Crown of Hate (Soulless Empire)

Chapter 30

30

MIKHAIL

Pain explodes through my body, dragging me back to consciousness. Memories flash behind my eyelids in a disjointed blur—the screech of tires, the deafening crash, and throwing myself over Alya to shield her from the impact.

Alya.

My eyes tear open, and I squint at the harsh fluorescent lights. The sterile smell of disinfectant invades my nostrils. White walls, a hospital bed, a sliding door—fuck, I know exactly where I am.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” a familiar voice drawls beside me.

I turn my head, wincing at the movement, to find Alexei slumped in a chair. He looks like hell—disheveled, exhausted, and… there’s a look in his eyes I’ve never seen before. Worry.

“Where is she?” I ask, ripping out the IV and staggering to my feet.

My head hurts like a motherfucker and my vision swims. The pain I feel all over is immense, but not nearly as much as the panic flaring in my chest.

Alexei doesn’t answer. He steps in front of me, blocking my path “You’re injured. You’re in no shape to go anywhere.”

“Where. Is. My. Wife?” I growl, my patience evaporating like mist. “Tell me where she is, dammit!”

He swallows hard and sighs. “Akim has her.”

My fists clench and my jaw tick. Fury burns through me, blending perfectly with the pain. “How long was I out?”

“Two hours. You hit your head hard, but luckily no concussion… well, maybe a little concussion, but nothing you can’t handle…” He stops talking when I glare at him.

“Her mother?” I ask.

“Safe house. Semyon is on his way here. We’ll find her, I promise.” He nods to the bed. “But you need to rest.”

I huff out a mirthless laugh. “Rest? My wife is in the hands of that psychopath and what? You’re telling me to fucking rest ?” I shove past him, ignoring the way the room spins. “Track her phone. If that bastard hasn’t found it yet, we might have a chance.”

“I already did.” He pauses, and I want to shake the words out of him.

The suspense is fucking killing me. My rage simmers, barely held in check. I’m seconds away from losing it. “And?”

“He’s taking her to Russia.”

“Fuck!” I grab my head and bite my lips to keep my rage in check. It’s either that or I start putting holes in the walls. I’m already weak and in pain, and I need every ounce of strength if I’m going to stand a chance at saving my wife. “That sick bastard already figured out our plans. Dimitri betrayed me.”

“And Igor?” Alexei asks, his eyes flashing red with anger.

“Dead.” Then I lock eyes with him, feeling a fierce determination solidify inside me. “We’re going to Russia. Now.”

The familiar scent hits me as I descend the plane steps. Rich, earthy—a bittersweet reminder of everything I left behind. It’s been a year since I last set foot on Russian soil, but the sense of familiarity does nothing to ease my tension. And right now, it just feels like enemy territory.

I haven’t slept a wink during the ten-and-a-half-hour flight. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was I saw Alya—alone, terrified, suffering God knows what at the mercy of that monster. The helplessness is maddening, eating away at my sanity with every passing second.

But I’m here now. I check my watch. It’s four p.m., which means the boys and I have precious few hours before we make our move. I don’t give a damn what it costs—Alya will be in my arms tonight, or I’ll burn this whole fucking country to the ground trying.

Four black SUVS pull up before me. A bodyguard scrambles out from the driver’s seat in the lead car and hurries to open the back door. A familiar face emerges.

Andrei.

He looks older, but there’s a lightness to him I don’t remember. Retirement seems to have been good to him.

He’d come to Russia to visit his family a month ago. Ilya reached out to him to arrange some support for me since I’ve been away for so long. I don’t need much, just a few of his men to help me out.

He walks up to me with a smile. “Good to see you again, Mikhail.”

I force a smile. “You too, brother. Retirement suits you.”

He chuckles. “I’m having the time of my life, truth be told. Though it seems the old ways have a way of pulling us back in.”

“You don’t have to do anything,” I assure him quickly. “Just lend me a few men, and I’ll repay the favor, whatever it takes.” I hate being indebted to anyone, but for Alya, I don’t mind giving Andrei my life as collateral, as long as I get to save her.

Andrei shakes his head. “No debts. You helped me before; now it’s my turn.” He signals to one of his men, who approaches quickly, then exchanges a few words in hushed tones.

I glance at my watch again, feeling the minutes tick away. I don’t want to seem too desperate, but the clock is my enemy now. The longer it takes, the more anxious I get. I need to move.

After what feels like hours, Andrei nods to his man and turns back to me. “Viktor here will assist you. His hacking skills are unparalleled.”

I size up Victor, who stands at attention under my scrutiny. “Can you track a phone that’s been off for about an hour?”

Victor nods, his eyes gleaming with quiet confidence. “Consider it done, sir.”

A flicker of hope ignites in my chest. “Good. I’ll give you all the details you need to find her.”

Andrei claps me on the shoulder. “Why don’t you come over to my place? You can stay there, do whatever you need to do.”

I shake my head. “You forget, this was once my territory. I’ll take care of business from one of my spots.” The words are barely out of my mouth before I reconsider.

Akim is not a fool. He knows there’s no way I’d ignore the fact that he has Alya. He’s expecting me, but he likely doesn’t know I’m already here. I let him ruin my plans once, I can’t allow that to happen again.

The longer he’s in the dark about my whereabouts, the better chance Alya and I have.

“Actually,” I amend, “I could use a minivan. Big enough for my men.” I don’t elaborate on why I need it, and thankfully, Andrei doesn’t ask.

Hours later, I’m in the back of said van with my men, every muscle in my body coiled tight as a spring. Viktor and another tech whiz are busy trying to track Alya’s phone. They’ve been at it for an hour now.

“What do you plan to do with Boris?” Alexei asks as he slides in next to me. “He might be dick, but he’s just Akim’s puppet.”

“That ‘puppet’ is one of the reasons Alya’s missing. He’d be lucky to get a clean death, but… the fool might be more useful alive.” I lean back in my seat and pin my gaze on Viktor. “If I decide to spare him, I’ll make him leave Russia. Permanently.”

“And if he comes back?”

“Then he’s fair game for anyone who finds him. I don’t care, as long as that piece of shit is out of my territory. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we keep a close eye on him.”

He laughs. “You’ve changed, man. She’s changed you. All of that shit just sounds like mercy to me.”

“No mercy,” I growl. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t think shit through. Some people are better used as chess pieces than fertilizer.”

“If you say so.”

He shrugs, but I get serious. Steeling myself, I meet his eyes. “Alexei, if anything goes wrong… I need you to save Alya. She’s pregnant with my child.”

His draw drops. “What? You’re… I’m going to be an uncle?”

“You are.”

He rakes his fingers through his hair and groans angrily. “Fuck, this should be happy news, but that asshole has turned it into a nightmare.” He places a hand on my shoulder and gives me an assuring squeeze. “We’re getting her back. No matter what.”

“I know.”

We both turn our heads as Viktor exclaims, “ Sdelannyy!”

I’m on my feet in an instant, looming over him. “You found her?”

He smirks, eyes bright with excitement. “They’re in one of Akim’s secret safehouses. My boss tried to track it down years ago, but we never had a solid lead... until now.”

My gaze flits to Alexei and a triumphant smile breaks through the tension. “We’re bringing her home tonight.”

Hold on, Alya. I’m coming for you.

For both of you.