Page 39 of Embrace of the Russian Tiger

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.

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