46. Emil
EMIL
The hot tub jets pulse against my back, the heated water working at the tension that's been building in my shoulders all day.
Steam rises around me in the dim lighting of my private pool room, and for the first time since this morning, I feel like I can actually breathe.
The glass walls surrounding the space are dark, reflecting only the soft glow of the underwater lights and the city skyline beyond.
I lean my head back against the edge of the tub, closing my eyes.
The water laps at my chest, and I let myself sink deeper into the heat.
My mind drifts to Kiera, as it always does these days.
The way she looked at me earlier when she found those surveillance folders. The anger in her eyes. The betrayal.
I should feel guilty about invading her privacy and the privacy of everyone she cares about. But I don't. I can't afford to. In my world, information is survival. Knowing who poses a threat, who can be leveraged, and who needs to be watched, that's not optional. It's necessary.
Still, the look on her face haunts me. The way she held up that folder like it was evidence of some unforgivable crime. Maybe to her, it is. Maybe in her world, where people trust each other and don't constantly look over their shoulders, what I did crosses a line that can't be uncrossed.
I'm just starting to let the tension drain from my muscles when I hear it. Frantic knocking on my door. Hard, desperate pounding that echoes through the pool room.
"Emil!" Kiera's voice cuts through the sound of the jets, high and frightened. "Emil, please! I need you!"
The fear in her voice sends adrenaline spiking through my system.
I'm out of the hot tub before I consciously decide to move, water streaming off my naked body as I stride across the tile floor.
My feet leave wet prints on the marble as I cross the room in long strides, not bothering to grab a towel or robe.
I jerk the door open, and Kiera nearly falls into the room.
Her eyes are wide, her face pale, and she's clutching her phone in one hand like it's a lifeline.
If she notices that I'm completely naked, water still dripping down my chest and legs, she doesn't show it.
Her gaze is locked on my face, and the terror I see there makes my chest tighten.
"What happened?" I demand, reaching out to steady her with one hand on her shoulder. "Are you hurt?"
"Someone called me." Her voice shakes, and she holds up her phone with a trembling hand. "They said I have to meet them within the hour or one of my brothers will die."
Ice floods my veins, cold and sharp despite the heat still radiating from my skin. I take the phone from her hand and look at the screen. Unknown caller. Of course.
"What exactly did they say?" I ask, keeping my voice calm and controlled even as my mind races through possibilities and threats. "Word for word."
"Just that. 'You need to meet me within the hour, or one of your brothers will die.'" She wraps her arms around herself, and I can see her whole body shaking. "Emil, what do I do? I can't let anything happen to them. I can't…"
"You're not going anywhere," I say firmly. I pull her into the room and close the door, then grab my phone from the table near the hot tub. "And neither are your brothers. Not until we know what we're dealing with."
I hit Luca's number, not caring that it's past eleven at night. He answers on the second ring, his voice alert despite the late hour.
"Pakhan?"
"We have a situation." I keep one hand on Kiera's shoulder, feeling the tremors running through her.
"Someone called Kiera and threatened her brothers.
I need you to send four captains immediately.
One to each brother's location. They're to stay with them and bring them here to the estate. No exceptions."
"Understood. I'll dispatch them now."
"And Luca? Tell them to be careful. This could be a setup."
"Yes, Pakhan."
I end the call and turn to Kiera, who's watching me with those wide blue eyes.
" Call your brothers," I tell her, handing back her phone.
"All of them. If you get through, tell them to stay exactly where they are.
Someone will be there to pick them up within twenty minutes.
Under no circumstances are they to try and drive anywhere by themselves. Do you understand?"
She nods, her fingers fumbling with the phone. "What if they don't answer? What if something's already happened?"
"Then my men will find them." I move past her to grab a towel from the rack near the door, wrapping it around my waist. Water still drips from my hair, running down my back, but I ignore it. "Start with Kevin. He's the most likely to answer."
Kiera's hands shake as she pulls up Kevin's number and hits call. I watch her face as she waits, counting the rings. On the fourth ring, I see relief flood her features.
"Kevin? Thank God." Her voice cracks. "Listen to me. You need to stay exactly where you are. Don't go anywhere. Someone's going to come pick you up and bring you to Emil's estate."
I can hear Kevin's voice through the phone, raised and questioning, but I can't make out the words. Kiera's jaw tightens.
"I don't have time to explain. Just please, trust me. Stay where you are." She pauses, listening. "I'm fine. I'm safe. But you won't be if you don't do what I'm saying. Please, Kevin."
Another pause, then she nods. "Okay. Thank you. I'll see you soon."
She ends the call and immediately dials the next number. Jack answers quickly, and the conversation follows a similar pattern. Devin takes longer to pick up, and I can see Kiera's panic rising with each ring. When he finally answers, she nearly sobs with relief.
Kaleb is the last call. He answers on the second ring, and Kiera goes through the same explanation. By the time she's done, she's visibly shaking, her face pale and drawn.
"They're all okay," she says, looking up at me. "They're all home. They'll wait."
"Good." I take the phone from her hand and set it on the table, then pull her against my chest. She comes willingly, her arms wrapping around my waist as she presses her face against my bare skin.
I can feel her tears, hot against my chest, and something in me clenches painfully. "They'll be safe. I promise you."
"How can you promise that?" Her voice is muffled against me. "You don't know who's doing this or what they want."
"No. But I know how to protect what's mine." I stroke her hair, feeling the silky strands slide through my fingers. "And your brothers are under my protection now. Anyone who touches them will answer to me."
We stand there for a long moment, her trembling gradually subsiding as I hold her. The hot tub jets continue to pulse behind us, and steam still rises in the air, but all I can focus on is the woman in my arms and the threat hanging over her family.
My phone buzzes, and I reluctantly release Kiera to check it. A text from Luca. All four captains have reached their destinations. The brothers are secure.
"They're with my men," I tell Kiera. "They'll be here soon."
She nods, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "What do we do now?"
"Now we wait." I move to the closet and pull out clothes, dressing quickly in dark jeans and a black T-shirt. "And when your brothers get here, we're going to that meeting location."
"What?" Kiera's eyes widen. "But the caller said I had to come alone."
"The caller can go fuck himself." I pull on socks and boots, my movements efficient and controlled. "You're not going anywhere near that location. But I am. With Luca and as many men as I need."
"Emil…"
"This isn't negotiable, Kiera." I turn to face her, and I know my expression is hard. I'm the Pakhan, not the man who was just holding her. "Someone threatened your family to get to you. That means they're willing to use innocent people as leverage. I need to know who and why."
She opens her mouth to argue, then closes it again. Smart woman. She knows when it's time to back down.
Twenty minutes later, we're in my office. Kiera sits in one of the leather chairs, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. I stand by the window, watching the driveway. Luca is beside me, his expression grim.
"The brothers are arriving now," he says quietly.
I watch as four black SUVs pull up to the front entrance.
My captains get out first, scanning the area before opening the rear doors.
Kevin emerges from the first vehicle, his face tight with anger.
Jack follows from the second, his cop instincts clearly on high alert.
Devin and Kaleb come from the third and fourth vehicles, both looking confused and worried.
"Bring them to the library," I tell Luca. "Kiera can explain what happened while we prepare."
Kiera stands, her movements stiff. "I'm coming with you."
"No."
"Emil, they threatened my brothers because of me. I have a right to—"
"You have a right to stay here where it's safe." I move to her, cupping her face in my hands. "I can't focus on finding this person if I'm worried about protecting you. Let me do this. Let me handle it."
She stares up at me, and I can see the war playing out behind her eyes, the need to be involved and take action warring with the knowledge that I'm right.
"Fine," she finally says. "But you bring Jack. He's a cop. He might see things you miss."
I don't like it, but she has a point. "Agreed."
The brothers are waiting in the library when we arrive. Kevin starts talking the moment we walk in, his voice sharp with anger and fear.
"What the hell is going on? Your men show up at our houses in the middle of the night and tell us we have to come here immediately?"
"Someone threatened to kill one of you if Kiera didn't meet them within the hour," I say bluntly. There's no point in sugar coating it. "She's not going. But I am. With Jack."
All four brothers start talking at once, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of questions and protests. I let them go for a moment, then hold up one hand. The room falls silent.
"Jack, you're with me and Luca. The rest of you stay here with Kiera. My security will keep you safe."
"Like hell," Kevin says. "If someone's threatening us, we have a right to—"
"You have a right to stay alive," I interrupt. "Which is what you'll do by staying here. This isn't a discussion."
Jack steps forward, his expression serious. "Where's the meeting location?"
Kiera gives him the address, and I see recognition flash across his face. "That's an abandoned warehouse district. No cameras, no witnesses. Perfect place for an ambush."
"Which is why we're going prepared." I turn to Luca. "Get the men ready. Full tactical gear. I want snipers on the surrounding buildings and a perimeter established before we go in."
Luca nods and leaves to make the arrangements. I turn back to the brothers, my gaze settling on each of them in turn.
"Stay here. Keep Kiera safe. If anything happens to her while I'm gone, I'll hold each of you personally responsible."
Kevin's jaw tightens, but he nods. Devin and Kaleb exchange glances, then nod as well. Jack is already moving toward the door, his cop training taking over.
"Let's go," he says.
The drive to the warehouse district is fraught with tension. Jack sits in the front passenger seat, silent and tense. Luca drives, his eyes constantly scanning the road and mirrors. I'm in the back, my mind running through scenarios and possibilities.
Who would threaten Kiera's brothers? Someone who knows her well enough to know that's her weakness. Someone who wants to draw her out and make her vulnerable. But why? What's the endgame?
We arrive at the location ten minutes before the deadline. My men are already in position, dark shapes on rooftops and in shadows. Luca parks the SUV a block away, and we approach on foot.
The warehouse is exactly as Jack described. Old, abandoned, and surrounded by empty lots and crumbling buildings. No lights, no signs of life. Just darkness and silence.
We move carefully, weapons drawn. Jack has his service pistol, and I can see his training in every movement. He's good. Better than I expected.
The meeting location is a loading dock at the rear of the warehouse. We approach from three sides, covering each other's angles. When we reach the dock, it's empty.
No one is here.
But there are signs someone was. Cigarette butts scattered on the concrete. Fresh tire tracks in the dirt. A piece of fabric caught on a nail, fluttering in the breeze.
Jack crouches down, examining the cigarette butts with a small flashlight. "These are fresh. Within the last hour."
"Can you use them?" I ask.
"For DNA? Yeah. If they match the DNA from the hoodie, we'll know it's the same person." He carefully collects the butts, placing them in evidence bags he produces from his jacket. "I still haven't gotten the results back from the hoodie yet. The lab is backed up."
I scan the area, my instincts screaming that something is wrong. This was a setup. A test. But for what?
"We should go," Luca says quietly. "This feels wrong."
I agree. We retreat to the SUV, my men falling back from their positions to provide cover. The drive back to the estate is tense, all of us on high alert for any sign of pursuit or ambush.
But nothing happens. The streets are empty, the night quiet.
When we pull up to the estate, something immediately feels off. The front door is open, light spilling out onto the driveway. My security team is clustered near the entrance, their expressions grim.
I'm out of the SUV before it fully stops, my heart pounding. Jack and Luca are right behind me as I sprint up the steps and into the house.
The scene in the living room stops me in my tracks.
Kiera is lying unconscious on the couch, her face pale and still. Kevin, Devin, and Kaleb are surrounding her, their faces etched with panic. The estate doctor is kneeling beside her, checking her pulse and pupils.