Chapter 10 - Dominik
“How are we doing?” I asked Artem, who sat across from me at the gleaming mahogany table.
I stared at my phone, impatient. I was expecting a very important call, one that should be coming in any moment from now.
Artem glanced at the tablet in his hand. “So far, the money seems to be rolling in, with no issues from usual corners. Senator Dan wishes to inform you that, starting from today, he will work more diligently to minimize red tape. He promised to influence more lawmakers to be sympathetic to your wishes—and he thanks you for your contribution to the nation’s economy.”
Chuckling, I shrugged. “I help him win an election, and he thinks he’s the only one I have. He seems to forget that I already have influence in the senate.”
Artem leaned back, studying me. “How do you feel about becoming a father?”
Momentarily nonplussed by the abrupt change in subject, I looked to the window; returning my gaze to the walls of the office, I stared at nothing. “Fuck if I know. I suppose I feel humbled and proud at the same time. It just feels like there was nothing that could get to me—nothing—until this.”
That was it. I had given some thought to the prospect of marriage; however, I’d always told myself that, in time, I would be ready—only, time kept going by, and I still wasn’t ready.
It was like a fight with fate, but fate had the upper hand, surprising me with punches and almost knocking me down, breathless.
Artem eyed me curiously. “Surely, the prospect of being a father is a happy one?”
I just nodded and looked back down at my phone.
There came a knock on the door, followed by its gentle opening. One of my men poked his head in, saying, “Boss? We have an emergency.”
I beckoned, and he moved aside to let someone in—a man, breathing hard, his eyes glued to the ground. Immediately, I recognized him as Igor, the man I’d tasked with sending groceries and necessities to Maya. I could tell he’d been running by how he panted, the sweat glistening on his brow.
Artem swiveled in his chair to face the newcomer.
Not waiting to let him catch his breath, I ordered, “Speak.”
Igor took in three deep breaths, stood erect, and said, “I was out getting things for Maya, as directed. I made my way to her place and honked several times, but she didn’t respond.”
He looked up, then continued when he saw my nod. “I thought, maybe she has guests, or maybe, she has stepped out? But seeing as I didn’t get a call from you about her not being there, I decided to go up with four of the guys to find out if everything was okay, and…”
My heart sank, and I found myself holding my breath.
“Her apartment was empty,” Igor continued. “We looked around and noticed signs of a struggle. Instantly, I feared the worst, so we left and came to report.”
More words were said, but a buildup of anger caused me to rise from my seat. Maya, kidnapped? Who would have the audacity?
My thoughts raced, a list of potential suspects forming quickly in my mind.
“I’ll contact the guys,” Artem said, furrowing his brow as he turned to me.
Just then, my phone rang; I looked to see Unknown Caller displayed on the screen.
I had an idea who it might be, but I needed to be sure. I snatched the phone up and put it speaker, quietly waiting for whoever it was to introduce themselves.
“You’re awfully quiet,” came Mike’s distinct voice. “Good. That means you’ve heard. That means I was right to make this move. I didn’t know if you’d remember me, considering how many enemies you have.”
I could hear the smirk in his voice, and I imagined punching that smug smile off his face as he continued.
“Still, I like to leave my fangs deep in the skin of my adversaries to let them know the pain I once felt. I guess you feel it, too—the pain I felt when you chased me away.”
“Just to be clear,” I snarled, “you have no fangs. You’re like the riffraff at the street corner, struggling to stay relevant, yet unaware that he’s just a punk.”
“Yes. Yes. Big words from the big man.”
I narrowed my eyes. “At least that’s what I am.”
Mike’s tone grew almost whiny. “All I needed was a little bit of territory. I thought you’d understand, but no! You barely even acknowledged my existence.” He laughed. “And now, I hold all the cards. Tell me, Dominik—how does it feel to know that you can be this vulnerable? No lies, now.”
I glanced at Artem and Igor, then turned my focus to the window.
“This doesn’t make you a man,” I growled. “Taking a pregnant woman instead of coming to face me like a man? Come on, Mike. That’s beneath you. You are a fucking coward.”
“If I’d extended an invitation to you to come have a face-to-face chat with me, you wouldn’t have accepted,” Mike retorted. “This is me ensuring you do as I say.”
“You think you can command me?” My voice sounded low and dangerous, even to my ears.
“No, Dominik. I know I can. Anyway, enough posturing—will you let her die at my hands, too? That’s what I want to know. If you don’t want to see your precious baby mama—or whatever she is to you—dead, come down to the old factory, and make sure you come alone. Cops aren’t your style, anyway, so no going to cry to the police. Don’t forget: the old factory.”
The old factory. How fitting that this should go down right where I killed all Mike’s men—and lost one of mine during the exchange of fire.
“And if I fail to meet to your demands?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Maya dies.”
The line went dead, and I found my grip on the phone grow tighter and tighter as I pictured Mike’s neck in my grasp. I would kill him, the bastard. Fucking gut that bitch.
Artem looked at me warily. “It’s obviously a trap.” When I just stared at him, he looked at Igor. “Assemble the guys.”
As Igor left the office, I held up a hand, turning to Artem. “I will be doing this alone, Artem.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Doing nothing on my part places your life in danger. Surely you don’t intend submitting to this fool without a fight? He knows if he kills Maya without any provocation, his life will be forfeit—he would never be able to return here, and wherever he went, we would haunt him till he is tired of running. You know we can make this happen.”
Laying a hand on his shoulder, I nodded. “Still, I must do this alone. She’s carrying the heir to this empire. I can’t let anything happen to her. I can’t let anything happen to my blood.”
“Think. This could mean your end, Dominik!”
“I don’t care.” I grabbed the keys to my mustang from the table and, with the Devil’s own scowl on my face, aimed for the door.
I didn’t need to turn to know that Artem was right behind me. He was on the phone. Clearly, he would make sure there was backup should things go south, though sometimes I believed his precautions were a bit excessive.
I found my way down to the underground garage, striding past several exotic cars. Looking around, I saw armed men in dark suits loitering around twenty of them, waiting for me.
I sighed. Artem had, indeed, overdone it. Each man had a solemn look revenge on his face. With a single word from me, they were ready to go to war.
I didn’t have time to entertain the idea, though—not with Maya’s life on the line.
Wordlessly, I unlocked my sleek black Mustang, sliding into the driver’s side, and Artem joined me in the passenger seat. All around, car doors slammed shut, each bang echoing like a gunshot.
I started the car, and the engine roared to life, sending powerful vibrations up my legs as it settled into a purr.
The Mustang’s purring hum transformed to an angry roar as I drove up a ramp and out of the garage. A line of exotic cars, all a sleek, uniform black, trailed behind, keeping their distance.
I was a fool. Maya hadn’t tried to charm me—or anything of the sort. I had slept with hundreds of women, and some had ridden me in ways that drove me insane… but, for some reason, I had zeroed in on this one girl, focusing on getting her—and only her. Everything in my being wanted her.
I turned to Artem. “If anything happens to Maya, I won’t forgive you.”
Shrugging, he raised a brow. “Your life is far more important to me. I would rather have you not forgive me then face the wrath of your family for letting you die.”
And that’s how loyal Artem was.
My phone, linked via Bluetooth to the car’s speakers, rang. I answered, and a voice came through the speakers.
“Boss?”
“Fill me in.”
“There’s so much action here, Boss—they’re expecting you. Also, you’re going the wrong way: Certain death awaits you at the old factory, Boss. Head to the warehouse on Seventh. I’ve got to go before they notice I’m gone.”
I voiced my thanks and ended the call.
Artem grinned. “One of ours?”
“You got that right.”
“How? When?”
“Not too long,” I said, smirking. “When Mike returned, I told you to put spies on him. However, I was certain he’d know I had eyes in the city, and he would know how to avoid them—and he did. However, Mike, being Mike, was looking for muscles, so I decided to give him one of ours.”
I glanced at Artem to see a questioning look in his eyes, so I explained. “A fresh catch—no markings on him yet. He was our best fit. I didn’t run it by you or anyone at the Bratva, wanting to keep him under the radar.”
Ignoring the glower on Artem’s face, I waved a hand and turned back to the road. “Anyway, he blended right in. Since then, he’s been keeping me updated on Mike’s movements.”
“Meaning, you knew they were going to take Maya?”
I shrugged.
“You could have stopped it,” Artem said, his voice flat.
“Now, where would be the fun in that?”
Shaking his head, Artem grinned. “Always two steps ahead, Boss. Fucking brilliant.”
I gave a half smile. I didn’t really think it was all that impressive; as far as I was concerned, it couldn’t possibly be that hard to figure out what was happening. I have spies everywhere, watching everything, so knowing exactly when something might happen, who might be involved, or what direction someone might try to take is just par for the course.
In the world of business, I had always been top dog. I had proven myself time and again, but now? Now, it seemed, I may have finally made the leap into another league entirely.
And I didn’t really mind.