Chapter 50: Mikhail

Soft lips brush mine and ignite the fire in my heart.

My heart starts beating, and something is switching on inside me.

I’m locked away, though, trapped somewhere, and I have no awareness of anything besides the feel of soft lips and my heart.

I seem to stay like that forever, stuck in a state of… I don’t know.

I feel like this could be limbo, but I’m not quite there yet.

More time passes, and then I see her eyes.

Soft hazel eyes stare down at me, and the woman I love greets me with a smile.

“Malyshka,” I mutter. She nods her head.

“Stay with me,” she answers.

I want to tell her all the things I said before. I want to give her all the reasons I gave before on why we couldn’t be together.

But I can’t bring myself to say the words.

I can’t tell her she shouldn’t be with me when I want her so badly I’m in physical pain. I can’t tell her I’m not good for her when I want to be whatever she needs me to be.

I can’t tell her any of those things because I love her and I want nothing more than to be with her.

“I love you,” I say. She smiles and cries.

“I love you, too. Mikhail, you need to wake up. Please.”

“Wake up…”

A beeping sound fills my ears, then memories flood my mind.

I remember how I had my girl and practically gave her away. I never fought the biggest enemy who stood between us—myself.

I was my biggest challenge, and if I had the chance, I would do everything differently and conquer my fears. I would fight to keep her.

I wouldn’t choose to lie down and give up because of fear. My father warned me about fear.

The instant I think about my father, images of grief and betrayal crash into me all at once.

The loss of my mother, sister, and father, then those who betrayed me.

Sophia and Ivan.

The beeping sounds again, and I open my eyes…

Bright lights greet me, pulling me from my dream, along with a familiar face I never thought I’d see again.

Eric.

He’s standing over me, and the beeping is coming from some sort of machine.

My eyes dart back and forth as I try to establish where I am. I half expect to be in the hospital, then I remember that happened already.

Then I remember everything else and try to get up.

“Hold it,” Eric says, resting a heavy hand on my chest.

I lift my arm, which is attached to tubes. I’m hooked up to the machines.

“Sophia,” I say, my voice coming out hoarse. “It’s her. She has Natalia. She’s working with Ivan.”

“I know. We know.”

“We?” My brows pinch.

“The backup plan. Aiden is here, and so is Lucca Dyshekov of the Yurkov.”

“They both came?”

“Yes, they’re here to help. No one else knows about your survival.”

I’ve never been so relieved in my life. Two Pakhans are here from the two biggest brotherhoods in our alliance. Both allies of mine, and friends.

“Jesus, I need to get up.”

“Mikhail, you need to rest.”

“How the hell can I rest, Eric? They have my wife.”

“You could have died. You nearly did die.”

I know he’s right. I felt myself shut down. I felt the end coming. “How the hell did you get to me? How am I alive?”

“You must have dropped your phone when I called and the poison started taking effect. I was still on the line, so I heard most of what Sophia said. I was able to track you, then cloak my number. I got to you just in time to get you to the hospital, where they were able to treat you with an antidote. Another few hours of the poison in your system, and you would be dead. Sophia thinks you died. So, Ivan will, too.”

Shit. “How long have I been down?” Panic hits me when I think days could have passed and Ivan hurt Natalia.

“Nearly two days.”

Oh God no. Not again.

God, don’t tell me it happened again. I was helpless and unable to help or do shit.

“Two days?” I grate out.

“Try not to worry about that.”

“Anything could have happened to Natalia.”

“Mikhail, please try to stay focused.”

I try and push past the fear brimming my mind.

“My guards. I heard gunfire at Sophia’s house. What happened to them?” I think of Sebastian first, then the others who accompanied me.

Eric’s face falls. “Sebastian made it, but he had to have surgery. He’s still in the hospital. The others are dead. There were dead men on Sophia’s lawn by the time I got there.”

“Fuck. That fucking woman. I never guessed it could be her, Eric. I never even considered it. Did you?” I wonder.

“No, and I realized I didn’t know what she was capable of or who’s working for her. That’s why I didn’t inform anybody from your brotherhood of what happened and I had you moved here for your safety.”

I look around again. “Where is here?”

“One of my safe houses. I arranged for the doctors to continue treating you here, and they brought everything you’d need. I’m working with Aiden to find the location of where Ivan took Natalia. There’s a log on one of your jets for Mexico. We think he’s taken her there.”

That motherfucking bastard. “The cartel. I’ll bet he’ll do something about that now. Strike while the fucking iron is still hot.”

“Yeah, I think so. Both the Voirik and the Yurkov will be ready to move in and retrieve Natalia the second I know where they are.”

“Good. Thank you. Thank you for everything.” What the fuck would I have done if he hadn’t found me?

I would be dead by now. Now that I’m alive, I have one goal.

One mission in mind.

I have to get my wife back.

I have to get my girl back before they do fuck knows what to her. If I do, I’m not letting her go ever again.

I won’t.

I sit up, testing my strength. My brain is still foggy, but I’m functional and can feel my legs.

“Mikhail, I don’t think you can go anywhere.”

I shake my head at him, stopping him from saying any more. “Don’t you dare tell me that, Eric. You know if you were me, you wouldn’t take that advice. If you heard what Sophia said to me, you know I can’t not go. I have to.”

This right here is where I have to accept whatever fate has in the cards for me.

Life or death. Neither matters right now.

The door opens, and Aiden Romanov walks in. I haven’t seen him in a while, but he holds the same look of candor and authority he always did. He is my height and has my muscular build.

He nods at me when he notices I’m sitting up.

“We have a location,” he states. “Ivan is summoning Raul’s allies to sign allegiance to him.”

There’s only one way my brother can do that, and that’s with my girl. He’s going to do to her what I did.

I will kill him before I allow that to happen to her, because she’s mine.

“I’m ready to go,” I tell him.

“We leave in one hour.”