Chapter 17
Nikolai
Heading toward the studio, I see Uncle Carson standing outside his office at the end of the hallway.
When he notices me, he calls out, “Nikolai, we have a problem.” Frowning, I walk closer. “What?” It’s not often I see my uncle worried,
and it has me asking again, “What happened?”
“Aurora and Abigail were ambushed on their way to the Sartori’s mansion.”
The words hit fucking hard, tightening every muscle in my body. “The hits were canceled.”
“It wasn’t the bratva. The three yakuza students are responsible. It’s a fucking pissing contest between them and the enforcers.”
Christ.
A wave of intense worry slams into my gut, and I hate the words I have to ask. “Are they alive?”
Please. God, please.
“We think so. Misha was on a call with Aurora when it happened. They’re tracking her phone, and it looks like the women are being taken somewhere.”
I rush into my uncle’s office, and opening his vault, I grab my personal firearms from it. They’re engraved Heckler & Kochs my parents gave me for my twenty-first birthday. There’s a dragon, symbolizing my mother, on the handle of the one weapon. The other has a head of a tiger for my father, the images representing the years they were born in the Chinese horoscope.
Right after receiving the gift from them, I got the tattoo on my chest. The dragon is over my heart to keep my mother close to me, and the tiger is on the right so I can draw strength from my father.
I help myself to ammunition, and when I’m ready, Uncle Carson’s phone starts ringing.
“It’s Viktor,” my uncle says, then he puts my cousin on speakerphone as we walk out of his office, half of his guards following behind us.
“What the fuck?” Viktor asks. “I’m going to kill Misha, Alek, and Armani.”
“This time, it’s the yakuza’s fault,” Uncle Carson stands up for the three bratva enforcers. “We’re on our way to the scene.”
“I have another call coming through from one of the guards I sent with Misha. Hold.” My uncle puts Viktor on hold and takes the other call, also putting it on speaker. “What’s happening?”
“We’re at the train yard. Mr. D’Angelo and Mr. Sartori just arrived,” the guard informs us. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Jesus Christ,” I hiss.
“We’ll be there soon,” Uncle Carson mutters before ending the call and switching to Viktor’s call. “Sartori and D’Angelo heard about the attack. It’s going down at a trainyard.”
“Is Nikolai there?” Viktor asks, his tone tense. “I’m here.”
“I give you full authority to speak and act on my behalf. If Sartori and D’Angelo won’t yield to the bratva, kill them.”
“Okay.”
I start to jog, just wanting to get to a vehicle. Being in this line of business all my life, I know the two women don’t have long.
I have to get to Abigail.
Everyone climbs into the row of SUVs, and soon we’re speeding out of the gates.
“Are you okay?” Uncle Carson asks. “Hmm.” No, I’m not fucking okay. “Nikolai,” he mutters. “Talk to me.”
“I just want to get to Abigail and deal with Sartori and D’Angelo.” “You care about the woman,” he states the obvious.
More than I thought. Fuck.
When I don’t say anything, Uncle Carson pats my arm.
The convoy of SUVs come to screeching stops at the back of the trainyard where a dozen other vehicles are already parked.
When I climb out and hear nothing but dead silence, my fucking heart cracks right down the middle.
Silence in war is never a good thing.