Page 4 of The Bratva's Forced Kidnapped Bride
It was barely three in the morning when I arrived home, like a whirlwind blew me through the door, revved up with anxiety to get on the road. As soon as I was in my little sanctuary, I breathed a bit easier. I loved this place, and had been decking it out with a mix of new furniture, antiques, and garage sale stuff. I never thought I’d give a rat’s ass about decorating, but once I had my own place, it was like something was awakened in me, and I was always on the lookout for new treasures. I’d even gotten permission to paint the walls in the upscale rental, something Mat thought was a waste, and he was still hounding me to buy a house.
That felt like way too much responsibility, and the only thing in a house’s favor would be the yard, and I was a hairsbreadth from signing on a place because I would have loved to adopt a dog from the local shelter. Of course, I had no time to be a proper pet mom, so I opted for the low-maintenance apartment, and only had minor regrets when I was playing with Mat and CJ’s mutt.
Maybe I’d treat myself once Anatoli was taken care of.
After making a pot of coffee and pouring it into a thermos, I changed and tossed a few things into a bag. Before I could start pacing, Viktor called me, telling me they were waiting outside my apartment building’s gates. He was driving the rental we’d agreed he’d take out under one of his fake IDs, and grinned at me as I slid in beside him. August was in the backseat, looking wide awake even though the sun still wasn’t up yet.
August and Viktor were brothers who had joined us in California when Mat decided that this would be our new home base. They were the best men I’d ever worked with, and if I went back in our family trees far enough, they were probably distantly related to us somehow. As different as my younger sister Lilia and I were to each other, we worked together like a well-oiled machine when things got rough. I would have, and had, trusted them with my life, and the most important thing was that they believed in what I wanted to do and didn’t feel the need to talk to the big boss about it.
They’d been part of the crew that was called away when Anatoli’s men set up the distraction that allowed him to get away. August and Vik were just as furious as I was, well, probably almost as furious. As much as they advised caution, by taking an anonymous rental instead of my own car, they understood the assignment and were fully on board. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be too pissed off when they realized I’d be working solo once Anatoli was caught.
By breaking quite a few traffic laws, we got into LA right before the massive morning traffic jams would have had us sitting on our thumbs on the freeway. Thanks to intel Vik got from his cousin, who I was bribing to stay quiet, we knew where Anatoli was staying, and set up in the ritzy hotel across the street from his even ritzier hotel.
The bastard wasn’t trying to hide at all; he was just that arrogant. Arrogant, but not stupid. He had a guard with him whenever he left the hotel, which meant it was time for my favorite activity. When all I wanted to do was crush the man under my heel, I was once again on stakeout duty, trying to find an opening. The clock was ticking, and if it weren’t for our newest foes, the Collective, my family probably would have learned about Anatoli’s presence in their city.
The mysterious and well-funded Collective was taking up all their time. Like ants, they kept swarming and stinging, even finding their way up north to bother Mat and Lev. They were turning into a serious enemy, and once I was done with Anatoli, I’d get back to work gaining intel on them to help bring them down.
As the first day turned into night, I was on edge. “Mat’s got to know I’m missing in action by now,” I said, training my binoculars across the street.
Anatoli had just returned, decked out in an impeccable suit. His inky black hair was longer, flowing past his crisp white collar, and even that pissed me off. He should still have been cowering in fear wherever he’d been holed up for the last three months. Why was he parading around like he didn’t have the most powerful family in the state after him?
“Send him a text telling him you needed a few days off,” August said.
I blinked, thinking he meant Anatoli for a second, and not Mat. “Maybe,” I said. “It would be better if we nabbed Anatoli tomorrow and just headed back. Once I have him set up somewhere that they can’t take him from me—us…” I trailed off, focusing on the view across the street again.
“There,” I said, motioning for them to take a look. “Anatoli’s inside, but the guard’s going to the coffee shop next door. He went there this morning, too, and I’d bet he’ll be there tomorrow morning as well.”
“So let’s wait and see to make sure that’s his pattern,” Vik said. He was normally more like me, ready to take action, but he was fully on the side of caution here.
I scowled at him. “There’s no time. I want him. He’s mine. You know damn well they won’t give me a second chance, and I won’t live out my life with this—”
August made a hissing noise. “Don’t say failure. Don’t say screw up. We’re all sick of hearing it, frankly. You know we were part of it, too?”
“But I was in charge,” I insisted. “I have more to prove.”
I didn’t need to look at Vik to know he was rolling his eyes. “Nobody blames you.”
That was part of the problem. All my life, I’d been working so hard to prove I was as good as the guys, and just when I thought I might have achieved that, Anatoli blew it all to hell. He’d wreaked havoc on my family, put CJ in danger, and just when I was about to break him, he slipped away.
But was I about to break him? Oh, I’d caused him pain, but was I even close to cracking that impermeable shell of his? Or had he been toying with me all along, biding his time? If I didn’t catch him, didn’t finally crush him, I’d never be sure.
“I’m going to be at that coffee shop tomorrow,” I said. “Vik, can you get me some heavy-duty tranquilizers by then?”
He grumbled, but finally said he could. I went to my bag and pulled out the long blonde wig, brushing it out for the morning. With the guys still keeping an eye on the place, I went to bed and slept like a baby for the first time in months. In just a few short hours, I’d have my revenge.
When I woke up, I put on a cute, red mini dress—swingy and fun, something I’d never wear if I weren’t in disguise. The blonde hair looked ridiculous to my eyes, but despite my own long hair being piled up underneath the wig, it always worked well as a distraction. I put on makeup and adjustedthe uncomfortable pushup bra, then ignored Vik and August’s snickers as I emerged from the hotel bathroom.
“Where’s your gun?” August asked seriously. I pulled up the skirt to reveal the thigh holster, and he nodded. “We’ll be right behind the coffee shop. As soon as he’s out, you meet us there before you go into Anatoli’s hotel.”
I nodded, knowing full well I wouldn’t be doing that. Anatoli was mine, and only mine, but it wasn’t only my burning desire to set things right that had me cutting my two faithful friends out. Anatoli was dangerous and wily, and I wouldn’t put them in danger. This was my responsibility to fix, and I’d do it on my own.
As I suspected, the guard showed up about thirty minutes after I arrived and planted myself on a bench with a view of the door. My coffee was cold and my muffin barely nibbled, but I made a good show of being engrossed in my phone.
As soon as the guard had his coffee and toasted sandwich on a tray, I headed toward him, head down, fingers flying over my phone. We collided, and his tray smacked into his chest. He started to swear as the hot coffee seeped through his shirt, but I was all over him, apologizing, grabbing napkins to dab at him.
“Oh, I’m such an idiot,” I said in a breathy, porn star voice. “I was trying to do this crossword puzzle. Hey, you don’t know a six-letter word for… Oh my gosh, never mind. Let me buy you a new coffee.”
He smiled at me, his eyes moving to my chest, which was on full display. He tried to tell me it was no big deal, but I insisted, and as soon as I had his replacement order, I slipped the crushed-up pills in, carefully dabbing at the foamy hot milk on top to hide the powder residue. The new drink looked perfect, and I sat down across from him with a big smile.
