Anastasia
The minute my hand is ripped from Luigi’s, my fight-or-flight instincts kick in. I struggle against the guard trying to yank me toward the open car door.
Toward Mateo Catalan.
I hear Luigi calling me, I inhale and scream his name, hoping he can hear me over the crowd. I look up and see Luigi fighting his way through the crowd toward me.
Our eyes meet, and I feel myself being yanked back again as bullets fly. I try to claw my way out of the guard’s grasp, and when they pull me into the car, I grip the edges to try to pull myself out again.
I feel like my nails are being pulled off as I’m ripped off the metal and shoved across from Mateo. The guard enters and immediately tries to restrain me while the car starts moving. I launch myself at Mateo, who is laughing.
He says something in Spanish, and the guard throws back his arm and punches me in the face. I fall back, dazed and holding my face.
“You should relax, little princess,” Mateo says as he lights a cigar, “you aren’t going anywhere.”
I glare at him, but I’m still swaying slightly.
“I would like to know one thing, though.” He leans forward. “Why is Ivan Volkov’s daughter so hellbent on getting close to my family? You are just a Bratva Princess, not some solider of war.”
I clear my throat and spit in his face. I then issue a line of Russian swear words, and although he might not know what they mean, he definitely understands what I’m doing.
I’m surprised when he laughs while he wipes my spit off with a handkerchief.
“Look,” he says, pulling an unimpressed face, “you can tell, or you can not tell me, but either way, your freedom is now over.”
He sits back, smirking as he draws on his cigar. “You have been sold off to who should have been your rightful owner, to begin with. Your new owner will get you out of the country and take you to a place not even Ivan
Volkov can find.”
I snort, “You underestimate my father.”
“Really? I shot Mila Volkov years ago, and the man has never retaliated. Have you never wondered why? I’ll tell you.” He smirks. “Your father is not as scary as you think. He’s not as scary as anyone thinks. He treats this as a game, and he plays by the rules. We don’t have rules where I come from.”
I sit in silence when the guard suddenly takes out a bag and shoves it over my head. He then grabs my hands and ties them tightly together. The ties feel thin, and they’re cutting into my wrists. I am guessing it’s cable ties.
The fact I can’t see but we’re moving makes me feel a little carsick, and I think of Luigi. The panic on his face. He was outgunned. This isn’t his fault. We didn’t know it would go this way.
Maybe we did.
Maybe we just chose to believe there’s justice for bad people. The wheel turns slowly, that’s what everyone says. I thought I was Karma for Mateo Catalan, but it seems I’m Karma for Ivan Volkov.
The last connection to my mother is lost.
The car stops, and I’m clumsily yanked out and forced to walk forward. At the very least, they tell me where the stairs are so I don’t trip that badly. The third time I do, though, two guards each take one of my arms and lift me as though I weigh nothing. Their fingers cut into my flesh as I’m lifted to wherever we’re going.
I’m set on my feet, and surprisingly, my hands are freed. I instantly yank the sack off my head to see the guards have left the room and shut the door.
I bang against the door, demanding for them to let me go. No one comes back. I look around the room and see various glass items. If they don’t want to abide by my demands, maybe they’ll care when I start destroying their shit.
I grab everything and break what I can. I pick one of the two chairs in the room and start slamming it against the window, but it’s reinforced, bullet, and shatterproof. I don’t even leave a mark.
I start throwing things around, especially at the window, shouting as I do.
I spin around as the door opens. I’m expecting Mateo Catalan to come in, guns raised, ready to beat me for destroying his place, but instead, another man stands in front of me.
The Irish Politician from the stage.
He stands there and looks at me disapprovingly before looking around. “Well, this is no good.”
Mateo walks in after him and smiles. “Killian, this is Anastasia.
Your new purchase.”
“The guy who originally wanted me wasn’t Irish.” I don’t know why I point it out or why it matters. Maybe it’ll buy me some time.
“Someone was buying on my behalf so I could buy more without appearing to be clearing out the stock because I’m in someone’s favor.” Killian smirks. “I assure you, it was me betting on you the whole time.”
“He is your owner now. You best do what he wants because he’s not as generous as I am,” Mateo laughs and leaves the room.
“No man will ever dominate me.” I spit on the floor in front of Killian, and he raises an eyebrow. He regards me with cold rage. I’m used to fiery, burn-to-the-ground rage in the people I know-not this.
I can see he’s pissed, but his rage is not passionate.
He steps forward and backhands me so hard that I fly to the floor. I hold my stinging face and look up at him.
“You will do as you’re told, little princess, or you’ll regret it.” He clicks his fingers, and two guards enter the room.
They each take one of my arms, and although I try to pull myself away, it’s fruitless.
They drag me toward another room, and once in it, the guards leave me alone with Killian. He locks the room and turns to me.
“I can pay,” I say, trying to stay calm. “How much will my freedom cost me?”
Killian is bigger than he looks. When he steps forward, I see he’s fighting fit, if maybe a little out of practice.
“Your life or your father’s, that’s my price.”
I snort and shake my head. “I’ll die right now before I go anywhere with you. I will fight you until you get tired and kill me.”
Killian’s smile is so cold it sends shivers down my spine. “No. I don’t think so. I’m going to make you suffer. You think death is bad? Death is a welcome reprieve for those living in the best of circumstances. All debts, worries, and problems are gone when you die because you’re immediately unaccountable for anything. No, death is the nicest thing I could do to you, and I’m not a generous man. There are many, many things that are worse than death, and you’re going to experience every last one of them.”
I look into his eyes and swallow as he continues, “And I’ll send your father photos and videos of your raped, beaten, and mutilated body.
Maybe I’ll even send him pieces of you to bury.”
He grabs me, and I don’t resist, scared of what he might do. He drags me to the bed, and that’s when my fight kicks back in. I try to pull away, but he yanks me toward him. He holds me inches from him. “I’ll fucking bite a chunk out of you, girl, don’t try me.”
He pushes me onto the bed and reaches above me. I close my eyes, expecting to be hit, but instead, he takes my arm, and I feel a metal cuff going around it. I open my eyes to see he is chaining my arms to the bed.
“You take a moment to stew. Have fun trying to picture the worst possible situations you can because those are incomparable to what I have planned for you.”
I watch him tuck the key into his pants pocket, and then he stands up. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon enough.”
He leaves, and I sit there. I need that key. I can’t let him scare me. I am the heir to the most feared Russian bratva family there is.
Still, doubt has crept into my heart. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this.
A part of me thinks about Luigi and whether or not he’ll be able to find me. I mean, if my father doesn’t kill him first, then at least he can try. Will he find me in time? Before Killian does things to me that I will bear the scar of for the rest of my life?
I need that key.
I can’t rely on someone to save me.
I’m not that kind of princess.
Luigi
Being back in front of Alessandro’s house twice in one night is not a good thing, especially for the same problem.
Me.
I can see Ivan in Alessandro’s office. He looks angry enough that I’m sure he will shoot me the moment I step foot in the house. I wait too long, though, because Dominic comes out of the house and toward my car.
He yanks the door open and grabs me by the scruff of my neck. “Get out here, you little shit.”
He throws me against the car and puts his finger in my face. “You do not speak. You do not look Volkov in the eyes. Do you understand me?”
I nod. “Dominic. We were just…”
“You are a grown-ass man. Start acting like one,” he snaps, turning and walking toward the house. He fixes his suit jacket as he goes. “Hurry up.”
I go after him quickly, keeping my eyes trained on the floor. We walk into Alessandro’s office, and Dominic moves to the side, leaving me to stand in the center of the room.
Both Ivan and Alessandro stand in front of the desk. I can’t help but look at Alessandro, trying not to look at Ivan and apologize.
“I should let Ivan shoot you right now. Do you understand that you went against a direct order from me, Luigi?” He steps up to me. “What the fuck were you thinking?” he roars in my face. “I tell you to fucking do something, you fucking do it. I tell you to stay away from the Bratva princess, and you make it your mission in life to avoid her at all fucking costs.”
A braver man would have collapsed at Alessandro’s rage. I simply look down in the hopes he won’t kill me.
“Ivan is not going to kill you because he is showing an immense amount of self-control right now. I swear to God, Luigi, if we don’t get his daughter back, I will make you regret your decision to see her again. I’m going to make you regret it without a thought of who you are in relation to me.”
I look up at him with wide eyes, and he turns, walking back toward
Ivan. “Who took her?”
“Mateo Catalan,” I say. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ivan clench his fists.
“What were you doing in East Harlem?” Alessandro asks. I glance back as Frankie and Carmine enter the room-the whole gang.
“Anastasia wanted revenge, Mateo Catalan killed her mother, and she wanted to avenge her mother’s death for Mr. Volkov,” I say, looking up at Alessandro. “I know what it’s like to grow up without a mother.”
“Barely. My mother spoiled you, and look what good it’s done,” Alessandro snaps.
Ivan speaks next. “Look at me, Sorvino.” I look up and meet his eyes. “How did she find out who killed her mother?”
“I don’t know,” I hold my hands up. “She just offered to pay me to help her kill Mateo.”
“We can go over the rest of the details later,” Frankie says as he steps forward. “Once we have rescued Ana. Luigi, you say Mateo took her?”
“He’s working with Killian, the politician you asked me to dispose of.” I look at Alessandro. “He was there tonight. He knew we were going to be there.”
Alessandro looks sharply at Ivan. “Someone has bugged your daughter, either a place she goes frequently or one of her devices.”
I don’t mention that I made her phone untraceable because I feel like that will be another nail in my coffin.
Frankie walks to Alessandro. “Mateo has several properties but not so many we can’t hit them all with small teams. If we each take men, we could go to them and find where he is keeping Ana.”
Alessandro sighs and looks at Ivan. “We will get her back.”
“I’m still pissed you didn’t tell me about the auction she was caught for.”
“A mistake on my part. I thought we had put that behind us.” He looks at me. “You do not leave this fucking house, or so help me, Luigi Sorvino, you will join your mother since you miss her so much.” His words sting, but I know he has to present a certain side of himself because of my insubordination.
I talk before I think. “I could help. I want to make this right.”
Dominic smacks me on the back of the head, and I jolt forward but still maintain my balance.
“What did Don Sorvino just tell you?” he roars into my ear.
“Stay,” I say quietly, nodding.
“Let’s get teams together,” Alessandro says. “We will split up and look for Ana. I don’t trust Mateo not to take her out of the country, so notify everyone on our payroll that works on the borders or airports.”
They all file out as they talk. Ivan stops briefly by me, then leaves without a word.
I wait until they’re all gone before I leave the office. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the house except the staff. I look out the front and see some guards stationed near my car, clearly on orders that I don’t take that anywhere.
I sigh and leave out the back, choosing to visit my aunt and uncle instead.
“Hello?” I knock on the open door. “Zio Romero? Zia Helena?”
“Luigi Sorvino, what was Alessandro yelling at you for now?” my aunt asks as she comes out of the kitchen covered in flour. “Come, we are in the kitchen.”
I follow her to where my uncle is sitting, having a whiskey while my aunt bakes.
“We’re almost done, then we’re going to watch a play,” she says with a smile. “So what is the problem?”
“I’ve messed up, really badly,” I say.
My Uncle pulls the chair out next to him, and I sit. “Who in this family hasn’t made a mistake? What’s her name?”
“How do…”
“This family is a passionate one. Everyone thinks a mobster can’t love, but the truth is that we love so much we’d kill for our soul mates. Who is she?” He looks at me.
“Anastasia Volkov.”
Helena smiles. “She’s beautiful and very smart. I’ve enjoyed talking to her before. Such lovely manners.”
I frown. “Zia, you’re not listening to me. Her father and Alessandro are going to kill me!”
I explain the night to them, and it actually goes a lot faster than I realize, perhaps because my Zio keeps telling me to skip the emotions and just give facts.
I sigh. “I want to find her and bring her home. Not only because I want her but because I want to make things right.”
“Ai, my little piccolo figlio.” She starts to clean up. “You always were my baby boy. Since your mother was murdered, you have kept women at arm’s length. Satisfying your needs but refusing to get attached. Now you know what it feels like to love someone you can’t have.”
“I was never afraid of loving…”
“You were always afraid of commitment since you were a child. How often did your father have to get you out of trouble when you broke a girl’s heart in school? When their father came knocking?” She laughs. “It’s okay to be scared. Love is big. It’s terrifying. The way my generation raised the next, it wasn’t right. We insisted on being cold, firm, and adhering to the rules. We forgot that the rules applied to the years we lived, not the ones you do.”
Zio rolls his eyes. “She’s become like this ever since she made the mistake of splitting up your cousin and Carmine. I just accept the sentimental crap now.”
I chuckle slightly. “So what do I do? Do I go find her?”
“Well,” Zio smiles at Helena, “Alessandro declared war for Katya.
Frankie went on the run for Amelia. Dominic swallowed his pride for Sofia. Arianna was allowed to marry someone that our entire family deemed unworthy. Your sister Kira was allowed home and fell in love with a rival family. Your sister Tori married a man to destroy him and instead gave him an empire.”
I stare at him. “I didn’t do anything they didn’t.”
“The question, little one, is would you do anything they did?”
Zio Romero gets up and stretches. “Helena, I haven’t yet pulled my car back in. I’ll leave the keys by the back door, so I remember to bring the car from the back street later. Let’s go get ready.”
My zia comes around and kisses my head. “Be safe.”
They leave, and I sit there momentarily before pulling out my phone. I grab my uncle’s car keys and turn on tracking on Ana’s phone. Of course, I could trace her; I’m not insane.
I don’t see any guards going out through Zio’s private exit. I have a feeling they were called away to check something.
I get in my uncle’s car and pull off, setting my phone to search for Ana.