Chapter 45
CHAPTER
FORTY-FIVE
NIKOLAI
My stomach churns when I see the opening frame. It’s my worst nightmare come true. Sofiya is tied to a chair, her wrists bound behind her. Her head is tilted back at an unnatural angle, Igor’s hand twisted cruelly in her hair.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Igor’s voice drips with mockery. He grins into the camera, a knife pressed against Sofiya’s throat. She flinches, tears glistening in her eyes, but otherwise remains perfectly still. The rage inside me burns white-hot, but I can’t tear my eyes from the screen. Sofiya looks terrified, but she’s alive.
Vadim leans over my shoulder. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath.
There’s no sign of Emil, but he could be behind the camera. That he might stand there, watching Igor do this to Sofiya and doing nothing, makes my blood boil.
“You left your precious little pawn unprotected, and now, she’s mine. I thought you were smarter than this, Nikolai. I warned you about letting a woman make you weak, but you didn’t listen, did you? You fell in love, and now you’ll pay the price, and so will your pretty little dancer.”
He gives a sharp tug to her hair as if to make his point. Beside me, Roman growls low in his throat.
Igor’s voice darkens. “If you want to see Sofiya alive again, you’ll play by my rules.” Igor’s smirk widens as he presses the knife closer to Sofiya’s neck. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to block him out, and every protective instinct in me roars to life. Every muscle in my body locks up, my heart pounding so hard I swear it might crack my ribs.
“Nikolai, you have 24 hours to sign over the casino deal and every asset tied to it. Roman, you’ll give me and my new partners free rein in Moscow. Open borders, full access, no interference. And to ensure the Syndicate is sufficiently weakened, you’ll also transfer 100 million dollars to an off-shore account.
“And in case you’re under the illusion you can stop me, let me introduce my new partners: the Black Company. Roman, I’m sure that name rings a bell. You thought you erased them from the map. I’m here to tell you they’ve rebuilt and are out for revenge.”
Roman’s face darkens. The Black Company was a powerful Chinese triad that the Syndicate took down years ago. It sounds like they’ve risen from the ashes.
Igor’s attention shifts back to Sofiya, and my blood turns to fire as he drags the flat of the knife down her cheek. “Oh, Nikolai. If only you listened to me when I warned you. Now Sofiya’s mine, and trust me, the next 24 hours will be unforgettable—for both of us.” She swallows hard, her throat working overtime. “If I get what I want, I’ll drop her off at the old dockyards tomorrow at midnight. If not, well, I’ve already got buyers lined up who are very interested in her… talents.”
The video ends, the screen goes black, and it feels like every cell in my body is vibrating, my blood roaring in my ears. The thought of Sofiya in Igor’s hands, of what he’s threatened to do, has me teetering on the edge of control.
For a second, the room is deathly silent, and then I drive my fist into the wall, the crack of impact breaking the quiet. Pain shoots up my arm, but I welcome it. My bleeding knuckles are the only thing anchoring me, keeping me from completely losing my grip.
All this time, Igor was playing me. How long had he been plotting against me? How long was I just a puppet in his carefully planned endgame—one I was too blind to see? Shame burns hot under my collar. He told me Sofiya would betray me, but it was him all along. The real snake. I draw in a ragged breath. I owe Sofiya so many apologies. Failing to see Igor and Emil for the traitors they are is something I’ll never forgive myself for.
Vadim clamps a firm hand on the back of my neck, his grip steady. “Breathe,” he says. “We’ll figure this out, but now’s not the time to lose it.”
Across the room, Roman sinks into a chair, his head in his hands. Pavel stays silent, his face a mask of hard lines and tension.
“This shouldn’t be possible,” Roman mutters, his voice taut with frustration. “The Black Company was wiped out. We made sure of it.”
“Obviously, we didn’t.” Pavel drags a hand through his hair. “We failed… I failed.” I don’t know what that means, but the two men exchange a heavy look.
The door creaks open, and Eva steps in cautiously. Her gaze sweeps the room, landing on me. “What’s going on?”
“Igor sent a video. He’s got Sofiya, and he’s working with the Black Company Triad. They want everything—territory, money, the casino deal—and we have 24 hours to comply.”
My phone dings, with a link to an encrypted server.
Roman looks up, his eyes shadowed. “We can’t just give them what they want. Even if we do, they’ll just come back for more. They’re playing us, they want to take us down.”
“And if we don’t?” I snap, my voice breaking. “What then? Do you think Igor’s bluffing?”
Eva straightens from where she’s leaning against the wall. “Let’s not waste any more time. We have a possible location, thanks to the ankle monitor. Our men are geared up and ready. If we move now, we might have a shot at getting her back before the 24 hour deadline.”
Pavel pushes off his chair, his expression grim. “What if the Black Company’s soldiers are guarding the place? If we go in blind, we could be walking into an ambush.”
Vadim drums his fingers on the desk. “I can get a drone above the location. It’ll give us eyes on the ground so we know what we’re walking into.”
“That’s our best option for now,” I agree. “Let’s fucking do this. I don’t want to wait another minute.”
The room bursts into motion, everyone filing out. I stay rooted in place, watching as Roman lingers by the door. He rubs his temples, exhaustion written in every line of his face.
I clear my throat. “Do you want to call Liza? Let her know what’s going on?”
He drops his hands, shaking his head slowly. “No. There’s no point in stressing her out until we know more. She’s been through enough already. But I’ll let Maxim Belov know what’s happening. He needs to be looped in.” Roman’s eyes meet mine. “I can see how much this is costing you. How much you care for her.”
“I fucking love her, and I’ll stop at nothing to bring her home safely. And then I’ll hunt them down, one by one, and make sure they suffer for this. It’s going to be a bloody night in St. Petersburg.”
Roman’s lips twitch. “Alright, then. I’ve got your back every step of the way.”
I exhale, steadying myself, before walking out the door and hope like hell I’m bringing my wife home tonight.