Page 58 of Forgotten Vows
I couldn’t bear to think of anything bad happening to him.
25
IVAN
The driver sped through the streets of the city. Horns blared. Sirens sounded in the distance. It was the usual chaos of New York City in the morning rush-hour traffic. But none of it mattered. I held on to the hope that we’d retrace our path to the school in time.
Emil swayed with the jerky and fast turns the driver completed. Off the phone now, he faced me with a somber expression. “Three masked men broke in. The school is in lock-down and their own security force and personnel are trying to move the children.”
“Has Lev been spotted?” I gripped the armrest, hating this surge of adrenaline that nearly sickened me. I’d been in war. In fights and scrimmages. In takedowns and executions. Our world was rife with violence, but I’d never felt this deep sense of dread like this.
I would fight for all my brothers. All my cousins. All the soldiers and guards who’d swear to serve the Dubinin name. But this was myson. My flesh and blood and heir. The product of love Raisa and I found and shared.
I couldn’t lose him.
“He’s with his class. That call was from Marcus. He and the other two guards placed in or near the school are on top of it. They’ve called for backup.”
I nodded, barely registering my reaction. Autopilot guided me now. This charged need to get out and fight and kill wasn’t anything new. This preparatory feeling came with every fight I entered. But it was heightened now. My hand was already on my gun. Seeing Emil just as tense on this hasty ride revved me up and primed me to move faster, to be sharper and more alert. As soon as we reached the school and I could get my hands on one of the fuckers who'd dared to target my son, I would be ready to punch harder. To kick harder. And to slaughter and slay with no mercy at all.
I couldn’t fail Lev.
We’d only just learned about each other. I valued every second of time spent with him. Each small thing that he did was one more treasure to cherish. Already, I was head over heels, loving my son with all my heart and looking forward to raising him to be a fine young man. This was the completion, the sense of family I’d been wishing for all this time. Now that I had it within my grasp, and I knew that he was starting to trust me, I just could not stomach the possibility of failing him.
Raisa had come back to me for this. I couldn’t think about her return being a sign that she loved me too, despite all the time we were apart. Right now, I had to keep it in the forefront of my mind that she had spent her every last penny on running to me and my family for security.
She was depending on me for protection. She was looking at me to keep Lev safe from any enemies as we investigated the Riveras attacking her in France.
I couldn’t fail her. I couldn’t fail them.
My family was all that mattered and as a father now, I was a rabid beast by the time the car stopped at the school. Red tingedmy vision. My heart hammered steadily and rapidly, pushing me to move like a lethal machine and eliminate anyone who threatened my son.
“Go. To the east.” One of the Dubinin guards was there at the drive. Within the tall gated walls of the facility, he orchestrated the response. Another SUV of Dubinin men arrived, and with those four men, Emil and I rushed into the building.
Security guards swarmed the place, no doubt the school and tutoring program’s attempt at private security for the elite students here.
We vetted this place for Misha. We vetted it again for Lev to come here. I hadn’t dropped my son off at some random, insecure location. I’d done my best and taken all steps to make sure he would be fine with these tutors and other students.
And still, someone tried to threaten him.
Who?
Who fucking dares to hurt him?
To take my son?
Questions lurked in the back of my mind as I charged inside the school. Guessing who I was looking for wouldn’t change anything. It didn’t matter to me if the Riveras repeated their mistake, if this was Konstantin’s doing from the grave, or if it was another enemy altogether.
They weredeadfor even thinking about hurting my son.
The lights were out. Doors were closed. Corridors remained empty, save for the security members and my Dubinin comrades rushing inside. The eerie lack of noise made me tenser. I needed some clues. Anything. Something had to direct us where to go and find the stealthy men who’d invaded the school.
Emil took the lead. He was more versed and practiced in guerilla ops like this, relying on silence and creeping around undetected. There wasn’t anyone else I’d rather have in this situation. But ultimately, it was me who reacted first.
One single pop of gunfire came from the room to my right. I’d just passed the door, straining to listen for which way to go. A thud followed.
Signaling for Emil, I doubled back a single step and kicked the wooden panel. Once, twice. Nothing gave. Whimpers sounded inside the room.
“Fuck it.” I lifted my gun and fired at the lock panel until the metal pieces fell.
