Chapter 118: Phone

“My brother believed her. We were twins. Inseparable. Vitaliy was my Consigliere, and I trusted him with my life. But when Svetlana entered his life, he changed. She convinced him to seize power because she wanted to be the most important woman in Russia. Svetlana is a narcissist who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She used her beauty to blind my brother.”

“I’m not interested in your family problems.”

“Vitaliy tried to kill me. The only reason he failed was because Vadim stepped in front of the blade and took the stab wound meant for me. The scar my soldier carries from saving my life came from my own brother’s attack.”

“And you thought it was wise to hand an innocent girl over to the bastard who helped kill her father?”

“Sereia is a younger version of Svetlana. The resemblance is terrifying. Try looking every day at the face of the woman who destroyed your family and still finding a way to like her. I was merciful with Sereia, by my standards.”

“Your mind is fucked.”

“So is every man who leads a mafia, Draneth. You’re not better than me.” He pauses. “But back to the point. When I ordered Svetlana hunted down and killed, I discovered she was pregnant. So I stopped. Because no matter how twisted everything was, there was still my brother’s blood inside her. She was committed to the hospital instead.”

“What’s your fucking point?”

“My wife became pregnant shortly afterward after years of losses, and that kept me occupied. But not long after Sereia was born, Elena arrived prematurely and nearly died.”

“And I imagine you loved taking whatever you needed from an innocent baby to save your daughter.”

“I won’t deny it, Ramzi. Your wife is pregnant now, and I’m sure you’d do anything to save your child. But at first I had no intention of taking Sereia. I only did it because the hospital called and told me Svetlana had put her own daughter inside an oven to watch her burn. The only reason she failed was because an employee noticed the kitchen light on in the middle of the night and went to investigate.”

Even though I already know this story, hearing it again makes my blood boil.

Liam presses harder on the accelerator as we race through the streets, but Christopher Esposito’s ex-wife’s estate is still too far away.

I just need to get my wife.

Once I know she’s safe, the rest of the world can burn.

“So you saved her and kept her prisoner out of kindness,” I say sarcastically.

“No. I saved her because she was useful. Her health could help Elena, and her beauty might secure future alliances. But as Sereia grew older, it became harder and harder to look at her.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Sereia became stunning, Ramzi. And in one of Svetlana’s ‘visions,’ she saw that her daughter would become even more beautiful than she was. Because of that, Sereia’s mother convinced herself that as long as another woman more beautiful than her existed, she could never have power.”

“She tried to kill her because of that?!”

“With fire. Only fire could destroy someone’s beauty. And she still believes that, Ramzi.”

“What the fuck?!”

“Svetlana is there to kill your wife. She intends to burn her alive because she believes that’s the only way she’ll ever have power.”

A ball of fire forms in my stomach.

“Faster, goddammit!”

Liam is already driving at maximum speed, but he nods and takes a shortcut.

“Your wife is the most important woman in Chicago, and Svetlana saw that as proof. She believes the power that was supposed to belong to her was transferred to her daughter during childbirth. As long as Sereia lives, she believes Sereia will keep drawing beauty, influence, and power toward herself. And Svetlana doesn’t like sharing.”

“You’re telling me this bitch is in Chicago and plans to burn my wife alive?”

“I’m telling you that based on her history, that’s exactly what she’s likely trying to do.”

“How the fuck did you let her escape?!”

“The same way you let her enter your city. Blind spots. There are many people behind this, Ramzi. She entered Chicago under the protection of one of your important men. And she’ll leave the same way if you don’t stop her.”

I swallow hard, feeling my blood burn.

I always knew bringing Sereia into my world meant condemning her to a life surrounded by blood, death, and violence.

But I swore those things would never touch her directly.

I would protect her.

I would care for her with every resource at my disposal.

And now that she’s pregnant, I swore I would protect the two hearts beating inside her.

But while my brother and I are still ten minutes away from where my wife is right now, I feel useless.

A failure.

Powerless.

Because I failed to protect the most precious thing in my life.

There were holes in my security.

My enemies used my Achilles’ heel to reach the only person capable of making me stop breathing.

Without her, I don’t want to live anymore.

Fuck.

“Ramzi?”

The phone is still pressed to my ear.

My breathing is ragged.

But Vladimir calls my name one final time before I disconnect.

“Run.”