Chapter 95

I was sitting up in the hospital bed with a book in my lap. Kamilia expressly refused me to get a new cell phone. Saying that I needed to rest and not be worked up over anything. It was more frustrating that I didn’t have access to Wizard, who I had hoped could work with Keenan to find Marek. There was no information coming in.

It had been four days already. We were coming up on three weeks. I didn’t even know if Enzo had set something up with Juri for a trade. Though, I also didn’t know if Kamilia had said anything to him about me. She seemed more on edge than normal and it made me think that maybe they were keeping my escape a secret.

The door to the room opened quietly and my eyes widened as Keenan slipped in. He closed the door before turning around.

“Keenan!” I put my book down.

“Mrs. Petrov told us we couldn’t reach out because you needed rest.” He came over to the bed. “How are you doing?”

My lips pursed in a thin line. “Better. I can walk but not very far. Kam is stopping all information coming in though. I have nothing.”

He nodded. “We caught one, finally. Well, we caught a few but none of them had the tattoo. The guys were starting to think that I was crazy but then we caught one last night. He has the dog bite on his wrist.”

“Did you try to talk to him?” My heart was speeding up, hoping they had found Marek.

“No. He won’t budge. We’ve done everything.”

I clenched the blanket in my hands. “Is he dead?”

Keenan shook his head. “No…but…you said…that you wanted to speak with him. I don’t know if it will help but…”

“Help me, Keenan. Help me get out.”

Throwing off the blankets, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. It hurt like hell when I walked but I could walk now. I’d gone through hours of surgery for my legs. Kamilia also said that she needed to do a few stitches inside but that there weren’t any issues that Enzo caused inside. There were a few more stitches here and there on my body but for the most part I was just bandaged up like a mummy.

It actually reminded me of when I first met Kamilia and Marek. She’d wrapped me up like a mummy then too. Pulling out all the lines in my arms, Keenan grabbed my arm as I stood and I slowly walked over to the clothes that were folded on the couch. Damir had brought them for me when I was feeling up to wearing normal clothes.

“Turn around.”

I pulled off my shirt and Keenan squeaked, spinning around. “Are you trying to get me in trouble?”

“You’re fine.” I pulled on the shirt and dropped my pants. “How is the search going?”

“Pretty fruitless. There are so many names that Enzo has registered under it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack that covers all of New York.”

That I knew was pretty close to the truth. The problem was, Enzo wasn’t the one I worked for. My father’s business I knew like the back of my hand but Enzo was on his own most of the time. Father didn’t really care what Enzo did as long as it didn’t get in his way or embarrass him.

“Where are you holding the guy?”

“In one of the unused rooms where the guards stay.”

I nodded. “You can turn around.” Sitting down on the couch, I pulled on one of the socks that was shoved in a pair of converse. “Has Enzo reached out to Juri yet?”

“No. Not that I know of. Vor has decided to try and take on the main building that the Bernardi mafia has. It hasn’t worked yet but he keeps sending waves of men. Trying to find a weakness. He thinks that is where Mr. Bernardi is holed up.”

Shaking my head, I sighed. “He might be. But it wouldn’t matter. I doubt Enzo did this under his direction. What about Enzo?”

Keenan shook his head this time. “Not even a peep.”

“Yebat’.”[Fuck.] I laced up my shoes and stood up. “You’re going to have to help. I need a phone too. Something.”

“Of course, Mrs. Baranov.”

My eyes narrowed. “No. You call me Ria or you call me Atamansha. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Atamansha.”

Rolling my eyes, I reached out to him and he walked with me to the door. He opened it and looked down the hall both ways before stepping out.

“Kamilia isn’t here right now and I had a nurse just come by. They won’t be back for another hour.” I walked as normally as I could, wincing a little as we stepped into the elevator.

“Will you be okay?”

I smiled up at him. “It doesn’t matter. I’m getting Marek. Even if I have to join Juri in burning the city down.”

“What if…”

Glaring at Keenan, I squeezed his arm. “Don’t. Don’t you dare. Because it won’t just be my father and Enzo that burns, Keenan. I will destroy everything. I will take it all down myself. Everyone. Then myself.”

“Atamansha…” He looked worriedly at me. “Should I not have…”

“It wouldn’t have changed the outcome, Keenan. This just makes it faster.”

The doors to the elevator opened and we walked out. Keenan looped his arm in mine and we walked together, looking more like a couple. It allowed me to walk normally, as though we had just been visiting someone. We weren’t even given a second glance as we walked out of the hospital. Keenan left me near the entrance to the parking lot to get the car.

Once he pulled up, I gingerly got into the passenger seat. Shutting the door, Keenan took off down the road in the direction of home.

“Do you really think you can get him to talk?”

I smiled. “I know I will. It’s just a matter of how quickly.”

“Oh! Here! It’s mine.” Keenan handed me his phone.

Sighing, I brought up the messages and typed in the number I knew my heart. I sent off his favorite dinner order at a restaurant that no longer was in business. Waiting for a moment, Wizard finally replied. 

Unknown: Glad you got out safe. 

I snorted. 

Keenan: Safe is debatable. Alive, yes. Have you been looking for Marek?

Unknown: Yes. Enzo was too good though. He set out multiple decoys with you and your husband. The place that he has your husband doesn’t have anything electronic. 

My eyes narrowed. 

Keenan: Then absence of technology…

Unknown: Does narrow it down, but not by a lot. It’s not in the city, that’s for sure. It’s got to be on the outskirts. The problem would be if it’s any further out than that.

Keenan: No. I don’t think it is. Enzo wouldn’t be stupid enough to have him too far.

Unknown: You’re little boys are too kind to that asshole. They don’t know how to extract information.

Keenan: You know, that’s a good thing. It’s not a normal thing to do well.

Unknown: It wouldn’t take so damn long. I’d do it myself but you know it takes a lot for me to leave. One little asshole won’t do that. 

I chuckled and shook my head. Keenan glanced over at me, confused. He slowed up to a red light.

“Everything good?”

“Yeah. Wizard says you guys don’t know how to torture people.”

Keenan raised an eyebrow at me. “He, or they, know? How? I didn’t think…wait…can they find pakhan?”

“Wizard has narrowed down to certain locations that couple be within the city but there isn’t enough man power, even if Juri wasn’t raising hell, to hit the spots. As for how, if there is something in the room that is electronic, it’s not safe from them.”

“Oh. So…then pakhan is somewhere where there aren’t electronics.”

I nodded. “Exactly. Well done getting that from what I said. There are very few places nowadays that doesn’t have street cameras, security cameras, or even neighbors of places that have security. No phones or anything? Even rarer. So it does narrow it down but not enough.”

Keenan hummed and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. The light turned green and we continued getting closer to home. His phone buzzed and I looked down. 

Unknown: Do you need are care package?

Keenan: Yes. I need the emergency kit. Then I need the van on standby. 

There was a moment before I got another reply. 

Unknown: Why not go through the family? It’s not like you’re at a hundred percent. Or even fifty.

Keenan: I’m fine. I can do this.

Unknown: He’s at the mansion.

Unknown: Enzo is MIA.

Unknown: Can you topple the empire? 

I stared down at the phone. Could I, right now, take out the Bernardi Mafia? Juri was currently keeping the soldiers busy in the city. Who knows how many he managed to take out already. There would already be a lack of manpower at the house. Enzo would be a loose end but if I managed to get Marek, did I have the strength to just turn around and attack the house?

“How many are left right now at the building?”

“Ten, including me. Well, Lec and Boris are there too but both are still in pretty rough shape despite trying to be tough.”

Sighing, I sat back in the seat. That wasn’t enough. Ten would struggle with getting through the gate. Everyone would end up just getting hurt. They’d be in the way if I tried.

“Why?”

I didn’t reply to Keenan but to Wizard instead. 

Keenan: It would need to just be us.

Unknown: Can you do it? 

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. 

Keenan: With the right tools? Yes. Yes, I could.

Unknown: Then we topple the empire.