Page 36 of Disgraced (Russian Sinners 3)

“Will do.” The call ended.

The drive to the meeting spot was short. It was right outside the city lines, with no chance of being spotted by anyone or anything. In the old days, we spent quite a bit of time here. Not so much lately, and I couldn’t say that I missed it. People were killed here by Boris just for breathing wrong.

The men already waited. Fucking bastards! Although there were six of them against me, I wasn’t worried about it. I had a gun in my holster, and two of those six men were working for me. I was glad to see them here though. Not for my sake but Anastasia’s. It would ensure nothing happened to her on the way to whatever destination they were taking her to.

I exited the vehicle and leaned casually against it.

“Gentlemen,” I greeted them, folding my arms in front of my chest. “What a lovely spot to meet!”

They all understood the reference. They nervously shifted from one leg to another, their eyes darting around, their hands restless on their guns. These stupid fuckers were too trigger happy.

“Where is the girl?” asked Petra, who I had to assume was the guy leading this shitshow. Petra used to work with Boris and Vlad. Once Vlad betrayed Boris, Petra disappeared. He probably ran like the coward he was.

“Backseat,” I tilted my head towards the car.

One of my guys went to fetch her.

“If I hear this is more than just about money and the girl gets hurt,” I growled, “I’ll come after every one of you and the gang you have stashed up.”

Fear crossed Petra’s face but he quickly hid it. “Her father owes us and once the debt is settled, she’ll be on her way.”

I realized he was vague and my instincts were telling me to kill them all. But if I started this war, they’d come after Scarlett full force. She was now on their radar. My brothers and I wanted peace and to move away from this life, not get wrapped up into more shit.

I watched the man pick up Anastasia, her body limp in his arms. Seeing her slender legs exposed and her flimsy top, I wished I had thought to put some sweats on her and a hoodie. She was too exposed wearing nightclub clothes.

My men would keep me apprised of what happens with her, I assured myself.

“Now you got what you wanted,” I spoke casually, although each fiber of me wanted to start shooting and get Scarlett’s friend away from them. “I don’t want to see you lurking around anywhere near my territory.”

They nodded in unison, put the girl in the trunk, and drove off. I timed it exactly one minute before I jumped in the car and went in the same direction. There was a reason why I decided to drive a beat up, unnoticeable car today. The purpose was to blend in. Within five minutes, I tailed at a safe distance.

Every so often, I ensured to be far in the distance so they wouldn’t spot me in the rearview mirror. Since it was way past midnight, having headlights far in the distance could raise a flag.

These roads weren’t frequently traveled so there was no risk of losing them by putting more distance between us, unless they took a turn without me spotting them.

My phone beeped and I glanced down. It was a message from Michail.

*Got her. Driving to St. Petersburg.

Be safe.*

At least some good news today! Scarlett was safe and soon would be tucked away in my home. I would stay around here to ensure her friend got out of this alive. When Anastasia’s parents paid the ransom and she went home unharmed, I’d join Scarlett in St. Petersburg. Although I still wasn’t sure how I’d play that one out. This damn devil on my shoulder was getting me into more trouble than I cared to admit.

I reached for my Yeti thermal with coffee, still hot, and gulped it down. The liquid slightly burned as it went down my throat, but it was exactly how I liked it. I disliked the cold, regardless of the season. There was just something daunting about a cold house, rooms, or cars. I still remembered that ice cold chill within my bones when we lived in the orphanage. No running heat and little blankets offered no protection from bitter cold weather. Just the memory of those days was enough to chill me straight to my heart. The three of us shivering together, cuddled up in the same bed so we could use our body heat to keep warm, our breaths would fog the air each time we exhaled but it was also evidence that we were still alive. There was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have survived without my brothers.

I hated remembering those days, the hunger hollow in the pit of my stomach. There was no use thinking about it. It led nowhere but pain and so many sacrifices by both Nikolai and Dimitry. They made sure I had a chance to survive. It was the only reason Dimitry agreed to join Boris’ rússkaya máfiya.

Thinking about Boris sent raw rage burning through my bloodstream and anger thrummed through my veins. The betrayal by both my parents was bitter on my tongue. But then, maybe I betrayed my brothers too by withholding the information from them. The shame was like lead in the pit of my soul, slowly drowning me.

I can’t think about that fucked up shit now. I need a clear head.

Tonight was going to be a long night even without a trip down memory lane. It was best not to even think about any of it. Dimitry, Nikolai, and I have done many good things since Boris was put away. We slowly started to build loyalty and trust among our men. Boris managed to damage a lot of people during his years of being the leader.

I scoffed at the notion of that man being a leader to anything or anyone. He was a crazy and cruel bastard. The only reason I came out of the whole ordeal with Boris with the least amount of scars was because Dimitry always ensured to move the attention from Nikolai and me to himself during Boris’ rage. Dimitry felt responsible, always the protector. The truth was that Boris never spared anyone from his rage, not even his women nor his own flesh and blood.

There were times I wondered if Dimitry would have let me die if he knew who my father was. He probably should have. I loved both of my brothers despite the fact that Dimitry and I were like fire and gasoline. Nikolai was the one that balanced both us out and always calmed us down. Well, more Dimitry than me since usually by the time we needed to be calmed down, the damage was already done by me. But this, I wanted to do it right. It might have not been the best way, but as long as at the end of the road, we all got what we wanted, alive and safe, it was all worth it.

The car in front of me finally took a sharp turn and I slowed down. We have been driving for over an hour. I pinned the location on my phone to ensure I researched it later. It wasn’t the area we used in the past. I parked right off the side of the road and followed through the dirt path, lights from their car leading me.

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