Page 30 of Born into Darkness

“I know you won’t.”

Wrapping my body around hers, I spoon her from behind and press my hand to her chest, needing to feel the beat of her heart against my skin. It’s the only way I can fall asleep. She anchors me and quiets my mind. She’s the only one who’s ever been able to.

“This ends tomorrow,sladkaya.”

She snuggles into me and nods her head. Even though she’s still worried, her body is exhausted to the breaking point, and no matter how much she’s fighting it, soon her breathing slows down and I know she’s fallen asleep. I hold her for several more hours, going over every detail of tomorrow’s plan. We have one chance to do this, and my son’s life is riding on us not fucking it up. The pressure is immense, and the steady beat of my wife’s heart is the only thing keeping me sane.

I will find our son and bring him home or die trying. Holding Simona tighter, I bury my nose against her neck while I count the beats of her heart, letting her presence consume me and chase away the demons. The thought of not coming back to her is too painful to think about.

Failure isn’t an option.

When I leave Colombia, both my boys will be alive and by my side. I won’t allow for any other outcome.

Chapter6

Vasily

“Ican’t believe you talked me into this,zolotse.” My wife is strapped into the seat next to me, staring out the dark window of the plane, but as soon as her eyes meet mine and I see the exhaustion and fear in them, I know that there’s very little she couldn’t talk me into. The truth is I would do anything for her, and when she’d begged to come with me to New York, I couldn’t say no. She wants to be there to see Talia as soon as we bring her back, and I couldn’t deny her that.

She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “Thank you for letting me come. I know you’re worried, but I’m sure I’ll be safe with the Melnikov family.” She gives me a small smile. “How bad could they be?”

I raise a brow at her, not needing to answer the question. We both know exactly how bad they could be. Ever since they reached out to us about Talia, I’ve been spending every spare second researching their family. From what I can see, they have a reputation for being fair but brutal. They took out one of the world’s biggest sex-trafficking rings just so they could rescue one woman, and I’ll admit that impressed me enough to not put up too big of a fight when Nina begged me to come along.

“If I don’t like them, you’re staying in a hotel with armed bodyguards,” I warn her.

“I don’t care where I stay. I just want our daughter back and for this to be over.”

The quiver in her voice has me reaching over to unclip her seatbelt so I can pull her into my lap. She rests her head against my shoulder, and I’m not sure what’s worse, the sobs she’s been letting out for weeks or the pitiful, shaky exhalations she’s letting out against my neck because she has no more tears to give. I want to burn the world down for the pain my family is going through.

“What if,” she starts to say, but then stops, too scared to put words to her worst fears. The first time I met my wife, she was in a brothel. She’d been sold into it, forced to pay off her father’s debts. I’d been there searching for a man who owed me money, and I’d seen her in the hall—scared to death with bruises all over her small body, and a haunted look in her dark eyes. Her legs were so shaky that she’d almost fallen, and I’d reached down to help her. As soon as I was close enough, she’d whispered for help. In that moment, I knew my entire life would change. I knew that there was no way I could let her go, so I didn’t. That night I married her, gave her the protection of my name along with my heart, and then I killed every motherfucker who had hurt her.

Kissing my wife’s head, I hold her tighter, knowing that every nightmare running through her mind about our daughter is a nightmare that she herself has already lived through, and it breaks my goddamn heart.

“I never wanted her to experience what I went through,” she whispers. “All that pain and fear.” Her voice breaks on a soft sob while I cup the back of her head and rub circles along her back.

“She isn’t,zolotse. They haven’t touched her like that.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, but I don’t want you to do that. I want the truth, no matter how much it kills me to hear it.”

Her strength never ceases to amaze me, but my job will always be to protect her. The truth is she’s right. I would never tell her if I knew our daughter was being brutalized, and I will never tell her about the video they sent me threatening just that. I could never do that to her. What good would it do? It would kill her to hear it, and then there would be nothing she could do about it. Her mind would create a hell that she would be trapped in until I could bring our daughter home to us. I could never do that to her. I’ll tell her about the video after Talia is safely back with us, because I want Nina to know how goddamn brave our daughter is.

I’d been so horrified at the sight of my Talia begging for help that I hadn’t noticed the secret message she was sending. It was Bran who’d first noticed, pointing out the quick signs Talia made. Even though she was terrified, she’d given us the Amaya name and let us know she was being held in a basement. My heart broke to see her like that, but it also swelled with pride at her bravery. What she told us confirms what the Melnikovs have said, making me feel a lot better about this joint ambush we’re planning.

Thankfully, I don’t think Lorenzo will push the one-week timeline, which means we have time to rescue her. Knowing the chances are high that she hasn’t been abused, it’s easy to meet Nina’s eyes and say, “She hasn’t been touched like that, and Lorenzo thinks we’re about to cave. He won’t push things right now by hurting our daughter, not when he thinks he’s so close to getting what he wants.”

“Don’t worry, Nina,” my brother tells her, reaching out to pat her calf. “We’re getting Talia back tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Valeri,” Nina whispers.

“And we’re destroying this fucking cartel,” my other brother adds. The grim look on Volodya’s face reminds me of what he always used to look like before he met his wife and started a family. Talia’s kidnapping has resurrected the rage that used to live so close to the surface for him.

It’s affected all of us. It’s the first time our kids have experienced a loved one being taken from them, and this cut is definitely going to leave a mark. Looking across the private jet we’re on, I watch Dima stare out the window. He’s so much like his mom. So many thoughts swirling around in that head of his, but underneath all the rage he’s feeling is nothing but a deep concern for his sister. As the oldest, he’s shouldering an unfair amount of guilt. I’ve told him it’s my fault she was taken. I should’ve had more men assigned to them that day, and I’ll never forgive myself for assuming they were safe just because it was our territory and things have been peaceful. If anyone should carry that burden, it’s me. I fucked up, and my daughter is paying for it.

Dima refuses to believe me, though. He’ll carry the guilt right along with me, because he may remind me of his mom, but he’s my son through and through. My heart breaks a little when I turn my focus on Bran. He’s even more withdrawn than usual since Talia was taken, and I know this is killing him. Ever since Nina brought him home to us, he’s felt like a part of our family, every bit my son as much as Dima is. As if sensing my stare, he turns his head, meeting my eyes.

You okay? I sign to him behind his mom’s back.

No,he signs back, and I want to get up and hug him for his brutal honesty. Bran’s never minced words. He may choose to observe rather than partake most of the time, but when he does join in, I always pay close attention because it’s usually worth listening to. Talia is the one he opens up to. They’ve been glued at the hip ever since they were little. Even before they learned sign language, they found a way to communicate, making up their own gestures for things. Language was never a barrier for them, and I know he must feel like a part of his soul has been ripped from his chest at the loss of her.

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