Chapter 184 ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FOUR

Chapter 184 ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FOUR


••Flashback- A Week Ago••

Alessandro sat bare chested, had an unshaved beard and a disheveled hair. His men—Luciano, Sergei, Marco and Nicholas stood close by, each of them to one corner while the doctor they summoned stood beside Alessandro with a box filled with medical equipments.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sergei asked. “I can do a double check on the plan, make sure it's a smooth one.”

“It is,” Alessandro affirmed, bending his neck for the doctor to insert the tracker.

“So what if something happens? What if she has joined forces with them and it's only a trap? What then?” Nicholas questioned.

“Something is definitely going to happen. That's why we're planning ahead. We take them by surprise… they wouldn't even realize it,” Alessandro stated while trying to mask off the pain radiating from him.

“I'm willing to get into whatever Alexei had planned, if it means that I have to see her one last time. I can take a million punches and bullets if she's close by and watching.”

“I don't like this,” Marco chipped in, raking his hand through his hair. They were about to embark on an unplanned and reckless route, one that might end up badly. Marco sighed under his breath, watching the doctor insert the tracker into Alessandro. 

The plan was simple but a little complicated.

Alessandro would meet up with the Russians. They'll tag along as if unaware of what's coming, while Alessandro would stay in midst of the Russians with a tracker on him, making it easier for them to detect his location the entire time.

They had an informant among the Russian soldiers. It wasn't difficult to get him on their side, not after they kidnapped his five year old daughter and his wife. They weren't really going to kill them.

Because with women, there was always a line to be drawn.

So they did what they knew would work—captured his family, threatened to kill them if the man didn't feed them with information, threatened to kill the man and his family if he told the Pakhan or his brothers. And each day, they sent him videos in which his wife and daughter  cried and pleaded that he did whatever the Italians wanted, that they didn't want to die.

That was all they needed to wrap him around their finger. Because, only fools go into an enemy's territory unprepared. The moment they found out that Isabelle was in Russia and married to Alexei. Alessandro knew he would be getting his wife back by all means necessary, but he needed to tread with caution. 

The Russians were no fools.

They must be waiting, ready and prepared to attack.

Worse of it all?

His wife might be in with them too.

The pain of having a tracker inserted into him couldn't compare to the pain he felt when he found out his wife had remarried without his knowledge.

Legally or not, he was getting her back!

“Did you find out their weakest link?” Alessandro inquired as soon as the doctor stepped away from him.

Marco nodded, moving towards his laptop. “It wasn't easy to find, but I did find it out anyway. Alexei has another sister. She's young and only thirteen.” His fingers flew across the keyboard until he had the screen facing all of them. “Meet… Olivia. After Ava’s death, Alexei thought it wise to hide her from the world. She goes everywhere with four bodyguards. Stays hidden all the time. Either wearing a mask or sunglasses to mask her features.”

“He's never taking his eyes off this one,” Luciano who had been quiet throughout the entire communication finally said.

“No one wants to lose a loved one twice,” Nicholas added.

Luciano gave a stern nod in agreement. “So she's our pawn?”

“Exactly!”

“Marco what else do you have?” Alessandro asked, flexing his neck left and right.

“I got hold of their movements… her routine. When she leaves with the guards, where she goes to, where she stops by, where she eats at and when she returns home. Her everyday routine is at my fingertips. We just have to use it wisely… and at the right time.”

Alessandro let out a dry smile, one that said he was impressed. “Now we let Alexei believe he's the one pulling the strings.”

“Then we hit him where it matters the most,” Luciano finished for him.

“He took my wife… now he's going to pay with a loved one of his.”

Alessandro stood up abruptly, gaze straying between each of them. “Prepare the planes. We're leaving for Russia.”

They returned stern nods back to him, each leaving the room but Luciano stayed back.

“Alessandro, a word?”

“I know you'll say what you have to regardless,” he said, grabbing a glass and a bottle of vodka from the bar.

Luciano smiled—one that made men pee in their pants and spill all their ambitions. 

“I've been absent lately and I want to apologize for that.”

The sound of the liquid pouring into the glass cup filled the room. “I figured you were working through your own shit and you'll come around soon. I trust you, Luciano. You're my brother and I know you wouldn't do anything behind me.”

“Thank you for your trust.”

“Trust is earned, and you've earned it. No need to thank me.”

Luciano nodded in acknowledgement. “I have something to tell you. It's one of the reasons for my absence.”

“Hmmm… I hope it's something good. I've had enough of bad news.”

“It's about Isabelle.”

Luciano noticed him go still at the mention of her name, and his attention shifted from the drink to Luciano… fully.

“What about her?” Alessandro snapped, voice rising.

“I fell in love with her.”

He set the glass down with more force than necessary, taking sure steps towards Luciano and in the next moment, his hands were wrapped around Luciano’s throat.

“You know I could kill you now for this confession.”

“I know.”

Not able to hold himself, with hands clenched into fists, he sent one into Luciano’s left cheek, causing him to stagger backwards.

“I deserved that,” Luciano muttered, wiping the blood off his mouth. He bit hard on his lip when Alessandro punched him.

“She's my fucking wife!”

“I know, which is why I decided against keeping it to myself. It was a long time ago. I don't feel anything for her anymore. It was better you heard it from me than from someone else insinuating it.”

Alessandro scoffed. “If you weren't my brother, I would have sent a dagger into you, making sure you are in between life and death… wondering which one you’re really heading to.”

“I know. You're my brother and we've been there for each other. I'm not stupid to let a woman get in between us. It was an infatuation. It probably wasn't love.”

“Get out, Luciano.”

Luciano turned immediately, didn't look back until he was out of the room.

⚛-⚛•°⚛-°⚛

••Present day••

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Isabelle heard Alexei yell, as she hid behind the thick curtain in his study.

She only came in to search for some leverage she could hold on Alexei, to get him to stop hitting Alessandro. It hadn't occured to her that they might be coming into the study.

Now they were here.

Alexei, Mikhail, and Dmitri.

Alexei looked furious. He paced back and forth in the room, running his hand through his hair at some point and slamming a fist into the table.

“This is so messed up,” Mikhail remarked. “And Alessandro knows what's going on.”

“Ofcourse he does. He's their don. Why wouldn't he?” Dmitri chipped in.

“They have Olivia,” Alexei muttered to himself. “They fucking have her!”

“How's Riccardo?” Alexei asked, facing Dmitri.

“Stitched and breathing.” Dmitri clicked a tongue, “I did suggest that we should kill Alessandro.”

Isabelle nearly let out a loud gasp but she slapped a hand over her mouth before she could do so.

“I'm starting to think Dmitri has a fair point,” Mikhail said.

“They sent us a video, Alexei. A fucking video of Olivia in an unknown place. Did you see how she looked? She was terrified… fucking terrified. She's thirteen. We've kept her away from this world for a long time. And now, this? Don't tell me you're letting them get away with this.”

“What was their message? What did they want?” Alexei asked, even though he knew he wouldn't like their response.

“They want their don back… and his wife.”

“I'm not—”

“They want you to divorce Isabelle too,” Mikhail revealed, cutting him off.

Alexei’s jaw tightened, his head was buzzing with a thousand thoughts.

“From what they sent, they know where Alessandro is. They seem to have insight on what we're planning too. It's like… they're aligning with our every move.”

“You know these things and yet you still suggest that I kill him?” Alexei asked, his glare directed at Dmitri.

“I had no fucking idea!”

“Well, keep up then.” 

“They won't hand us the ledger. That's never gonna happen,” Mikhail stated.

“So it's either Olivia or that bastard in there?”

“And his wife,” Mikhail added.

“What happens if I don't divorce Isabelle?”

“They've threatened to start a war.”