Till Death Saves Me (Forced Mafia Marriages)

19. Ivan

19

IVAN

B lood coats my hands and face, but I'm nowhere near done. I snagged another Red Serpent, and this one is less inclined to talk…which makes my job all the more fun.

But suddenly, the buzz of my phone interrupts my process. I grit my teeth, weighing my options, but I know I can't ignore it. If it's Nikoali or Lev…or Virginia, I need to know.

I step away from him toward the side of the warehouse, my jaw clenched tight. This better be fucking important. The guy in there is close to breaking, and I don't need any goddamn interruptions.

Quickly rinsing off my hands, I rip my phone out. "What?" I bark into the speaker.

Lev's voice comes through, tense and urgent. "Ivan, we've got a situation."

Something in his tone makes my skin prickle. I press the phone closer to my ear, pacing.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

"One of your home security guys was found outside some boutique. He was barely conscious, but he managed to tell us?—"

Lev hesitates, and in that split second, I know. I fucking know, and it feels like the ground's dropping out from under me.

"The Red Serpents took Anya and Virginia."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. For a moment, I can't breathe. Can't think. Then it all comes rushing back, and with it, a rage so potent it threatens to consume me.

"What the fuck do you mean, they took them?" I snarl, my free hand clenching into a fist. "How the fuck did this happen?"

Lev's explaining something about an ambush, about how they overwhelmed the security detail, but I'm barely listening. All I can think about is Virginia in the hands of those fucking snakes. And Anya... Christ, Anya too.

"Lev, I need every available man on this," I cut Lev off mid-sentence. Normally, I don't dare but he's my best friend and she's my fucking wife. "I need to find them. Now."

"Already on it," Lev assures me. "Nikolai's calling in favors. We've got eyes all over the city."

Then my eyes move to the guy across the room. "I'll figure out where they take their people," I growl.

I end the call without another word, shoving my phone back into my pocket. Lev already knows where I am, so I don't need to further explain.

Anger and fear grip me, turning potent as it threatens to overwhelm me. One thing's crystal clear—I'm going to burn their whole fucking organization to the ground for this. And I cling to that as I take a deep breath and let the icy calm of deadly rage consume me.

I storm back to the Red Serpent that is clinging to consciousness. The guy tied to the chair flinches as I approach, but I barely notice. I grab him by the throat, leaning in close.

"You're going to tell me every-fucking-thing you know about where your bosses would take a captive," I growl, my voice low and deadly. "And you're going to do it now."

I grab the guy's throat, squeezing just enough to make him gasp. His eyes widen, panic setting in as he sees the murderous intent in my gaze.

"Where would they take them?" I snarl, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sputters, trying to form words. I ease up just enough to let him speak.

"I-I don't know," he chokes out.

Wrong fucking answer.

I release his throat and grab a pair of pliers from the nearby table. His eyes track the movement, terror evident in every line of his face.

"Let's try this again," I growl, grabbing his hand. "Where. Would. They. Take. Them?"

He shakes his head frantically. "Please, I swear I don't?—"

I don't let him finish. The pliers clamp down on his fingernail, and I yank. His scream echoes through the warehouse.

"Next one goes deeper," I promise, my voice ice-cold. "Talk."

Blood drips from his mangled finger as he gasps for air. He's already suffered a broken nose, a black eye, and he's missing quite a few teeth. I doubt it will take that long for him to break, and I don't have the time.

So I rip the next one off fast and break the finger for good measure.

As I grip the next nail with pliers, he jerks, finally breaking, "Okay, okay! There's a warehouse... by the docks."

I lean in closer, my grip on the pliers tightening. "Be more specific."

"Pier 17," he blurts out, words tumbling over each other in his haste. "Old fish processing plant. We use it sometimes for... for storage."

I grab his jaw, forcing him to look me in the eye. "If you're lying to me, what I do next will make this seem like a fucking massage. Understand?"

He nods frantically, tears streaming down his face. "I swear, it's the truth. Please..."

I release him, stepping back. My mind's already racing, planning the assault. But first, I need to be sure.

"Tell me everything," I demand. "Security, layout, every fucking detail."

And he does. The words pour out of him in a desperate torrent. By the time he's done, I have a clear picture of what we're up against.

I turn to leave, but pause at the door. Looking back, I see the pathetic mess of a man, blood and tears mingling on his face.

"If anything happens to them," I say, my voice low and deadly, "I'm coming back for you."

Lev pulls up just as I walk up to my car. He takes one look at me and says, "You drive." Then, he gets in the passenger seat of my car.

I grip the steering wheel tightly as Lev and I speed towards another warehouse, one where weapons and men are. Lev has already called ahead, made sure we had enough guys there.

My mind's racing, torn between strategizing and imagining every horrific scenario Virginia and Anya might be facing. I'm still covered in blood, and every dried flake makes it feel like I'm personally responsible for my wife's and my sister's. I'm not hopeful enough to think they're untouched.

I just hope I get there in time to keep them from too much.

And then I'll burn every fucking person involved alive.

"We need at least twenty men," Lev says, his voice tight with tension. "Maybe more."

I nod curtly. "Three cars. We should have all that at the warehouse."

As Lev barks orders into his phone, I can't help but think about how this fucking mess escalated so quickly. What started as a simple turf dispute has spiraled into full-blown war.

We screech into the parking lot of our main warehouse. Men are already gathering, their faces grim and determined. Good. I hope that they are ready for true bloodshed.

As we brief the team, I catch Lev's eye. There's a storm brewing there, matching the fury I feel coursing through my veins.

"Ivan," Lev says quietly as the men prep their gear. "This shit with the Red Serpents... it needs to end. For good."

I clench my jaw, nodding. "You're right. It's gone too far."

Lev's eyes harden. "If Nikolai gives the word, I swear I'll burn their whole fucking organization to the ground. Every last one of them."

"I'm with you," I growl, checking the clip in my gun. "They crossed a line they can't come back from."

Lev nods, a grim smile playing on his lips. "I'll save as many for you as I can."

The air crackles with tension as we finish our preparations. Every man here knows the stakes. This isn't just about territory anymore. It's personal.

As we load into the vehicles, I look over at Lev one last time. There's an unspoken agreement between us. Whatever happens tonight, the Red Serpents have sealed their fate. And we'll be the ones to deliver it.

We climb back into my car, three guys now in the back as I take off. The engine roars as I push the accelerator to its limit, weaving through traffic with reckless precision. My knuckles are white on the steering wheel, every muscle in my body coiled tight like a spring ready to snap. Lev sits beside me, his usual wisecracks silenced by the gravity of our mission.

I never wanted this for Virginia. When I first met her, all I saw was a liability – a pampered princess who had no place in our world. I tried to keep her at arm's length, to shield her from the ugliness of what we do. But somehow, she wormed her way past my defenses, and now...

Now the thought of her in danger makes me want to tear the whole fucking city apart.

A car cuts in front of us, and I swerve sharply, earning a string of curses from Lev. I barely hear him. All I can think about is Virginia's smile, the softness of her skin, the light in her eyes that I've grown to cherish. What if that light's gone out? What if they've?—

No. I can't let myself go there.

The rage inside me is a living thing, clawing at my insides, demanding release. I've never wanted to hurt someone as badly as I want to hurt the fuckers who took her.

As we near the docks, I feel a shift in the air. The calm before the storm. My focus narrows, the world outside fading away until all I can see is our target. The old fish processing plant looms ahead, a hulking shadow against the night sky.

I pull up a block away, killing the engine, and I turn to Lev, my voice low and deadly. "No one gets away," I growl. "Anyone who laid a hand on them dies screaming or waits for me to slowly do it. I'm sure their friend will love the company."

Lev's eyes meet mine, and I see my own fury reflected there. He nods once, a grim smile playing at his lips.

The Reds don't know who they fucked with.

And I'm about to make them pay.