continue our descent.
The air grows colder, thick with the musty smell of old basement and the faint tang of decay. It looks like this was some sort of underground social club at some time. We weave our way around cluttered tables and chairs, carefully navigating forward.
I stop in place when the sharp, heated exchange of angry voices pulls my attention. I signal to my men to flatten against the wall, and listen as the argument escalates and voices ricochet off the basement walls.
“…never should have involved us in that filth!” one roars. “I would never have agreed to this shit, and you know that. You went behind my back.”
”Power at any cost, Nikolai. You taught me that!”
My fingers tighten around my weapon, the metal suddenly feeling colder and heavier. A glance towards Pavel confirms that he”s equally surprised.
The Zhukovs are not a happy little family.
“Remember who you”re talking to, Sergey. I don’t care if you’re my brother. I’ll do what needs to be done. I lead this bratva; I make the deals, not you. If you”ve got a problem with that, I suggest you rethink your position, or you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of my mercy.”
“Really, brother? You’d threaten me? After everything I did for you and the brotherhood when you were in jail? I put the Zhukov Bratva on the map. Now you stroll in here and think you can take over, that you know better.” Sergey scoffs, his voice dropping low and dangerous. “Why don”t you see which of our men are still loyal to you? I have a feeling you”ll be disappointed, Pakhan.”
“Do you dare threaten your older brother?” Nikolai’s voice is menacing. “I went to jail for you and our men. Because of me, others kept their freedom. How convenient that you forget.”
The tension in the air is thick. They’re like two wolves circling each other, waiting for the right moment to lunge.
I signal to my men to stay against the wall, but I want to see the Zhukovs’ expressions to see for myself what’s really going on here. I pull my gun from the back of my jeans and glide along the edge of the wall, closer to the area where the fight is happening.
“I don”t make threats. I make promi?—”
Gunfire erupts around us, cutting Sergey off. Instinctively, I hit the ground, the sharp echo bouncing off the concrete walls, as my men exchange fire with two Zhukov guards who just burst into the basement, guns blazing.
Fuck me. I crawl, taking cover behind a flipped-over table. The air fills with the shouts of men, and the sounds of bullets whizzing and shells clattering to the floor.
With a well-aimed shot, Pavel takes down a guard rushing towards us. The guard collapses, his weapon clattering away from his outstretched hand. Adrenaline pumps through me as another guard aims at Savin. I sneak up behind him and silently slit his throat, leaving him to fall in a lifeless heap onto the ground.
A bullet grazes the air above me. I hunker down behind the table, squeezing off rounds until my magazine clicks empty.
Pavel inches toward me on his stomach. “Ammo,” he says, hand outstretched.
I give him what I have and then radio Viktor. “Any more assholes heading our way?”
“You”re clear, but the brothers and at least half a dozen guards are lying in wait in the other room.”
Just as I expected.
I hand Pavel my gun. ”I”m going in unarmed. Cover me.”
”You”re fucking crazy. They”re going to blow you to smithereens the moment you walk in there.”
”I doubt it. If it looks like someone is going to shoot, kill them first.”
I hear Pavel grumble something that sounds like, “Crazy motherfucker,” as we make ourselves known to the Zhukovs. My hands are in the air to show I”m unarmed.
In the center of the room, Sergey stands rigid, his pistol aimed directly at me. Beside him, Nikolai doesn”t even bother to raise his gun. He leans against the wall, muscular arms crossed in front of him. He doesn”t look the least bit surprised by my entry.
The guards scattered around the room stiffen at once, their fingers tensing on the triggers. No one moves; no one blinks. Except me.
”Evening, gentlemen.” My voice cuts through the thick silence. ”I think we have some business to discuss.”
“Roman Vasiliev. I was wondering when you’d show your face.” Sergey smiles, but it’s not friendly. “Are you looking for your business partner, Mr. Petrovich?”
“Not at all. I’m looking for you, Sergey. Do you know why?”
He smirks. “I may have an idea. We”re certainly overdue for a conversation.”
“What the fuck is this about?” Nikolai snaps.
From the shadows, I sense Pavel growing restless, his hand inching towards his weapon, but I subtly gesture for him to hold his position.
When Nikolai steps into the light, I”m taken aback by his appearance. Unlike his brother, who wears pressed suits and boasts a neat haircut, Nikolai has a shaved head and tattoos climbing his neck—a man toughened by prison. Sergey might look polished, but he’s a treacherous rat.
I shrug. “This is about your brother and Anatoly abducting cats from the US to be sold in Europe, and using the ships that the Belov Syndicate chartered. For the record, that really fucking pissed me off.”
Sergey rubs his hands together, that smug-as-shit smile curling his lips. “Don”t get your panties in a knot, Vasiliev. If it”s about money, we’ll cut you in on the deal.”
I crack my knuckles. “A bit late for that, but it”s not about the fucking money. We don”t get involved in the flesh trade because it”s disgusting. I think your brother agrees.”
Nikolai’s head tilts, and he erupts in manic laughter. “You crossed the Belov Syndicate? Brother, you”ve practically dug your own grave.”
Sergey”s face hardens, and his nostrils flare. “Fuck the Belov Syndicate. And fuck you. The Zhukovs are going to reign over Russia soon, and there’s nothing you can do about it. In fact”—his eyes glint with something feral—“this seems as good a time as any to announce my good news. Anatoly and I are going into business together. The Petroviches and Zhukovs will be business partners and brothers-in-law.”
My blood turns cold. “What are you saying?”
His face lights up with malicious pleasure. It’s clear he”s enjoying himself. “I’m going to marry Sofiya Ivanova. I even have a contract signed by her father. Once Anatoly and Liza are married, the sisters will link our families.”
My stomach drops. What kind of sick game is this? Boris Ivanov”s depravity runs deeper than I ever imagined.
Sergey’s eyes shift to his brother. “This will extend our influence and grow profits tenfold. You can’t argue with that.”
Nikolai goes stock-still, the energy around him swirling with intensity. “I can argue with whatever the fuck I want. You’ve overstepped, brother, and I don’t appreciate it.”
I look Sergey dead in the eye, so he doesn”t miss a word. “What if I were to tell you that Anatoly isn”t marrying Liza.”
“I’d say…” A devious smile grows on his lips. “You”re too late to stop him.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”
Every muscle in my body coils and tenses as Nikolai stalks toward his brother, his face twisted in a murderous scowl. The guards exchange looks, unsure of their allegiance.
Nikolai’s voice is soft, with a dangerous edge, when he speaks. “None of this was up to you. Not the alliance, not the trafficking, and certainly not your marriage. Don”t you fucking claim you”re doing this for the brotherhood—we both know that’s a lie. The only person you”ve ever cared about is yourself.”
Sergey’s expression sours. “I guess we”ll see if that’s true, won’t we?”
“As much as I’m enjoying this conversation,” I interrupt, stepping forward, “Your marriage isn’t happening. Liza and Sofiya are in hiding, and Anatoly is as good as dead.”
Sergey scoffs. “I think you’ll find that”s not the case at all. Have you spoken to your beloved Liza recently?”
My head snaps back. Fear trickles through my veins like icy water.
He smirks. “That’s right, you haven’t, and you won’t be speaking with her ever again because you’re not walking out of here alive.”
That motherfucker!
I charge towards Sergey, my pulse thundering in my ears. As I close the gap, Sergey raises his arm. The dark barrel of his gun is aimed straight at my chest.
I dive, the world tilting as the ground rushes up to meet me and the sharp crack of gunshots shatters the air. Time freezes as I wait for the pain and the darkness to follow.
My final thought is about Liza. That I”ll never know what it’s like to wake up beside her every day and go to sleep beside her every night. To do normal things, like fight over the remote control, to lie in bed at night and talk about nothing, and to tell her I love her.
What a cruel fucking world that this is how our story ends. Before it even began.