Page 108 of Ruins
“That was found in the apartment of the man who tried to take your sister,” Maksim says before sliding another photo across the table. Katya. Outside Maksim’s casino. “This one was with the man who tried to takemysister. They’re watching us. Tracking us. I need to know every move they make before they even think about making it. That’s where you come in.”
“You want my men on surveillance. Easy enough.” I study a picture of Gabriel Kaya, the Turkish bastard responsible for the attempted abductions. He wants our attention. Now he has it.
Maksim leans forward, his expression carved from ice. “Make sure it’s easy. I want every detail—his men, his movements, his family. If he so much as fucking breathes wrong, I want to know before he does. And then, I want him delivered to me. Alive.”
The rage in his voice is barely leashed.
“What has you gunning this hard? We’ve known about Kaya for weeks.”
Maksim’s jaw ticks. “One of his men tried to rob my casino. Held one of my girls at gunpoint. Vaska handled the accomplice, but the bastard ran off with my money. Kaya managed to slip someone into my hired security team. That will never happen again.”
I nod. “Consider it handled.”
Beside him, Vaska runs a knife over a handkerchief, his movements slow and methodical. “I gutted that accomplice like a fish. Sliced through him like butter. And I’ll find the other one too.” His voice is low, almost bored, but the gleam in his eyes says otherwise.
“No doubt about that,” Maksim mutters.
Angelo leans back in his chair, flicking a glance between Maksim and Vaska. “How many men do you need to lock down your territory?”
“Half. I want double the protection. Katya has six men on her at all times.” Maksim exhales sharply.
Angelo nods. “Elena’s coming home in a couple of months. Until then, I may have to put more men on her.”
I pull out my phone as the conversation continues, bringing up my security feed. I rewind, backtracking to what Vasilisa was doing while I was gone.
The screen shows her in the kitchen—cooking with Julian.
Something sharp and ugly twists in my gut. She’s laughing, her eyes warm.Too warm.Warm in a way that should be reserved for me and me alone.
A simmering rage starts low in my chest. My jaw clenches as I fast-forward the footage. The scene shifts—she’s sitting with the kitchen staff, sharing a meal.
She looks happy. Comfortable. Accepted. The staff is treating her well.
But Julian shouldn’t be that close to my wife.
Not if he values his life.
***
I get home around three in the morning. The master bedroom door is closed but light outlines the door frame. She’s awake.
Waiting.
A flicker of something uneasy settles in my chest as I push it open. The sitting area is empty. The bed, untouched. The bathroom door is open, the space vacant.
A cold weight drops in my stomach. She’s not here
Panic sets in, sharp and immediate. I turn, striding out of the room and taking the stairs two at a time. The library—dark. Silent.
My mind races with thoughts of where she could be. Did she leave? Was she taken? While I was busy making plans on how to guard Katya and Elena; my wife was alone.
Alone.
Maybe she decided to visit her family, but I didn’t leave her with a driver. Thoughts of her in a ride share with a stranger—unguarded, vulnerable—sends a slow, seething burn through my veins. My steps turn heavy, my jaw locking as I reach for my phone. If she’s not in this house, I’ll mobilize every damn man I have to find her—
Then I hear it.
Soft, steady breathing. A faint snore.
