Chapter 72 Nikolai
Two weeks passed.
Anya was recovering slowly. Her physical wounds were healing. But the emotional ones ran deeper.
She barely spoke. She barely ate. She just stared out the window of our bedroom for hours, waiting for a brother who would not come home.
I tried everything.
I brought her favorite foods. I read to her. I held her when she cried. But nothing helped.
"Anya, you need to eat something," I said, bringing her a tray of soup.
She did not even look at it. "I am not hungry."
"You have not eaten in two days. Please. Just a little."
"I said I am not hungry." Her voice rose.
I set the tray down and sat beside her on the bed. "Talk to me. Please."
"About what? About how my brother is suffering because I fell in love with you? About how Viktor is still out there? About how everything is falling apart?"
"About how we are going to fix this. Together." I said calmly.
She finally looked at me. Her eyes were hollow. "You cannot fix this, Nikolai. My brother is gone. And it is my fault."
"It is not your fault. Dmitri made his choice."
"He had no choice! You were captured! I was dying! He did what he had to do!"
"And we will get him back. I am working on it."
"Working on what? Breaking an iron-clad contract with one of the most powerful men in Russia? Good luck with that."
Her words stung. Because she was right. I had been trying for two weeks. And I had nothing.
Every lawyer I consulted said the same thing. The contract was legal.
Unless Ivanov agreed to release Dmitri. Which he would never do.
"I will find a way," I said. "I promise you."
"Stop making promises you cannot keep!" She stood up and walked to the window.
"Anya..."
"Leave me alone. Please. I just want to be alone."
I wanted to argue. But I could not. Because I was failing her.
I had lost my touch as a Mafia.
I left the room and went to my study. Mikhail was there.
"Any news?" I asked.
"Nothing good. Ivanov has Dmitri locked down tight. He is not letting anyone see him."
"There has to be a way. Something we are missing."
"I have been digging into Ivanov's past. Looking for leverage. But the man is clean. Too clean."
"What do you mean too clean?"
"I mean he covers his tracks well. Every dirty deal. Every illegal operation. It all disappears. Like it never happened."
I paced the room. "Everyone has secrets. We just need to find his."
"I am trying. But it takes time."
"We do not have time! Dmitri is suffering right now! Anya is falling apart! I need results!"
Mikhail stood up. "I am doing everything I can, Pakhan. But you need to be realistic. We might not be able to save him. Not for five years anyway."
"Unacceptable."
"It is the reality we are facing."
"Then I will make a new reality." I grabbed my coat. "Where is Ivanov now?"
"At his estate. Why?"
"Because I am going to talk to him. Face to face."
"That is a bad idea."
"I do not care. Set it up."
Mikhail sighed. "Fine. But take backup."
I arrived at Ivanov's estate an hour later with twenty armed men.
The gates opened immediately. Like he was expecting me.
I was led inside a massive study.
Ivanov was sitting behind his desk, smiling.
"Nikolai Markov. I wondered when you would come."
"Where is Dmitri? I want to see him." I demanded.
"That is not possible. He is working. I do not allow visitors during work hours."
"He is not working. He is your slave. And I want him back."
"He belongs to me now. For five years. As per our agreement."
"I will buy him back. Name your price."
Ivanov laughed. "This again? I told you. This is not about money."
"Then what is it about?"
"Honor and respect. Dmitri gave me his word. I intend to hold him to it."
"He was desperate. You took advantage of that."
"I provided a service and he paid for it."
I slammed my hands on the desk. "Nothing about this is fair!"
Ivanov did not even flinch. "Control yourself, Markov. You are a guest in my home."
"I am not a guest. I am here to get my family back."
"Dmitri is not your family. He is mine. For the next four years, eleven months, and thirteen days."
The specificity made my blood boil.
"You are counting?"
"Of course. I like to know when my assets will expire."
"He is not an asset! He is a person!"
"He is my property. And you have no legal right to him."
I pulled out my gun and pointed it at his head. "I have this right."
My men raised their weapons.
Ivanov's guards did the same.
Ivanov smiled. "Are you really going to shoot me? In my own home?"
"If it gets Dmitri back. Yes."
"Then you are a fool. Because the moment you kill me, my lawyers will release a file containing every illegal thing you have ever done. Every murder. Every bribe. Every crime. You will spend the rest of your life in prison. And Anya will be alone."
I lowered the gun slightly. "You are bluffing."
"Am I?" He pulled out a folder and slid it across the desk. "Take a look."
I opened the folder.
My stomach dropped.
Every thing I had done was there.
"How did you get this?"
"I have my sources. And if you kill me, it all goes public. Anya loses you. And Dmitri stays with me anyway. Because my estate will own him until the contract expires."
I slammed the folder shut. "What do you want?"
"What do you mean?"
"You clearly want something. Or you would not have compiled this. So what is it?"
Ivanov leaned back and studied me.
"You are smarter than I thought."
"Answer the question."
"I want an alliance. Between our families. A partnership."
"Never." I scuffed.
"Then Dmitri stays with me. And this file stays active. One wrong move from you and it gets released."
"You are blackmailing me into an alliance?"
"I prefer to call it... incentivizing cooperation."
I wanted to kill him. Right there. Right then. But I could not. Because he was right. If I killed him, Anya would lose everything.
"What kind of alliance?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Business. Trade routes. Territory. I provide resources. You provide manpower. And we split the profits."
"And Dmitri?"
"Stays with me for the full five years. But I will treat him well. Like family even. Consider it a... training period."
"Training for what?"
"To take over when I retire. I have no children. No heirs. Dmitri has potential. I could mold him into something great."
"You want to turn him into you."
"Is that so bad?"
"You are a monster." I spat on his face.
Ivanov smiled, wiping my spit off with the back of his hand. "So are you. Markov’s blood runs through you fucking veins."
I stood up. "I need time to think."
"Take all the time you need. But know this. The clock is ticking."
I left without another word. Got in my car and drove away.
When I was far enough, I stopped, punched the steering wheel and screamed.
I was trapped. Completely trapped.
If I refused the alliance, Dmitri suffered and the file got released.
If I accepted, I became Ivanov's puppet. And Dmitri still stayed with him.
There was no winning.
I pulled out my phone and called the one person who might have answers.
"Hello?" A familiar voice answered.
"Boris. I need your help. And I need it now."
"What do you need, Boss?"
"Everything you have on Alexei Ivanov. Every secret. Every weakness. Everything."
"That will cost you."
"I do not care. Name your price."
"Five million. As upfront."
"Done. How long?"
"Give me three days."
"You have two."
I hung up.
Two days to find Ivanov's weakness and keep Anya from falling apart completely.
And somewhere out there, Viktor Morozov was still planning his revenge.
I was fighting a war on three fronts. And losing on all of them.
But I could not give up. I would not give up.
Because Anya needed me. Dmitri needed me.
And I would move heaven and earth to save them both.
Even if it cost me everything.