Page 4 of Broken By the Bratva

My heart was beating in my throat. I should have made that call. But I didn’t. My only objective now was to reach the town. I knew I had to get somewhere where there were lots of people. Once I was safe, I would call Abram.

I felt the stream of sweat running down my back. I knew this wasn’t only from running as my nerves were eating at my insides. Before me, I could see the first shops as the town came closer. Looking back over my shoulder, I was glad they weren’t there.

My lungs had started burning and my legs as well. I hadn’t done this much running in a long time. I hadn’t realized how unfit I was until now.

As I rounded the last corner the shops were within reaching distance. Glancing back, I instantly came to a full stop. It felt like I had hit a brick wall. I staggered backward rubbing my chin and looking at my feet. I saw a pair of large black shoes.

This is what happens if you run looking back, I thought turning my face up to look at the stranger before me. Lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, my phone slipped to the ground. The tall handsome man stepped forward smashing it.

“I’m so sorry for bumping into you but that was my phone,” I uttered looking up into the mysterious guy's light green eyes. For a second, I couldn’t see his face clearly as the sun shone directly into my eyes. But those green eyes were hard to forget. Adjusting my stance so the late afternoon sun wasn’t shining into them, I realized I was right. I knew who he was. My legs felt like lead as I turned to run the other way.

But there was nowhere to go. I felt his big strong hands close around my arms as the van pulled up to the curb. Paralyzed with fear, I wanted to slap myself. Why didn’t I make the call? I’ve played into their hands by trying to do things my way.

They had anticipated my moves. I walked or rather ran into their trap. No, I ran into Vadik’s arms. He pushed me forward as the van doors opened. As I started to struggle, Vadik grabbed me around the waist. He placed his other hand over my mouth preventing me from screaming. Lifting me he walked with ease and got into the van.

The doors slammed shut before he let go and lightly shoved me forward. Stumbling to the ground between him and his brother, I felt like a little squirrel trapped between two big wild dogs. I grabbed the pendant around my neck. Alexandr had given it to me the day I moved into the safe house. It was fitted with a tracking device for just such an occasion.

Knowing there was no way out anymore, I squeezed the purple flower activating it. Not wanting to alert Vadik of what was coming, I kept my face solemn as I turned and sat in the corner. Marari tied my hands before sitting down opposite me. All that was left to do was to have faith that my brothers would come soon to rescue me.

I kept my mouth shut as the van drove up and down a couple of streets. The windows were dark, and I couldn’t see where we were going. But I was positive my brothers would find me before they could attempt anything. The drive wasn’t long. As the van stopped, I wondered what they planned to do with me.

Vadik placed a bag loosely over my head as the doors opened. He pulled me closer and lifted me out. I struggled tryingto get his hands off me. But the more I moved, the harder he held. Easing up, I felt his grip loosen a tad.

I heard a door opening and then we moved inside what I assumed was the house they had shared with Nadia. As the door closed, Vadik removed the bag. Glancing around, I felt sure this was where Nadia had stayed with them. If I remember correctly, it was within the Chernyhk’s compound.

This meant it would be harder for my brothers to get to me. Yet, I knew they would move mountains if they had to. They would do whatever it took to rescue me.

Chapter 3 - Vadik

The kidnapping went much easier than I had anticipated. I was so glad our intel on her was correct. Standing behind her in the small hallway, I felt relieved that everything went so smoothly. There were no hitches and soon we would have Nadia back in our lives.

We studied the Dubow family throughout our project for the Chernykhs. All our intel suggested she was the softest and most innocent of them, except for the youngest, Akim. Considering how easy it was to get her here; I was positive the intel was right.

I had to admit she was a beautiful woman. She had a unique odor. Her perfume was nice, but this was a deeper smell, a sweet clean odor. I had not expected to find her attractive, but she was. Shaking my head, I gently urged her forward. I noticed she kept shifting around as we drove home and wondered if it was only due to fear.

Yet, she kept fidgeting with her necklace. Her fingers glided along the chain and over the pendant hanging just above her cleavage. Opening the door to Nadia’s old room, I guided her left. Tasha stepped hesitantly inside so I shoved her lightly.

She stumbled forward but didn’t fall. As she found her footing, she turned, glaring angrily at me. Her hand went up to her necklace, drifting over the chain again, which made me wonder if it held any significance. I had almost forgotten about it and was about to walk out but I stopped. “Tasha,” I said loudly as I moved towards her.

Her eyes met mine. There was a fire in them, I hadn’t seen before. “Why do you keep clinging to the necklace? What’sits significance?” I questioned. “Is it a family heirloom or something?” Lifting my brows, I studied her reaction.

Tasha stepped back seemingly jumpier than earlier. I found her reaction a tad cute, she was so innocent and a bad lair. Taking a deep breath, she glanced away as she responded. “Um, yes.” I heard her swallowing hard as her fingers closed around the pendant. “It was my mothers.”

I knew this couldn’t be true as I hadn’t seen it in any of the photos, we had collected of her and the family. She wasn’t wearing jewelry in any of them come to think of it. This made me more suspicious. Plus, she appeared to be trampling lightly and shifting nervously.

Feeling my anger rolling in, I stepped up to her. “Tasha,” I breathed out hard. “Please don’t lie to me.” Grabbing her shoulder with my left hand, I shook her. Her hand dropped from the pendant, and I grabbed it. Her eyes grew as shock filled her.

“Please, don’t, please,” she whispered as I yanked the necklace. She tried grabbing it, but my hand was fully closed around the pendant. Letting go of her, I stepped back and opened my hand looking at the pendant.

Turning it over, I saw the small button on the back. Before I could examine it properly Tasha came at me. She aimed at the pendant in my hand. Turning swiftly, I managed to evade her. My anger boiled up as I realized it had to be a tracker.

I shoved her to the bed and watched as she fell backward onto it. I could see the fear in her eyes as I moved to the door. I was furious and wasn’t about to give her up after all we had been through. I would ensure our efforts weren’t wasted no matter what I had to do.

After weighing my options, I had to decide quickly what to do. After a second look at the pendant, I threw it to the floorand stepped on it. There was a loud crushing sound as I turned my foot from side to side. Picking up my foot, the necklace was in bits and pieces, it would no longer work.

Looking back at Tasha, she sat with her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were filled with tears. This was it. I had her. But trouble would follow, and we needed to move quickly.

“I’ll be back,” I huffed before walking out and slamming the door shut behind me. Standing for a second, I took a deep breath as I made the only choice I could fathom. Storming to the kitchen, I glanced at my brothers as I collected the rope and tape.

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