Embrace of the Russian Tiger (Russian Mafia Kings #2)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

A nna was gone.

I stood in my office, my grip tightening around the phone as Mikhail’s voice echoed in my ear. He had been careful, deliberate with his words, but it didn’t matter. Nothing could soften the blow. Anna—my Anna—had been taken.

And I knew exactly who was behind it.

Nikolai.

The name burned through my mind like a brand, filling me with a fury so deep, so all-consuming, that it threatened to break the tight control I had spent years perfecting. Nikolai had made his move, and now Anna was in his hands. My breath came in short, controlled bursts, the only sign of the storm brewing beneath the surface.

Fear clawed at the edges of my mind, but I shoved it down. Fear was useless. Fear made men weak. And I had no room for weakness right now. Not when Nikolai had her.

"Where?" I snapped, cutting Mikhail off mid-sentence.

"We think she’s being held somewhere connected to the Bianchi family," Mikhail said, his voice steady despite the tension in it. “I think they might know?—"

“Let’s meet at their place," I interrupted, my voice cold. "I’m going to see them now."

I didn’t wait for a response. I hung up the phone and grabbed my coat, my movements sharp and deliberate. There was no room for hesitation. Every second Anna was in Nikolai’s grasp was a second too long, and I was going to tear apart anyone who stood between me and her.

I hadn’t seen the Bianchi family in years. They were bottom feeders in my world, parasites who latched onto whatever scraps they could get, always careful not to make too much noise. I tolerated them because they were useful. At least, they had been. They were powerful for some, but nothing against me.

The ride to their estate was tense. My thoughts were consumed by Anna. The moment I’d learned she was gone, that Nikolai had her, the world had gone still. A cold rage had settled over me, something so consuming it almost felt calm. Almost. But beneath that calm exterior, I was ready to kill.

Nikolai had crossed a line and signed his death sentence the second that I learned about Katya. And the Bianchi family—they had helped him. They had made the mistake of getting involved in this, and now they were going to pay for it.

The estate loomed ahead, the gates creaking open as we approached. I didn’t bother with pleasantries. I didn’t care about appearances. All that mattered was finding out where Anna was—and making sure the Bianchi brothers understood what would happen if they didn’t cooperate.

As we entered the house, the brothers were already waiting for me in the large, dimly lit meeting room. Vittorio, the elder, sat at the head of the table, his younger brother, Paolo, beside him. They looked nervous—good. They should be.

"Maxim," Vittorio said, his voice thick with forced politeness. "What a... surprise."

I didn’t bother sitting down. I wanted them to see the anger in my eyes, feel the tension in the air, taste the danger that hung between us like a noose.

"Cut the bullshit," I said coldly. "You know why I’m here."

Paolo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at his brother before quickly looking away. They were already cracking, and I hadn’t even started.

Vittorio plastered on a tight smile, trying to maintain control. "I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to. We’ve had no?—"

"Don’t," I interrupted, my voice low and sharp. "Don’t lie to me. You’ve been working with Nikolai, and now he has something that belongs to me. You’re going to tell me where she is, or I’m going to burn your entire operation to the ground."

Paolo’s eyes widened, and Vittorio’s smile faltered, but he quickly composed himself. He leaned back in his chair, feigning a calm he clearly didn’t feel.

"Nikolai... yes, we’ve had some business discussions recently," Vittorio said, his voice casual, too casual. "But I don’t know anything about?—"

"Enough," I snapped, taking a step closer to the table, my presence looming over them. "You think I didn’t find out? You think I don’t know what you’ve done? If you lie to me now, I’ll kill you right here, in this room, and then I’ll kill everyone you’ve ever done business with. Slowly. Painfully."

Vittorio’s face went pale, his mask of confidence crumbling as fear seeped into his features. Paolo, the coward, was already trembling, his hands shaking as he looked between me and his brother.

"Maxim, we—" Vittorio started, but I slammed my hand down on the table, the sound echoing through the room.

"Don’t test me," I growled, leaning forward. "You have no idea what I’m capable of, but I’ll give you a taste if you keep wasting my time."

Paolo swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the door as if he were considering running, but he knew better. Vittorio, on the other hand, was still trying to keep up appearances, still trying to play the game.

"Nikolai mentioned something about—" he began again, but this time I grabbed the edge of the table, flipping it over in one violent motion. The sound of wood splintering filled the room, and Paolo let out a choked gasp as he jumped back in his chair, the terror finally sinking in.

"I don’t care what he mentioned," I said, my voice like ice. "You’re going to tell me where he’s holding Anna, or I’m going to destroy everything you’ve ever built. Every last piece of it. I’ll make sure your name is wiped from history, that no one will ever remember the Bianchi family ever even existed."

Vittorio’s face twisted in fear and anger, his bravado slipping. He knew I wasn’t bluffing. He knew exactly who I was, what I was capable of.

"We don’t know," he said finally, his voice hoarse. "We don’t know where he’s keeping her, I swear."

Paolo was shaking his head, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Vittorio, just tell him!" he pleaded, his voice trembling. "He’s going to kill us if we don’t?—"

"Shut up!" Vittorio snapped, but the fear in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. They knew more than they were letting on. They always did.

I took a step toward them, my eyes locked on Vittorio. "You’re going to tell me everything Nikolai said. Everything. And if I don’t like what I hear, I’ll start with your brother and work my way down your family tree."

Paolo whimpered, his hands gripping the arms of his chair as if that would somehow protect him. Vittorio’s eyes darted between me and his brother, the weight of the threat hanging heavy in the air.

"All right!" Vittorio finally relented, his voice strained. "All right. He’s working out of our warehouse. North side of the city, near the docks. I can give you the location. Otherwise, he’s been keeping things quiet, off the grid. We didn’t know that he would kidnap her! It’s enough that you made us cut off our security’s penis! Why would we get involved?!”

"That’s not enough," I said coldly. "Give me specifics."

Vittorio hesitated for a moment, then sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "He’s been moving things—people—through there for weeks now. If he’s holding her anywhere, it’s there."

I watched him for a long moment, assessing the truth in his words. I could see the fear in his eyes, the desperation. They were scared, and rightfully so. But I had what I needed.

"If you’re lying to me," I said, my voice deadly calm, "I’ll come back. And next time, you won’t walk away."

Vittorio nodded quickly, his face pale as he tried to regain his composure. "We’re not lying. We wouldn’t... we wouldn’t cross you, Maxim.”

“You already did when you decided to invite Nikolai into your little sandbox. Let me tell you something, Vittorio: I will make sure that your business suffers because of this. You will be grateful that I let you keep your lives. I do not guarantee that you will be able to keep your business.”

I gave him one last cold stare before turning and walking out of the room, my mind already focused on the next step. Anna was somewhere in that godforsaken place, and Nikolai had her.

The drive to the docks was a blur, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I didn’t need to give orders—Mikhail knew what to do. I was surrounded by men who feared me, men who knew better than to question my authority. But this wasn’t just about authority anymore.

It was about revenge. About retribution. And about saving Anna.

When we reached the warehouse district, the tension in the air was suffocating. My men moved quickly, silently, surrounding the area with ruthless efficiency. But my mind was focused on one thing: Nikolai.

As we approached the first warehouse, I could feel the familiar burn of fury rising inside me. The cold, controlled rage I had perfected over the years. The same rage that had fueled me when Katya was taken from me. And now, the same rage that would tear Nikolai apart for what he had done.

Mikhail was at my side, his face unreadable as he handed me a gun, his movements swift and professional. "We’re ready," he said quietly.

I nodded, my grip tightening around the weapon as I stepped toward the door.

"Stay close," I ordered, my voice low and deadly. "And kill anyone who stands in our way."

We stormed the warehouse, the sound of gunfire exploding around us as my men took down Nikolai’s guards with ruthless precision. I moved through the chaos like a shadow, my eyes scanning the room, searching for Anna.

And then I saw her.

Tied to a chair in the center of the room, her wrists bound, her face pale but defiant. My heart stopped for a moment, the surge of relief almost overwhelming.

But then my gaze shifted, and I saw him.

Nikolai.

Standing behind her with a gun pressed to her head, a smug smile curling on his lips.

"Maxim," he said, his voice oozing with arrogance. "So glad you could join us."

Nikolai’s grin stretched wider as I took a step closer, my gun raised, my focus locked on the bastard holding Anna at gunpoint. His arrogance was palpable, the kind that only someone with nothing left to lose could display. But I had seen men like him break. And Nikolai would be no different.

"Maxim, Maxim..." Nikolai’s voice was thick with amusement, his eyes glinting with a sick pleasure. "You really don’t know when to quit, do you?"

I said nothing, my jaw tight as I fought to keep my fury in check. Anna was trembling in his grip, but she didn’t break eye contact with me. She was scared—I could see it—but there was still fire in her. That fire was what kept me steady. For her, I would remain in control.

But Nikolai wasn’t done. He leaned closer to Anna, his lips brushing dangerously close to her ear as he spoke, loud enough for me to hear.

"You think this little girl matters to me? Or to you? She’s just another piece in the game, Maxim. Just like Katya was."

My heart lurched in my chest at the sound of her name. The fire inside me ignited into an inferno, but I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my hand from shaking as I aimed the gun at his head.

"You don’t get to say her name," I growled, my voice cold and steady.

Nikolai’s eyes lit up with perverse excitement, and he chuckled, his hand tightening around Anna’s throat as she flinched. "Oh, but I do. You see, Katya and I... we had a little history, didn’t we?"

"Shut up," I snapped, the rage bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Why?" Nikolai sneered, taking a step back with Anna still in his grip. "You don’t want to hear what really happened? You don’t want to know why your precious little sister ended up floating in that river?"

My blood ran cold, and my finger hovered over the trigger. He was pushing me, testing my control, and he knew it.

"Oh, no," Nikolai said, his voice low and almost gleeful. "I was there, Maxim. I watched it happen. Hell, I made it happen!”

Anna gasped, her eyes widening as she tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but Nikolai held her tighter, almost like he was feeding off the fear in the room.

“Well, you see, Katya was a bitch,” Nikolai spat, his face twisting into something dark and sinister. "She thought she was too good for me. Too high and mighty to even consider going on a date with someone like me. And when she refused... well, I just had to put her in her place. You feel me?”

My grip tightened on the gun, but I held myself back. I needed to hear the rest. As much as it killed me, I needed to know.

“I asked your cunt sister out, and she refused! She said, you are like a brother to me ,” he taunted in a mock voice. “She refused me! So I had no choice, Max. You understand, don’t you? You have your little toy right here. How do you feel when she tells you “No”? In any case, let’s cut the story short. I told Rossi she kept talking shit about him on the streets. Told people his dick was too small. And Rossi… well, you knew Rossi. He was a beast. He went after her and I lured her in. I saw him smashing her head against the table and bend her over. Then…”

My mind flashed to that night. The night they found her, broken and lifeless. I had always known Rossi was responsible, but now... now I understood how it all fit together. Nikolai had set it up. I never understood how a man like Rossi got involved with Katya. Now it clicked. It was Nikolai who had been the one to light the match.

"He fucked her good," Nikolai said, his voice gleeful now. "Right in front of me. Every scream, every cry, every begging, every word that fell from her mouth—it was like music, Maxim. I stood there, and I watched her get raped. And I enjoyed every fucking second of it."

I saw red. My vision blurred as fury overtook me, every muscle in my body screaming to pull the trigger. His words vibrating in my body. Every single breath that came out of his body punched me in the gut. I wanted to rip him apart with my own hands. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not with Anna still in his grip.

"And when Russo was done with her, all bruised and broken, I was the one who took her," Nikolai continued, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "I drove her to that river, dumped her like the trash she was, and before I left, I took that little necklace of hers. You know, the one she used to wear all the time? It’s a shame you never got to say goodbye properly, but..."

"You’re dead," I whispered, the words barely audible over the roaring in my ears. "You’re fucking dead."

Nikolai’s chuckle reverberated in the air, that sick, twisted sound gnawing at my every nerve. He was savoring this, dragging out every moment like he was in complete control. The gun pressed harder against Anna’s temple, causing her to flinch. Her eyes widened slightly, but she held herself together, her chest rising and falling as her breaths quickened. My heart pounded, but my mind was a steel trap, calculating every angle, every possibility.

“Not before I get what I want, Maxim,” Nikolai taunted, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re going to hand over everything. Your empire, your power… or she dies right here. I’ll finish her just like I did with Katya.” His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “You might kill me, but you won’t have her.”

I felt the cold rage coil tighter inside me, threatening to snap. He had the audacity to mention Katya, to weaponize her memory against me. My jaw clenched so hard it felt like my teeth would shatter.

"You are a coward," I growled, my voice low, trembling with barely contained fury. My grip on the gun tightened, but I kept my arm steady, my focus locked on him. "You think I’ll let you walk away from this? You think you’ve won?"

"You don’t have a choice," he sneered, his finger twitching on the trigger, the barrel digging into Anna’s skin. "Give me what I want, or watch her die like your sister."

Everything stilled. Time froze. The weight of his words slammed into me, threatening to crush the breath out of my lungs. Katya’s death played out in my mind, the helplessness, the agony of losing her all over again. But I wasn’t that man anymore. I wasn’t powerless. I couldn’t lose Anna. Not like Katya.

Anna’s eyes, wide and shimmering with fear, locked onto mine. There was a silent plea in her gaze—trust, desperation—but more than that, there was resolve. She was ready. Ready for whatever was about to happen. Ready to play the game with me, whatever the cost.

Nikolai’s smile twisted into something darker, his eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure as he dared me to move. I studied every inch of him, searching for the moment, for the opening I needed. He thought he had me cornered. He thought he could control me.

But he had no idea what was coming.

I held his gaze, my voice lowering to a lethal calm. “I hope you enjoyed every second of this, Nikolai. It’s the last time you’ll ever feel powerful.”

His eyes flickered, just for a second, as I saw it—the hesitation, the moment when arrogance clouded his judgment. And in that heartbeat, I acted.

I squeezed the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot echoed like thunder through the warehouse, and Nikolai’s face twisted in agony as the bullet tore into his groin. He screamed, a high, guttural sound that filled the space as his legs gave out beneath him. His hand slipped from Anna, and she scrambled away, her breath ragged, her body trembling but alive.

Blood gushed from his wound, staining his pants as he writhed on the ground, clutching himself, gasping and choking on his own cries.

I didn’t hesitate. I moved toward him, slow and deliberate, my gun still raised. My heart was pounding, but my mind was ice-cold. Calculated. Controlled. Nikolai had always overestimated himself, thinking he could toy with me. But he had underestimated the kind of man I had become—the kind who could make this decision without blinking.

"Maxim!" he gasped, his voice ragged, broken by the pain that was now ripping through his body. "You can’t... please...!"

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t respond. My boots echoed against the concrete floor as I approached him, every step measured, deliberate. The screams filled the space, but they were nothing to me. Just noise. Nikolai had no power now. He was nothing but a broken man, lying in his own blood.

When I reached him, I stood over his crumpled body. His face was twisted in agony, tears streaming down his cheeks as he clutched at the gaping wound in his groin, blood seeping through his fingers. He looked up at me, eyes wide with terror, pleading for mercy that I had no intention of giving.

"You enjoyed every second of Katya’s death?" I asked, my voice low, devoid of any humanity. "How does it feel now, Nikolai? Does it feel good?"

He sobbed, his entire body convulsing. "Please... Maxim... I can give you... anything... just?—"

"I need nothing from you," I interrupted, my voice steady, unshaken. I raised the gun, pointing it at his face, watching as his eyes widened in terror. "I just need you dead."

Before he could beg again, I fired.

The bullet slammed into his skull, and his body jerked once before going still. The blood pooled beneath him, staining the concrete as the finality of his death settled in the air. There was no satisfaction in it—just cold, calculated necessity.

The weight of everything hit me all at once, but I couldn’t focus on that now. I turned, my heart hammering in my chest, and saw Anna standing where she had scrambled to safety. Her eyes were wide, her breath uneven, her chest rising and falling with the aftermath of what had just happened.

She was alive. That was all that mattered.

I turned to Anna, who was standing frozen, her hands still trembling from the ordeal. Her eyes met mine, and I could see the mix of emotions swirling in them—relief, fear, anger.

"You're safe now," I said softly, taking a step toward her. "He’s gone. You can do what you want now."

Anna’s eyes narrowed, and before I could react, she slapped me hard across the face. The sharp sting of her hand left me stunned, my cheek burning from the impact.

"You bastard!" she yelled, her voice shaking with fury. "You put me in this situation! You did this to me! I wouldn’t have been in danger if it weren’t for you!"

The guilt hit me like a freight train, but I stood my ground, my expression unreadable. She was right. This was my fault. I had dragged her into this world, made her a target. And now, she had every right to hate me for it.

"I never wanted this for you," I said quietly, my voice rough. "But it’s done. You’re safe now."

"Safe?" she spat, her eyes blazing with anger. "You think I’m safe now? I’ve been kidnapped, threatened, held at gunpoint, all because of you! You threw me into this nightmare, and now you want to act like it’s over?"

I stared at her, my chest tightening as her words cut through me like a blade. She was furious, and she had every right to be. But I wasn’t going to let her walk away without knowing the truth.

"If you leave now," I said, my voice cold but steady. "You have enough in the assets you’ll inherit to live a decent live the way you want to, however that is.”

Her eyes narrowed, confusion flickering in them. "What are you talking about?"

"I have the will," I continued, my gaze locking onto hers. "Rossi’s will. The one everyone is after. It’s yours. You inherit everything."

Anna blinked, shock crossing her face as she processed my words. "What?"

"You’re his heir," I said. "The assets, the power—everything he left behind, it is yours, and I have the will to prove it. I have the document that no one has.”