Page 53 of Knocked Up By the Russian

Thank God for Kostya and Adrian's instincts; they'd both attached a tracker to Aleksander's vehicle last week when most of the clues started aligning, pointing to him.

Kostya was sitting grimly beside his older brother, as Ivan stumbled and darted toward the car.

"Go!" he barked hoarsely as soon as he got in, slamming the door behind himself.

"There's no way he's working alone," Adrian informed them, his voice crackling on the Bluetooth speakers, the click-clack of typing in the background. "Wait—Motherfucker! Ilya just confirmed he's got backup. Lev, you've got minutes at best to get ahold of them before Amy gets hurt. I've updated your GPS."

"I'm on it; do we have enough people at the compound?" Lev demanded to know as he pressed his foot harder on the brakes.

"We do; we're sending backup too," Mikhail answered brusquely in the background. "Hurry up and get that fucker. He's going to pay for the shit he's put us through."

"Yes, boss," Lev said, a dark glee in his expression, and Ivan checked his gun to make sure there were enough bullets.

They closed in on the location of Ivonov’s vehicle, and adrenaline surged through his veins. The tension hung thick in the air, every man alert, ready for a fight.

When they finally spotted the black SUV just outside the perimeter of the gated estate, Ivan’s instincts kicked into overdrive. There were two more vehicles in front, all of them Bratva owned. All of them traitors. It was a good thing Adrian was organizing backup because, depending on how many men were in the vehicles ahead of them, they'd be screwed otherwise.

"Shoot his fucking tires," Lev ordered, and Ivan jolted into action, rolling down his window to do exactly that. One... Two... Three bullets were fired, hitting the back right tire of the first car—the car with Amy in it.

It swerved, sliding precariously along the road until screeching to a stop. Lev slid his own vehicle to a stop, and they approached swiftly, leaping into action as soon as they caught sight of Ivonov stepping out of the vehicle. He wasn't alone. Danyl had his gun trained on Amy as he climbed out behind him. Maksim followed, his mouth twisting into a sneer.

Fucking hell, they played us, Ivan thought with disbelief. Boris's ill-timed death was starting to make a lot more sense. But if they were involved, who else was? The SUVs must've seen the commotion but there was no sign of them stopping, not until Adrian's team swerved in front of them. Three gunmetal SUVs blocked off the two black ones, and Ilya climbed out the first, her gun raised as she approached.

Turning his attention back to the scene in front of him, Ivan felt fury flickering in his veins.

"What bullshit is this?" Lev snarled as Ivan forced himself not to shoot both of them. Amy's wide green eyes met his, a sheen of tears growing as she stared in horror around her.He turned his furious gaze onto the men around Aleksander. "Mikhail's going to fucking ruin you for betraying the Bratva like this."

They'd been there when they were children, after their parents' deaths... all those years. A heavy weight sat on him as he glared at the men who'd been there when he got his first gun and learned to shoot.Kill. It almost seemed ironic now that he was determined to kill them all.

"Ivan," Amy whimpered, but a blow to her head had her quiet, her eyes wide and terrified. Ivan's fury grew upon seeing a similar mark just below her temple.

They hurt my wife,he thought desperately. "I'm going to fucking kill you," Ivan snarled, pulse thumping in his head.

"No, you won't," Ivonov snapped, his gun trained on Ivan's wife. "Not yet at least. Or your beautiful, pregnant wife will get a bullet in her head. A real shame; I could've had some fun before killing her. Maybe even recorded it so that you could watch my prick in your wife. It wouldn't be the same as Katya, she isn't half as pretty, but your expression will be enough."

"What do you want? Let the girl go, and you'll get it," Lev demanded gruffly, stepping beside Ivan. He tensed at his brother's nearness, mind racing a mile a minute as he tried to find a way out of this for Amy. With Maksim and Danyl both there, he didn't know how they were going to get her out of this alive.

Gunshots rang out in the distance, Ilya and Adrian shooting the tires of the black SUVs. They had to hurry, Ivan knew he, Lev, and Kostya would need their help getting Amy from Danyll and Maksim's clutches.

Ivonov let out a cold laugh, the sight chilling Ivan to the bone. "The time for the Nikolais to run the Bratva is over. Killingone of your heirs is just the start." His lips twisted into a sinister smile. "... for now. I'd be happy if you sped up the process, though. Why don't we start with your son after this, Lev? Little Alexander?" Lev let out a growl, and Ivonov smiled mockingly. "No? But you said anything."

"You're sick," Ivan spat, anger boiling over. "You think this will prove something? No one's going to follow a coward holding a woman hostage. For killingchildren."

"A coward?" Ivonov echoed, his tone incredulous. "You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, Ivan. You thought you could just waltz into my life, take what was mine, and leave without consequence? Like fucking hell. It's time the Bratva go back to the old ways. You youngsters have too muchleniency. We used to run Chicago, not just the nightlife." He spat on the floor, fingers caressing his gun. Ivonov sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "But this isn’t just about me. This is about dismantling the very foundation of the Nikolai Bratva. You have a future—a child that you’re bringing into this corrupt world, but you will never truly be safe as long as I live. And I plan to bring everyone down with you."

Shivers ran down Ivan's spine as he processed Ivonov's convoluted logic.

"You think the Irish are your answer?" Kostya demanded with a scoff, it had been a theory at the back of their minds that Ivonov was working with the Irish—before they realized there were more traitors in the Bratva. Ivonov's smile only grew, confirming that sick theory as well, and Kostya let out a bitter laugh. "You think working with them will give you power? You’re dooming not just us, but yourself. They’ll double-cross you the moment it suits them."

"Perhaps," Ivonov said, a calmness settling over him as he maintained his focus on Amy, the gun unwavering. "But they are the key to weakening the Nikolai Bratva. It starts with you—get you out of the picture, and the rest will follow. I’ve arranged for a partnership that will wreak havoc upon your precious family."

"No, you've started a war," Lev said, grabbing Ivan before he could step forward. Ivonov didn't miss it, though, that savageness driving Ivan to get his wife out of the psycho's hands.

"Careful, Ivan," Ivonov warned, pointing the gun closer to Amy's head. "I wouldn’t want to pull the trigger before things get interesting. This is your last chance to save her. Take a step back, boy."

"No," Ivan retorted, fury lacing his words. "I won't let you hurt her."

"I don’t think you understand, Ivan," Ivonov said, a twisted smirk spreading across his face. "You’re not in control here. You may have fooled yourself into believing that family matters, but it’s all just a matter of survival in this world. And I will do everything I can to ensure that the Nikolai Bratva crumbles beneath all of your feet."

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