Page 73 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

“How touching,” another voice added from behind us, Tommaso’s gaze trailing it. Then, another man who looked a similar age to my father moved to his side. It had to be Francesco. “But yes, your father screwed us over…especially my son.”

Another dose of panic hit me at once, and I wished more than anything that I would blink and find myself anywhere but there.

Francesco looked between the two of us before settling his eyes on me. A satisfied grin pulled on his lips.

“But now, my Tommaso is about to get everything that was promised to him. I hope you’re prepared for a bit of a trip, Tatiana.”

My stomach sank at his words. Dread sat heavily in my stomach, and at once, I couldn’t feel or register anything else.

While I didn’t know what they planned to do with me, it became incredibly clear to me how easy I had it before, how the treatment I received from the Novikovs seemed almost kind in comparison.

Feeling like the world was crumbling around me, I could only cling to the idea of Val somehow finding us…of taking me back home, where I wanted to be.

Chapter 27 - Val

It took far too long for me to realize that I hadn’t seen her for a while.

I had been too busy talking with Yuri to notice, and the moment I couldn’t spot her in the crowd, panic clutched my heart and threatened to crush it.

The more I thought about it, the more it felt like hours had passed since I let Andrey speak with her.

If I hadn’t been distracted, then I would have been able to pinpoint where she went or when exactly she slipped out of my sight.

But it was too late.

The longer I didn’t see her, the bigger the fear grew within me.

The energy and excitement surrounding the showcase dissolved at once as I moved through the crowd, looking around frantically for any sign of her.

I blocked out every face that didn’t resemble her, wondering if she had stepped away for a break from it all. I checked the surrounding halls and even walked the perimeter, but by the time I stepped back inside, I could feel myself starting to lose it.

“Val?” Yuri asked, dragging me out of my shaky stupor. His concern hit me at once when he approached. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t find her…”

“What?”

“Tia,” I said a bit sharper, feeling rigid from the panic. “I can’t find her. I looked all over, but I don’t know where she is. I can’t find Andrey, either.”

Immediately, the weight of that implication seemed to register, and Yuri’s features reflected how serious the situation seemed. “You don’t think he…”

“I don’t know, I can’t rule it out,” I returned, feeling furious at the thought of him harming her in any way. But at the same time, I knew he wasn’t the only one I had to worry about. “For now, I need to know where they went. Fast.”

“What about Lukyan Levov? He could do something with the cameras, right?”

At the realization, I was pulling out my phone before the thought could fully register. I mumbled while I searched for Lukyan’s contact, “Go get the others…as soon as I know where we’re going, we’re heading out.”

Not wasting a moment, Yuri nodded before disappearing back into the main room, leaving me to numbly bring the phone up to my ear while it rang.

Before long, I caught Luk’s voice from the other end. “Val? What can I do for you?”

“I need the security footage of this place from the last hour…can you trace my cell?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation, and after a moment of typing, he hummed. “Got it…what am I looking for?”

“Tia—my wife,” I said, struggling to keep it together at the realization of what was happening, of the situation unfolding despite how hard I tried to keep her safe. “Possibly with her dad…I need to know where they went.”

Despite not digging into why, I could tell he already had a feeling, as his tone became more somber. “Just give me a minute here…I’m going through it now.”

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