Page 42 of Accidentally Knocked Up By the Bratva

"We've got a problem," Yuri's voice crackles through the speakers. "They're approaching a dead zone. No cameras for the next five blocks."

"Shit!" I slam my fist against the wall, the pain barely registering. "Keep monitoring. They have to resurface somewhere."

As we wait, tension thick in the air, I can't help but think of Zara's face when she saw me earlier. The shock, the fear… I never wanted her to see that side of me. And now, because of my world, she's in danger.

I swear silently, a vow burning in my chest. I'll find her. I'll bring her home. And God help anyone who tries to stand in my way.

“Come, Brother,” Vladimir says. “We need to get in a car and follow where we can. Denis and Mark are coming from the other direction.”

We leave our prisoner where he belongs, not paying him a second thought, and rush to the car. Once inside, my phone buzzes, Denis's voice crackling through. "We've got visual on 5th and Maple. Black van, tinted windows. Moving fast."

"We’re on it," I growl, already sprinting for my car. The engine roars to life as I peel out of the lot, tires screeching.

Mark's voice joins the comm. "I've got the south exit covered. They're not getting past me."

I weave through empty, my heart pounding in sync with the urgency of the situation. "Talk to me, Denis. Where are they now?"

"Heading east on Broadway. You're gaining on them, Abram."

I spot the van ahead, a dark smudge against the neon-lit street. "I see them. Mark, cut them off at the intersection."

As if choreographed, Mark's SUV appears from a side street, forcing the van to swerve. I use the moment to close the gap, ramming into their rear bumper.

The van fishtails, tires squealing. I see the driver struggling to regain control.

"Now, Denis!" I shout.

Denis's car emerges from an alley, T-boning the van. The impact is deafening, metal crunching against metal.

I'm out of my car in seconds, gun drawn. "Zara!" I yell, wrenching open the van's side door.

She's there, bound and gagged, eyes wide with fear and relief. I pull her into my arms, feeling her trembling against me.

"I've got you," I murmur, my voice rough with emotion. "You're safe now."

As I turn to deal with the kidnappers, my triumph turns to ash. The driver's seat is empty, the passenger door hanging open. The rest must have escaped from the front.

"Fuck!" I spit, scanning the area. But the streets are empty, the bastards having used the chaos to slip away.

Denis approaches, his face grim. "They're in the wind, Abram. We lost them."

I clench my jaw, fury and frustration warring inside me. We got Zara back, but at what cost? The threat is still out there, faceless and unknown.

"We'll find them," I vow, meeting my brother's eyes. "Whatever it takes."

And then, I turn to Zara. She looks at me with wide, harrowed eyes as I remove her mouth gag while Vladimir cuts off the ropes around her wrists.

***

The adrenaline fades, leaving a gnawing pit in my stomach. Guilt claws at me as I watch Zara huddled in the seat next to me. I should have told her. I should have prepared her for this world I've dragged her into.

"Zara," I whisper, reaching out to touch her hand. She flinches, and it's like a knife to my heart. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyes flicker to mine, confusion and fear swimming in their depths. "Why?" her voice is raw from screaming. "Who were they? What do they want?”

I swallow hard, the weight of my secrets pressing down on me. "I don’t know who they were," I manage, hating how inadequate the words sound.

“Do you know why they might have wanted me?” she asks, not bothering to look in my direction, her voice dull and lifeless.

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