Page 19 of Bratva Hostage

“Good morning to you, too,” Maksim drawls. “Are you in a foul mood because your little captive won’t toe the line? Or is something else eating at you?”

“Did you have a reason to call, or are you just here to irritate me?”

He chuckles. “Grigor wants an update on the Thorne situation. He asked me, but I think you should be the one to go see him. He doesn’t trust secondhand information when it comes to Seraphina’s family.”

I grunt. “Fine. I’ll head over to the safehouse.”

Maksim pauses before adding, “Word is Cecily’s been roaming places she shouldn’t. Are you keeping tabs on her?”

“She’s under control,” I lie, ignoring the nagging feeling in my gut.

“Sure,” Maksim replies, clearly unimpressed. “Let Grigor know if you’ve reconsidered my suggestion.”

“Your suggestion to treat Cecily like a potential spy? I told you, that’s ridiculous.”

“You can keep saying that, but it doesn’t mean the rest of us are convinced.”

He ends the call before I can fire back. I scowl at the phone, then shut the security laptop. On the screen, a paused frame shows Cecily strolling down a corridor, eyes darting around in a way that makes me wonder if Maksim’s paranoia isn’t entirely misplaced. I don’t believe she’s working for her father, but I can’t deny she’s been testing our defenses. Still, it feels like her motivation is escape, not sabotage.

I leave the office and head out to the main foyer. Several men lounge near the entrance, talking in low voices. They snap to attention when they spot me. I gesture for one of them to come over.

“I’m going to the safehouse. Send a car behind me to make sure I’m not followed. If Cecily asks where I am, tell her I’ll be back soon.”

The guard nods, and I continue outside, where my car waits. The driver sees me and opens the door without a word. As we pull away from the Barkov estate, I glance at the gates through the rear window. Cecily is probably scheming. She hasn’t made a single attempt at being subtle. The woman has an unrelenting drive, and that kind of energy doesn’t disappear easily. Her latest scheme is likely more of the same. She probably thinks she can evade all the guards and make a break for the front gate, but we both know that isn’t possible.

I shake my head and concentrate on the drive. The safehouse is hidden away in a quiet residential area. It’s a nondescript two-story building with plain curtains and an old fence. No one would suspect it belongs to the Barkov family. We park in the back, out of sight. I step out, nod to a guard, and enter through a side door.

Inside, two more men greet me before they lead me to a small living room where Grigor lounges on a worn armchair. He’s dressed casually in a dark sweater and jeans, but he looks every bit the lethal man I know him to be. Seraphina offers me a thin smile when she sees me.

“Dimitri,” Grigor greets, rising to clasp my hand. “You look like you haven’t slept.”

“I’ve been busy,” I reply, returning his grip. I glance at Seraphina, who studies me with quiet concern. “How are you two holding up?”

Grigor shrugs. “We’re managing. Seraphina’s worried about Cecily, obviously.” He gestures for me to sit, then takes his seat again. “So give it to us straight. Where do we stand with Thorne?”

I sink onto the edge of a small couch. “He’s still in hiding. We have leads but nothing concrete. Maksim and the others are running down every scrap of intel.”

“Have you found any clue that he’s coming for Cecily?” Seraphina asks.

“Your father is still determined to get her back,” I admit. “There hasn’t been a direct threat in the past few days, but we can’t take chances. She’s making it difficult by refusing to cooperate.”

Seraphina chuckles softly, as if she wouldn’t expect anything less. “Difficult how?”

“She wants out. She tries to find holes in our security. I’m not sure if she’s just looking for a way to escape or if she’s testing us.”

“Why would she be testing you unless—” Grigor stops himself, then grimaces. “Maksim put that idea in your head, didn’t he? That she might be working for Thorne.”

“He raised the possibility. I don’t believe it, but it’s stirring doubt among the rest of my brothers. Cecily’s father is ruthless enough to use her as a pawn. Still, I’ve seen her desperation. I think she’s just trying to get away, not gather intel.”

“She’s always been strong-willed,” Seraphina comments. “Father never broke her spirit, no matter how hard he tried.”

“She’s definitely strong-willed,” I agree with a soft laugh.

“How do we convince the others that she isn’t a threat?” Grigor asks.

“That’s the question,” I reply as I tap my fingers against my knee. “If she keeps pushing the boundaries, Maksim and Nikolai will remain suspicious. Aleksei is on the fence, but he’s leaning toward caution. No one wants to let their guard down and risk being blindsided by Thorne.”

“So what do we do?” Seraphina questions.

---