Mafia King’s Bride

36. Dmitri

THIRTY-SIX

DMITRI

My fist connects with the table, the impact reverberating through the wood. Another dent to add to the collection. Fitting, given the state of my patience.

“Why the fuck would you fail? I gave you a simple task!” I snarl at Kirill, my voice dripping with barely contained rage.

“I’m sorry,” Kirill mumbles, his head bowed like a scolded dog. “I’ll send them again. I promise I’ll find her this time around.”

I let out a dark chuckle, the sound devoid of any humor. “Oh, if you don’t, your head will hang above my door for everyone to see. Get out.”

He scurries away like the incompetent rat he is. I run my fingers through my hair, frustration coursing through every fiber of my being. I’m beyond my wits’ end. I passed that point weeks ago.

Three weeks. Three fucking weeks since Ana vanished, and I’m no closer to finding her. I’ve turned over every stone, searched every Bratva house, every company, every goddamn hideout. Now I’m reduced to scrutinizing anyone who’s so much as breathed the same air as me in recent years.

Yesterday, I met with a few pakhans . One fool had the audacity to suggest Ana might have run away. My fist nearly rearranged his face for him. Let them think I’ve gone insane. I don’t give a fuck. I’ll burn this entire world to the ground if that’s what it takes to find her.

A sharp knock at the door reignites my anger. It better not be Jakob. I gave him explicit instructions to walk in, not waste my time with pleasantries.

“Come in!” I bark.

To my surprise, it’s Viktor, Ana’s half-brother. I’ve been so consumed by my search, I’d almost forgotten about him.

“I’m sorry,” I say, the words tasting unfamiliar on my tongue. “I should have been more vigilant. I promise you, I’ll find her. And they’ll pay. Whoever they are.”

Viktor shakes his head, his expression grave. “That’s not why I came. There’s something I need to tell you, Dmitri. I should have told you a week ago, but I made a promise to Ana.”

The mention of her name sends a jolt through me. My eyes darken, fury bubbling up inside me like molten lava. “Ana?” I practically spit the name. I’m across the room in an instant, my hand fisting in Viktor’s shirt. “Where is she? Tell me now!”

To his credit, Viktor doesn’t flinch. He meets my gaze steadily, his voice calm. “You may need to sit down for this, Dmitri.”

I laugh, a harsh, grating sound. “Sit down? You come here with information about my wife, and you want me to sit down? Start talking, or I swear to God?—”

“It’s not that simple,” Viktor cuts in, gently but firmly removing my hand from his shirt. “Ana’s safe, but there’s more to this than you know. A lot more.”

I take a step back, my mind reeling. Ana’s safe. The relief that floods through me is quickly replaced by a fresh wave of anger. “If she’s safe, then why the hell isn’t she here? What game are you playing?”

Viktor sighs, running a hand through his hair. “No game, Dmitri. Just a very complicated, very fucked up situation. Ana left to protect you. To protect all of us.”

“Protect me?” I scoff. “I don’t need protection. I need my wife back.”

“You do need protection,” Viktor insists, his voice growing stronger. “From Nikolai. From the war he was planning to start.”

The mention of Nikolai’s name makes my blood boil. “What does that backstabbing bastard have to do with this?”

Viktor takes a deep breath. “Everything. He threatened to kill you if Ana didn’t leave. She thought by disappearing, she could keep you safe and prevent a war.”

For a moment, I’m stunned into silence. Then the rage comes, white-hot and all-consuming. “And you’ve known this? You’ve let me tear this city apart, start wars with other Bratvas, and you said nothing?”

“I made a promise to my sister,” Viktor says, standing his ground despite the murderous look in my eyes. “But I can’t keep silent anymore. Not when I see what this is doing to both of you.” He pauses, his jaw clenching. “Besides, I needed time to secure my position.”

That catches my attention. “Your position?”

Viktor nods, his eyes hard. “I’m taking over. Nikolai’s lost his mind, and he’s lost the respect of our people. I’ve been gathering support, making sure I have the backing I need to step in without causing a civil war within our ranks.”

I study him, reassessing. This isn’t just Ana’s protective older brother anymore. This is a man making calculated moves in a dangerous game.

“And now?” I ask, my voice low.

“Now, I’m ready,” Viktor says, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “I have the support I need. Once Ana is safe and you’re done with Nikolai, I’ll step in. We can end this war before it begins, Dmitri. But first, we need to get my sister.”

Rage burns in my chest. That bastard. I knew he was hiding something. As Viktor speaks, my fingernails dig into my palms, drawing blood. In my mind, I’m already wrapping my hands around Nikolai’s neck, watching the life drain from his eyes as he begs for mercy.

He won’t get it. Not after what he’s done.

“Do you need my help?” Viktor asks as we stride down the hallway. “He’ll be expecting you. He’ll have men waiting.”

I turn, a grim smile on my face. “The more, the merrier. I should have ended him months ago when he first crossed me. When he betrayed my father’s memory. This time, I’ll make an example of him. One that no one in our world will ever forget.”

I storm out of my office, Viktor’s revelation fueling my rage. On the way to Nikolai’s office, I alert my men, ordering them to scope out the place for traps. As much as I’d like to put a bullet through Petrov’s head myself, I won’t risk any casualties.

The drive is a blur of adrenaline and fury. I race down the highway, weaving through traffic, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. Every second feels like an eternity, but finally, I screech to a halt outside Nikolai’s building.

As I stride toward the entrance, I spot a cop, his gun visible in his waistband. He doesn’t approach.

Smart man.

“Cocky bastard,” I mutter. If Nikolai thinks being in a public place will save him, he’s sorely mistaken. My influence reaches far beyond his petty attempts at protection.

I burst into the outer office, making his secretary jump. “H-hi,” she stutters.

“Leave,” I bark. She doesn’t need to be told twice.

Without hesitation, I kick open Nikolai’s door. He looks up, a false calm on his face. “Dmitri.” He nods, as if we were meeting for afternoon tea.

I refuse to return the courtesy. “You bastard,” I snarl, advancing on his desk. “You knew where she was all along. You sent me on a wild goose chase.”

Nikolai leans back, unfazed. “I merely reclaimed what was mine. If you disapprove of my methods, well...you would have done the same.”

His casual demeanor only fuels my rage. I slam my fist on his desk. “How long have you been playing this game? How long have you been treating Ana like a pawn instead of your daughter?”

A flicker of...something crosses his face, but it’s gone in an instant. “And who’s going to believe you, the tyrant? Even if Ana speaks on your behalf, who would listen?”

I’m about to retort when he delivers the killing blow. “You’re finished, Dmitri. I’ll happily sell you to your enemies, just like I did your father.”

The world stops. My ears ring as if a bomb has gone off. “What did you just say?”

Nikolai’s smirk widens. “You heard me. Your father’s death? That was my handiwork.”

Something inside me snaps. With a roar of liquid fury, I vault over the desk, grabbing Nikolai by his shirt and slamming him against the wall. “You son of a bitch! He trusted you!”

For the first time, fear flickers in Nikolai’s eyes. Good. He should be terrified.

“He would’ve done the same,” Nikolai gasps. “We’re all thieves!”

I shake him violently, years of pain and grief surging to the surface. “He was your best friend!”

My fist draws back, every fiber of my being screaming for vengeance. But a small voice in the back of my mind stops me. This isn’t what Ana would want. This isn’t who I am anymore.

With monumental effort, I release Nikolai, shoving him away. “I planned to kill you myself,” I growl. “But death would be too merciful for you.”

Nikolai straightens his shirt, his composure returning. “Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought, Dmitri.”

A soft click echoes through the room. I turn to see a hidden door sliding open, revealing a man with a gun trained on my head.

Nikolai’s laugh is cold and triumphant. “Did you really think I’d face you without insurance? It’s over, Dmitri. You’ve lost.”

But as I stare down the barrel of the gun, a calm settles over me. Nikolai thinks he’s won, but he’s forgotten one crucial detail.

I’m Dmitri Orlov.

I always have a plan B.

Nikolai steps forward, his lips spreading into a smug grin that makes my blood boil. “Why do you think I didn’t order you killed on sight, Orlov? This moment, right here, is what I’ve been waiting for.”

He circles me like a shark, his confidence palpable. “I’m going to end you myself. And thanks to your dramatic entrance, I can claim self-defense. Poetic, isn’t it?”

My hand instinctively moves to the gun tucked in my waistband. Nikolai notices, wagging his finger like he’s scolding a child.

“Ah, ah, ah. The second that gun comes out, my friend here will put a bullet through your skull. Let’s keep things civil, shall we?”

“Civil?” I spit the word. “You want to gloat first, is that it?”

He shrugs, spreading his arms wide. “Why not? It’s not every day you get to end a bloodline. Especially one as...troublesome as yours.”

As I stare at Nikolai, all I see is a man drunk on his own power, bloated with overconfidence. Even with his gunman and his secret doors, he should know better than to think everything will go according to plan.

I take a careful step to the right. The gunman mirrors my movement, his weapon now inches from my head.

“Any last words, Nikolai?” I ask, injecting as much boredom into my voice as I can muster. “A message for your daughter, perhaps? I’d be happy to pass it along.”

He laughs, the sound grating on my nerves. “Look at you, still so cocky. You think because you outsmarted that Italian fool and manipulated Pavlov, I’ll be an easy mark? You’ve got a lot to learn, boy.”

I shrug, mildly impressed that he knows about my plans for Igor. “You’ve clearly been busy. But humor me. Why wait all this time? You’ve had plenty of chances to take me out. Hell, you could’ve had one of your goons run me off the road any day of the week. Why the elaborate setup?”

Nikolai’s eyes gleam with malice. “Because I wanted to savor this moment. I wanted to see the realization in your eyes when you finally understood that you’ve lost. That everything you’ve built is about to crumble.”

As he rambles on, something catches my eye. There’s a building nearby, tall enough to have a clear shot into this office. And on its roof, I spot a figure.

I get the signal and cut Nikolai off mid-gloat. “Hey, Nikolai. Quick question—what kind of animal can both swim and fly?”

He blinks, thrown off by the non sequitur. “What?”

I smirk, raising my hand with four fingers extended. “Let me spell it out for you. D-U-C-K.”

The last letter is punctuated by the sound of shattering glass as a sniper’s bullet finds its mark in Nikolai’s chest. I drop to the floor, but I’m a split second too late. Nikolai’s gunman manages to get off a shot that grazes my shoulder, sending a bolt of white-hot pain through my body.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I draw my weapon and fire in one fluid motion. My bullet tears through the gunman’s hand, sending his weapon flying across the room. Not taking any chances, I empty my clip into him, each shot echoing in the suddenly silent office.

The gunman crumples to the floor, no longer a threat. I struggle to my feet, my injured shoulder protesting every movement, and survey the scene. Nikolai lies motionless, taken out by my sniper’s precision. His henchman is a bloody heap by the hidden door.

When the echo of gunfire fades, I make my way to Nikolai’s body, staring down at the man who caused so much pain.

“Too bad,” I mutter, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. “I would’ve loved to see the light leave your eyes.”

I glance around the office, wondering if there are security cameras. If so, the footage will make for interesting viewing later.

But that’s a concern for my team. Right now, there’s only one person on my mind. One woman I need to see more than anything.

It’s time to bring Ana home.