Chapter 19 - Artyom
I glared across the table at Lev, Jaroslav, and Marten.
Yegor was on my left, Zahkar on my right.
Even though I had married Ninel, tradition dictated that I negotiate with them for her hand.
Without this negotiation complete, I risked appearing rebellious to the founding leaders, which could further undermine my authority as faction leader.
“You’re fucking kidding, right?”
Lev smirked. “You and I both know that I don’t kid when it comes to business.”
“So what you’re saying is the only negotiation you’ll accept is total access to my information brokerage system and ten percent of my Bratva’s monthly drug revenue?”
“That is correct,” Jaroslav stated coldly. “You had no problem asking for ten percent of ours when we negotiated for your sisters. We figured you wouldn’t mind the same treatment.”
I laughed dryly. “The only way you’re getting access to that is over my dead body.”
“That can be arranged,” Marten grunted.
My fists slammed against the table. I stood, and Yegor and Zahkar rose with me, while Ninel’s brothers did the same.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m merely stating that arrangements can be made to your liking,” Marten said bluntly.
I pointed at the three of them, a cold, malicious smile curving my lips. “You do realize Ninel is in my house…in my bed, right?”
The tension in the room increased one hundred fold.
“Yegor, Zahkar, remove your shirts and turn your backs to these Bratva bastards.”
Hesitantly, Yegor and Zahkar obeyed. Lev, Jaroslav, and Marten swore under their breaths as they saw the scars crisscrossing their backs from years of punishments.
“These are my brothers,” I said, letting my gaze sweep the table.
“And as you can see, not even they escape punishment. Ninel is my wife. As my wife, she’s bound to obey me, but she wasn’t raised that way, was she?
She speaks out. She takes up space. She lives on her terms. Very unlady-like… if you ask me.”
I turned to Yegor and Zahkar. “Put your shirts on.”
Then I turned my attention back to the Safin bastards standing in front of me.
“So, this is what I’m offering in exchange for Ninel’s hand: exclusive access to two of my restaurants for laundering, smuggled pharmaceuticals that you don't have access to, and a secured smuggling route from New Jersey to Shanghai. Refuse, and that bubbly little sister you love so much will be returned broken and scarred. Have a great day, gentlemen.”
I walked past them without a second glance and out of their headquarters.
“Artyom…” Yegor called after me from the car park.
I turned, my expression unreadable.
“Don’t you think you should just give them what they want? We already have two sisters married to them, and now Ninel is married to you. This way both factions gain more security, more intel, which means more protection for Katya and Vera.”
“I don’t give a shit about Katya and Vera.
They chose to sleep with the enemy, they betrayed this faction, and need I remind you, so did you and Zahkar?
The only reason you’re still breathing is because Rykov blood runs through your veins.
They’ll take my deal, or nothing. This conversation is over. We have business to handle.”
I climbed into my Jaguar and headed back to our faction. But, now that the meeting was over, thoughts of Ninel intruded my mind.
I sighed. I hated feeling like this…empty, and miserable.
I haven't felt this way since I was a child. Ninel had tried to talk to me a few days ago and I shut her down. I knew she had spoken to Vera and the others, and they probably gave her advice, but I didn’t want to hear it.
I didn’t want her to come to me because someone told her she should.
I wanted her to talk to me because she wanted to.
Why the fuck did I care about this so damn much?!
Because you're a wimp, Artie. I trained you better than this. Don't let your downfall be because of a damn woman!
Since then, I hadn’t even gone home. I couldn’t stay under the same roof with her and not hold her in my arms. I hadn’t even checked the cameras to see if she was okay.
At a red light, I leaned back against the seat, and ran a hand through my hair.
Despite threatening Lev and the others, just to get a rise out of them, I knew it would hit her hard. She’s close to her brothers, the same way Vera and Kira cling to Yegor and Zakhar. She was suffering because she couldn't see them.
A horn blared behind me. I jolted upward and rolled through the green light.
Then a thought slammed me. Her being stressed didn't just affect her…it affected the baby too.
Our baby.
I’d always known I’d be a father one day. But now that it’s real, now that my wife is pregnant, I don’t know how to handle it. I don’t want to raise a child the way my father raised me.
Shit.
The things I’ve done to Yegor and Zakhar over the years were bad enough. What if I can’t change? What if I end up creating something worse than the monster my father made of me?
And your faction is one of the most powerful factions in the U.S. Artie! And it's because of everything I taught you, you ungrateful, piece of ….
“Shut up! Shut up!” I screamed, my voice bouncing off the small space. “You are done controlling me! You did things your way! This is my life! And I'll do with it what the fuck I want!”
With my chest heaving, I pulled out my phone and called Yegor. He picked up on the third ring.
“I’m going home to check on Ninel,” I said.
“Okay. If anything comes up, you want me to handle it or call you first?”
“Handle it.” I hung up before he could say more.
If I didn’t want to become the father that raised me, I needed to start by fixing things with my wife.
Forty minutes later, I pulled into the garage.
“Stay calm,” I muttered to myself.
The fact that I refused Ninel a listening ear when she needed one, I knew I'd be up against her defiant behavior.
Maybe we could talk about the baby. That would be the best place to start.
I stepped out of the car and went inside. First, I made my way to the bedroom, but it was empty. Then I checked the kitchen, the library, even my damn office. Nothing. I checked the gazebo. There was no sign of her, Kira or Ruslan.
First, I called Ruslan and when it went straight to voicemail I called Kira. Same thing.
My chest pounded in my chest. I sprinted back to my office, fingers shaking as I hammered the keyboard. I pulled up the trackers of Kira's and Ruslan's phone. The last ping was in the city, near that café Kira loved.
Fucking hell. Were they attacked?
No. If it was an attack, I’d have heard by now.
Unless…unless they managed to take them without raising alarms.
Fucking Christ!
My chest ached and black dots came into view. I inhaled deeply trying to loosen the coil wounded in my chest as I dialed Konstantin. I couldn’t lose Ninel or Kira.
“Boss,” his voice came through steady on the line.
“Mrs. Rykov, Kira, and Ruslan are missing. I need eyes on them now. Call me the second you have something.”
“Yes, boss.”
I ended the call and sank behind the screen, scrubbing through footage, tearing through every feed. The longer they stayed invisible, the more my hands shook.
I began to pace, hoping movement would calm me. It didn’t. Ten minutes later, Konstantin called back.
“Boss, I can’t find them anywhere. They went into the café, but the footage shows they never exited. The last sighting of them was them heading through the kitchen. Then five minutes of footage missing. Cameras were shut off in the alley.”
“Fuck!”
Then it hit me…one place I hadn’t checked. One place where Kira’s and Ruslan’s phones wouldn’t pick up a signal.
“Konstantin, I think I know where they are. I’ll let you know if I find them. Keep looking just in case.”
“Yes, boss.”
I hung up, bolted for the garage, and peeled out of the estate.
The family hideout. A place I’d built for emergencies, years of work to make it impenetrable.
It had power, cameras and ac. Complete with stockpiles to feed ten people for two years.
On the surface, the estate looked like it was just an old mansion with a dusty shed for cars.
The real hideout was buried in the backyard. A bunker.
I drove like a fucking maniac, weaving through traffic like a crack addict chasing a high.
Thirty minutes later, I screeched up to the steel gates and punched in the code.
The metal groaned as the gates opened. Inside the shed, one of my SUVs sat waiting.
My pulse didn’t ease. What if they were forced here?
I jumped out, gun drawn, every nerve strung tight. The bunker’s heavy door was about thirty feet ahead. They’d see me coming on the cameras, so the element surprise was gone. It didn't matter. If anyone had laid a hand on my wife or sister, surprise wouldn’t save them anyway.
Once by the door, I knelt and shoved the key into the latch, yanked it open, locking it behind me. Then barreled down the stairs.
At the bottom, by the steel inner doors, stood Ruslan.
“Are they okay?” I asked, breathlessly.
“Yes, sir.”
I didn’t even care that Ruslan hadn’t cleared this shit with me first.
I nodded. “I’ll send Kira out so you can take her home.”
“Yes, sir.”
I pressed the keypad, punched in the security code, and stepped into the bonkers. The place looked more like a flat. There was a living room, open kitchen, four bedrooms in the back.
Ninel and Kira were sitting together, mid-conversation. Their chatter died instantly, eyes going wide, fear spiking the air.
Kira jumped to her feet. “Artyom, I just wanted Ninel to…”
I cut her off. “Ruslan will take you home.”
But Kira wasn’t done. Her words escaped quickly from her mouth. “Please don’t hurt Yegor or Zakhar because of what I did. Or Ruslan. I’ll take whatever punishment…”
I gripped her shoulder. “Nobody will be punished. Ruslan will take you home.”
Her eyes flicked to Ninel, then she slipped past me.
The second she exited the bunker, my relief twisted into anger.
“Ninel!” My voice came out harsher than I meant, but I couldn't pull it back. My fear of what could've happened overrode everything else. “Are you out of your damn mind? Why the fuck would you leave the house, and worse, hide from your husband?”
“I wasn’t trying to hide, I needed space!” she snapped.
“You’re my wife. There’s enough space in our home without you ending up in this fucking bunker.”
“Wife?” she yelled. “Who gets angry when they find out that their wife is pregnant? Who doesn't come home for days and keeps his distance from his sick pregnant wife?!”
Her chest rose and fell heavily. “You’ve shown me time and time again how little I mean to you!”
“Me? What about you? After we kissed you distanced yourself! After we fucked I woke up to a goddamn empty bed! If you want to blame anyone for how I'm treating you, put the blame on yourself!”
Her eyes misted and her shoulders shuddered. Before I even realized, I had her in my arms, holding her tight. Not just to calm her, but to calm myself. To feel proof she was safe.
The only question left was…I knew I had to fix things, but how the hell was I supposed?