Page 52 of Bratva Daddies for the Single Mom

“She told me to call you.” Crying infiltrated her words. “It’s okay, girls. Your mom will be fine.”

“Who are you?” I fisted my hand around the phone, the pressure almost cracking the plastic.

“Tina. Annie’s roommate. I work at Twisted, the bar in town.” She made more shushing sounds.

I recognized the name of the bar but not the woman. I covered the mouthpiece. “Did either of you know Annie had a roommate?”

“Makes sense that she would.” Ilya shrugged. “I never saw one.”

“Neither did I,” Fyodor added.

I’d never asked, and Annie left Tina out of all our conversations much like she’d conveniently never told us about her girls. What else was she hiding from us? Suspicion tightened my tone until it became all sharp syllables and coarse consonants. “Last chance. Why did you call me?”

“Annie’s been kidnapped, you asshole. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you while you play twenty questions.” Frustration bled through her tone.

I surged to my feet and slammed a finger onto the speaker button. “Tell me everything you know.” We’d decide together if she was telling us the truth or trying to get us to walk into a trap.

An annoyed huff caused Ilya to slam a fist onto the desk. “Speak.”

“No wonder Annie told you bastards to fuck off.” Tina groaned. “And now I’m cussing in front of the kids. Damn it.” Footsteps, then a door clicking. “A man showed up at the girls’ school today. He tried to check them out but was turned away at the front office. Annie and I went to pick them up, and when we came back, Miles Kent threatened us at gunpoint.”

The man signed his own death warrant.

Ilya’s string of Russian blasted out with enough ferocity to bring Fyodor around to clasp his shoulder.

“You got away?” I pressed my lips tight.

“Annie attacked him, told me to take the girls and run, and to call you. I didn’t know what else to do.” She released a hiccupping sob. “I should have called the police. They came byafter the gunshot, but he’d already knocked Annie out and put her in his car.”

“He hit her?” Fyodor released Ilya, spun on his heel, and punched his fist through the wall.

I expected that kind of behavior from Ilya, but not Fyodor. His emotions ran rampant across his face, fear and agony mingled into a rictus scowl.

“What if he kills her?” Tina whispered almost too low to hear. “What if he comes back for the girls? He wanted all of us.”

“Fyodor, you and Ilya take the car. Tina, where are you? I’m sending my men to pick up you and the girls. They’ll take you to a safe house.” I snapped my fingers at them.

Ilya shook his head. “We all go. You cannot be left alone, not if Kent has reached this point.”

I fisted a hand and shook it at him. “That’s an order, Ilya.”

Ilya crossed his arms, a mutinous glare meeting mine. “Respectfully, I decline. Send someone else or come with us.”

“We do not have time for this.” Fyodor stabbed a finger into my chest. “He’s right. Tina, where are you?”

“Home. In Annie’s apartment.” The trembling in her voice eased. “You’re really going to come get us?”

“Yes.” My finger hovered over the disconnect button. “Prepare what you need. We’re on our way. Do not step outside or leave the apartment for any reason. We will call when we arrive and walk you out.”

“No worries there. Mr. Kent sounded like a madman. Completely deranged.” The girls' voices trickled in, both of them asking about their mother and the mean man. “Viktor is coming to get us. We’ll be okay.”

Warmth bloomed in my chest at the hopeful notes that carried in their voices as both Hannah and Hailey asked to speak to me. “Call my cell.” I rattled off the number. “We’ll talk on the drive.” I pressed the disconnect button and scooped up my cellphone from the side of the desk. The three of us made it down to the parking garage and into Ilya’s SUV in record time. He drove with the passion and tenacity of a madman, both hands on the wheel and taking turns sharp enough to slam me into the window.

Fyodor braced with his hands on the back of my seat.

My cell rang an unknown number. I tapped it and turned on the speaker. “Tina?”

“I’m here. I switched to my cell in case we need to move.” She sounded breathless. “And I have to pack for the girls.”

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