Seducing the Badman (Russian Bratva #2) (16 page)

“He is trusted friend, Radimir. Just a little more time, that is all I ask,” he pleads. Against my better judgment, I accept the terms.

“One more month, Maxim. One more month, and if he is not back in the fold, back to business, he must be brought down,” I order.

“Yes, boss,” Maxim says, curling his lip. I know he is hurting, but this is none negotiable. Dimitri, I fear, is a liability that we do not need.

Two weeks later, we are no closer to finding Ashley, and have yet to hear from Dimitri. I am suspicious of his loyalty to the Bratva. Regardless of his personal life, he must always be accessible. I pick up the phone and call Sergei to tell him I have nothing. I have fucking nothing to go off of.

Ashley is gone. Not a trace of her in the United States or Russia. Yakov is a beast, unable to contain his anger as we question men. None of us have received a message on our phones of her whereabouts, or even a hint.

“Do you think she was stolen and sold?” Maxim asks one evening while we are both glued to our laptops—searching.

“I don’t know if she was necessarily sold. We would have heard by now from Ivan’s old contacts. Yakov has searched through his files relentlessly and asked everybody in that trade. She was stolen, but sold… No, I think it is deeper than that,” I say, leaning back against the chair.

My head aches and I am so wound up. I need the release that only Emiliya’s body can provide me. I want to sink my cock into her warm, tight pussy, pull her hair, and fuck her until this stress leaves my body. I want to get lost inside of her and forget the outside world; watch as tears stream down her face as I spank that pretty white ass of hers; fill her with my come so she will get pregnant with my babies.

My computer dings, alerting me to a new e-mail breaking me of my lascivious thoughts about my wife. I refresh my inbox as I hear Maxim’s computer alert him as well.

Radimir –

Stop searching for the slave. If you do not, Emiliya will join her as my fuck toy. I will sell her pussy and her ass to any man who bids on her. I believe the Princess of Russia will no doubt fetch a high price, no?

She is very pretty, especially enjoying the sunshine in Kiev.

Ukraine is very nice during this time of year.

I look up from the e-mail to watch as Maxim picks up his laptop and sends it sailing across the room, only to smash against the wall into pieces.

“Maxim, your temper,” I mutter as his eyes slice over to me.

“The women,” he starts. I hold my hand in front of his.

“Have been compromised. Yes, I know. Whoever this is, he wants us scared. We do not react. Odds are, he has eyes on both us and the women. They are safe with Alex and Oliver. If we panic, he gets what he wants. We continue,” I say. Maxim takes a deep breath before he nods in agreement.

“Now, let us go to New York,” I offer with a grin.

Together, we board the private plane, aware that we are being watched. Our phones and computers are compromised, so we cannot warn Alex. We have to secure our positions in the United States during this trip. Our women are our number one priority.

“If Haleigh is hurt again,” Maxim grinds out as the plane takes off.

“She will not be, Maxim. Have faith,” I murmur, trying to believe my words.

The rest of the flight is complete silence, as we are both too consumed with worry to discuss anything. We will be meeting our new boss in New York, along with Yakov. Both separate meetings, but equally as important.

“Are you ready for this?” Maxim asks as the plane lands.

“Always,” I respond with a curt lift of my chin.

For Yakov, we will be helping him interrogate men to find Ashley’s whereabouts. It will be bloody, but it promises to be cathartic if nothing else. For our new boss, we will be learning our new territories and our new responsibilities.

“Where is she?” Yakov asks.

He is interrogating a
Shestyorka
, an errand boy, a
nobody
. A boy is exactly what he is, too. I doubt his balls have any hair on them yet. He’s shaking and crying as Yakov calmly asks him where his Ashley is. He would probably tell him anything, if he thought it was what he wanted to hear.

“I d-d-do not know, sir,” the boy stutters.

“Who do you take orders from?” Yakov asks, his demeanor calm, cool, and collected. Inside, he is like a raging bull.

“Yakov, he does not know,” Maxim murmurs.

“
Somebody knows
,” Yakov screams, his head tipped back as he stares at the ceiling. He is about to lose his shit right here in front of a bunch of men. I must stop this.

“Brother-in-law, take a breath. I will take care of the boy,” I murmur before he turns to me and nods once.

I watch as Yakov walks outside of the warehouse and then it is my turn. I turn to the boy and lean in close, so that our noses are practically touching. He smells like teenage B.O. and piss. Next, he’ll puke, I’m sure. If he gets one ounce on my leather shoes, I’ll make him lick them clean.

“Have you heard rumors of a young, pretty, blonde American girl being sold, traded or kidnapped?” I ask the boy. I watch as he gulps and then his eyes sift to the side for a beat before they are back on me.

“No,” he says shakily.

“You will live if you just tell us what we wish to know, boy,” I say, coaxingly.

“I-I. They’ll kill me,” he whispers.

“Yes, they may; but if you don’t tell me, I’ll torture you,” I say with a grin.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathes.

“No, I haven’t fucked a boy in a long time. You smell like sweat and piss, so you wouldn’t be my first choice. I’ll probably just stab you, hang you upside-down, and watch you bleed out,” I shrug.

“Kidnapped,” he whispers.

“By who?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I only heard whispers of a pretty, young girl being kidnapped and taken out of the country. I didn’t hear where, I wasn’t supposed to hear that much, but I was making a delivery,” he admits.

“Good boy; and thank you,” I mutter before I pull the gun out of the back of my waistband and shoot him in the head.

He was helpful, but he could not live. No loose strings. Everything zipped up neat and tidy. This is not a mission we can fail at or leave open. We must know where Ashley is, and we must find her before she is moved.

Then, we go and bring our women to safety; in our arms again, and to our beds, where they rightfully belong.

It has been two months since we arrived at this mansion, and Haleigh is seconds from giving birth. Oliver has taught me an extensive amount of English, and I am even reading the language now. Alex is on edge more and more each day, and Maksimilyan cries himself to sleep each and every evening for his papa.

Needless to say, we are all anxious and apprehensive— ready to return to our lives.

“This baby needs to come out,” Haleigh growls, flopping herself down on the sofa next to me in the movie viewing room.

“She wants her papa,” I say with a smile. She just rolls her eyes.

“I swear; we’ll never see them again. This is ridiculous,” she pouts.

Each day, Haleigh becomes more and more irritable. I cannot say that I blame the poor woman.

“We will,” I smile, taking her hand. It is as if we have put it in the atmosphere. Minutes later, the door bursts open. Standing in the doorway are Maxim and Radimir.

“What on earth?” Haleigh cries out.

The men slowly make their way toward us. I watch in excitement, which quickly turns into horror, when I see their faces up close.

“What has happened?” I ask in English. Radimir blinks once before he grins, but the smile does not reach his eyes.

“Many things,
kotik
,” he mutters, taking my hand, helping me up, while Maxim does the same with Haleigh.

A cry breaks me from the trance of Radimir’s gaze. I turn to see Haleigh clutching her stomach as she cries out again.

“It is time,” I say softly.

Maxim freezes looking at me with panic.

I instruct Radimir to gather Tanya and Michael with the news that the baby comes shortly.

“Maxim, you must get her to the basement. That is where the medical supplies are,” I direct. He nods, sweeping her up in his arms.

“Oliver, take Maksimilyan and entertain him. Haleigh is in labor,” I yell as I follow Maxim to the basement door, unknowing of exactly where Oliver is.

“On it,” he calls out.

I hear his footsteps behind me, assuring me that he is on his way to check on the toddler who has been napping in the bedroom.

Once we are downstairs, I help Haleigh out of her clothing and into an ugly hospital gown. She clutches my shoulder several times, and I think that she may actually break my bones with her fierce strength. The doctor, Michael, and the nurse, Tanya, arrive soon, ushering Radimir and I out of the room. I hug Haleigh one last time and wish her good luck with the arrival of her new daughter.

“You will be just fine,” I murmur to her. She smiles at me, though I can tell she is in pain.

“I will. My Maks came just in time. All is as it should be,” she whispers as a tear falls from her eye.

“All right, I need to check her now,” Michael instructs. I turn to leave, but not before I stop to face her again.

“I love you, Haleigh,” I say.

It is the first time I have ever said these words in my life. It feels strange and liberating to finally say how I feel, and to feel the vast amount of love that I do for Haleigh. She is more than a friend; she is a trusted sister. We were meant to find each other and to love one another. If nothing else in my life goes accordingly, I have Haleigh, and therefore I will always know love.

“R
ADIMIR, WHAT ARE YOU
doing here?” I ask as I close the basement door quietly behind me.

“Let us go to your room to talk,” he says suspiciously.

Slowly, we walk toward the bedrooms and slide inside the room. Radimir locks the door behind him and I walk toward the window to look out on my favorite piece of scenery. Radimir makes his way behind me and wraps his hands around my shoulders. Gently, he slides his hands down my arms and rests them against my stomach.