Kat
I wave to Ivan and Dima as I step through the front door of the Andreev house, my spirits lighter than they’ve been in days. Today, I get to see my little girl. After a quick stop at the pharmacy under the guise of buying tampons, I now know for certain there’s another one on the way. Having another baby doesn’t scare me. I raised Ana alone. If I have to do it again, I will.
I call for Ana and Camille as I head upstairs, expecting to find them in Ana’s bedroom, where they usually have their lessons. The room is empty. Frowning, I move toward Camille’s room. Nothing. A flicker of unease ripples through me. I check my calendar, confirming that they don’t have an outing planned. Pulling out my phone, I text Camille, waiting for a response as I begin searching the house. After several minutes, still nothing.
I head straight to Vlad’s office. He’s behind his desk, focused on something on his laptop, but the second I enter, he looks up at me. “Where’s Ana?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
Vlad frowns. “Upstairs, with Camille.” A chill slides down my spine. “No, she isn’t. I can’t find either one of them.”
He looks confused. “What? Where else would they be?”
I don’t bother responding. I turn on my heel, moving quickly through the house. Vlad is right beside me, matching my pace. Piotr’s office door looms ahead.
I don’t hesitate. I throw the door open, and freeze. Piotr is in there, but he’s not alone. A beautiful young woman—half-dressed, flushed, and embarrassed—scrambles to pull on her dress, while Piotr buttons his shirt. He doesn’t look the least bit embarrassed. The smell of sex is thick in the air, and it makes me want to retch.
Vlad bursts out laughing. “Well, this is fucking awkward.”
I can only stare as the woman fumbles with her clothes, her hands shaking as she yanks her dress over her head. She doesn’t even bother with the zipper, too desperate to get away from the situation.
Piotr smirks, running a hand through his hair, completely unbothered. “Do you two ever knock?”
The woman avoids looking at any of us as she bends down, grabbing her shoes from the floor. She turns to Piotr and opens her mouth, ready to say something. But she doesn’t get a chance to speak.
Piotr barely glances at her as he buttons his cuffs and says, “Get out.”
Her face burns red, but she doesn’t argue. She scurries toward the door, head down, heels clutched tightly in her hands.
I step aside to let her pass, my arms crossing over my chest. The second she’s gone, I glare at my brother. “You really shouldn’t treat women like that. Hell, you shouldn’t treat anyone like that.”
Piotr laughs as he finishes tucking in his shirt. “Women throw themselves at me. I don’t have to treat them like anything. If she doesn’t like it, there’s a long line of replacements who’d claw each other’s eyes out for a chance at her spot.”
I scoff. “Right. You know, that’s exactly the attitude that gets men stabbed in their sleep, maybe even by their own sisters.”
Vlad snickers, but Piotr just smirks. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
I take a step forward, my patience wearing thin. “Where. Is. Ana?”
The smirk fades from his face, his expression hardening in mock concern. And just like that, I know. Something is wrong. Piotr moves behind his desk, taking his time before sitting down. His lips curl in amusement, his next words gutting me. “She’s not here; neither is Camille.”
“Where is she? Tell me now.”
“No.”
I feel dazed, like I’m in the middle of a bad dream. What the hell is going on?
“No?”
“You won’t see her again until you kill Pavel.”
My entire world goes black.
Vlad whips his head toward Piotr. “What the fuck?”
Piotr leans back in his chair, completely at ease. “When Pavel’s dead, you can have your daughter back.”
Rage floods through me. I lunge across the desk. I don’t care about the consequences, don’t care about anything except ripping him apart. Vlad grabs me, holding me back.
I snarl at Piotr. “You promised me time!”
Piotr shrugs, rolling his eyes as if he’s bored. “You’ve had enough time.”
My blood runs cold. “This is kidnapping.”
“Perhaps. But who are you going to tell?”
My chest tightens, a mixture of fear and fury taking over. My heart screams at me to do something, to protect my daughter. “If anything happens to Ana, I’ll kill you myself,” I hiss.
Piotr leans forward. “If you’re so willing to kill your own brother, you should have no problem killing your husband.”
The smug dismissal in his tone causes something in me to snap. I start screaming as Piotr waves a hand through the air and two men appear. They grab me and drag me toward the door.
I fight—kicking and twisting, punching one in the stomach—but that only causes their grips to tighten. I scream louder, doing all I can to break free of their grasp. Vlad yells at them to let me go. One of them grabs his arm and twists it high behind his back, rendering him helpless. The other one pulls me downstairs and roughly pushes me into the living room. Vlad is right behind us, the other goon shoving him hard.
“You’re not to go upstairs,” one of them says, “neither of you.” Without another word, the guards leave the room. I watch as they take position in front of the staircase, forming an impenetrable wall.
I whirl toward Vlad. A long moment stretches between us, heavy and suffocating. My stomach twists, paranoia sinking its claws into me. I take a step back, my hands trembling. “You knew, didn’t you?” I snarl. “You knew Piotr was going to do this.”
His eyes widen, his nostrils flaring. “What?”
“You’re working with him,” I yell, rage and betrayal twisting in my chest. “You—”
Vlad’s expression turns to stone, pain shadowing his eyes. “You really think I’d do that?”
I cross my arms, desperate to steady myself. “Piotr took my daughter.”
“My niece,” Vlad adds, stepping closer. “How could you think I would help him use her as a fucking pawn?”
I pause, trying to catch my breath, trying to wrap my mind around this new reality.
Vlad shakes his head, exhaling sharply. “You’re losing it, Kat. I can understand how desperate you must feel right now, but I would never do that. Never. And you know it.”
My throat tightens, my heart aches. He’s right. Vlad might be a lot of things, but he isn’t anything like Piotr. I inhale slowly, trying to force oxygen into my lungs. “I’m sorry, I just don’t know what to think right now.”
Vlad nods. “I get it. But I promise you, I had no idea about any of this.” He steps forward, gripping my shoulders. “We’re going to find her. Together.”
I close my eyes, willing myself to believe him. Then I open them, meeting his gaze head-on, and say, “I need to go.”
“No, Kat, not in this condition. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t be,” I snap. “I’ll be in touch.” With that, I grab my keys and storm out before he can say anything else, tears burning my eyes at the thought of my missing girl. But I’ll get her back.
No matter what it takes.
