Chapter 23 - Valery
My heart is racing. Despite the confidence I showed when explaining this plan to Jaroslav and his brothers, I’m honestly terrified. I’ve never done anything this brave before, or this stupid. But it’s going to work.
Talia is standing next to me, right at my side, waiting for her brother, Marlen, to arrive at a carefully chosen meeting spot between our territories.
He knows we have Bardil prisoner, and he’s on his way to negotiate for his freedom.
Bardil looks like hell, and I could see the effect this had on Talia, but she didn’t let it stop her from going ahead with the plan.
“I chose where my loyalty lies when I chose my husband,” she told me. “My brothers refused to accept it or give me the freedom to love him, and because of that, they caused me pain. And now they’re pushing their luck by messing with my husband’s alliances and his family.”
“So, you’re on our side?” I asked.
“I’m on your side, Valery. You and Timofey. You are my family.”
My brother is standing nearby, as unhappy with the plan as Jaroslav is. But their reasons for being unhappy are simply that Talia and I are putting ourselves in harm’s way in order to negotiate. It’s a good plan. Our husbands know this.
The rest of the Abashin and Shevchenko family are here too, waiting.
Talia shifts her weight from one foot to another when someone announces that Marlen has arrived.
“You’ve got this,” I whisper, throwing her a confident smile. She nods, smiling back, then as her brother walks into the room, she pushes her chin high and her shoulders back.
“Hi, Marlen, thanks for coming,” she says loudly.
Marlen sneers in shock when he sees her. “What are you doing here? Where is that asshole who took Bardil and tortured our brother?”
“I’m here,” Jaroslav says.
“Step forward and speak to me, Jaroslav. Stop hiding behind my sister and your wife.”
Marlen is angry to be faced with the two of us, but he’s in for a surprise.
“Actually, you’ve already had a chance to negotiate with the men, and you messed it up.
Due to your constant attacks, you’ve earned an audience with us instead.
” Talia sounds as strong and confident as ever, and I’m so proud of her for that.
She stands her ground and forces her brother’s attention on her and her alone.
“Valery and I are sick of your egotistical arrogance, and we’re here to put an end to it once and for all. Bardil tried to kidnap her, and he tried to kidnap Jaroslav’s sisters. He crossed a line messing with my family. I won’t accept this, even if you are my family too.”
“They aren’t your family, we are you’re only family,” Marlen growls.
“They are my family, Marlen. Then sooner you understand how much their support means to me, the quicker you will realize how serious I am about putting an end to this, one way or another.”
“Talia is my sister, Marlen. And we fight for our families, we don’t make selfish choices that lead to them being hurt.” I step closer to her side to show her that she has my full support.
“What the fuck do you want then?” Marlen snaps, agitated.
“We want you to back off. There is plenty of business in this city for everyone to be successful, and I’m asking you, as your sister, to back down and leave my new family alone.”
Marlen stares at her for a long time, his fists clenched at his side.
“And what do I get in return?” he huffs, his eyes tracing up and down my body with menace. “What’s in it for me?”
“The deal is straightforward,” I say. “The Popovs refrain from messing with our operations, and they give up the area of territory that borders the Shevchenko territory, and we give you your brother back.”
Marlen’s eyes snap onto mine, his flaring wide. “Bardil is alive?” he blurts out in shock.
“He is alive. He needs medical attention, but he’s alive. We will let you take him with you now, as long as you agree to our terms and leave here peacefully.” I address him with a clear demand etched into my words. Pay attention, we aren’t playing games.
Inside, I feel my confidence grow as I make this stand against him.
The Popovs tried to take me. They tried to hurt me.
They tried to hurt people I care about. I’ve never been one to face danger with such strength because I was never put in a situation that required it.
But now I’m here, and I’m proud of how much I’ve grown, how strong I really am.
And I’m happy that Jaroslav is right here with me. The full strength of his support is behind me.
“Where the fuck is my brother?” Marlen snarls, stepping toward Talia and me.
She steps in front of me, protectively, and behind me, I hear Timofey groaning as he fights his urge to defend her. But respecting our wishes, the men stand back, letting us handle this as we see fit.
“Marlen, focus .” Talia snaps. “You’ve been offered a deal. A very fair one. In exchange for Bardil, you have to agree to those terms,” she says coldly, not leaving room for negotiation. This is a straightforward offer. Accept it or don’t. There is nothing in between.
Marlen hesitates, pressing his hands into his eyes and rubbing his temple for a moment before he sighs. “I accept.”
He has no other choice. He doesn’t have power here. We do.
“Good,” Talia says, not smiling, her face stern and void of emotion.
She turns to Timofey and nods. “You can bring Bardil.”
Jaroslav steps out of the room and returns with Bardil at his side. Bardil is pale, but standing, moving in pain, but walking on his own.
“You’re free to leave with your brother,” Jaroslav tells him, gesturing toward Marlen.
Bardil doesn’t hesitate as he hurries across the room toward Marlen. The moment he’s past the threshold between our standoff, Marlen flips a switch and turns on us.
It quickly becomes clear that he never had any intention of honoring any agreement we came to.
His men flood into the room from both doors in front of us and behind us. They surround us with their weapons raised, and even Talia, his own sister, stands in the crosshairs of their guns.
“Marlen, please,” she cries out, you don’t have to do this.
“Shut up, Talia. You’ve said enough already.” His voice is cold and cruel, and his eyes lock onto me, and I realize the danger I’m in.
I’m his target. The wife of the man who tortured his brother.
He is making a clear choice here. Revenge over peace. Blood for blood. He wants a show of power over Jaroslav after he bested his brother, even though Bardil deserved what he got, even though he earned it by attacking Jaroslav’s family first.
Panic and fear collide inside me as I glance toward Talia. Her eyes are wide in fright and confusion. “Duck!” I scream, just as the bullets start flying.
Jaroslav and his brothers won’t back down. My brothers won’t back down either.
The only way out of this is gunfire and bloodshed, the exact thing we were trying too hard to avoid.
Marlen runs straight toward me, and I scream, spinning away, making a run for safety.
A bullet grazes past my cheek, the force of it whipping against my skin, but not close enough to draw blood.
“Valery,” I hear Jaroslav scream my name.
Everything is happening too fast, but at the same time, it’s also moving in slow motion. My thoughts are spinning a million miles with each second that ticks past.
Behind me, Marlen grabs me, and his hand wraps tight around my arm as he drags me backward. A scream flies from my lips, but I can’t even hear it over the sounds of bullets piercing the air in every direction.