Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
AVA
N ikolai storms into the kitchen, his breath heavy and his eyes a little wild.
Mrs. Brown and I pause, our hands in the soapy water from working on the dishes.
“Mr. Petrov?” she asks.
Nikolai doesn’t even register Mrs. Brown. He only has eyes for me.
“Upstairs,” he practically growls. “Now.”
I share a look with Mrs. Brown, who squeezes my arm, and then I wipe my wet hands on a towel and follow Nikolai to my room. My heart pounds the entire time.
“Nikolai?”
“How many times have you run from me?”
I blink, not expecting the question. “Uh … I don’t know. Three?”
“Four,” he says flatly. “You’ve run four times now. And each time you return, I don’t lock you away.”
“Why don’t you?”
He doesn’t answer my question. Instead, he says, “I wanted to trust you. But you’ve shown me I cannot. Maxim overstepped his bounds when he brought you back to me, speaking of peace.”
My chest constricts. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to make him regret ever looking at you.”
“But he helped me. He could have hurt me, but he helped me.”
Nikolai stands so close to me I can see all the different shades of brown in his eyes. “You like him.”
“No, I don’t like him. He was kind; that was all. I didn’t expect him to be. Not after how Dimitri treated me. Not after …”
“How I’ve treated you.”
I don’t say a word because we both know he’s right.
Nikolai takes a step away from me, running his hand down his face. His scar looks more pronounced in his frantic state. “I know I haven’t been a good husband.”
I suck in a breath. I never thought Nikolai would admit to that.
“But,” he continues, “you’re my wife, Ava. I can’t stand it when you run from me. How do I keep you from running from me?”
“Are … are you seriously asking?”
He meets my gaze head on. “I am.”
“Nikolai, the way to keep me from running is to let me go. You can’t keep me as a prisoner. I want to go back to school. I want to have my freedoms to go where I want when I want. Only then can we make this marriage work.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t ask for a divorce.”
“I know enough to know you wouldn’t like that. I need to ask for things you’ll agree with.”
He nods. “Smart. You’ve always been so smart.” The back of his fingers skim my cheek. “You are mine, Ava. I know you want your freedom.” He drops his hand. “But I can’t give that to you.”
All the hope within me dashes.
“I’m a possessive man. I’m not a good man. Many would call me a monster. You will remain here. I don’t want you to escape again.” He turns away.
“Where are you going?” I ask, dreading the answer.
“To kill Maxim Baranov.”
“But he helped me. He wants peace.”
“He thought he could broker peace by using you. I won’t allow that.”
“So, you’re just going to continue whatever war is happening between you two? He came to our wedding and threatened you. He could have hurt me. Nikolai, if you make things worse … what could happen to me?” Maybe it’s a low blow to use myself as a manipulation tactic, but I don’t want Maxim to die. It’s not that I have feelings for him. I don’t. I just don’t want to see someone who helped me when he could have let me die for no reason.
Well, there is a reason—Nikolai is a possessive monster, as he said.
He slowly turns back to face me. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“But you’re hurting me,” I whisper.
He takes two long strides to reach me and cups my face between his hands. It’s a little rough, but I’m not afraid he’ll physically hurt me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Nikolai, it’s that I can trust him on that one thing.
“I don’t want to,” he admits. “But I cannot let Maxim’s actions slide. This is how we do it in the Bratva. Men go to war, and men die. Many times, it’s over a woman.”
The look he gives me steals my breath away.
And then he kisses me.
It’s quick and fast and rough, but it leaves my body feeling alight with fire.
He pulls back then lets me go. “I have a job to do. You’re going to stay here this time. I can’t risk you getting pulled into it.” With those words, he leaves the room …
… and locks the door behind him.
I gasp and run to the door, trying the handle, but it won’t budge.
For the first time since marrying Nikolai, he’s chosen to lock me away in my room.
If there was even the smallest hint of trust in him, it’s gone in a heartbeat.
NIKOLAI
“Ready to do this?” Dimitri asks, with an eager, slightly savage grin.
I stare at The Knights’ clubhouse, knowing I need to do what I need to do, but all I can think about is Ava’s face when I spoke to her earlier.
And then I locked her up.
I need her to be safe for what I’m about to do. I can’t risk her running around the city, potentially getting hurt. But my actions aren’t those of a good man. My actions are because I’m a possessive fucker who doesn’t want her to leave me.
I know exactly what to do to gain her trust. She spelled it out for me. School and freedom.
But if I let her go, I doubt she’ll ever come back to me, and I’m not ready to let her go just yet. I’ll never be ready.
“Nik?” Dimitri says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Nikolai,” I growl at him.
He shrugs, not correcting his words. “So, all The Knights are there today. We can strike. Kill them all.”
Of course, Maxim would bring all his men to the clubhouse. They’re probably celebrating a time of peace. But I’m not going to bring him peace. I’m going to rain hell on The Knights. Who needs a motorcycle club anyway?
It’s not like The Knights have brought me in a ton of money. They’ve helped, sure. But they’re proving more of a nuisance now than a benefit.
The clubhouse is on the outskirts of the city on a street that isn’t too busy. I know they like their privacy.
That works just fine for me.
I nod at Dimitri. “Good. Let’s burn the place to the fucking ground.”
Normally, I’d send men to do my dirty work. I don’t need to be associated with any crime. But Maxim pissed me off, and I want him to see it’s me punishing him. I want him to see it on my face that he should never have gotten involved with Ava.
I’m still angry with Dimitri for taking Ava to his club, but one problem at a time. Right now, Dimitri is beneficial, and until he loses his usefulness to me, I’ll keep him around.
We get out of the car and walk straight into the clubhouse. Men are situated around tables and couches, drinking beers and playing pool, flirting up women and making bets. They don’t notice me or Dimitri until it’s too late.
We don’t hesitate to start shooting everyone up.
There are screams and cries and shouts, and finally, the bikers begin shooting back.
I dive behind the bar, Dimitri next to me. It’s déjà vu from before when I their previous president, Lev.
The screams and cries of pain fill the air. We shot down a lot of the bikers, probably at least ten of them before they started firing back.
But I know I didn’t get Maxim. He’s still alive.
And then I hear him.
“Come out, Nikolai. I wanted peace, but you just declared war.”
I stand up with my weapon drawn. He has his own gun raised, pointed right at me. Dimitri rises as well. A wicked grin is on his face. He doesn’t even need to be a part of this fight, but he wants to be. Crazy bastard.
Maxim huffs. “You really think two men can take down an entire chapterhouse? I have ten men to your two.” He nods behind him where more of his uninjured men have gathered. Blood covers the ground. Dead bodies lay everywhere.
I knew Dimitri and I would be outnumbered. I didn’t care when coming here. My main mission was to show Maxim he’ll never find peace with me.
“I could so easily shoot you between the eyes right now,” I say.
Maxim clenches his jaw. “So, then, why don’t you?”
“Because it would be too easy. I want you to know I’m the one who burned your entire clubhouse to the ground.”
“What do you—” He’s cut off by an explosion.
The top of the building crumbles as fire fills the room.
“Did you honestly think I didn’t bring backup?” I say to Maxim, who stares at me with wide eyes.
The fire begins to spread throughout the room, covering the men who are already dead. Soon, other men will die. They’ll burn inside.
“You’ll die in here with us,” Maxim says.
“No. We won’t.”
Because right then, more of my men arrive, shooting bullets into the room. Maxim dives for the ground as Dimitri and I hunker back behind the bar.
Dimitri laughs. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time!”
I just stare at him and shake my head.
My men’s footsteps enter the clubhouse as they gun down more of the bikers. Smoke fills the air. I need to get out soon before I die. That would defeat my whole purpose.
I charge for the door and don’t look back. It’s not until I’m outside that I turn around and watch the building collapse and burn.
My men come running out.
Dimitri doesn’t.
“Find Dimitri,” I order my men.
“Uh, sir, it’s too dangerous to go back inside,” Silva says. He’s worked for me for only a year because his father used to work for me. Shows what family loyalty will get you.
“Fine. I’ll find him myself,” I growl, heading back into the burning building.
Smoke clogs my lungs and eyes. It takes me a moment to register what I’m seeing. All the dead bodies. All the blood. All of it in flames.
And there’s Dimitri, slumped over the bar. I shake him, and his eyes flutter open. “Get out,” I say, pushing him toward the exist. He stumbles to the front door with me following.
Then I hear the gunshot.
Then I feel the pain in my leg as it buckles, and I fall to the ground. Dimitri doesn’t look back as he leaves the building.
Clutching my leg, I look up as Maxim steps into view. Somehow unharmed. Fucking bastard.
“I just wanted peace,” he hisses. “But you just couldn’t learn your lesson, could you?”
“You needed to be put in your place.” I cough as smoke fills my lungs.
“No. You need to be put in your place, Nikolai.” He lifts his gun, and I stare at him back. I will not shut my eyes as he kills me. I’m no coward. My scar is a testament to that.
And then he whips the gun against my head, sending me sprawling to the ground.
“You can’t die that easily,” he says as blackness takes over my vision. “I need you and everyone else to learn you don’t mess with The Knights.”
All I see is fire before everything goes dark.
AVA
Mrs. Brown unlocks my bedroom door to bring me food. It’s the same old, same old.
Except for one thing.
“I can’t believe he actually locked you up,” she says, shaking her head with a disapproving frown as she sets the food on the table.
“Does that mean you’re going to help me?”
She hesitates.
“Mrs. Brown, please. You just said it yourself. He locked me in this room. How can you be all right with any of this?”
“I’m not,” she says firmly but is unable to look at me. “I’m not all right with any of this, dear. But I can’t help you. He gave me explicit orders to not let you out.”
I eye the open door. “So, if I ran past you right now, you would stop me?”
“Yes, I would. But I’m an older woman, and you’re much younger than me. You could easily overpower me.”
It dawns on me what she’s saying.
“Thank you,” I whisper and run for the open door.
Edmund is standing next to the front door—as usual—so I turn into the kitchen. I can’t risk escaping right away again. Who knows what Nikolai would do to me then?
But I can’t stay cooped up in that bedroom any longer.
I’d put up with a thousand Claudes if it meant I didn’t have to be locked up again.
“You didn’t eat,” he snaps when I enter the kitchen.
“No, I didn’t. Because I’m a prisoner in this home. Sorry if I didn’t feel like eating right this moment.”
Claude mutters under his breath as he stirs soup in a large pot.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I ask.
He stops stirring. “I never said I hated you.”
“But you act like it.”
“That’s because you’re just so American. You all either eat too much or not at all. It’s ridiculous.”
“Claude, my mother died before my very eyes. My father did it and then sold me to Nikolai, who forced me to marry him. Can you blame me if my appetite isn’t huge right now?”
For just a moment, there’s a softness to his eyes. Then he shakes his head and turns back to the pot. “You need to eat. I will not forgive you if you do not eat my food.”
“Fine. I’ll try a bite of that.” I point at the pot.
“Silly girl, this won’t be ready until later.”
And that’s my cue to leave the kitchen.
I pass by Edmund again, who offers me a kind smile. Since I’m stuck in this house, I might as well get to know everyone better.
“Edmund, how did you start working for Nikolai?”
His smile creates fine lines around his eyes. While it makes him appear nicer, if he were truly nice, he would have helped me escape by now. “I’ve worked with Nikolai for over ten years now, but I’ve worked in this profession for around forty years.”
“Long time.”
“Yes, but I love it. I love helping people into their homes. Making sure they’re comfortable. A welcoming smile. I was made for this profession.”
“So, how did you meet Nikolai?”
“My old employer died, and then Mr. Petrov showed up at his house and told me he wanted me for his butler. It was that simple.”
“Who was your old employer?”
“A man named Sergei Morozova.”
“Russian, too.”
“Yes.”
I look at Edmund closer. “So, you’ve always worked for the Bratva, then?”
“I never said Mr. Morozova worked for the Bratva.”
“You didn’t have to. How else did Nikolai know to find you?”
“Well, that’s true. I have always worked for men in … that profession. I didn’t know who Mr. Morozova was when I first met him, but it became apparent the longer I worked for him.”
“But you never said a word. You never quit and tried to find a job with a non-mob boss?”
“Ava,” he says, taking my hand, which is a lot more intimate than Edmund and I have ever been. “When you enter into this world, you don’t get out of it. I’ve never been able to leave it. But instead of fighting it, I gave in and accepted that these are the people I work for. It’s made my life a lot easier. It will be easier for you, too, if you accept Mr. Petrov for who he really is.”
I rip my hand away from him. “I don’t need your advice.”
“I apologize if I’m overstepping. But I do think you need it. You need to understand why, every time you leave this house, I call Mr. Petrov and report to him about your absence. This is my life now.”
“Are you afraid of Nikolai?” I whisper.
Edmund smiles, dissipating some of my tension. “No. I’m not afraid of him. But I learned long ago to not make any men in this profession angry. I will never get on Mr. Petrov’s bad side. Not even, I’m afraid, for you.”
And there’s the rub.
Edmund and Mrs. Brown and Claude—they’re all on Nikolai’s side. He pays them, gives them a good life, and they don’t want to risk it. They won’t risk it for me.
I’m truly alone here. The only one I ever had was my mother, and I still need answers about what happened to her.
I need to talk to my father again.
NIKOLAI
My head is dangling, creating a kink in my neck.
When I lift it, all I see is a cement room. My hands are above my head, attached to cuffs in the ceiling. My feet barely touch the ground.
It seems The Knights have their own little torture room. I have to admit, I’m a little impressed.
There’s only one door in the room. It opens and in walks Maxim, holding a knife in his hands.
“I didn’t want to do this, Nikolai,” he says. “I wanted peace. But you didn’t want that. So now, I need to make you pay for all my men you killed.”
I smile. “Bring it on.”
AVA
I need a gun.
That’s the only way I can make my father take me seriously.
Maxim did shoot him, but I know my father. He didn’t die. He’s too much of a coward to do that.
Nikolai must have guns scattered throughout the house in case someone attacked. I just never bothered to look before, but now, I do.
I scour the living room but don’t find anything. I scour the library and don’t find anything. I try the door to his office, but it’s locked, and I don’t have a key.
Lastly, I try the door to his room, but it’s also locked.
So, I try once more to search for a gun.
And that’s when I find it. Taped to the underside of the couch in the living room. It makes me wonder how many other guns I missed out on in my search. The thought sends a shiver down my spine.
It’s been a day since Nikolai left the house and locked me up. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t care. I just need to find my mom’s body.
I approach Edmund with the gun. “Let me pass.” I don’t point it at him, but I know he can see it. His eyes widen, and he backs away from the door.
“I know you’re going to call Nikolai,” I say. “But I have to do this.”
He doesn’t say a word as I leave. I wait for Nikolai’s guards to follow me, but … no one does. Strange. Not my problem.
I use some of the money I stole from Mrs. Brown to buy another subway ticket and reach my father’s apartment. I bang on the door with the butt of the gun.
“It’s me,” I say.
After a long moment, he cracks the door open. “Ava, what are you?—”
Lifting the gun, I aim it at his head, forcing him to back away from the door as I push it open. He has a bandage around his leg from where he got shot, and he’s using crutches.
“I need to know,” I say. “I need to know where my mom is. Where’s her body?”
“I don’t know. I already told you.”
“How can you not know? You knew how to find us in New Haven. You ruined both hers and my life. You must know who took her body. So just tell me!”
He lifts one of the crutches and smacks it across my head before I can fire off a shot. The gun clatters to the floor as I fall, and pain zips through my head, feeling like I just got hit with … well, a crutch.
Father grabs the gun and aims it at me as I lie on the floor. “You don’t get to come in here and shout at me. Not after how I gave everything to you. But now that you’re back, I can make the most out of you.”
“No,” I groan, trying to sit up, but the pain in my head is too much.
“Yes. I know just the man, too. He likes women. Surely, he’ll pay a good price for you. Now, stand up.”
I do as he says, moving slowly as the pain recedes from my head.
He motions the gun toward the door. “Now, walk.”
I shuffle my feet out of his apartment, feeling like the stupidest person in the world. I had a gun on him, and he still managed to get the better of me.
It’s becoming increasingly clear my father is my weakness.
He forces me into his car and locks me inside before I can try escaping. Driving with one hand as his other hand holds the gun trained on me, he takes us to a club.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask.
“Because I need money, and you fetched me a good price before. You’ll do it again.”
I take a closer look at the club he pulled up to and almost laugh. I recognize this place. It’s Dimitri’s club. How ironic.
Father shoves the gun into my back as he makes me walk into the club so no one else can see it.
The loud crowd and even louder music is just as I remember. I also remember how Jason didn’t help me, how Dimitri betrayed me, and how I almost lost my life that night … until Nikolai saved me.
My heart flutters at that memory. I’m not even sure why.
“Who are you taking me to?” I ask.
“Him.” He nods to the second level. It takes me a moment to realize he’s motioning toward Dimitri. “I know he likes pretty women. I’ll just give you to him.”
We head up the stairs and reach Dimitri’s private booth. Once again, he’s surrounded by beautiful men and women.
He barely gives me or my father a second look.
“Dimitri Ivanov,” Father says. “I have a woman for you.”
Dimitri sighs and finally looks at us. Then his eyes alight with … amusement? “Ava, is that you? Sneaking out again, I take it.”
“How … how do you know her?” Father asks.
“She’s married to my business partner. And who, pray tell, are you, kind sir?”
I scoff at Dimitri’s nonchalant, jokester attitude. He doesn’t care about anyone other than himself.
“I’m her father.”
Dimitri’s eyes grow even wider. “No kidding! And what are you doing here?”
“He’s trying to sell me to you,” I say. I couldn’t trust Dimitri before, I doubt I can again. But I need help, and he’s all I’ve got.
Dimitri stares at us for a moment before laughing. “Jeez. How many times have you been sold?”
I don’t reply.
He stands up and approaches us. “Well, this has been interesting, but I’m already bored. So, Ava, why don’t you return home and you”—he sets his eyes on my father— “should really stop trying to sell your daughter for money. I’m not interested.”
“No,” Father growls, shoves me away, and aims his gun at Dimitri. “I need money!”
Dimitri’s guards are on my father in five seconds flat, holding him to the ground and taking the gun away.
“Now, that was definitely more interesting,” Dimitri says, turning to me. “Some pops you have.”
“Yeah. He’s terrible.”
“Bad luck for you recently. First, Nik, and now, you’re father. All just bad luck.”
I stand up straighter. “What about Nikolai?”
“You haven’t heard? Maxim kidnapped him. Probably torturing him right this second.”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday.”
Explains why I haven’t seen Nikolai in over a day.
“You didn’t think to tell me?”
Dimitri shrugs. “What’s there to tell? I thought you hated him. Figured this would be a good chance for you to make your escape.”
Holy … Dimitri’s right. With Nikolai gone, I’d be free. I could go back to school. I could do anything.
I need to get to the train station so I can head back to New Haven. I can find out what happened to my mom and I can return to Yale and everything will be all right.
I nod at my father. “Can you make sure he doesn’t follow me? Please?”
“Sure.” He motions at his guards who have a hold on my father. “Keep him there for a while.” He winks. “Have fun with your freedom.”
Hurrying out of the club, I walk fast to the nearest subway. I could have taken my father’s keys and used his car to drive myself, but I don’t want anything to do with my father.
I reach the train station and find a train heading to New Haven in only thirty minutes. This is it. This is my chance.
I reach the front of the line to buy my ticket.
“Where are you heading?” the ticket agent asks.
I open my mouth to say New Haven, and then … I stop. Nothing comes out.
Nikolai is currently getting tortured by Maxim. He might already be dead. And for some reason, that thought hurts more than it should. I don’t love him. I don’t care for him. I can’t.
But he is my husband. And without Nikolai, what do I have?
Honestly, I don’t have anybody.
That thought tears right through me, making me double over with a gasp.
“Are you ok?” the ticket agent asks, bending over the desk to look at me.
No, I’m not ok.
Because I have to save my husband.