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By the time we pull up at the docks, I’m paralyzed from fear.
The vehicle glides onto a ship and I don’t even try to fight back when these men haul me out of the SUV. They practically drag me through narrow corridors and flights of stairs to the ship’s belly. A metal door creaks open, revealing a cargo space lit by bare bulbs. The room is full of large dog cages that aren’t quite tall enough to stand up in. My kidnappers shove me into one of the kennels and padlock the door.
I fall to my knees, shaking. This can’t be happening. I repeat that phrase over and over in my head. This can’t be happening.
Denial is the only thing keeping me from completely losing my shit right now. Long forgotten nightmares, from when Ilaria disappeared, threaten to invade my mind.
But the layers of avoidance begin to shed when I look to my left and right. Those cages are occupied too. A young woman in each, cowering in the corner, terror in their eyes. We all know there’s no escape. This is just the beginning of the horror to come.
The ship sways. Rumbling motors come to life. It’s leaving port soon with all of us trapped in here.
I open my mouth and scream.
CHAPTER 45
Dimitri
The initiation ceremony for Maks wraps up and I thump him on the back, then step away so that the others can welcome him in his new position among the brotherhood. Not a single one of them contested that he should step into the role of my second in command, so proceedings went smoothly.
Now that the Kozlov Bratva has a solid line of succession we can continue our business with a sense of stability and structure that’s been missing for too long.
For the couple of weeks that I was held prisoner in Moscow, Maks led the brotherhood through a massive cleansing. Igor and those loyal to my father died in a blood bath that will not soon be forgotten. Order and loyalty has been restored, all thanks to Maks. He’s the best right-hand man I can ask for.
My cell vibrates, a reminder of the text that I received during the ceremony. I pull it from my pocket.
Arianna
I’ll be down in a minute.
I stare at the screen. Confusion mingles with apprehension. Down? Down where? She sounds like she’s meeting me somewhere, but the last text I sent her was a photo of herself sleeping.
Did someone spoof my fucking phone number and message her?
Immediately, I call her phone. The call goes straight to voicemail. I try again and get the same thing.
Shoving my hand through my hair, I dial Blake Baron who answers on the first ring.
“Yes?” he drawls.
“Where’s my wife?” I demand. “Activate the tracker I put in her necklace.”
“On it.” He sounds like he’s typing in the background. “She’s at the docks. GPS puts her on a cargo ship.”
“Konstantin must have grabbed her.” White hot fury momentarily blinds me. “We need to get there. Now.”
“I’m sending you the location. We’ll meet you there.” Baron hangs up.
I don’t have time to wonder who we is, so I turn to Maks. “Konstantin took Arianna. Follow me.”
Maks starts barking orders. The men immediately spring into action.
I jump onto my Harley and speed toward Arianna’s location. Maks and the rest of our men aren’t far behind.
That was too easy for Konstantin to get to her, but he’s a sly bastard. I’ve seen the forged letter that I supposedly left to break up with Arianna. That was some professional shit right there. Even I believed I’d written it for a second. The signatures on the divorce papers were a pro job. Of course Konstantin has a hacker working for him too. I’m sure that fucker has all his bases covered.
Except he doesn’t know about the tracking device I put in Arianna’s pearls. She wears those everywhere, all the time. That necklace is guaranteed to be on her even more than her wedding band. That’s why I chose it.
I’m already planning to make Konstantin suffer before I end him, but if he’s hurt one hair on my wife’s head…
