Deadly Vows (Avilov Bratva #2)

28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Aleksandr

I paced the length of the room, tension wrapped around every muscle. It had been too long since Talia had gone missing, and every second felt like a year. My phone sat on the table, silent and useless. No news. No leads. No sign of her. The men I’d sent to search had come up with nothing, and it was tearing me apart. The only thing I knew for sure was that she was out there, scared, possibly hurt, and I hadn’t been able to protect her.

My fist slammed against the wall, the impact jarring through my arm, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. Talia was carrying my child, our child, and she had been taken by that psychopath. The thought of her being in Danny’s hands, of him laying a finger on her, made my blood boil. I couldn’t allow myself to imagine what he might be doing to her right now.

The phone rang, cutting through the silence. I lunged for it, answering before the second ring.

“ Pakhan ,“ came Denis’s voice on the other end. “We’ve got something.”

My heart leaped into my throat. “What is it?”

“I accessed the street cameras near Sany’s building,” he said quickly, the sound of fingers clacking on a keyboard coming through the line. “A blue sedan was seen leaving in a hurry about five minutes after Talia was taken. I cross-checked it with footage from the surrounding area, and the same car was spotted in a suburban neighborhood within the five-mile radius we’ve been searching.”

I gripped the phone tighter. “How close?”

“The sedan’s parked in front of a house that matches the description Talia sent in her text. I’m sending you the coordinates now. It’s a quiet area, but we’ve got eyes on it.”

“I’m on my way,” I said, hanging up before Denis could respond.

I turned to Dimitri and Anton, who had been waiting, both armed and ready. They’d been by my side through every battle, loyal to the core, and I knew they were just as eager to get to Talia as I was.

“We’ve got a lead,” I told them, grabbing my gun from the table. “Denis tracked the car to a house in a suburban neighborhood. We move now.”

Dimitri nodded, his coffee-colored eyes cold and focused. “Let’s find her, brat. ”

Anton was already heading for the door, his jaw set with determination. We piled into the SUV, the engine roaring to life as we sped toward the location Denis had sent. The streets passed rapidly, and my mind focused on returning Talia alive and safe.

My phone buzzed again, and I answered without hesitation.

“We’ve got eyes on the house,” Ivan stated. “The blue sedan is parked out front. No movement yet, but we’re in position.”

“How many men do we have there?” I asked, my grip tightening on the steering wheel.

“Six on the perimeter. We’ve surrounded the house, but we’re keeping our distance. No one goes in without your orders.”

“Hold your position. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I hung up and pressed the accelerator harder. The thought of Talia being trapped in that house, possibly hurt or worse, made my stomach churn. Danny had her. He was desperate, dangerous, and unpredictable, making him lethal.

We arrived in the neighborhood twenty minutes later. It was quiet, a suburban area where nothing ever happened - until now. The streets were lined with modest houses, their facades clean and well-kept, but I could feel the electricity in the air.

My men were in place, stationed discreetly at various points along the block, their eyes trained on the white house with the blue sedan parked in front. I pulled the SUV to a stop at the end of the street. My heart was beating rapidly, but I forced my mind to stay focused. Dimitri and Anton were out of the vehicle before I even killed the engine, their guns drawn.

“ Pakhan ,“ Ivan nodded. “We’ve got all exits covered. There’s no way Danny’s getting out without us knowing.”

“We need to get her out of there,” I said, my voice low but sharp. “Alive.”

Ivan nodded. “Understood. But there’s something else. He’s seen us. One of our guys caught a glimpse of him through the window. He knows we’re here.”

“Good,” I growled. “Let him know.”

As I was about to move toward the house, my phone rang. I answered on the first ring.

“Aleksandr,” Danny’s voice came through, calm and taunting. My blood turned to ice at the sound of it.

“Where is she?” I demanded, gripping the phone so hard I thought it might crack.

Danny laughed softly, the sound chilling. “Oh, she’s right here. Safe for now.”

“If you hurt her, you mudak -”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Danny interrupted smoothly. “But I will if you try anything stupid. I see all your men out there surrounding the house. Impressive. But if any of them come inside, I’ll put a bullet in her head.”

I clenched my jaw, my blood like acid in my veins. He had her. And he had a gun to her head.

“What do you want?” I asked, forcing myself to stay calm.

“It’s simple,” Danny said, his voice light, almost conversational. “You. I want you to come inside. Alone. No one else. If I see anyone but you walk through that door, she dies. Understand?”

I glanced at Dimitri and Anton, both tense, waiting for my next move. They could hear every word Danny said, and I could see the same fury in their eyes that I felt in my chest.

“Come in,” Danny continued. “We’ll have a little chat. You and me. But if I see even one of your men get close to this house… Well, you know what happens.”

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. “I’ll come in.”

Danny chuckled, clearly pleased. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

He ended the call, and I stared at the phone for a long moment. He had all the leverage. I had no choice.

I turned to Dimitri and Anton, their expressions unreadable. “He wants me to go in alone,” I said quietly. “If anyone else comes in, he’ll kill her.”

Dimitri stepped forward, his face a mask of stone. “You can’t go in there alone. He’s playing you. You know that.”

“I know,” I said, raking my fingers through my hair. “But I don’t have a choice. He has her, and if I don’t do what he says, he’ll kill her.”

Anton’s eyes were dark and calculating. “We can’t just let you walk in there blind. He’ll have you at gunpoint the moment you step through the door.”

“I know,” I repeated. “We need to play this smart. I’ll go in, but you’ll be right behind me. I’ll keep him talking, distract him. The moment he drops his guard, we take him down.”

Dimitri and Anton exchanged a look, and I could see the unease in their eyes. But they nodded, understanding that we had no other option.

“We’ll be ready,” Dimitri said.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was coming. Talia was in that house, and I had to get her out. There was no room for hesitation, no time for second thoughts. This was it.

I walked toward the house. Every step felt heavier than the next. But there was no turning back now.

As I reached the front door, I paused, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I could feel the eyes of my men on me, their weapons trained on the house, ready to strike the moment things went wrong.

I released a breath and opened the door stepping inside.

The house was quiet. The sound of my boots echoed against the hardwood floor. Every sense was heightened, every instinct screaming at me to be ready.

I moved further into the house, my eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. And then I saw him.

Danny stood in the center of the living room, holding Talia in front of him like a human shield. His arm was wrapped tightly around her throat, a gun pressed against her temple. Talia’s face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but she didn’t make a sound.

“Nice of you to join us,” Danny said with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.

“I’m here,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “Now let her go.”

Danny shook his head, his grip on Talia tightening. “Not so fast. We’ve got a lot to talk about first,” Danny said, his voice oozing with false calm as he pulled his hold on Talia. Her face was drained of color, her lips trembling, but she met my eyes. She was terrified but still alive. Still fighting.

My fists clenched at my sides as I resisted the urge to pull my gun and end him right then and there. But one wrong move, and he could hurt her, or worse. I had to keep my cool. Talia’s life and our child’s life hung in the balance.

“I’m here, Danny,” I said, stepping forward cautiously, my hands raised slightly to show him I wasn’t holding a weapon. “Just you and me. No one else.”

He smirked, clearly enjoying the power he thought he had over the situation. “You think I’m stupid, Aleksandr? I know you’ve got your men out there waiting. Watching.”

I took another step forward, my heart hammering in my chest. “I’m here alone, just like you asked. Let Talia go.”

Danny’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of something dark shining in his green eyes. “You really think I’d let her go? She’s mine . You don’t get to take her away from me.”

Talia winced as Danny’s grip tightened, but she stayed silent. Her eyes never left mine, pleading without words for me to remain calm and focused.

“She’s not yours,” I said, my voice hardening. “She never was. You don’t own her, Danny. And you’re not walking out of here with her.”

Danny’s expression twisted into a sneer. “She is mine!” he roared. “The universe owed me for taking away my father. She’s mine, and the baby is mine.”

I took another slow step, inching closer to him. I could see the tension in his body, the way his fingers twitched on the gun. He was dangerous, but he was also desperate. Desperation made people sloppy.

“What do you mean the universe owed you?” I said, keeping my voice low and steady.

“Her father did it,“ he spat. “He killed my father, taking everything away from me.” He backed up a step, pulling Talia with him. “I finally found her. It took years, but I found her, and she loved me. Until you came along.”

Danny pointed the gun at me, his eyes wild. I remembered what Talia said about her father killing the neighbor for having an affair with her mother. It was Danny’s father. And he searched for her for years? He’s deranged. But if I can keep him talking and keep the gun off Talia, I might have a chance to take him down.

“Why punish the girl because of the father’s sins?” I questioned.

“ Punish her?“ Danny bellowed. “I found her. I saved her. This is all for her,” he hissed, waving the gun around the room. “I bought this house so we could build a life together as a family.”

“Family?” I sneered. “It’s my baby she carries, not yours.”

Danny’s anger boiled over. He threw Talia onto the floor and pointed the gun at me. My eyes flicked to hers, imploring her to get away from him.

“You’re surrounded. There’s no way out of here for you, and you know it,” I continued. If I could keep his attention on me, then Talia would have a chance of getting into the other room. It was the only way I could save her.