6. Valentin
CHAPTER SIX
VALENTIN
“He’s in his office,” the receptionist informs me as I step off the elevator, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. I politely decline, craving something with a stronger kick to start my day.
As I stride down the hall, my mind is wandering back to Lexi.
No one kidnaps a Brigadier and gets away with it. No one.
Playing with her was a dangerous move. Not killing her was a mistake.
I wipe the stress from my mouth. Damn, I can still taste her on my lips.
Throwing the door open, I step into the expansive office, entering in a flurry, clearly exhausted and disheveled, my shirt badly wrinkled from the night before.
“Glad you’re alive,” Andrei Savin, my Pakhan and boss, says from behind his impressive desk, shifting his focus to me with a measured gaze.
I approach the minibar and pour myself a double Scotch. As I take a long sip, I relish the burn that flows down my throat, then settle into the chair across from him.
“I’ve heard whispers that you were kidnapped,” he remarks, a smooth grin spreading across his face as he takes a measured sip of his coffee.
I look at the drink, shaking my head slowly as I meet his gaze. “For just twenty-four hours, it’s not a big deal.”
Andrei raises an eyebrow. “So, who was it?”
I can’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of my predicament.
After spending years in the Bratva, this is the first time I’ve been captured, and by a young woman, no less.
I should feel embarrassed, but honestly, I’m quite impressed.
It’s not every day a veteran like me gets outmaneuvered.
“A young woman,” I chuckle, “who would have imagined that!”
Andrei bursts into laughter. “It wasn’t Ivy, was it?”
If there’s anyone capable of executing a daring kidnapping, it’s unquestionably Ivy.
A skilled assassin, she not only caught the Colonel’s piercing gaze but also accomplished the unimaginable—she captured his heart, and they tied the knot this past summer.
Now that she holds the Savin last name, Ivy is the first female assassin to work for the Coalition.
Lexi has a fresh, novice spirit similar to Ivy’s. Both girls share striking mannerisms, leading me to wonder if Ivy might know her.
I finish the last sip of Scotch and slam the glass down on the desk. “Her name is Lexi.”
“What did you say her name was?” Elise Savin interrupts.
My eyes glance over to the seat beside me, and her striking dark eyes lock onto mine. The woman reeks of money and power, embodying an undeniable presence with her perfectly styled hair and striking four-inch black heels.
“Lexi something,” I lean back in the chair. “I’ll find out everything about my Krasotka soon enough.”
“What did the girl want?” Her voice hitches, and I narrow my eyes at her, wondering if she knows the girl.
“A favor. I’m taking care of it.”
“She’s still alive?” Andrei asks.
I swallow against the sudden dryness in my throat. “For now.”
Elise’s demeanor has noticeably changed, and her fingers tremble around her mug.
“I don’t like this,” Andrei says, shaking his head and running his fingers through his black hair. “She sounds like trouble.”
“She’ll be dealt with,” I reassure him, because he’s right—she’s trouble.
I plan to end Lexi’s life with my hands wrapped around her throat, watching as she gasps for her last breath, my excitement growing with each passing moment. But first, I’ll have my fun with her, a fitting reward for the insult of her kidnapping me.
Elise clears her throat, drawing attention as she taps the papers in her hand, signaling that she has something important to share.
When Andrei assumed the role of Pakhan, he entrusted me with the position of his advisor. I had been close friends with his father, so I watched Andrei grow up as if he were my own son, being his godfather. It was a profound honor for me to stand beside him.
Then, he did something unexpected, he appointed Elise Savin as his personal advisor—something that had never been done in the Bratva before.
Elise, once the third most powerful figure in the US cartel, left that world behind for love when she fell for Brigadier Dmitri Savin, the second-oldest brother in the Savin family.
Today, she is recognized as the most famous woman in organized crime and the first female boss in the Coalition.
“There’s a power play happening, Valentin, and we need to stay on top of it,” she says, tossing the papers across the desk before taking a sip of her coffee.
“What have you found?” I ask, shaking my head and all too conscious of a wave of dread washing over me.
“Someone is stealing from you. From us,” she replies, tapping her pointer finger on the desk. “An insider is skimming ten percent off the top.”
“I know.” Rising abruptly and pushing my chair aside, I stride back to the bar to pour myself another drink. I’ve been in the arms dealing business long enough to recognize the signs. When my suitcases of cash felt a bit lighter, my instincts kicked in.
“You knew about this?” Her words are so cold, calculating, her eyes burning with intensity, reflecting the heat of her infamous reputation. “Any idea who it could be?” Elise asks.
I lean forward and give her a small smile. “Not yet, but I have Daniel looking into it.”
“Valentin, have the Colonel help you,” Andrei orders. New York is about to rain crimson because Nikolai makes everything bloody even when it doesn’t have to be.
Andrei steps up to the window, taking a moment to reflect. His gaze drifts over New York’s morning skyline. “You know as well as I do that some Coalition men have consistently expressed their displeasure about some of our business choices.”
He’s talking about Elise. The men are stuck in their old ways, thinking a woman has no place in the Bratva.
I used to believe that myself until I met Elise.
She’s not only incredibly smart—arguably smarter than me—but she also possesses a killer instinct like the rest of us, making her exceptionally formidable.
“It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” I mutter. I can’t help but wonder if our own men feel we’ve lost our tenacity since we allowed a woman to pierce the veil of the Bratva leadership.
Regardless, someone is stealing from the Bratva, and I will not tolerate such betrayal. I must respond with the full measure of lethal force at my disposal to send a clear message.
I need to find out who the fucking thief is—and quick.
“You’re excused, Elise.” Andrei dismisses her, and without hesitation, she collects the paperwork and hurries out of the office.
Andrei stands in front of me. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” I assure him.
He exhales deeply, a hint of fear in his voice. “I can’t lose another father.”
I place my hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “You won’t.”
“When I heard you were missing, I had Nikolai monitoring the police scanners,” he admits, and who could blame him?
His father was shot while just waiting at a stoplight, and the fear in him is all too real.
“I don’t plan to die anytime soon.”
“I know you won’t,” he says, tucking his hands into his pockets and swaying slightly. “Because you’re going to retire.”
I slam my drink down on the bar. “What? I can’t just quit!”
“You will!” His intense gaze holds mine. “I’m aware of your heart issues.”
Glancing around the office, I am trying—and failing—to redirect my anger. “Are you really forcing me out?” I scoff, disbelief coloring my tone. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”
I want to retire, but I will do it on my own terms, not because the Pakhan questions my capabilities. One thief isn’t going to bring a lifetime of service to the Bratva to a screeching halt. They expect me to vanish and watch from the sidelines? No, that’s not how this will end.
Andrei returns to his desk and settles into his chair, pressing his fingers together and fixating on me with an intense gaze. “Find me the thief, then we’ll announce your retirement.” With a swift motion, he waves me away.
Fuming, I march out of his office and straight into Elise’s. “Did you know about this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“He wants me to retire!”
She gives me a concerned look. “I won’t speak for Andrei, but I can tell you that while you were missing, he seemed scared. I’ve seen him angry before, but hardly ever afraid.”
I was by Andrei’s side when his father passed away, and the image is etched in my memory—the stark paleness of his eyes. He stood before me, frozen in fear, as if he had forgotten how to breathe.
“Brigadier.” I lift my gaze and freeze. Across from me, a pair of dark brown eyes reminds me of someone.
Krasotka. I’m desperate to drown the thoughts of the lady who has somehow stopped me dead in my tracks. Just one touch from her in the elevator sent my body into a frenzy, and I haven’t been able to shake her from my mind since then.
And now, even the woman across from me makes me think of her.
“You, okay?” Elise asks.
I tap the back of the chair I’ve been gripping so tightly that my knuckles hurt. “Yeah, Andrei is probably just looking out for me,” I say with a sigh.
She offers me a soft smile. “Change of subject?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Are you planning to bring a date to your birthday party next week?”
“Why? Are you trying to set me up?”
She chuckles. “Not at all. My assistant is finalizing the headcount.”
“No date.” Honestly, I didn’t even want to have this party, but Andrei and his wife, Cora, insisted it would benefit the Bratva since many influential people in New York would be attending.
I’m not about to spend my night catering to some woman who might want to drag me onto the dance floor, hoping that being seen with me will elevate her social status.
I check my watch. “I should probably head home and take a shower.”
I step back from her and open her office door. “Hey, do you need any help?” she calls after me.
“Help with what?” I ask, turning back to her.
“I could take care of this girl, Lexi, for you,” she suggests with a lopsided smile, like she has a plan up her sleeve.
“Nah, I got it,” I reply with a snort, eager to keep Lexi to myself.
She gives me a quick, serious look before returning her attention to her computer. “Well, I’m glad you’re still alive.”
That might be the only compliment she has ever given me.
I strut out of the building and get into my vehicle. Lev sits next to me, gripping a photo tightly in his hand.
“What the fuck is that?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
“You wanted to find out who killed Fedir,” Lev says, handing me the photo.
In it, I see the moment before Fedir’s death. Dancing next to him is a young blonde woman, a face and pair of tits I recognize all too well. This must have been why she left me alone in the warehouse. He must have been there that night when Petrov hurt her friend.
That little punk has always been trying to get in Petrov’s good graces. My girl has balls, more than the men she’s hunting down.
“Does the Colonel know she’s the killer?” I can’t help but stare at the photo of the girl I’m so eager to see again. I’m drawn to the by the thrill of punishing her and discovering how much she’ll endure without resisting.
“Nikolai is getting the same briefing you are.”
Lexi has now become an enemy of the Coalition, and if I don’t kill her, Nikolai will.