Filthy Secret

Nikolai

I glance at my watch once again. I can’t wait around any longer.

“What’s going on?” Ilya asks with a frown.

“Find where Lena is, and do it now,” I say with a fuck of a lot more composure than I feel. She messaged me almost an hour ago telling me she’d be here soon and she’s not. So where the hell is she?

He immediately steps away and makes a call. I reach for my cell and hit Yelena’s number yet again. But just like the last fifteen times, it goes to voicemail. “Malenkaya, call me.”

I-” The edge to Ilya’s tone has me bracing. “She’s not at the house, her cell is and there’s been signs of a struggle.”

I’m moving to the door before he even finishes telling me, he’s hot on my heels. “Ilya, get me the footage,” I demand, I want to know what the fuck happened in my house.

I slide into the backseat of the car and Ilya hands me his cell phone. Konstantin is driving, but I know that he’s listening to see what’s happened.

“I’ve loaded it up for you, I’ve yet to see it,” he says, his tone tight, he’s waiting for me to explode.

Every one of my men know that Yelena is mine and that nothing should ever harm her. I made it clear the night the bastard drugged her in hopes of luring her out of the club where he could rape her. I made a statement that night-Yelena is off-limits.

I press play and my kitchen comes into view. Yelena’s typing into her phone and I know by the time stamp that she’s messaging me. The moment that Adele walks into the room, the anger on her face is more than enough to let me know that she’s the reason as to why my woman is gone.

“I want word spread-” I growl, barely able to contain the anger that’s rushing through me as I watch the bitch hit Lena over the head knocking her unconscious. “-that Adele is to be found. I want her alive. She knows where Lena is and I want my woman back within the hour.” The bitch grabs Yelena’s feet and pulls her through the house.

Konstantin nods as Ilya reaches for his cell and spreads the word.

“We’ll find her,” Ilya assures me.

“In what state?” I hiss, unable to believe that Adele has done this.

He’s silent for a moment. “Who would she go to? Adele’s been fucking around with a lot of the major players. Who’s the one that she’d be stupid enough to go to for help?”

“There’s one person that may know.” I murmur as I reach for my cell and dial a number that I haven’t used before.

“Nikolai Vasiliev,” the older man answers after a few moments. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Maksim, Yelena’s been taken,” I tell him without sugarcoating it. “She and Adele were arguing and then the bitch hit her over the head, she was unconscious when Adele dragged her from the house.”

“Shlyushka,” he growls. “That suka.” I hear his hushed whispers to someone beside him. “Nikolai, what are you doing with my granddaughter?”

“She’s mine,” I tell him, not in the mood for chitchat. “Where would that suka take her?”

“There’s a reason why Lena was sent to Austin. We knew someone had betrayed us, someone had given Lena’s name as The Bullet, she had an idea who it was, I doubted her but after this-”

“Maksim, why are you talking in riddles?” I snap, pissed that he’s not getting direct to the point.

“Lena believes that Adele gave the Babics her name and they took her. She managed to escape, but not before killing three of their men. If Adele is working with anyone, it would be the Croats.”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve found her,” I tell him and end the call.

“Konstantin, where are the Babics?”

“I haven’t heard that they’re in town,” he replies. “Let me call Stefan, he has a man on the inside.”

“I’ll call,” I grit out. Needing to do fucking something.

“Boss?” he answers instantly.

“Where are the Babics?” I demand. “Tell me you know where they are.”

“Boss, they’re in Barton Creek, they arrived four days ago.”

Relief washes through me now that I know where they are. “I want an address, and, Stefan, I need to know what you have found out about Adele.” I spoke to him this morning, we have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow. Whatever he’s found out about that bitch, I want to know right now.

“Adele and Lev were never meant to be married,” he begins. “In fact, Lev was supposed to get married to Alyona Kuznetsova.”

The daughter of the Kuznetsov Mafia in Miami. “A union between them would have been unmatched,” I comment knowing why Maksim would want it. It brings together two of the biggest players in the US.

“But Adele got pregnant and Lev ended up marrying her. Word is she trapped him, but Lev never did deny those rumors, nor did he correct them. Lev adored his child, the moment the suka was pregnant he went all out to protect them.”

“Admitting she trapped him would have put a target on Adele’s back and with her being pregnant, it was a risk Lev couldn’t take.” Whether she trapped him or not didn’t matter. A man like Lev would have done anything to protect his child. Even if the mother is a cunt.

“Lev died-”

I cut him off. “In a shoot-out, yes, I know.”

“No, boss, Lev was killed when three men entered their home to kidnap Yelena. Word on the street is that it was a setup, Lev was meant to die as was Yelena, but Lev wasn’t an easy man to take down. They fucked up and he killed them all.”

My gut is screaming that this is more than it seems. A fucking setup. “Did Adele have anything to do with it?”

There’s a pause and that’s more than enough answer for me. “I’m not sure, boss, they’re just rumors.”

“Send the address to the Babics, get the men, and meet us there.” “On it, boss.”

I end the call. The anger pounding against my skin is ready to explode.

If they’ve touched a hair on Lena’s head, God fucking help them.

“Are you ready for this?” Ilya asks.

I slice my gaze to him. Is he for fucking real? What the hell does he think?

He chuckles. “Stupid question huh?” “Ilya,” I growl.

He grins. “Yes, boss?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I snarl.

Thankfully he does as I ask and keeps his mouth shut.

The drive to Barton Creek is quiet and the mood is murderous. The anger is simmering on the edge and with each mile that passes by, the more my anger rises and the worse the images of what’s happening to Lena hit me. No one will be safe if they’ve harmed her.

Once we reach the address that Stefan provided, I know instantly that we’re at the right house. Standing guard outside the house, armed to their teeth, are Babics’ men. The moment we get out of the car bullets start flying.

With my gun in hand, and my men at my side, we return fine, taking out anyone who stands between me and my women. Ilya is on my left, a snarl on his lips as he fires at the men that rush out of the house. “How many of these bastards are there?”

I move past the bodies that litter the ground, the majority of them dead, some with bullets between their eyes, some with shots to their hearts. Stefan uses his gun, killing any remaining survivors.

The house is completely bare, the walls are white, there’s no furniture, and no color. Konstantin nods toward the stairs. “There’s people upstairs,” he tells me.

I take the stairs two at a time, knowing without a doubt that’s where these fuckers are keeping Lena.

Ilya, Stefan, and Konstantin are right with me as we reach the top of the stairs. Konstantin opens the doors one by one, with each empty room my chest tightens. There’s only one left and still no sign of Lena.

“Open it.” I demand when we reach the last door. I pull in a breath as Konstantin lifts his foot and kicks the door.

I watch as it splinters and my heart fucking stops when I look into the room and see Lena lying on the filthy bed-bound-her beautiful face bloodied, bruised, and her dress ripped. The fucking animal standing beside the bed, with his pants around his ankles, and cock in his hand.

Bastard. He’s going to die. I’m going to make sure it’s painful.

Ilya kills the other man that is also in the room, his only saving grace is that the fucker was nowhere near Lena when we entered the room.

“Take him,” I instruct. “I want answers.” I have a lot of questions and by the wide eyes and pale face I have a feeling he’ll be forthcoming. Of course that won’t help him. He’s going to die either way.

Stefan and Konstantin take the fucker that’s left standing; he’ll be the one to lead us to Adele. My gaze fills with a red haze as I stare at the woman that means the most to me. The woman that I love.

My breath catches at my thought. Do I? Fuck yes. I love her.

“Nik,” Ilya says low as I step up to Lena’s battered body. “I’ll call the doctor, have him meet us at the house.”

“We’re taking her to the hospital.” My tone filled with authority. He knows better than to argue with me. I want the best care for her no matter what my men think. Going to the hospital raises questions, but my only worry is for Lena.

“Let’s go then,” he says and that’s why he’s my closest friend, my right hand. He’s got my back constantly.

I’m careful as I walk down the stairs so as not to jostle her. She’s unconscious, her head lulling against my arm. This is the fucking second time that I’ve seen her like this and it’s two times too many. Ilya is already in the car by the time I get outside. I’m careful putting her into the vehicle, I climb in beside her and hold on.

For the first time in over thirty years, I say a prayer.

I pray for her to be okay.

Never did I think I’d find a woman that would make me put her above all else. But the moment I saw Lena, I knew she was the one.

I can’t lose her.

It’s not a fucking option.