Page 128 of Fractured Ties

Vadim didn’t even pass his youngest son a look before he flicked a wrist at him. “No, you will stay.”

“But—”

“Repeating myself is not required. I gave my answer.”

Konstantin met Kolya’s gaze, and a genuine concern reflected back. He didn’t know what the point of this was with Vadim, but he was sure it would become clearer over time. So was Vadim’s ways.

“Besides,” Vadim added, “Vasily expects an army, I am sure. Why send what he wants? And frankly, Kolya, you are not worth very much to me now, not after all you’ve done. Why would I risk those who do matter for the whims of one who doesn’t?”

Kolya stared, unaffected, at his father. “So be it.”

He would do this alone.

He could.

And he would not fail; he couldn’t.

“It’s okay,” he told Konstantin when it looked like his brother was going to speak up again. “It’s fine, yeah?”

But it wasn’t.

It couldn’t be.

• • •

Kolya stared down at the information on his phone—a single text from Konstantin that confirmed everything he had been wondering about but hadn’t had the time to check in or ask for himself.

Sumerki is doing well—cracked rib; he’ll be fine for pick up tomorrow.

Following that message had been a second confirmation of the address to the warehouse in Little Odessa where Maya had supposedly been moved to over the last couple of days. Originally, according to a very broken Valbon, she’d first been placed in a house outside of the city limits. Vasily moved her after she’d thrown a glass at him when he’d invited her to eat with him.

That’s my girl.

Slipping the phone into his pocket, Kolya leaned against the back of a rental as the one man he’d been allowed to bring along readied his gear. Strapping on Kevlar and pulling out what few weapons they actually had.

None of it was going to help.

Kolya knew it.

“The warehouse is what, three blocks down, yeah?” Roman asked.

Kolya nodded. “About that, from the info I have.”

“Be better to sneak in from a side door or something, wouldn’t it?”

Probably.

What did it matter as long as they got in?

When Kolya didn’t answer the man, Roman passed him a look. “Are you not suiting up?”

“I don’t see the point.”

He had one goal here—to get Maya out. Or at the very least, lay eyes on her before it all went to shit. Then, at least she would know somebody fucking gave a shit about her. Somebody cared enough to try and save her.

Hadn’t she been forgotten enough in her life? Hadn’t she been the afterthought for too long? She was none of those things to Kolya.

“This is a suicide mission,” Roman muttered.