Unwanted Sacrifices (Russkaya Mafiya Book 3) (19 page)

“Nikoli?”

“Yes, he’s the one who contacted your father, right?” I ask curiously.

“I have no idea; sorry but I don’t know who that is. I’m not really a part of that family. I know some stuff about most of them, but I don’t speak to anyone.”

“Oh. You are here to bring me back to them though, right? I don’t get it why you would help if you aren’t close to them.”

“Yes, I’m bringing you home. The short story is, my mother and I went to the U.S. when I was a baby. I guess my mom found out my dad was this crazy gangster after she was pregnant and made him send her back to the states so we would be safe. She had him promise to leave us alone if he really loved her to keep us alive and not take on any possible retribution directed towards him. My father and I speak occasionally, and he was nice enough to put me through private school. This last time when he called he said my cousins needed a favor, that you had been taken, and that no one knew who I was so he could get me a job and get me close to you. When it comes down to it, they’re my family; so of course I agreed to help out.”

“Wow!”

“Yep.”

“Can I please use a phone?”

“Not yet, we need to get you to safety first.”

“What about you? Aren’t you worried they’ll come after you?”

“Naw.”

“Not even a little bit? You saw what they did to me.”

“I’m a cop, mouse,” he answers automatically and I damn near choke.

“You’re a cop and you’re Victor’s son?” I burst out laughing after the words come out at how ironic that is.

“Yes, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t laugh at me. I just risked my life to save you.”

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise. It’s just so funny—the irony—considering you’re a cop and your father is as corrupt as they come. It’s like the ultimate payback.”

“I wanted to prove to my mom that I’m not like him.”

“Well I’d say you did a good job.”

“What happened to the sweet, quiet girl I was visiting back there?”

“She started getting better and found out she’s going home!”

“Fair enough,” he chuckles, his smile making him even more charming.

“So what’s the plan now?”

“Well I have some more clothes for you here. My father had a guess at your size. I thought he was nuts when I first got the clothes, but I discovered he was right about you being a sprite. Once you change, I have a friend of the family named Roman that I’m supposed to call and he’ll give us a ride to the jet, according to my father. This is really all his stuff, well besides the laptop, I was just borrowing it.” He gestures to the place.

“Okay, umm, am I allowed to take a shower alone? I haven’t had one since I was taken.”

“Of course. Use whatever you’d like. The clothes for you are hanging in the bedroom connected to the bathroom. You can even lock the door if you want, and I promise to give you some space.”

“Oh and Beau?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“No worries, Sabrina; I’d do it all over again.”

No one is too old for fairytales.

-Unknown

the next day…

I jump out of
the shower at Tate calling for me. He usually knocks, and if I don’t answer, leaves me alone, so this must be important. Wrapping the plush towel around my waist, I hurry to open my bedroom door.

“What is it?”

“We need to go man. Vik just called and said our uncle wants us to head to the old airport. His jet’s about to land.”

“Are we on security or just greeting him? I wonder if he knows anything.”

“I have no clue. Vik just said to be there in twenty, and that Uncle sent a jet and then hung up. I damn sure plan on finding out if he knows something if he’s there.”

“All right, let me dress,” I reply and he leaves my room, closing the door behind him.

Before I would’ve worn a suit at the prospect of seeing his uncle, but since he’s retired I just throw on some faded jeans with a plain black T-shirt. I no longer answer to him or Gizya, only to Tate and Viktor now thankfully. I slip on my running shoes at the front door and make my way as quickly as I can to Tate’s black Tahoe.

Climbing into the jacked up beast, I slam the truck door and he turns to me. “You good, man?”

“I got a few hours of sleep; it’ll suffice,” I shrug and turn up the radio. ‘Angels Fall’ by Breaking Benjamin plays and it tugs at my heart, making me think of Sabrina. Hell, everything makes me worry about her.

“I’m so sorry about all of this,” Tate speaks over the music.

“It’s not your fault that he wouldn’t tell us where she is. It doesn’t matter now anyhow since I already killed him.” I shrug. “Now we need to find another lead, we need this master person he kept speaking of.” My sister couldn’t believe it when I told her Chek was dead. I thought she would freak out over me killing someone; instead she hugged me until it was hard for me to breathe.

“Wish I knew a name or something. Fuck!”

“I know; me too.” I watch the beautiful green scenery of Tennessee float by as we drive out towards the old airport we all prefer to use. “Did you hear from your brother again after you came and got me?”

“No.”

I hear movement and turn to find Vishna and Emily in the back seat. I’m so distracted I didn’t even notice them. This is a serious security issue when it comes to keeping Tate safe. “What are you girls doing with us? This could be dangerous!”

“Tate said we could come, that he thought it was his uncle visiting.” Emily perks up.

“Fine, but you both stay in the truck until we know it’s secure.”

“We will.” She responds quickly and my sister keeps quiet. I know they probably won’t listen to me and will do whatever they want to.

“Good,” I respond and we all grow quiet, listening to the radio.

The ride is over fairly quickly and we arrive just as the plane is touching down. Viktor’s already there waiting for us in his Maserati. I sure love those little cars, but I’m too large to sit in them comfortably.

I jump out of the truck and greet him. “You showing off for your \uncle?” I nod to the car. His Uncle Victor practically raised him and one thing he always instilled was for Viktor to have nice cars to drive when he was able to.

“No. Uncle called briefly about the jet, but he said he wouldn’t be on it. He said that he hoped this would make amends for the argument we got into at my wedding that I told you about. I can’t believe he’d show up demanding things anyhow. After growing up around him, I never believed that our relationship would become so strained.”

“Make up for it? How?”

He shrugs, “I haven’t got a clue, we just have to wait and see what he found. Maybe it’s this person we’ve been hearing so much about.”

“The master?”

“Yes.”

“Tate and I were discussing it on the way over. I hope it is him; if not, we need to find him.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He nods and Tate heads over to us.

“Viktor.”

“Moy brat, Luka,” Viktor responds, calling Tate by his Russian birth name.

I call him Tatkiv at times from his middle name, and he also answers to Tate from everyone. I know it’s confusing, but being who he is, he wants people to be jumbled with his name. It makes him harder to find by possible threats, not to mention the FEDS, if everyone knows him by a different name. Viktor, on the other hand, gets pissed when people call him ‘The Cleaner.’ He should take it as an honor, the name speaks of his consistency of taking care of things.

After the jet lands and comes to a stop near our vehicles and the copilot opens the door, a man about Tate and Viktor’s size, quickly descends. He has dark hair and a scruffy face. I’d guess him close to our age.

As he walks towards us, I stand in front, ready to take the brunt in case he’s not someone friendly.

“What the fuck! There are three of you?” Emily bursts out suddenly, glaring at Tate.

I have no clue what she’s talking about so I face the man again. “Who are you?”

“I’m Beau,” he grumbles as he gets close and Viktor steps forward around me to shake his hand.

“Beau, it’s been years. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Viktor.”

“Right, the older one,” he answers and Viktor nods.

“Tate, you didn’t tell me you had another brother!” Emily whisper yells, chastising and Tate chuckles.

“He’s my cousin Em, not my brother.” He smiles and then shakes Beau’s hand next.

“Beau, this is my beautiful wife, Emily.” Emily steps forward to give him a small hug with her damn Southern manners. Then he gestures to me, “This is my best friend and right-hand man, Nikoli. Oh, and the shy girl in the truck over there is Niko’s sister, Vishna.”

“Nikoli?” Beau says puzzled and stares at me for a few beats. I’m confused also. I thought Gizya only had one brother, Victor. I’d not heard of Victor ever having a son.

“In the flesh,” I respond, intrigued.

“Do you know Sabrina?” He asks quietly and my breathing picks up rapidly.

“Bina? You know my Bina? Where is she?” I bellow and charge at him, Tate and Viktor each grab my arms, holding me tightly to keep me from mauling their cousin. How could he possibly know that name if he hasn’t seen her recently.

Beau takes a step backwards, eyeing me cautiously. “You love her?” he asks cryptically and we all go still, wondering why he’d ask that sort of question.

“With everything that I am,” I growl sincerely and he lets loose a sharp, loud whistle.

I turn my gaze back to the jet expecting a hoard of guys to come out, guns blazing. I never once thought a tiny short-haired pixie would walk down those steps.

“Moy Bina?” I shout, tears gathering in my eyes.

Is my mind playing tricks on me? Is it really her face I’m seeing right now? She’s alive? What happened to her hair?

Sabrina rushes closer, calling back, “Da, Blondie?” And I drop to my knees, tears raining down my cheeks as she finally reaches me close enough for me to touch her delicate body.

“It is really you? I’m not dreaming again?” I choke out and she starts to cry.

“It’s me. I’m here and you’re not dreaming.” She takes my hand, placing it over her heart so I can feel it beat.

“Oh thank God!” I cheer as I pull her to sit on my lap and wrap her in my arms. I rain kisses all over her hair, cheeks, forehead, and nose. “I’ve dreamed of you, I’ve looked everywhere for you, I cannot believe I hold you in my arms right now.” I mumble and wipe my face dry. Tears keep falling from her, so I wipe her face as well.

“I prayed for you, Nikoli. I thought of you and made any promise to God I could think of just to see your smiling face again,” she chokes out between sobs of happiness.

“I am here my love, and I will carry you around forever if I have to so nothing ever happens to you again.”

I take her face in my large palm and tilt her head up to meet my gaze. After a moment of staring into her beautiful, happy eyes, I drop my gaze, zoning in on her lips. I watch as she swallows and waste not a second more, as I dip my head, my lips finally meeting hers, where they’ve longed to be  forever it seems.

The kiss is like magic, two souls meant to be, and fusing together full of love. My tongue caresses hers lovingly and I know inside that I’ll never love a woman as I love her. She’s it. She’s the one for me, forever.

She pulls away, tears cascading down her pale cheeks. “I’ve waited my whole life for you to kiss me like that, Nikoli.”

“I was stupid before, keeping my distance from you, but no more. I love you, Sabrina Cheskolav, and I want you to be my wife.”

“Your wife? Have you thought about this? I don’t want you to make a mistake because you’re excited that I’ve been found.”

“The only mistake would be not to marry you. I should have scooped you up as soon as you turned eighteen. I wanted you to have a chance at the life of freedom you wanted, without me tying you down. Now I wish I had asked you anyway.”

“I would have said yes, Blondie. God, I would have agreed in a heartbeat. I’ve loved you for so long.”

“I’ve loved you as well; please agree to be with me always?”

“Da. I would be over the moon to have you as my husband,” she cries, leaning forward to softly kiss my lips.

My Sabrina induced fog starts to lift as I remember where we are and that our friends are here. I listen as Viktor tells Elaina excitedly on the phone that Bina is home safe.

“She needs to see a Doctor as soon as possible. Sabrina’s been severely dehydrated, malnourished, injured, and endured psychiatric trauma,” I hear Beau tell Tate, and it kills me inside to listen to it spoken out loud. I can’t bear to think of her going through all of that.

Pulling my head back a little more, I really take her in. Her lips look awful, they’re all chewed up, like she was biting them and pulling the skin off. Her cheeks are sunken in a little and she feels boney in my arms, telling me she’s lost too much weight. Her hair’s chopped crooked as shit, but that’s not a real issue. Her eyes don’t sparkle as much as they used to; they appear happy to see me, but I can see the torment in them. Her ear has a massive scab on the tip where her tattoo belongs and she has what looks to have been a deep cut under her bottom lip at one point.