Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
KALEB
My phone buzzed against the conference table just as Martinez from accounting started his quarterly analysis presentation. I glanced down, frowning at the screen.
Lottie's ringtone.
She never called my cell during work hours. We had office phones for that. Internal extensions.
Something was wrong.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I swiped to answer, my finger hovering over the speaker button. Across the table, Andrei's head snapped up, his amber eyes locking on mine with that same predatory awareness.
He knew.
Without a word, Andrei stood, his chair scraping back. "Gentlemen, we'll need to reschedule. Something's come up."
"But we're not finished—" Martinez protested.
"Now." Andrei's voice left no room for argument. The room cleared in seconds, confused executives filing out as I pressed speaker.
Muffled sounds. Wind? No, breathing. Fabric rustling.
Andrei crossed the room in three strides, standing shoulder to shoulder with me as we both leaned over my phone.
"That's better." A woman's voice. Cultured. Familiar.
No.
No, no, no.
"Now, let's discuss how you're going to convince my son to give in to my demands."
Rage exploded through my chest, white-hot and blinding. My mother. My fucking mother had Lottie cornered somewhere, and judging by the ambient sounds—cars, a fountain—they were outside the building.
"Kaleb," Andrei's hand clamped on my shoulder, the only thing keeping me from putting my fist through the wall. His accent thickened, words in Russian spilling from his lips as he pulled up the security feeds on his tablet with his free hand.
My mother's voice continued, saccharine sweet and venomous. "You see, Charlotte, I need Kaleb to release a rather substantial amount of money to me. But he's been... difficult lately. Ever since you appeared, actually."
I watched the screen as Andrei's fingers flew across the tablet. Parking garage camera. Lobby. Sidewalk.
There.
My baby girl on a bench in the park across the street. My mother beside her.
Too close.
"Kaleb has always been a stubborn boy," Patrice's voice dripped through the speaker. "But he used to be malleable. Guilt works wonders on him, you see."
My hands clenched so hard my knuckles cracked. Andrei's grip on my shoulder tightened, the only thing grounding me as I fought to maintain control.
Breathe. Focus. Get to her.
"The investment requires two million dollars," Patrice continued, her words clipped and businesslike. "You have forty-eight hours to convince Kaleb, or I go public with everything."
I looked at Andrei. His face was a mask of cold fury, the kind I'd only seen a handful of times in our fifteen-year friendship. The kind that meant blood would be spilled before the day was done.
"Go," he said simply.
We moved as one, leaving everything behind as we tore out of the conference room. My legs burned as I sprinted toward the elevator, Andrei matching my pace stride for stride.
"Stairs," I gasped, already changing direction.
The stairwell door slammed against the wall as we burst through. Seventy flights. I didn't care. Lottie needed us.
My baby girl was out there with that venomous bitch, and every second that ticked by felt like an eternity.
Andrei took the stairs three at a time, his longer legs giving him an advantage. I pushed harder, my lungs screaming in protest.
"...just my word against yours," Patrice's voice echoed from my phone in my pocket, the sound distorted but clear enough. "And who do you think people will believe?"
Forty flights.
Thirty.
Twenty.
My thighs burned. Sweat dripped into my eyes.
"Forty-eight hours, Charlotte. The clock is ticking."
Ten flights.
Five.
The ground floor.
We exploded through the door into the lobby. Security guards jumped to their feet, hands reaching for weapons as Andrei and I barreled past.
"Stay here," I barked at them. "No one follows us."
The glass doors flew open as we hit them running. Across the street. The park. Where was she?
There.
Still on the bench. Alone now. My mother's cream-colored sedan pulling away from the curb.
Lottie sat frozen, staring at nothing. Her phone still clutched in her hand in her lap.
"Baby girl." I slowed, forcing myself to walk the last few feet instead of running. I didn't want to startle her. "Lottie."
Her head turned slowly, as if moving through water. When her eyes met mine, they were swimming with unshed tears.
"Kaleb," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do. She had a—she said she would—"
I dropped to my knees in front of the bench, gathering her trembling hands between mine. "Shh. It's okay. We heard everything."
"Everything?" Her voice cracked.
Andrei stood behind me, already on his phone. "Oscar. Need you at the park across from the office. Now." He paused, listening. "No, she's safe. Just need the car."
He disconnected, then immediately dialed another number. "Marshall? It's Volkov. We need you. Attempted extortion and threats against our girlfriend. Have it all on recording." Another pause. "Patrice Wulf-Huntington. Yeah. That Patrice."
Lottie's eyes widened as she looked between us. "But she said—there's no proof—"
"She was wrong, baby girl." I cupped her face, my thumbs brushing away the tears that finally spilled over. "So fucking wrong. We have her on recording. Your phone stayed connected the whole time."
A sob tore from Lottie's throat as she launched herself into my arms. I caught her, holding her tight against my chest as her body shook with the force of her tears.
"I thought—I was so scared—for you—" Her words came out broken, muffled against my shirt.
"Never," I murmured into her hair. "She can't touch us, baby girl. Any of us. But especially not you."
Andrei knelt beside us, his hand on Lottie's back. His face was a mask of barely controlled rage, but his touch was gentle. Reverent.
"She threatened to kill you, kroshka," he said quietly, barely concealed rage making his tone harsh. "Said she's made people disappear before."
Lottie pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "I know. But I didn't care about that. I only cared about protecting you. All of you."
Something in my chest cracked wide open. This woman—our woman—had faced down my mother's threats without calling for help. Had been willing to sacrifice herself for us.
"That's not how this works," I said firmly, tilting her chin up. "We protect you. Always. You don't put yourself in danger for us."
"But—"
"No buts." Andrei's voice was steel. "We deal with threats together. As a family."
The black Audi pulled up to the curb, Oscar already climbing out. His face was thunderous as he took in Lottie's tear-stained cheeks.
"Who do I need to hurt, Ms. Lottie?"
Despite everything, a watery laugh escaped her. "Kaleb's mom."
Oscar's expression turned murderous. "Say the word, boss. I know people."
"Get in line," Andrei growled, helping Lottie to her feet. His arm wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight as her legs threatened to give out.
I climbed in after her, pulling her onto my lap as Andrei settled beside us. She curled into me, still trembling.
"Take us home," I told Oscar. Not the office. Home. Where we could regroup. Where Lottie would be safe.
As we pulled away from the curb, my phone buzzed. Marshall.
Marshall: Got the recording. This is more than enough. The sheriff is bringing her in for questioning. Will keep you posted.
I showed the screen to Andrei, who nodded grimly.
"It's over, baby girl," I whispered against Lottie's hair. "My mother can't hurt any of us now."
She lifted her head, her stormy eyes meeting mine. "Promise?"
"I promise." I pressed my forehead to hers. "No more threats. No more fear. Just us."
Andrei's hand covered both of ours where they rested on Lottie's lap. "Volkovs stick together," he said quietly. "And you're a Volkov now, kroshka. My grandfather and Babushka would agree. Knowing how much Viktor likes you, we could bring the entire west coast Bratva to her doorstep."
A smile finally broke through Lottie's tears. Small, fragile, but real.
"Wulfs stick together too," I added, my voice rough. "And Colliers. We're a family. My mother doesn't get to destroy that."
Lottie's hand came up to cup my cheek. "I love you. All of you. So much it terrifies me."
"Then we'll be terrified together," I murmured, kissing her softly. "For the rest of our lives.”