Her Russian Savior

“I am going to call your sister and tell her about our news,” she says, smiling. Her eyes are twinkling, and I love being the reason. “What about you?”

“I am meeting with the guys to see about your sister.” She sits up, face serious and concerned.

“Really? Are they going to get her? Is it soon? Have you found out something?” Chuckling, I pull her mouth to mine to calm her.

“Calm down, baby. The guys want to go over the plan and some other information. Is there anything else I need to know? Anything you haven’t told me?” She averts her eyes for a moment before swallowing and looking at me. I see fear before she closes it off.

“No. Nothing.” I want to question her and demand she tell me what she is keeping from me. Lucky for her, I know the guys will find anything else, and let me know.

“Alright.” With those words, I get up and hop in the shower. I can’t help but feel uneasy like I am missing something.

Dressed and walking into the kitchen, I hear her on speakerphone with my sister. They are both squealing, so I shake my head and walk out. She walks into the bedroom a few minutes later.

“I am going to meet Zoya at The Crawford’s Store. She thinks Migan should make my dress.”

“Sounds great, baby. How about I pick you up from there in a couple of hours and we go out? How would you like that?” I ask her pulling her against my chest, my hands around her waist.

“That sounds great. Where are we going to go?”

“To the movies and dinner.” her eyes light up, and I make a mental note to do this more often. “I gotta go, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Something feels wrong leaving her, but I shrug it off. The drive to the Jorgensen office is short, and I make sure to text Nikole and see if she made it to the girls.

“Fellas.” Walking in, I see serious faces, and I know something is about to go down. Now, the foreboding I had leaving her is becoming real. “What happened?” I ask, not wasting time.

“Where is Nikole?” Hagen asks me.

“On her way to the girls. Why?”

“Her father’s tail has lost him, and Sasha Kerkin has been spotted in St. Paul.” The name Kerkin makes the hairs on my neck stand up. But I don’t get the connection.

“What does her father have to do with Kerkin being here?” They each look at one another, obvious shock on all their faces. Now I feel like the odd man out. “Is someone going to answer me?” I ask, glaring at each of them. Finally, Danhy answers me.

“Her father is Bratva.”

Fuck.

Chapter Ten

Nikole

I am exhausted, but the good kind of exhausted. Anatoli loved me thoroughly, and I already want more. I crave him and his love. I am driving into town, but I am not really paying attention to the road when suddenly I have to slam on my brakes. A dark SUV pulls in front of me. Narrowly, I miss hitting it. I start to go around it when all the doors open and four large men, including my father, pour out of it.

“Fuck,” I say as my car door is wrenched open. Stupid old ass car without automatic locks.

“Well, well well. What do we have here?”

“Daddy? What are you doing? You almost killed me!” I shout, pretending innocence. That might be the only way I stay alive.

“I should ask you the same thing. Get out of this deathtrap,” he demands, grabbing my arm.

“Alright. You don’t have to be so rough.”

“Cut the shit and get into the car.” He drags me from the car and puts me into the backseat of the other one. They leave my car in the middle of the road like they want to get caught or something, and we drive out of Bleak and into St. Paul. “Why did you pick such a shitty small town? You could have blended in a bigger city.”

“How’d you find me?”

“A couple got engaged in the restaurant where you were drinking the other night. You were in the background of their picture.”

Shit. I knew that night would bite me in the ass; I just thought it would be in the hangover I had the next day. I take a minute to stare at the driver. It’s the old man my father tried to give me to. What the hell is this?

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“God, you sound like you did when you were a kid, and we were going on vacation. Sit tight. We’ll be there soon.”

I cross my arms over my chest and sit back like a sullen child. I can’t believe my father kidnapped me.

Eventually, we pull up a warehouse that looks like it withstood a war. It’s literally falling down.