Page 2 of Forced By the Bratva

I’d hoped and prayed it wouldn’t come to this, but if I didn’t go to him for help, she’d die. Stepping out of the sterile hospital building, I diligently walked into the bustling city. I hailed a cab.

“Please take me to the DAJ Villa,” I said to the cab driver as I settled in the back seat.

I caught the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror, prepared for that look; I was already used to receiving it in this situation.

What could a girl like me be looking for in the DAJ Villa?

I looked like an everyday girl, not at all like someone who would have any business around that part of town.

Truth be told, I hated having to go there with my entire being, and I wouldn’t have gone if I had any other choice... but not this time.

He was my only hope.

Chapter 2 - Feliks

“I think that concludes it. I’ll run everything by Dominik later tonight to get his opinion on everything we’ve discussed—and then we can review the final decision by tomorrow. Hopefully, we won’t have to make any drastic changes, but even if we do, we should be able to round it all up before the day ends. How does that sound?” I asked Timur, my right-hand man, as we walked.

He hummed. “Sounds good,” he responded just as we reached the door to my brother’s office.

I knocked once before pushing the door open and walked in with Timur in tow. The furnished oak door swung shut with a soft thud as Dominik’s eyes raised to meet mine. Anticipation crackled in the air; a mischievous glint didn’t belong in Dominik’s usually steely gray eyes, and I felt a knot of apprehension tighten in my gut. It was never a good sign when my stoic older brother decided to play.

“Get back to me as soon as possible then,” he said finally, then ended the call, turning to face me properly with a smirk still painting his lips.

I frowned. “Hey.” I watched my brother with careful eyes.

“Just the man I was looking for. Take a seat, Feliks,” Dominik said, his grin threatening to split his face in half. Surely, this was no good news—at least not for me.

I looked to Timur for help, but he looked just as confused as I was, so I settled in the chair opposite Dominik. Hoping to get it over with as soon as possible.

“What’s going on?” I asked, raising a brow.

“I will need you to settle in New York for a while.”

My frown deepened as I glanced at Timur, but he only shrugged his shoulders.

“You know I have a business that needs taking care of the outside of the country. Is there a reason for this decision?” I leaned back in my seat, and Dominik began grinning again.

Oh, bloody hell, just out with it already! The words danced on the edge of my tongue, but I didn’t say them; instead, I continued to calmly watch my brother, knowing that, in due time, he’d reveal whatever genius plan he had going on.

“Daniel Fairfax. Ring a bell?”

I scowled at the name. I remembered Daniel Fairfax a little too well. He’d been on our radar for quite some time now, but we hadn’t had time to deal with the pompous, self-important man who’d used our Bratva connections to further his ambitions with no success to date.

I’d been itching to deal with him for a long time, but for some reason, Dominik wasn’t ready to deal with him yet, so the bastard was still walking around with his short shoulders almost reaching his ears with how high he raised them when he walked. Just the mention of his name was enough to deepen my scowl.

The man was known for breaking promises as quickly as he changed his bespoke suits, and there was nothing in this world that upset me more than a man with his status being unable to keep to his word. The thought that we would finally deal with him was enough to start a thrum in my veins.

“Of course. The high society Daniel Fairfax.” I tapped on the table, waiting for the final bombshell to drop.

“So, if you remember correctly, Daniel owes the Bratva a huge fucking debt. The investment that brought about the approval of that loan was genius at first, but for some reason, it has completely flopped. All parties involved have had to deal with severe losses—Fairfax himself being a victim. I couldn’t care less what investments the fool involves himself with, except that it’s our money that has gone down the drain.

“I’ve given Daniel more than enough time to recover and reimburse, but it seems like no matter what the man does, the money isn’t forthcoming. I’m at the end of the waiting line.” Surprisingly, Dominik’s tone was still light.

I’d met Daniel once, and it was easy to say that I never liked the man, even before our failed business. Truth be told, I despised high-society men in general, but something about Daniel Fairfax took that dislike to another level. It didn’t help that he couldn’t live up to his promises.

Just the thought of it was enough to infuriate me more, but for some reason, my brother was still smiling at me; why wasn’t he throwing a fit and putting a bounty on the man’s head? Instead, he’d been smiling like a creep since the moment I walked in. What exactly was he planning?

“So, you’re looking to finish him off? Are you concerned about how high up he is on society’s ladder? That’s never really mattered. We—”

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