6. Vasily
Chapter 6
Vasily
“I can’t believe you talked me into this, zolotse .” My wife is strapped into the seat next to me, staring out the dark window of the plane, but as soon as her eyes meet mine and I see the exhaustion and fear in them, I know that there’s very little she couldn’t talk me into. The truth is I would do anything for her, and when she’d begged to come with me to New York, I couldn’t say no. She wants to be there to see Talia as soon as we bring her back, and I couldn’t deny her that.
She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “Thank you for letting me come. I know you’re worried, but I’m sure I’ll be safe with the Melnikov family.” She gives me a small smile. “How bad could they be?”
I raise a brow at her, not needing to answer the question. We both know exactly how bad they could be. Ever since they reached out to us about Talia, I’ve been spending every spare second researching their family. From what I can see, they have a reputation for being fair but brutal. They took out one of the world’s biggest sex-trafficking rings just so they could rescue one woman, and I’ll admit that impressed me enough to not put up too big of a fight when Nina begged me to come along.
“If I don’t like them, you’re staying in a hotel with armed bodyguards,” I warn her.
“I don’t care where I stay. I just want our daughter back and for this to be over.”
The quiver in her voice has me reaching over to unclip her seatbelt so I can pull her into my lap. She rests her head against my shoulder, and I’m not sure what’s worse, the sobs she’s been letting out for weeks or the pitiful, shaky exhalations she’s letting out against my neck because she has no more tears to give. I want to burn the world down for the pain my family is going through.
“What if,” she starts to say, but then stops, too scared to put words to her worst fears. The first time I met my wife, she was in a brothel. She’d been sold into it, forced to pay off her father’s debts. I’d been there searching for a man who owed me money, and I’d seen her in the hall—scared to death with bruises all over her small body, and a haunted look in her dark eyes. Her legs were so shaky that she’d almost fallen, and I’d reached down to help her. As soon as I was close enough, she’d whispered for help. In that moment, I knew my entire life would change. I knew that there was no way I could let her go, so I didn’t. That night I married her, gave her the protection of my name along with my heart, and then I killed every motherfucker who had hurt her.
Kissing my wife’s head, I hold her tighter, knowing that every nightmare running through her mind about our daughter is a nightmare that she herself has already lived through, and it breaks my goddamn heart.
“I never wanted her to experience what I went through,” she whispers. “All that pain and fear.” Her voice breaks on a soft sob while I cup the back of her head and rub circles along her back.
“She isn’t, zolotse . They haven’t touched her like that.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, but I don’t want you to do that. I want the truth, no matter how much it kills me to hear it.”
Her strength never ceases to amaze me, but my job will always be to protect her. The truth is she’s right. I would never tell her if I knew our daughter was being brutalized, and I will never tell her about the video they sent me threatening just that. I could never do that to her. What good would it do? It would kill her to hear it, and then there would be nothing she could do about it. Her mind would create a hell that she would be trapped in until I could bring our daughter home to us. I could never do that to her. I’ll tell her about the video after Talia is safely back with us, because I want Nina to know how goddamn brave our daughter is.
I’d been so horrified at the sight of my Talia begging for help that I hadn’t noticed the secret message she was sending. It was Bran who’d first noticed, pointing out the quick signs Talia made. Even though she was terrified, she’d given us the Amaya name and let us know she was being held in a basement. My heart broke to see her like that, but it also swelled with pride at her bravery. What she told us confirms what the Melnikovs have said, making me feel a lot better about this joint ambush we’re planning.
Thankfully, I don’t think Lorenzo will push the one-week timeline, which means we have time to rescue her. Knowing the chances are high that she hasn’t been abused, it’s easy to meet Nina’s eyes and say, “She hasn’t been touched like that, and Lorenzo thinks we’re about to cave. He won’t push things right now by hurting our daughter, not when he thinks he’s so close to getting what he wants.”
“Don’t worry, Nina,” my brother tells her, reaching out to pat her calf. “We’re getting Talia back tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Valeri,” Nina whispers.
“And we’re destroying this fucking cartel,” my other brother adds. The grim look on Volodya’s face reminds me of what he always used to look like before he met his wife and started a family. Talia’s kidnapping has resurrected the rage that used to live so close to the surface for him.
It’s affected all of us. It’s the first time our kids have experienced a loved one being taken from them, and this cut is definitely going to leave a mark. Looking across the private jet we’re on, I watch Dima stare out the window. He’s so much like his mom. So many thoughts swirling around in that head of his, but underneath all the rage he’s feeling is nothing but a deep concern for his sister. As the oldest, he’s shouldering an unfair amount of guilt. I’ve told him it’s my fault she was taken. I should’ve had more men assigned to them that day, and I’ll never forgive myself for assuming they were safe just because it was our territory and things have been peaceful. If anyone should carry that burden, it’s me. I fucked up, and my daughter is paying for it.
Dima refuses to believe me, though. He’ll carry the guilt right along with me, because he may remind me of his mom, but he’s my son through and through. My heart breaks a little when I turn my focus on Bran. He’s even more withdrawn than usual since Talia was taken, and I know this is killing him. Ever since Nina brought him home to us, he’s felt like a part of our family, every bit my son as much as Dima is. As if sensing my stare, he turns his head, meeting my eyes.
You okay ? I sign to him behind his mom’s back.
No, he signs back, and I want to get up and hug him for his brutal honesty. Bran’s never minced words. He may choose to observe rather than partake most of the time, but when he does join in, I always pay close attention because it’s usually worth listening to. Talia is the one he opens up to. They’ve been glued at the hip ever since they were little. Even before they learned sign language, they found a way to communicate, making up their own gestures for things. Language was never a barrier for them, and I know he must feel like a part of his soul has been ripped from his chest at the loss of her.
Soon , I sign to him.
He nods and goes back to staring out the same window his brother is. Their cousins are sprawled around them, trying their best to get a little bit of sleep before we land. It’s not going to be easy getting to where Talia is being held, but we all know we can’t arrive exhausted. The Melnikov brothers have refused to tell us any details, but Danil has given me his word that the plan they came up with will work. I don’t trust easily, but for the sake of my daughter, I’d make an alliance with the devil himself. I’m guessing we’re not all that different anyway. After all, people still call me the Devil from Moscow, so I’m guessing the two of us could work out a deal.
When our pilot finally announces that we need to prepare for landing, I kiss Nina once more before scooting her back into her seat and buckling her in. She doesn’t argue. She knows how much I enjoy taking care of her, and she knows how much I need to do it now more than ever. She just gives me a sad smile and squeezes my hand before gripping the arm rest and taking a deep breath. As soon as we land, we’ll be one step closer to getting our daughter back. We’re all more than ready to be done with this.
The sun is rising, and when I look over Nina and out the window, I can see the private airfield we’re aiming for. We needed two large private jets to transport our men and weapons, but we’ll be using whatever planes the Melnikovs have acquired when we fly to Colombia.
Nina grips my hand when the plane touches down and we see a long line of black SUVs waiting for us on the tarmac.
“I guess it’s time to meet the infamous Melnikov brothers,” I say to Volodya.
He grins, already unbuckling his belt. Standing, he checks the gun at the small of his back and readjusts the knives he has strapped to various parts of his body. You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but the man is always heavily armed. He gives a soft laugh when he looks over and sees Misha and Yuri mirroring his movements without meaning to.
“That's some genetics at work right there,” Valeri says, standing and rolling the kinks out of his neck. Realizing what genetics are on display, he points a finger at the three of them and says, “Don’t fucking kill any of them. We need their help.”
Volodya raises a brow at our youngest brother. “I’ll play nice if they do.” Before he turns to grab a few bags, he grins and signs to Bran, For now .
“I saw that,” I tell him.
He just laughs and ignores me. I don’t push it because I know he’d never do anything to jeopardize Talia’s life. He may not want to play nice, but he will for her sake, and that’s all I care about.
I stand and hold a hand out to Nina. “Ready, zolotse ?”
“I’m ready,” she says, taking my hand and letting me help her up. She grabs her bag while I take a few more, leaving one arm free so I can keep it around her. My hands are full, so when we walk down the aisle past our boys, I make sure and look at Bran while I say, “Stay behind me,” knowing he won’t have a problem reading my lips.
Bran nods, and Dima says a quick, “Okay,” while tossing a backpack over his shoulder. The back of the plane is loaded with some of our men, and the rest are on the plane that should be landing in just a few minutes. They wanted a small army, and that’s exactly what we’ve brought them.
Once the stairs are down, I lead the way with Nina right behind me, her hand firmly in mine. When we’re halfway down, the doors on the closest SUV open as men start getting out. I keep my eyes on them and tighten my hold on my wife, making sure her body is hidden by mine.
The five men who get out and walk closer are dressed in tactical gear like we are. None of us bothered with suits since we’ll be leaving soon. My initial impression is that they’re not to be fucked with, and I know my family is giving off the same vibe. It’s a damn good thing we’re on opposite ends of this country, because I’m not so sure we’d play well together as neighbors. Decades of experience have taught me to recognize weak men and easy prey, and the Melnikov brothers are neither of those things.
Tattoos cover their exposed arms, hands, and necks, and they watch without comment as we file down the stairs. It isn’t until we’re standing in front of them that the man in the middle finally speaks. “I’m Roman Melnikov,” he says, holding out his hand for me to shake.
I take it and say, “I’m Vasily, but I’m guessing you already know that.”
He nods and looks towards Nina. Before I can get pissed that he’s presumptuous enough to look at her, he holds out his hand and says, “I’m very sorry about your daughter. You’re more than welcome to stay at my home while you’re here.” He gestures towards the four men behind him. “All our wives are staying there.” He meets my eyes and adds, “With bodyguards, of course.”
“I’ll be leaving a few of my own men with her,” I say, making it clear that my wife will be guarded by Medvedev men.
It earns me a faint hint of a smile before he says, “Of course. We’ll head over there now, but first let me introduce you to my brothers.” He points to the dark-haired man next to him, the one with a lip and eyebrow piercing who’s been sizing us up since we stepped off the plane. “This is Lev.”
Lev gives a barely noticeable nod while Roman points to the brother with burn scars on his arms. “This is Matvey.”
“Hey,” Matvey says, and his deep, gravelly voice makes it clear his skin wasn’t the only part that was damaged by whatever fire he was in.
The next brother has a light smirk playing at his lips, and I know I’m meeting the family smartass. I recognize the look because I see it on Valeri’s face all the goddamn time.
“This is Vitaly,” Roman says, and as if he’s trying to avoid letting the man say anything, he quickly points to the last brother, the one with a leather messenger bag slung across his chest. “And that’s Danil.”
I recognize the name and quickly meet his gaze. “Your son is with our daughter?” I ask.
“He is,” Danil says, and I recognize his pain easily enough. We share the same haunted look and the same dark circles under our eyes from way too many sleepless nights. It goes beyond the normal stress of the job. It cuts far deeper and leaves a bone-deep weariness that is impossible to shake off.
“Have you heard anything?” Nina asks, ignoring everything I told her about staying in the background. As if she can sense what I’m thinking, she gives my hand a squeeze as she flashes me a quick, apologetic smile.
“No, nothing new,” he says, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d believe him, but my gut instincts tell me he’s holding back, and as soon as Nina isn’t in earshot, I’m going to ask him what the fuck is going on.
“That’s good, right?” Nina asks, looking between all of us.
I pull her closer and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, zolotse , that’s very good.” I raise my eyes to the men in front of me, daring them to contradict me and ruin the facade I’m giving my wife. None of them do, and I swear I see a nod of approval from Lev before my brothers get tired of waiting in the background and step closer.
“Volodya,” my brother says, holding his hand out to Roman before nodding at the others. His voice is as gruff as it usually is, but they don’t seem to mind.
“And I’m Valeri,” our youngest brother says, holding a hand up in a wave. Pointing to our boys, he goes down the line, introducing them one by one.
They see Dima signing for Bran, and we get a few confused, hesitant looks from the Melnikovs. My family’s used to it, but it still irritates me every time I see it, and I swear I can feel every member of my family raise their hackles, preparing for a fight.
“How the hell does that work?” I hear Vitaly ask.
“Do you have a problem with my son?” I ask, my tone causing Nina to stiffen beside me. I squeeze her shoulder while Vitaly looks over, another smirk playing at his lips.
“No, I didn’t say I have a problem. I just asked how the hell he makes it work?”
“He’s a sniper. He works from a distance and can shoot any goddamn thing you need him to,” I say, letting the pride show in my voice.
Vitaly’s brows raise as he lets out a soft laugh. “No shit?” When it’s obvious we aren’t joking, he says, “Fucking nice. I’m looking forward to seeing that.”
We all turn at the sound of the second plane approaching. With Nina’s arm around my waist, I bring my hand to cup the side of her head, pulling her closer against me so both her ears are protected from the noise. I know the Melnikovs notice, but I don’t give a fuck. I don’t know how they treat their wives, but this is how I treat mine, and I’m not hiding it.
Once the plane has stopped, Roman says, “Okay, let’s get the hell out of here.” He checks the black, military-style watch on his wrist before lifting a hand at the line of SUVs. Immediately all the drivers get out and start walking over. “We have a house your men can stay at until we’re ready to go. The rest of you can come to my place so we can go over the plans. The others are already there waiting for us.”
“We’ll take the first SUV,” Lev says. “Your family can take the second and third. The rest are for your men and supplies.”
“Works for me,” Volodya says, walking with Misha and Yuri to the third vehicle. Valeri and Aleks join them, while Nina and our boys take the second.
We’re quiet on the drive, and the man escorting us doesn’t try to fill the silence. Leaning closer, I whisper to Nina, “You doing okay?”
“I’m fine. Stop worrying,” and before I can argue, she signs to me and the boys, What did you think of them?
They seem okay, Dima signs. They seem organized at least and, it’s good that Danil’s son is with Talia. They have just as much riding on this as we do.
Agreed, I sign and then look at Bran and ask, What do you think?
We all look at him, waiting for his input. I’m not at all surprised when all we get is a simple, Too early to tell.
He goes back to looking out the window, studying the unfamiliar skyline as we edge closer to the city. Traffic is the nightmare I imagined it would be, but eventually we’re pulling into an underground garage and parking beside the Melnikov’s SUV. Once we’re all out, we take turns riding the private elevator until we’re all standing inside an impressively large, three-level penthouse. I meet Valeri’s eyes as he gives a subtle nod toward the wall behind me. I turn to see that it’s filled with family photographs, and not the boring kind that are obviously staged and everyone looks like they’d rather be anywhere than right there in front of the camera.
No, these are filled with laughing, smiling faces. I recognize all five brothers in the photos, and it’s abundantly clear that family is everything to them—a core value that our families seem to share. I stop when I see the last photo. It’s a photo of Roman and a younger version of himself. The man who’s clearly his son is holding a little boy with the same green eyes, and they’re all three smiling at the camera. A longing shoots through me so deeply that I forget to breathe for a second. We don’t have grandkids yet, but it’s something that Nina and I can’t wait to experience. The thought of Talia as a mom is too painful to think about, so I push it aside and put my focus on getting her back instead. Daydreaming about the future can wait until she’s back home and safe.
“You must be Nina,” a woman says, coming over to us with a friendly smile on her face. I recognize her from the photos as Roman’s wife, but even if I hadn’t seen her, the look on his face as he watches her would make it clear. It’s the same way I watch my wife—a mix of love, protectiveness, and a healthy dose of I will burn the world down if anyone tries to touch her .
Damn, I’m really starting to like this family.
“I’m Emily,” she says, and instead of holding a hand out, she pulls Nina in for a hug. “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. You must be scared to death.”
When they part, my wife is fighting tears and I’m relieved that I won’t be leaving her here with a bunch of heartless women. Emily doesn’t look like she has a mean bone in her body, and to prove it, she turns and gives the rest of us a smile. “You all must be starving after that long flight. We have a ton of food in the kitchen. Please, come get something to eat and drink.”
As the others walk past, she reaches out to shake my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Vasily. I just want you to know that Nina will be safe here. My sisters-in-law and our daughters will be here along with one of my nephews.” She smiles over at Nina. “You’ll also get to meet my grandson, Lev’s granddaughter, and Vitaly’s granddaughter.”
Nina smiles, and I know she’s grateful for the distraction and company, but it’s when another woman walks over and introduces herself as Simona, Danil’s wife, that her composure starts to falter. If anyone in this room can relate to what my wife is feeling, it’s the woman whose son is being held with our daughter.
Simona pulls Nina in for a hug, and says, “My son will protect your daughter. I know he will.”
It’s said with such conviction that it even manages to bring me some comfort. Breaking the hug, she squeezes Nina’s hand and motions for us all to follow her down the hall. We step into a large kitchen that opens into an even larger living room. The amount of faces staring at us is overwhelming, and I try to commit all the names to memory as their wives and kids are introduced to us. Roman steps up next to me and gives a soft laugh.
“Got them all memorized?”
I look over at him and nod. “I think so, yeah.”
“We don’t usually invite outsiders in like this, but I knew you wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving your wife here unless you saw the place for yourself and met everyone,” he says.
I don’t bother contradicting him, because we both know he’s right. Instead, I nod to the man in the corner, the one who’s married to Lev’s very pregnant daughter. “He runs the Alessi Mafia?”
Roman nods. “He does, and he’ll be working with us on this.”
I run my eyes over the rest of the group, and as much as I appreciate how smoothly this alliance is going, I’m more than ready to get the fuck out of here and get my daughter back.
As if he can sense my impatience, Roman asks, “You ready to go over the plan?”
“I was ready when you first called me,” I remind him.
He gives a soft laugh. “We didn’t know if we could trust you then.” Looking over at his brothers, he gives a subtle nod, and I watch as they start making their way downstairs. It doesn’t escape my notice that the ones who are married take the time to kiss their wives before they leave the room. I’ve been around abused women. I know how they act, and these women aren’t displaying any of the warning signs. They’re worried about Max, yes, but instead of trying to remain small in the presence of all these men, they’re actively seeking them out for comfort, and the men seem more than happy to provide it.
“Can I talk to the man who saw my daughter?” Nina asks, catching the attention of those standing closest to us.
“Val,” Roman calls out, waving a hand at the young man whose arm is still securely wrapped around his wife. I know the Melnikov brothers aren’t related by blood, but I’d still been surprised when Val’s wife was also introduced as Matvey’s daughter. The raised-as-cousins thing apparently didn’t stick with these two.
Val keeps his arm around his wife as they walk over, and even from a distance, the healing bruises and cuts on his face are obvious. Nina sucks in a quick breath when she sees it, and Val must see the horror on her face because he quickly gives her a reassuring smile.
Gesturing to his face, he says, “This was just for me. They haven’t hurt your daughter.”
I immediately feel indebted to Valentin Melnikov. I’m not completely convinced that what he’s saying is true, but it’s enough that he’s convincing Nina it is. That’s all I care about, and when she breathes a sigh of relief, I nod my thanks to him over her head so she can’t see it. Val doesn’t give me away by acknowledging it, but he looks down at Nina and adds, “Your daughter is safe, and my cousin will do everything he can to make sure she stays that way. Talia’s very brave.” He meets my eyes when he says, “You should be very proud of her. She’s holding it together and staying strong.”
“We are,” I tell him.
Nina reaches out and squeezes his hand. “Thank you for letting me know she’s okay.”
“Max will protect her,” Yelena says. “He’s a good man. I know it’s not going to take away your fear and worry for her, but he’ll do everything he can to keep her safe.”
Nina notices the way Val’s wife is keeping a hand on her lower stomach. It’s the same kind of protective touch that I used to love seeing my wife do when she was pregnant with our first. It was a constant reminder of the small life we’d created.
“Is this your first?” Nina asks her, and Yelena’s smile lights up her whole face as she looks up at her husband.
“Yeah, a bit of a surprise, but we’re thrilled about it,” she says.
“We are,” Val agrees, holding her even closer before kissing the top of her head and whispering something in her ear. When he’s finished, he looks over at me and says, “If you’re ready, we can show you what we have planned.”
Nodding, I look down at Nina. “You going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She gives me a smile to let me know she really will be okay. I can already see Emily and Simona walking over to keep her company while we’re all downstairs.
Before they get to us, I lean down and whisper, “Come get me if you need me, and please try to eat something, zolotse .”
“Stop worrying,” she whispers back.
She knows me well enough to know that isn’t about to happen, so I just give her a quick kiss and then follow the Melnikovs down to the lower level with my family right behind me. I take one last look, watching as the other wives take Nina under their wing, smiling and already filling her a plate of food. Relieved that she’ll be fine, I put all my focus on the task ahead, and when we step into a large room, I’m surprised to see a few other men down here that we haven’t met yet. The one that’s sitting at the table with his laptop opened in front of him looks like he’s still young enough to be in his teens. There are a couple of older men leaning against the wall in the corner. They’re deep in conversation with a younger man, and they all turn to look at us when we walk in.
“This is Niki, my younger son,” Danil says, resting a hand on the shoulder of the young man who barely lifts his eyes from his screen to give us all a quick nod. “He’s only seventeen, but he’s going with us because we can’t do this without him.” He squeezes his son’s shoulder and adds, “But he’ll be staying on the boat while we go on land.”
Dominic motions towards the men in the corner. “Those are my cousins, Alessandro and Dario, and that’s Sasha, Lev’s son.”
Dario and Alessandro each say a quick hi, their thick Italian accents matching their cousin’s, and I’m guessing they’re the reason we’re speaking English right now instead of Russian. Sasha just does a slow sweep, running his eyes over all of us, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little unnerving. There’s something off with that one, and when I look over and meet Volodya’s eyes, I can tell he sees it, too. Like recognizes like, I guess.
“All right, take a seat and we’ll show you what we’re planning,” Roman says, shutting the door and making his way to the front where there’s a large screen set up. It’s quickly filled with a map as my family sits at the large table in the middle of the room so we can see the screen. Dima sits next to Bran, discreetly signing what’s going on anytime Bran can’t see who’s talking well enough to read lips.
We all watch as they take us through their plan. It’s well thought out, and I begrudgingly admit that it’s exactly what I would’ve chosen to do had they been kind enough to share Talia’s location with me a week ago. We’ll be flying in to a private airport in Apartadó. Trucks will be waiting for us, and from there we’ll drive to Turbo. The last bit of the journey will be by boat. It’s a solid plan, but it’s also going to be a long, pain-in-the ass one where a million different things can go wrong.
“What about security at the airport?” Volodya asks.
It’s Niki who answers my brother. “I found someone who’s willing to help us.”
“Just like that?” Volodya asks, and we can all hear the doubt in his voice.
Despite his young age, Niki doesn’t back down from my brother. He just shrugs and says, “Yeah. We’re paying him two million and providing fake documents for him and his wife and kids. After we leave the country, he and his family will be flying to Hawaii to live out their lives in peace and safety, so, yeah, just like that.”
Valeri gives a soft laugh at Niki’s tone while Volodya huffs out a breath and says, “Fair enough, but what about the rest of the trip? Do any of you speak Spanish? Who’s providing the boats and the trucks?”
“He’s not the only person we’re paying off,” Niki says. “I found men we can trust, men who have families and who are desperate to get out of Colombia but also more than happy to help us get in.”
When my brother still looks unconvinced, Niki adds, “The Amaya Cartel isn’t exactly popular with the locals. They despise them, and I did my research. I found men who have a grudge against them, a personal one. The guy helping us at the airport lost his daughter to the cartel. They tried to kidnap her, and when she had the nerve to fight back, they shot her. The man who is helping us with the boats watched them execute his brother when he refused to pay the protection fee they demanded—a fee he never could’ve afforded, by the way.”
“We’re not saying it’s going to be easy,” Danil says, “but if we can avoid detection long enough, then we can make it work. We’re also bringing Tony with us. He’s the doctor for the Alessi family.”
“He’s not thrilled about it,” Dominic says with a soft laugh, “but he’s willing to do anything to help.”
“What aren’t you telling us?” I ask. “Have you heard anything new?”
The brothers in front of us exchange a look, confirming my instincts were right.
“Tell us,” Volodya demands.
Lev raises a pierced brow at my brother’s tone, but Roman ignores him and says, “They sent us a video yesterday.”
“My daughter,” I start to ask and then stop, unable to get the rest of the question out.
“She’s fine,” Danil quickly says. “It was a video of them hurting my son.”
“He’s a pianist,” Niki says, “so they dislocated every finger of his right hand.”
He looks a lot older than his seventeen years when he tells us what happened to his older brother, and I’m guessing even if we didn’t need him to come with us on the rescue mission, he’d still demand to join in. I can’t help but admire his loyalty. I’d do anything for my brothers, and I can tell Niki feels the same way.
I pull up the latest video Lorenzo sent me and set it on the table. Roman takes it and hits play while his family steps in closer to see it. I grit my teeth at the sound of my daughter’s scared voice filling the room and wait for the video to finish before saying, “She used sign language to spell out the Amaya name and then made the sign for basement.”
Vitaly looks impressed when he says, “Smart girl.”
Matvey grabs the phone and watches it again, but he’s kind enough to turn the volume down so I don’t have to suffer through it. When he’s done, he says, “I think they’re threatening Max to keep her in line.”
“Why do you say that?” Danil asks, reaching for the phone to try and see whatever his brother just saw.
Matvey points to the screen. “She looks away from the camera. I don’t know. It’s just a feeling, but I think they’re using them against each other.” He looks at Danil. “Max didn’t try to fight back when they busted his hand. You know how much music means to him, but he just knelt on the ground and took it. Why would he do that?”
The tone of his voice makes it clear he knows exactly why his nephew would do it, but it’s Danil who answers out loud and says, “He’d do it to protect her.”
“He’d allow that to happen to save a girl he barely knows?” I ask, hoping it’s true but also too jaded by life to immediately believe it.
“He would,” Val says. Absolute certainty ringing in his words. “They’ve gotten close, and I’m sure it’s just gotten stronger since I left. My cousin would rather die than have his hands injured. He would’ve fought back and they would’ve had to beat him to within an inch of his life to get him to willingly hold his hand out like that.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I just say, “If that’s the case, then I’ll owe him a debt after all this is over.”
“First, let’s worry about getting them back,” Danil says, checking his watch to see what time it is. “We need to leave in two hours, so do whatever the hell you need to do before then.”
Vitaly is the one to break the tension with a soft laugh and a slight grin. “I mean, I can think of a few things that need doing.”
“Jesus, Dad,” I hear Val groan, but that doesn’t stop his son from leaving the room, too, no doubt thinking the same thing.
I’m not surprised when Volodya looks over at Niki and says, “Can you put that map up again?”
I need to check on Nina, but I lean in closer with my brothers, wanting to go over the details with them one more time. Everything hinges on this plan, and I’m sure as hell not going to be the one to fuck it up. I’m going to memorize every detail before our plane takes off.