Page 57 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

The silence in the room thickens, dark and oppressive.This isn’t just about old vendettas or petty feuds.This goes deeper, touches the very foundation of the Syndicate.It survived because of Dad, because he documented everything, outmaneuvered them at every turn.And now, years later, here we are again—Sergei’s son following in his father’s footsteps.

Tommy lets out a low curse.“This explains why Igor hates us.He’s been bred to despise the Boyles, to take what his father couldn’t.”

“And now he’s gotten desperate,” Shelby adds, his voice quiet but a storm brewing in his eyes.“What about the files on Mom?You mentioned there were references to her in those documents.How does she fit into all this?”

“Hell if I know.The files mention that Mom’s work was a threat to the Bratva.I can’t see how.She was a professor.What could her lectures or research do to men like Sergei and Oleg?”I look at my brothers, hoping they can help me with this puzzle.

Shelby’s lips press into a thin line, but he says nothing.It doesn’t make sense, and yet it was there, buried in files Nikolai hacked, like a dark secret waiting to resurface.

Tommy leans forward, his eyes flashing with a cold intensity.“Igor is coming for us, not only because of his wife and daughter, but because he holds us responsible for his family’s downfall.This goes beyond hatred.He wants us all to burn.”He pauses to empty his glass of whiskey, then adds, “After they filed for bankruptcy, Oleg jumped from the Vasilyevich building.He left a note saying he couldn’t face his wife and three teenage daughters.That ended the family’s status and wealth.”

I nod.“It unleashed a fresh kind of cruelty.Those women lived in a world where they were nothing more than bargaining chips to cover his failures.They became collateral in blood debts, forced into arranged marriages to settle scores.”

That was a reminder of the cost of betrayal in the Bratva.Igor grew up under that legacy, the ruin of his family embedded deep, festering into hatred.

At that moment, the office door swings open, and Nikolai steps in.He’s dressed sharp, hs dark suit impeccable, but there’s a grimness about him as he approaches us.

“Nik,” I say, nodding in acknowledgment.“Glad you could make it.”

Shelby asks, “Got anything else on the traitor who helped Igor abduct Seamus?”

“No, but I’ve got intel.”

Nickolai inclines his dirty-blond head.

“More than you’re going to like.”When he approaches my desk, I gesture for him to take the empty chair beside Tommy.Nikolai continues, “It wasn’t easy getting this.Igor’s men guard data like Fort Knox.I hacked into a few of their devices, copied what I could without triggering alarms.”

Shelby mutters, “It’s been that kind of shitty afternoon.”

Nikolai’s eyes settle on me, and there’s a weight in his gaze that instantly makes me alert.“Igor’s put his plan in motion.He’s auctioning Rose.”

My vision blurs, a haze of red flooding my sight.The words slam into me like a punch, hollowing out everything else.

“He’s what?!”The words scrape out of my throat, raw and edged with barely contained fury.

“A trafficking auction,” Nikolai explains, his voice quiet but resolute.“Rose’s picture is on a datasheet.It’s already been circulated within certain circles.The auction’s set for the weekend—on that yacht he’s rented.The starting price… it’s obscene.”

My fists clench, knuckles white against the polished surface of the desk.My mind races, a storm of fractured images—the innocent smile on Rose’s face, her small hand gripping mine.

“As long as I draw breath, Igor won’t ever get close to her,” I promise through gritted teeth.“He’s just signed his death sentence.”

“Son of a bitch,” Tommy’s voice echoes through the office, his jaw tight.

Shelby looks as if he’s on the verge of snapping, his hands balled into fists.This is an all-out war.

“It seems like he’s working with larger players,” Nikolai says.“The scale of this… it’s not something he can do alone.There are others involved, high up.They’re willing to pay whatever it takes to get what they want.”His voice drops lower.“We’re talking about men with connections at the highest levels—politicians, corporate leaders, people with the resources to disappear someone without a trace and make sure no questions are asked.My sources say there’s interest from figures across Europe and even here at home, powerful enough to shield Igor from any repercussions.They want fresh channels, new blood.”The implication sits like poison in the air.

“Bastards,” Shelby mutters with disgust.“Only two days left.We need to act now.”

“Igor must be getting desperate, and that only makes him more dangerous,” Tommy growls.

Nikolai nods.“My men are getting more intel as we speak, trying to track down every point of contact.Igor’s well-protected.His Bratva allies have him locked down tight.We’re going to need a hell of a strategy.”

A gnawing question tightens its grip as I think of Igor’s plan to sell Rose.I’ve seen enough of the Bratva to know that even men like him draw a line at their own blood.If he truly saw Rose as his daughter, would he auction her off like that?For the first time, I let myself consider it—could she really be mine?The possibility churns, uneasy, and unsteady.The thought that I’d buried under layers of delusion surfaces.

It doesn’t matter right now, I tell myself.The priority is getting Igor out of her life.I’ll deal with everything else once he’s gone.

The thought of Rose’s innocence tainted by Igor’s schemes tightens a band of iron around my chest.I can’t afford to let this happen.No matter the cost, no matter the blood that has to be spilled, I will protect her.I glance at my brothers, each of them steeling themselves for the fight ahead.

---