Chapter Twenty-Three
Leonid
I round the hood of my car, my boots crunching against the gravel as I throw myself into the driver’s seat. Mikhail is already sitting in the passenger side, with a cigarette placed between his lips and an air of seriousness around him.
He plucks a silver Zippo lighter out of the breast pocket of his jacket and runs his thumb down the flint wheel. Three sparks later, the butt glows cherry red. He tosses the lighter back into his pocket and leans back into his seat.
I shift into drive, slamming my foot onto the gas. The tires spit dirt as we blast out of the estate grounds, with a few other cars driving behind us.
A few minutes later, I throw a quick glance at the rearview, checking the fleet following our lead, but the pointed stare at the side of my face starts to annoy me.
“Is there a particular reason you’re staring at me?” I don’t look at him, but from the corner of my eyes, I catch the flick of his fingers motioning to mine, which rapidly tap against the steering wheel.
“Something’s on your mind,” he points out. “I couldn’t help but notice how many times you’ve drummed your fingers against that thing.”
I scoff. “So I’m disturbing you?”
He makes a nonchalant gesture with his shoulder. “I’m just saying, you can get it off your chest.”
“I almost fucking lost her, Mikhail. During the attack on the house, at the docks…if I hadn’t gotten there on time, who knows what would have happened.”
“But you did get there on time.”
“Still, she’s in danger,” I clip out, my voice completely devoid of emotion as I stare at the winding road. “She thinks she’s masking the fear of being mixed up in all this, but she’s clearly terrified, Mikhail. And it’s getting to me.”
Mikhail takes a slow drag before he lets out a quiet exhale.
“With all due respect, Leonid, I think this might all be in your head,” he says, completely unafraid of my mood.
He shifts in his seat and glances my way.
“We both know Elena’s not a quiet woman.
She’s vocal. We’ve all seen her look you in the eye when any other person would be begging for their life.
If she truly wasn’t comfortable here, if she wanted out of this life, she’d tell you.
She’d insist on leaving. But she’s still here, by your side, because that’s where she wants to be. ”
I lean back against the seat and run my fingers through my hair as his words sink into my mind. Before I can offer a cynical reply, the synchronized beeping of our encrypted phones cuts through the air.
Mikhail snaps his device out of his pocket at the same second I glance down at the illuminated screen on the dashboard. It’s an urgent intel report from some of our security at the harbor.
My blood runs cold.
“Vasili is mobilizing,” Mikhail mutters, and his voice loses all its previous calm as he reads the rapid stream of data.
“He’s moving faster and bolder than before.
His men are bypassing our security at the southern docks right now.
The bastard isn’t waiting for us to raid his complex, Leonid.
He’s bringing the fight to our doorstep. ”
The fury that’s been simmering in my chest all afternoon instantly boils over. Vasili thinks he can catch me off guard. I’m going to show him how wrong he is.
I press the speed-dial on the console, and the line barely rings before a gravelly voice answers. “Boss?”
“Get the gas and weapons ready,” I growl. “Vasili is pushing the southern line. Call the reserve units at the warehouse. We’re bypassing the original raid. I want a full, merciless counterstrike the second they cross the boundary. Do not take prisoners.”
“Understood.”
I slam my hand on the steering wheel, terminating the call. There’s no time to waste, no time to analyze anything.
With a brutal jerk of my arms, I yank the wheel violently to the left.
I stomp on the brakes and the accelerator simultaneously, swerving the car around in a violent U-turn. The tires shriek in an agonizing protest against the asphalt, leaving a cloud of dark smoke in the rearview.
The sun begins to set, but instead of orange streaks ripping through purple skies, the clouds turn shades of gray—the type of clouds that promise violent rain and a turbulent storm.
I lead the attack personally.
Mikhail stands guard by my side and, together, we watch the night erupt into flames.
Automatic gunfire rips through the silence of the harbor, and within minutes, a blinding pillar of fire lights up the dark water as Vasili’s cargo ships begin to burn.
Heat washes over my face as roaring flames reflect in the ripples of the black sea.
We sweep through the docks with speed and efficiency. Shipping containers explode into towering infernos of twisted metal and ash.
Decades of his smuggling infrastructure, millions of dollars in premium cocaine routes—most of what Vasili built to challenge my position—is turned to smoke in a single night.
Standing on the edge of the concrete pier and watching years of his work burn, a grim, icy satisfaction settles deep in my chest.
But it lasts for only a few seconds.
My phone rings, the jarring sound piercing through the thundering rumble of the explosions. I bring it to my ear, keeping my gaze fixed on the burning harbor. “Speak.”
“It was a distraction, boss.” Ace’s voice comes over the line. “The ambush was a distraction. He didn’t send his main forces to the docks. He sent them after another target. Volkov is dead.”
My blood runs cold at the name of Tatiana’s bodyguard. I’ve been in this business long enough to understand what’s happening. His death means only one thing, and I dread the reality of hearing Ace say it.
“Vasili took her. He has Tatiana.”
The words hit me like a physical blow.
My chest tightens, and for a few seconds, I can’t breathe. My vision blurs and the world tilts violently.
The roaring fire before me loses its heat, and white noise starts in my ears.
He dared to touch her. The only blood family I have left, the only innocent piece of my soul, the person I swore to protect before she was even born…and she’s in the hands of a desperate animal.
Vasili’s wanted to hit me where it hurts for a very long time, and tonight he’s done it. He’s dealt a fucking punch below the belt, but I’ll make sure he feels the full force of the consequences.
I make a sharp turn, heading back to the car. My entire body vibrates with rage, all logical reasoning fizzles out, and my mind is clouded with bloodlust.
In this moment, there’s only one thing I can think of. Only one place I want to go.
Mikhail follows me with a frown. “Leonid? What’s going on? What’s wrong? I thought we—”
“He fucking has Tatiana,” I grit out. “The bastard! I swear on my life, I’m going to kill him with my own hands.”
Mikhail freezes. “Shit.”
“Call the men back. We need to figure out where the hell he’s taken her. We have less than forty-eight hours to fucking plan and execute.”
“Understood. I’ll meet you back at the estate.”
I don’t bother with a reply. I throw myself into the driver’s seat and slam the door so hard the windows rattle.
The engine screams in protest as I push it to its absolute limit.
On the agonizing drive back to the house, darkness presses in on me, trapping me in trance where I see black clothes, black umbrellas lifted high, and rain pouring down on a fresh grave.
For the first time in my life, I consider the unthinkable—that I might actually lose my sister. The thought is like a jagged blade twisting in my chest.
I’ve survived getting shot, stabbed, and betrayed, but the thought of Tatiana’s innocent life being snuffed out because of my dirty hands makes my throat close with a cold, paralyzing dread.
When the car screeches to a halt in the courtyard of the main estate, I don’t wait for the engine to die.
I fling the door open and storm through the front doors of the house.
The air inside is heavy and thick with silence. More men patrol the front yard than usual, and a handful of them are stationed inside, at the entrances and hallways. But I ignore them all.
My feet move on their own accord, carrying me straight up the staircase and down the corridor to my bedroom.
I throw the door open and find her standing right at the center of the room.
She looks smaller than usual and utterly breathtaking, with her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she’s trying to hold herself together. She’s wearing one of her baggy sweaters that swallows her whole frame, paired with casual shorts, contrasting the violence waiting outside.
I march up to her with terrifying speed, closing the distance before she can even speak.
My hands fly up to cup her cheeks. Her skin is warm, but it’s damp. She’s been crying. She’s already heard the news.
The sheer agony of seeing her tears fractures whatever restraint I had left. Desperate for her to anchor me, I slide my arms under her hips and lift her effortlessly off her feet, bringing her lips down to mine in a bruising, chaotic collision.
The kiss is intense, urgent, and desperate, like that of a drowning man clawing his way to the surface. I need her life, her heat, her existence to remind me that I haven’t lost everything yet.
After a few breathless seconds, she pulls back just a fraction, her chest heaving like she just ran a marathon. Her hands leave my shoulders and cup my cheeks, forcing me to hold still.
“You’re shaking,” she whispers against my lips, and her breath hitches as she feels the violent tremors wracking my massive frame.
I don’t say anything. I can’t. The words are caught in my throat. Instead, my trembling fingers reach up and gently tuck a stray lock of honey-blonde hair behind her ear.
“Leo, look at me,” she commands softly.
I try, but I can’t.
I look down, my gaze dropping to her throat, to the floor, terrified that if she looks into my eyes right now, she’ll see the shattered, broken boy instead of the controlling monster she’s used to.
But she refuses to let me hide. She grips my face tighter, her touch firm and grounding, physically forcing my head up until my tortured eyes are locked onto hers.
“Look at me,” she repeats, her tone steadying into pure steel. “You’re going to find your sister, Leo. Do you hear me? You will find Tatiana and you will bring her home.”
That grim image forms again—rain pouring on a graveyard—and I swallow hard. Panic claws at my throat, but she presses closer, her forehead resting against mine.
“This is not the time to break.” Her eyes flash with fierce intensity. “It’s the time to become lethal. You know who you are. They all know what you’re capable of. Leo, you don’t need a pep talk. Go get your sister.”
Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning, destroying the anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Her belief in me is so absolute it tears through the fog of my panic.
My focus reignites and my raw fury turns into a razor-sharp purpose. The shaking stops. The fear burns away, leaving behind a cold, hollow void of pure malice.
I straighten my spine, my broad shoulders squaring as the cold and deadly calm returns to my veins.
Elena is right.
This shit ends tonight. Vasili has crossed a line from which there is no return, and I will ensure he doesn’t survive the dawn.
I gently drop Elena back onto her feet, but I don’t let her go. I slide my fingers down to wrap firmly around her hand, turning on my heel and leading her out of the bedroom.
“Are we going after Tatiana now?” she asks, her quick footsteps trying to match my long strides down the hallway.
“Yes, but first we need to make a quick stop somewhere,” I say, but I don’t look back.
“Where?”
My jaw tightens. “The war room. We’re going to map out a massacre.”