I drive down by the docks yet again, hoping i’ll catch Kolya or Kristof. So far they’ve pretty much disappeared, and that’s difficult to do when you have a hoard of Russians on the hunt for your head. Kolya has officially broken his routine. Believe me, I checked the restaurant; I wasn’t going to let the fucker get away from me now, but he was a no show. I’m practically foaming at the mouth wondering if he’s the one who took my pixie.
It’s been twenty-two hours, thirteen minutes and forty-nine seconds since I first discovered Sabrina missing. At this point, she could be located anywhere in the world. Her captors have had plenty of time to fly, boat, or drive many miles away from here, and I’m not even one step closer to finding her. Whoever has her better pray to their god that they don’t harm even a hair on her head.
I keep playing it on repeat, over and over in my mind of her telling me she needed that stupid fucking cake topper. I know if I would have gone with her, she would be beside me right now. Tate says I can’t blame myself, but I do. I feel it in my gut that she would have been safe accompanied by me. I would have died to keep her that way. It was my
only
job; I had one thing to do and I have failed.
I don’t even deserve to have her at this point. Hell, who am I kidding? She’s always been too good for me. Sabrina’s a pure little angel of beauty, while I’m this big ogre, full of dirty blood and secrets.
I can’t help but wonder what my mother would think of me right now—may her soul rest in peace. Not only could I not protect her and my sisters, but now—even as an adult—I’m useless when it comes to protecting the women I love. Must I be forced to sacrifice everything? Am I not destined an ounce of happiness and love in my life? I will find the trash that took mother and Bina. I’ll search until I take my last breath if I have to.
My cell chirps and I damn near swerve off the road trying to get it out of the truck console. I slam on the brakes and pull off on the shoulder of the road. People need to stop texting me so much and just call; at least then the voice will come over the speaker instead.
Tate:
Tech found Kristof
Me:
Address
Tate:
I will send guys to meet you at 407 Grape
Me:
The projects?
Tate:
No, it’s a small house
Tossing the phone in the cup holder, I peel out, spraying rocks everywhere, pushing my truck’s limits to get me to Kristof as soon as possible. Every second wasted is a moment too long not being with her.
I’m grateful for Tate having my back on this and sending some guys to help, but I hope I arrive before everyone else. I want to get to her father first so I can beat her location out of him. The scum deserves to hurt and I have every intention of introducing him to real pain. I’ve wanted to for years, but out of respect for Sabrina, I’ve held off. No more though; that trash is mine and if he doesn’t sing like a bird, I’ll float him with the fishes just like he deserves.
The drive is short, about ten minutes or so, but they feel like ten of the longest drawn-out minutes of my life. There’s a slim chance of her actually being here, but I’m praying with everything in me that she’s here, safe and waiting.
Come on, Mother, if you have really moved on to another place, please help me find her.
I bring the truck to a stop and park a few houses away. Kristof has always been a paranoid idiot and I wouldn’t put it past him to have a group of wannabes outside keeping watch for me or anyone else that may drop in unannounced.
Quietly and swiftly I leave my truck and head up the small alley running behind the shack of a house. The yard is overgrown and I’m correct about him being suspicious. There are a few thuggish looking guys posted on the front porch, one guy on each side of the house and two in the back. So about six or seven total.
I can take them; hell, I could have taken them out when I was barely sixteen. Not to mention they all look like skin and bones—probably strung out on something strong. I get why some feel the need to escape and do a little recreational drugs—and it’s their choice—but I prefer to stay sober. I need to be completely focused, feeling everything, and in this instant, I can’t wait to feel myself steal the breath from their lungs.
Kristof owes me something and it’s time to collect.
One guy in the backyard steps off to take a piss and I creep behind him like a snake, performing my flawless choke hold; I tightly grip his throat and cut his air supply. Instead of releasing him once he’s passed out, I keep my hold longer, waiting precious seconds until the air has escaped him completely and his heart no longer beats.
The kill energizes me and I rush the remaining guard out back. His arms shoot up in defense, but I’m too quick for him. I immediately snap his neck, his head flying to the side with the force of my hands. I actually feel the break as it happens, and for the first time in twenty-three hours, a ghost of a smile graces my lips.
Using the pick in my wallet, I unlock the cheap door and get into the house easily. The door opens up into the kitchen, shocking another guy. I don’t give him enough time to process what he should do, but rush forward, ramming my forehead into his nose.
I immediately reach for a weapon to finish him off. I don’t have time to waste; this house could be full of guards for all I know. My small knife does the trick nicely as I stab his kidney repeatedly, the blood spilling everywhere making the tiled floor a slippery mess.
I know I’m coated in the man’s blood and probably look like something straight from a horror story, but that’s perfect. I hope to scare this fucker to death. Kristof’s time is up.
I find him in the living room, laid back on an old beat-up, brown couch while a young girl’s head bobs eagerly in his lap. This is rich. I’m worried sick about his kidnapped daughter’s safety, and the sick old fuck is shacked up, getting his cock sucked by someone who doesn’t even look to be eighteen years old yet. Probably one of his girls he plans to ship off into sex slavery.
Menacingly I let lose an angry growl, “Out, now!” and I step closer.
Kristof’s eyes widen in alarm, as he scoots back into the couch, pulling the girl in front of him as a shield. “Nikoli! What the hell are you doing here?”
The young girl sits, mute, looking dazed out. Her eyes look hollow like she’s on some sort of drug.
Good, at least the poor thing isn’t forced to do this shit sober. She’d probably kill herself with the stuff Kristof and his men have been known to put the slaves through.
“Let her go, Kristof; I’m not even here for her.”
“Get out! I’ll have my men come in if you don’t leave immediately.”
“Your goons are all dead. Only took me moments to kill them. Would you like to be next?”
“Nyet! Nikoli, wait a minute. I can pay you much better than whoever is doing this, please reconsider.”
“Pay me better?” I lash out, kicking his leg.
“Aghhh! Stop! Who sent you? What do they want?”
I let loose a humorless laugh and fling the girl to the side before he has a chance to really hurt her. With her tiny frame, I easily toss her across the room. I hate to cause her more pain, but it’s much better than what Kristof would have done to her.
“Hey! Don’t touch the product! She’s going to someone very powerful.”
“No, you’re mistaken,” I wrench his arm up, twisting it to the side so the sad excuse of a man is crouched before me with my face close to his. “You have no women anymore; you’re officially out of business. You’ve been warned over and over not to step on Tatkiv’s toes. Yet you creep, like a scrawny, pathetic rat, always lapping up whatever bread crumbs you can find. Well you have taken too big of bite this time, Kristof. I’ve come to collect what is rightfully mine.”
“Yours? My empire is not yours or that Mafiya brats!”
A chuckle escapes me as I apply enough pressure to feel the bone in his arm give out. He wails like a bitch in heat and I switch to gripping his good arm. “We do not want your pitiful diminutive business venture. In fact, Viktor will be shutting that all down soon also. You’ve crossed way too many lines. Not only does the most powerful Mafiya branch want you gone, but so does the criminal mastermind of the Russian Bratva. Both brothers want you to vanish, Kristof. There’s only one thing that can help make this death less painful on you.”
“Death?” Kristof squeaks and I nod. “Wha-what is it that you want?”
“Sabrina is mine; now where is she?”
“I never gave my daughter to you. She was only on loan to Viktor.”
“You are mistaken and a fool to lie to me. Everyone knows she is my property. You fucked up and had to give her to Viktor to save your ass. In turn, Viktor gave her to me. She was due to be my wife once everything blew over with you. I was giving it time before I told her.”
“Wife, eh?” He laughs evilly. “Too bad she is already betrothed to someone else.”
At that remark, I can no longer hold myself back. In a fit of rage, I snap his other arm, the bone breaking and causing the tendon to dangle like an unwanted growth. Then I drive my fist into his ugly smug face—over and over.
He gasps and blood sprays everywhere, coating my face. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to stop. I know I’ll kill him too soon if I don’t.
Shooting him a sinister smile, I try again.
“Now, where is Sabrina?”
“Not…not…not yours,” he sputters and I clench my fist, wanting to impale him.
“She’s mine!” I roar savagely. “Do you know where she is?” I shout, standing.
“No,” he mumbles, dipping his head to the floor. It’s said with truth, so I do the next best thing to finding her. I beat him to death.
two hours later…
“You killed off our greatest chance at finding her, Niko,” Tate grumbles and I wince. There’s so much truth to his statement. I know I fucked up, but I couldn’t restrain myself, and Kristof needed to go.
“He didn’t know where she is.”
“But he knew how to get in touch with Kolya. I have a feeling if we find Kolya, then we find Sabrina.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“I left a message for Viktor. Wherever they are, they don’t seem to have good service. It goes straight to voice mail when I try him, Elaina, Alexei, and Spartak.”
“Fuck! Why did this have to happen the day he was going out of town?”
“That’s exactly why, Niko. It was the best chance for something like this to happen. Whoever did this couldn’t have picked a better time to have you distracted. Elaina wanted to see a bunch of random places and I know Viktor was excited to show her a lot of little spots in Russia where the service is shitty. As soon as one of them gets service, I know they’ll call us back.”
“Yeah, I just hope it’s not much longer and they’re able to remember something helpful. Did the tech guy find out about the car? We’re very fortunate Lev remembered the license plate number.”
“It was a hired service. I have them checking to see if it ties back to any names that may stand out for us.”
“And what about your uncle?”
“He still won’t take my calls. Whatever Viktor said to him, really did the trick. Unfortunately, it’s hurting us in this situation. I doubt my uncle would be much help anyhow, but any little clue could be just the thing we need to have a break-through. I wish I knew what all he had to speak to Viktor about.”
“I’m going to go check the docks again.”
“Niko, you need to get some sleep. You haven’t slept since she was taken and you won’t be able to think straight pretty soon. You need at least four hours; you know this.”
“I can’t sleep, Boss. Every minute wasted is a minute she could be scared or hurting. I must do whatever I’m capable of to find her.”
“I understand that and God knows I would be on a fucking rampage myself, but you have to rely on all of your training.”
“So I sleep…What if I close my eyes and see her being hurt? I can already imagine horrifying things happening to her while I’m awake, but then throw her into my dreams and they can do even worse.”
“I know it, man, but you have to remember we’re dealing with a bunch of rich fuckers. They won’t want her all messed up if Kolya is trying to force her to marry him. Even when my uncle was into the sex trade heavily he wanted the girls to look good for as long as possible.”
“You have not seen the boats as I have in Russia. It’s no joke. I used to go out and watch them, praying my mother would step out one day so I could rescue her and then my sisters. The way they treat those women is sickening. It’s worse than the dogs; they live in filth, getting sick, catching pneumonia or syphilis, stranded out on those rotting fucking boats.”
“Enough! This is not Russia and I won’t let you go down that path.”
“But that’s the thing; she could be in Russia by now!”
“I said enough. Get some rest, and then we keep looking. I mean it, even if you lie in bed for four hours, do it. Take a shower and force yourself to eat. You’ll need your strength; it’s your best asset.”
“Boss.” I answer shortly, nodding and head back inside mine and Sabrina’s loft.
Sleep huh.
My body’s depleted and sore, but even then, sleep doesn’t entice me. I’d rather be searching for her, exhausting every option over and over until I’m absolutely certain that there’s nothing of value to help. I’ll humor Tate, lying down and breezing over strategy for a while, but I’m not making any promises of actually sleeping.
It kills me to be inside this building, because everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of her. In the bathroom her shampoo and soap smell still lingers in the air. Our room is her normal tornado of items out everywhere. She’s so disorganized when it comes to herself, yet she knows where everything is located. It’s torment, but at the same time, it also makes me feel close to her again.
Once I get showered, I lie in our bed naked, gripping her pillow to my chest so I can smell her. Her scent relaxes me and after a while my drained body shuts down, making me fall into a fitful sleep full of dreams of her screaming for me to help her.