Page 53 of Bratva Daddies for the Single Mom

“Don’t worry about packing everything. We can buy anything they need. Make sure you’re able to stay light on your feet. Fyodor will take the bags when we arrive. Your priority is the girls. Ilya and I will stand guard.” It was a new scenario for us, but we’d worked together on tougher jobs and we read each other well enough to pull off anything. “Did Kent say anything about where he was going?”

“No. I didn’t hear much of the conversation once we were in the building. He was all beat up, though. Looked like someone worked him over good. Was that you?”

“Yes,” Ilya answered.

Tina blew out a long breath. “So this is revenge?”

“Perhaps.” I would no longer put anything past Miles Kent. “Fyodor, call our acquaintances. See if anyone knows where Kent might go.” He’d avoid his home and office, knowing we’d look there first. So I bypassed all the known places. “Have them look for buildings that are off the books. Places he’d run to hide.” Places like my bunker in Vegas. I knew the ins and outs of being on the run, having been forced to plan for all contingencies by my father. I appreciated the knowledge as we began our search for Annie.

“Surprised none of you thought to put an AirTag on her.” Tina scoffed.

I arched a brow at Fyodor, who shrugged. “Never came up. Kent wasn’t on our radar as a threat.”

“We made him a threat.” Ilya yanked the wheel. “Tina, we’re pulling into the parking lot. Be at the door and ready to go in fifteen seconds.” He threw the SUV into park.

We dashed out, ran up the sidewalk, and into the building. The musty air hit me square in the face. I shook it away and pounded a fist on Annie’s door.

It opened and three terrified faces peered up at me. “Tina, with Ilya. I have the girls.” I took one in each arm and raced for the SUV. Kent’s mental instability meant he might have snipers in the area, waiting, knowing we’d come for Annie’s girls. Perhaps he’d let them go on purpose. I tucked their heads close to my chest and bent my body around them until we reached the SUV and I threw us inside.

Fyodor dove into the back with the luggage. Ilya tossed Tina into the front seat and ran around the hood. Doors slammed in a series of shuddering beats that rocked the SUV.

“It’s bulletproof.” I reassured the girls and Tina when they cowered on the floorboards. “Ilya, take us to the Crimson Boulevard safehouse.”

“Yes, sir.” Tires squealed as we spun out and raced down the street. Ilya checked the mirrors periodically. “No one’s tailing us.”

“Good.” I’d called it a safehouse when really, we were going to the mansion. The less Tina knew about our home, the better. At least until we knew more about her. The girls would probably rat us out the minute we arrived, so I did my best to gain insight into Tina. “How long have you known Annie?”

“Since college.” She looked over her shoulder, a slow perusal taking me in. “She told me about you. All of you. You don’t have to try and hide anything.”

Oh, but we did.

Fyodor chatted with the girls while Tina and I sized each other up until we pulled into the curved drive. Tina gaped up at the mansion. “This isn’t a safe house. This is a palace.”

“It’s their house.” Hannah pointed at all three of us.

Tina laughed. “Busted. I’m cool with that. You must have a kickass security system here. Keeping the girls safe and finding Annie are all that matter. If you can do all that from here, I’m down.”

“No word on Kent.” Fyodor dropped his phone into his pocket. “No one has seen or heard from him since yesterday.”

The day Ilya and Fyodor threatened his life. It all made sense now. “Ransom.” I jogged up the steps and into my office. “Tina, you and the girls are welcome to any part of the house, but you must stay inside.”

“Not a problem.” Tina stood in the middle of the foyer, her head tipped back to gaze at the ceiling. “How can I help?”

“See if anyone at the bar knows Kent.” I motioned at the library to her right. “Call me on the intercom if you find out anything.”

Fyodor had already worked through our network, so I delved into the hidden records only I could access via the computer in my study and called my contacts at the police. He told me they’d found nothing when they arrived but he promised to keep an ear to the ground and let me know if anyone spotted a woman with Annie’s description.

I hung up with the police and swiped through my contacts, looking for anyone Fyodor might have missed. He and Ilya walked into the office and closed the door.

“Should we have boots on the ground?” Ilya used one of our old phrases that brought a slight smile to his face.

My phone rang. I turned it around to show them Kent’s name on the screen. “No need.” I tapped to answer and activated the speaker. “Miles Kent. To what do we owe this pleasure?” I optedto play dumb on Annie’s kidnapping, hoping to throw him off balance.

“This is an untraceable burner phone. You can’t find me. Tell that bastard Ilya that I’m off limits. I have the girl.” His voice was a low rasp. Chains clanked in the background, and I cupped a hand around my ear while pointing at Fyodor. He nodded that he understood. We were probably looking for a warehouse of some kind. “I’m going to kill her.” He laughed a low, dangerous sound. “How do you like being threatened?”

“What do you want, Kent?” I forced politeness into my voice as the deranged edge Tina mentioned sent spider legs of fear along my spine.

“Forgive my debt.” Another rattle, this time one of metal on metal.

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