Chapter 40
RORI
Slowly, I comply, easing off my father. Then I turn.
It takes a second to put him into focus, my eyes not comprehending the man in front of me.
Mishka Belov. Alive. Standing next to Tatiana in the same outfit, and looking like a much older version of the boy who saved me. “Mishka,” I breathe.
He looks older, more honed, and harder. His hazel eyes are no longer full of light and laughter, but cold, and reflecting dark secrets that only those in this life can understand.
It makes my heart clench hard. His dark hair cut military short, with small faded scars peeking out.
He has no facial hair, but I see tattoos peeking out along the underside of his jaw and neck of his top.
He lowers the gun and we stare at each other. “Rayea,” he finally says. He takes me in quickly, and the first whisper of a smile tugs at his lips. “You’ve certainly grown up. And still causing trouble.”
“What the fuck are you doing? Kill her!” my father bellows. “Kill her now, you useless son of a bitch.”
“We’ll do the whole bullshit reunion thing in a second. Gag him,” Tatiana orders Mishka.
Mishka hands her the gun, and I just blink when he takes mine and my knife and hands them over to her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” my father screams. Another cry of pain, and then the sound of flesh meeting flesh fills my ears. I can’t take my eyes off Tatiana, trying to comprehend what the fuck is happening right now.
“See to your dog, Aurora,” Tatiana finally orders. “Then we’ll all talk.” She turns and walks over to where Ilya and Alonzo are seeing to Hades.
It spurs me into action. I rush over, shoving them both out of the way. “Hades,” I whisper, finding the gash. He whimpers, but tries to nudge my hand away. “I know it hurts, baby,” I murmur. “I got you. I’m so sorry, boy.” I turn to Alonzo. “I need your shirt. Quickly.”
Alonzo doesn’t waste time getting his vest off, flinching at the pain, before yanking off his shirt and handing it to me. I press it to the wound, and then look at Alonzo. I see the dark bruise already forming on his ribs. “Are you alright?” I demand.
“I’m fine.” He gently cups my face. “I was fucking panicked trying to get to you, orsetta.”
I lean into his hand, needing the comfort while my thoughts still reel.
“I want to know what the fuck is going on here. Now,” Ilya barks, pulling my attention. He rises to his feet and stares at Tatiana. The door opens and Zakhar walks in, gun drawn and already pointing it, with Oleg and Freya right behind him. “And this time, you’re not going anywhere.”
Instead of looking annoyed or even surprised, Tatiana grins, practically beaming at him.
I can’t even process it. “I was hoping you were going to say that, Pet,” she croons.
“It was the videos and letters. I knew you’d miss me.
But we’ll have to hold off on our reunion just yet.
We have some things to sort first.” Then she looks at Freya and barks an order in Czech, which has the wolf straightening, then rushing forward with an excited bark.
“Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?” Tatiana says, giving the wolf a quick pet when she leans into her leg. Then, she turns and calls out, “Come on in, Mila.”
Zakhar jolts, as does Alonzo and Ilya, and we all turn to see Mila climbing through the window, her hair windswept, and Ivano right behind her. “What the fuck?” Zakhar hisses.
“Hey, Dad,” Mila says brightly. She takes in the scene, then looks at Tatiana.
“You weren’t lying that it was going to be a mess when we got here.
” She looks at Mishka who has my father gagged and tied up who is struggling furiously against his bonds.
“That’s him? The one who had me taken and sold off to that pig? ”
I stiffen. Wait, what?
“Someone better start fucking talking, now!” Ilya bellows. “Mila, get your ass over here. Now.”
Mila doesn’t comply; she just looks at Tatiana with an I-told-you-so look.
“Mila, now!” Zakhar hisses, his hands twitching, like he’s ready to pull the trigger.
Instead, Mila moves into Tatiana’s side, and wraps an arm around her waist. The tension in the room ramps up and I can feel the danger rising. I look at Alonzo. “Keep the pressure on his wound, Alonzo. It’s almost stopped bleeding.” He looks like he wants to argue, but he finally nods.
I slowly get to my feet. “Get her away from her, and I’ll give you whatever you want,” Ilya tells me instantly, his voice deadly.
I look at Tatiana, then Mila and Mishka, and finally Ivano. My brain is working on overdrive, trying to see what I’m missing. I move into the center, blocking shots on either side, and I hear Alonzo curse. “Trust me,” I say calmly, looking at Alonzo.
I can see the struggle. He wants to tell me to come back, to be near him, let him keep me safe. Finally, he nods, but his eyes never leave me, even as he quietly soothes Hades, who whimpers and tries to get up.
“Let me get this straight,” I say as calmly as I can.
“My husband was alive all this time. You knew he was alive, but said nothing. Not even a hint. Based on what I can tell, he’s been training with my father during the years that I grieved him and lived my life.
And you, somehow, know Mila Belov and have orchestrated whatever the hell you’ve got going on here, and based on the fact that you don’t want me to kill my father, it’s because you were trying to get to him.
What I can’t sort out is why?” Then I look at Mishka.
“And I can’t understand why you have never, in all this time, told me you were alive. ”
Mishka’s gaze is direct on mine, but there’s no hint of apology there. Maybe a flash of regret, but it’s fleeting.
I look back at a grinning Tatiana. “Though something tells me that was your doing.” She shrugs, and I’ll have to take that as much of an admission as I’m going to get.
Then I look at Mila. “You, though, you, I don’t understand how you fit.
Or your uncle. How the hell do you know her?
And what do you mean, my father was the one to try and sell you?
” I stiffen and turn my head to pin Ilya and Zakhar with a cold, flat expression.
“Did you try to send her to my father for training?”
“I should kill you for even suggesting that,” Zakhar seethes.
“Then I suggest someone start talking,” I snap.
Tatiana lets out a drawn out sigh. “I really wanted to deal with this later, but I guess we have to do a fucking circle time now. Everyone put your guns down. Now.” The bite of her voice is powerful, but no one complies. She mutters something that has Mila sputtering out a laugh.
“I told you that would happen,” Mila giggles. Then she looks at her father and uncle. “Put the guns down. I’m safe. She’s not going to hurt me. She’s been saving me for years, and you owe her the chance to explain.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Zakhar demands.
“It means that without her, I wouldn’t fucking be here,” Mila snaps angrily. “So put your gun down, Dad, and fucking listen for once.” Then she looks at her uncle. “Please.”
I glance at Ilya, and I can see the conflict on his face. His eyes move to Tatiana, who gives him a little finger wave. Something passes across his face, until finally he slowly lowers his gun. “Guns down.” When Zakhar gives him an incredulous look, he pins him with a harsh stare. “Now.”
Zakhar slowly lowers his gun, but I can practically feel him vibrating with fury. I look at Oleg, who does the same, but his gaze is on Freya, and I can see his mind working, trying to understand how the wolf knows her.
“Excellent,” Tatiana beams. She looks at Mishka. “You’ve got him?” Mishka nods, his foot lashing out and landing right against my father’s temple, knocking him out cold. He slumps sideways onto the floor. Tatiana rolls her eyes, and Mishka just shrugs.
“Someone start fucking talking,” Ilya orders. “And if you hurt my niece, I’ll kill you.”
Tatiana gives him a cold stare. “I’m going to ignore that insult because I know you’re dealing with a lot, Ilya, but don’t fucking push it.”
Before Ilya can erupt again, I interject, “Start at the beginning, Tatiana.”
She rolls her eyes. “We both know that’s not my name.”
“Considering how many different names you go by, how the fuck am I supposed to know?” I demand, throwing my hands up in exasperation. I hear a snort behind me from Alonzo, but I don’t look at him. “And unless you want to spill your real name, then start talking.”
She shoots me a warning look, but I just hold her stare. If she wants to test me, I’ll spill it all. I’m so over all this bullshit.
“I saved Mila from a pedophile, and from there, I uncovered just how deep the ring of sex trafficking and pedophiles runs in this part of the world,” she finally says tightly.
She glances at Mila, who nods for her to keep going.
“It didn’t take me long to fish out how the man who took her found her.
” She looks at Ilya. “Her name and information were given to the man by Timur Belov’s contacts, on the order of the Bratva Butcher, to bring you to your knees while searching for her.
They wanted you so distracted that you let everything fall apart.
They were sure you’d never find her, because the man they sold her to was known for getting rid of his victims within twenty-four hours. ”
I glance back and see Ilya and Zakhar’s expressions harden before looking over at my father with a look that promises retribution.
“I’ve already been planning on taking him down when the time was right, but well, this just sealed it.” I see her look at Mishka. “Mishka was smart, fast, and hungry enough to help me make it happen.” She looks back at me. “The problem was we could never get close. Until you called me.”
I narrow my eyes. “And that was the moment you realized that I could bring him out into the open.”