Chapter 23 - Avit
As soon as I heard the door close behind Sienna, I slammed my fist into Oskar’s jaw. Startled, he toppled backward, landing on his ass. I straddled him and drove another punch into his face.
“You piece of shit. You think you can come on my fucking turf and threaten my wife?”
I hit him again. And again. Cartilage and bone cracking beneath my blows. When I walked into that room and saw Sienna tied to that damn chair, I almost lost it right there. And the fear in her eyes? I still didn’t know if she was afraid for me…or of me.
Now that she was out of the room, I could finish negotiating with this bastard, and then I could go and take care of my wife.
I’d been honest when I told Oskar I’d told my brothers everything.
Well…Pyotr did.
After Oskar sent that damn note and picture, I rushed out of the auction. Pyotr jumped into my car and refused to get out. I explained what happened in three sentences while I drove like an addict on a high to get to her. He called Lev and relayed everything before I even hit the highway.
They warned me not to kill Oskar.
But I never promised I wouldn’t rough him up a bit.
Especially with my wife bleeding.
Reluctantly, I got off him. He scrambled upright, wiping blood from his face.
“So here’s what’s going to happen. I consider myself a fair man. You will transfer two hundred and fifty thousand to an account I send you. That covers the medication you bought off Jasper, with interest. I can't have you going around saying that you got one over on us. Can I?”
Oskar yanked a gun from behind his back, clicked off the safety, and pointed it at me.
“You really think I’m going to send you money?” he spat. “You’re a fucking joke. Those cameras?” He nodded up at the corners of the room. “My men saw everything. They’ll be here with backup any minute. And as for my sister, the one you and your bitch of a wife threatened? She’s already safe.”
Wait, Sienna held her own against Oskar when I wasn't there? Not that I was surprised. After all, she did tell him to fuck off.
Oskar sneered, a cruel smile on his face. “So tell me, Safin bastard…do you really think you’re leaving here alive today?”
I chuckled. “Oskar, before I even walked into this building, your camera system had been running on a loop. And those men you think are coming? They aren’t.”
“Maybe not,” he spat, “but you aren’t leaving here alive.”
“Oh, but I am.” I took a slow step closer. “Because while your men might not be out there, mine are—along with my brothers and a few of our allies, including the Los Sangre Cartel. And they would love nothing more than to tear across the US, carving through your little empire.”
I took two more steps toward him. “So what’s it going to be? You transfer the money, and we both walk out of here? Or you kill me, and neither of us leaves this place alive?”
Oskar opened his mouth, ready to argue.
I cut him off. “And if you kill me? If I die here and you somehow survive? My brothers will hunt down your sister and sell her to the highest bidder.”
“You fucking son of a bitch!” Oskar roared.
He was ready to squeeze the trigger exactly as I predicted. But I was already close enough. I tore the gun from his hand in one swift motion and turned it on him.
“I guess you don’t care about your sister at all. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a shame.”
I pulled out my phone, hit Lev’s number, and put it on speaker.
“Lev, find a buyer for Oskar’s sister. Would you believe this son of a bitch tried to shoot me?”
“We’ve already got a location for Anya,” Lev said calmly. “Our men are on the way…”
“No! You can’t!” Oskar stammered, his voice cracking.
I glared at him. “Then do what the fuck I say. Got it?”
Oskar’s shoulders slumped, and he nodded.
“Lev, I’ll be out soon.”
“See you in a bit.”
The line went dead.
Oskar fumbled for his phone. After I gave him the account, he transferred the money with shaking hands.
When he finished, I tapped his cheek lightly. “Good job, Oskar. And don’t forget—stay the fuck away from my wife, me, and my family.”
I dismantled the gun, dropped the pieces on the floor, and stormed out of the office. It was time to reconnect with my wife.
I hurried out of the building and spotted Sienna leaning against one of the SUVs, Wexler standing guard beside her. My brothers, our men, and several members of the Los Sangre Cartel formed a perimeter, rifles raised and ready.
About ten men lay off to the side, hog-tied on their bellies, mouths gagged, guns aimed at them.
Lev jogged towards me.
“Get Sienna to a hospital to check her head,” he said as we walked in her direction. “She refused to get in the car until you came out. She wanted to see you were safe with her own eyes.”
I nodded, and Lev veered off to talk to the others.
Then Sienna was in my arms.
I cupped her face, scanning every inch. “God, angel…I’m so sorry. I should’ve known he’d come after you.” I pulled her closer.
She shook her head and pulled back slightly. “Avit…it wasn’t…”
Her words trailed off, and she spun away and began to puke.
“Fucking hell. Wexler, get me some water.”
She was probably crashing from the adrenaline rush.
When she finished, she leaned into me, breathing shallowly. She opened her mouth again, trying to speak, but her eyes rolled back.
And she collapsed.
“Shit!”
I held her firmly against me before I lifted her into my arms. One of the men yanked the SUV door open. I climbed in with her, and Wexler jumped into the driver’s seat.
“To one of the clinics, sir?” Wexler asked, glancing at me in the rearview as he sped off.
“No. Take her home. I’ll call Dr. Decker.”
Holding Sienna tight against my chest, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dr. Decker, ordering her to meet us at the house immediately.
Thirty minutes later, I paced the master bedroom while Dr. Decker assessed Sienna. From the moment I realized I wanted Sienna to be my real wife, there was no way we were going back to sleeping in separate rooms.
Aside from the gash on her head, the red cheek already bruising purple, and the marks on her wrists and ankles, she didn’t bear any other signs of mistreatment.
When Dr. Decker finished her examination, she packed her bag and stood.
“Mr. Safin, she’ll need rest for the next few days.
And she'll most likely be asleep for the next few hours. I’ve left the medication on the nightstand, instructions included.
She’ll be sore for a while. I also drew blood to make sure nothing was injected into her.
If anything changes, or if you need anything, call me immediately.
I’ll phone you in about three hours with the blood work results. ”
“Thank you, Dr. Decker. Wexler’s outside. He’ll see you out.”
She nodded and exited the room.
I crossed the distance between us and sat beside Sienna, her eyes still closed. Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you how I felt earlier, angel. You were already overwhelmed. But I’ll tell you everything when you’re better. I promise.”
I was just about to kick off my shoes and slip into bed beside her when my phone rang. It was Lev.
I answered quietly. “She’s okay. She’ll be asleep for the next few hours.”
“We’re here,” Lev said. “Let Wexler watch Sienna. I’m sorry it can’t wait. We need to talk now.”
“Understood.”
I knew I owed my brothers an explanation. I stood, shrugged off my jacket, hung it in the closet, and stepped out of the room. Wexler still stood there waiting.
“Mr. Safin, I know it isn't my place to ask, but how is Mrs. Safin?” Wexler asked.
In all the years I'd known Wexler, I'd never seen as much emotion on his face as I saw then. I guess I wasn't the only one Sienna affected.
“She'll be okay. She's just exhausted from everything. And she'll be out for a few hours.”
I watched relief wash over his face.
“Check in on her,” I added. “I’ll be downstairs with my brothers if you need me.”
“Yes, sir.”
When I walked into the living room a few moments later, they were spread between the sofas and armchairs, all eyes locked on me as I entered. Like me, they still wore their dress clothes from the auction, jackets discarded. I sank into one of the armchairs and leaned forward.
“I’m sorry about the way you found out today,” I said. “It wasn’t how I planned to tell you.”
“We know,” Lev replied. “But now that we’re here, we want the truth. About everything.”
So I told them.
For the next hour, I laid it all out: the books being off, my not wanting to burden them after the hell they and their wives had been through the past few years, tracing it back to Jasper, how he offered Sienna to pay his debt, and how I agreed because he was a piece of shit who would’ve pawned her off to someone worse
At least with me—with us—she’d be safe.
I told them how I wanted to save her because I couldn’t save Mom and Ninel.
How I forced her to marry me to make it look like I’d forgiven Jasper, and to make sure he didn't try to give her to someone else. Why I kept him close to uncover who he was supplying. The deal Sienna and I made how she’d help me, and once it was done, she’d get her freedom.
I told them how hard she worked every damn day to get information on Oskar.
How she snuck into the warehouse to help me when I was trapped.
How Pyotr warned me she could be in danger, but I ignored him.
And how now it was my fault she was upstairs, injured, because Oskar managed to get his grimy hands on her.
When I finally stopped talking, I leaned back and closed my eyes. The room was silent as my brothers processed everything I’d just confessed.
Lev was the first to speak. “We checked in on Mandy. She's safe, but she'll have a headache for a few hours.”
I nodded, relieved.
“With that being said, what you did for Sienna was honorable, and I'm proud of you for doing it.
While I would've preferred that you came to us at the first sign that something was off, I respect you for trying to fix the problem. But when things became more than you could handle, you did what you were supposed to do. You got us involved.”
“And I told you that AI video with Lev and me talking to the heads of the Triads would work,” Jaroslav smirked.
“Didn't stop that bastard from trying to take me out, though.”
“And we have a lock on Anya's location,” Marten grunted. “We'll keep them both under surveillance. Never know. That asshole might come in useful in the future.”
“All I want to know is when are you going to tell Sienna how you feel about her?” Pyotr asked.
“In a few days, after she's recovered. Today wasn't the best time.”
“And what if she doesn't forgive you for letting her walk away in the first place?” Marten asked.
“Honestly, I don't care about her forgiveness,” I said. “What I'll need to convince her of is that I'm worth giving another shot, every day for the rest of our lives.”
“And what if you can't convince her?” Marten pressed.
“I'm not giving her up. So she'll have to give me another chance or be single for life. I'll do whatever it takes to win her back.”
“But,” Jaroslav began. “You'd be going back on your promise of giving her the freedom she wanted.”
“I honored our agreement. The papers are ready for her to sign them. I promised her a divorce, not that I wouldn't threaten any man who came close to her. Nowhere in our deal stated I couldn't interact with her after our divorce.
Pyotr whistled. “You found a loophole, and you're using it like a true Bratva bastard.”
I grinned despite myself. “If it gets me what I want, then so be it.”
My phone rang and I answered it. Dr. Decker's voice came through clear on the other end. “Mr. Safin, we're still testing Mrs. Safin’s blood. However, there is one thing that I found that I thought you should know about immediately.”
My fingers tightened around the phone, and I shot to my feet, a knot settling in my gut.
“Dr. Decker, what did you find?”
“Mrs. Safin is pregnant.”