Page 80 of Til Death Do Us Part (Kornilov Bratva Duet 2)

Viktor

After I shove my legs into some jeans and pull on a T-shirt, my first thought is to call Petr. A few weeks ago, he would have been the person I took all of this information to. Now, he isn’t there. I know he is innocent, so I’ll let him out soon, but I need to get my men out in the streets now. We need to be looking for Molly every minute until she is found. So, I call my next highest lieutenant.

Alek doesn’t answer.

Neither does Moises. Or Lexei.

By the fourth person on the list, I’m cursing under my breath with every ring of the phone. It is midmorning. Everyone should be awake by now. If not, they should have their ringers on so they can be alerted to Bratva business no matter whether they are sleeping or not.

Finally, on the sixth ring, Michail answers.

“Hello.”

“Thank fuck,” I groan. “No one is answering. I’m trying to get men out on the streets to look for Molly. Fedor has her, and—”

“You want us to look for your girlfriend?”

I frown. “No, my wife.”

Michail makes an unconvinced noise. “According to the information we all received this morning, Molly is not your wife, and you lied to us.”

Shit. “What information did you receive?”

“Proof that you aren’t actually married,” Michail says. “Proof that you conducted a sacred swearing-in ceremony under false pretenses since Molly was not your wife.”

“Damn it, Michail, I’m sorry, but—”

“I’m not in the city,” he said. “Neither are most of the other guys.”

“What does that mean? Where are you?” The world feels like it is falling apart around me. I grip the edge of the desk for support. The same desk where Molly and I had sex last week. It feels like a lifetime ago.

“This war is between you and your brother. The rest of us don’t want to get killed over your feud.”

I slam my fist down on the table. “We’re a family. You can’t just leave.”

“Family doesn’t lie,” Michail says. With that, he hangs up, leaving me holding onto the useless phone.

I dart out of the room and towards the front door. Theo is eating a bowl of cereal at the table, and he calls my name as I pass, but I’m on a mission.

I peek in on the room just to the right of the front door. There is usually a guard in there, but the stool is empty right now. Then, I tear open the front door and look down on the street below. The space where a guard usually sits is empty.

We are all unprotected.

I drag a hand down my face and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to think. I have to find Molly, but I have to keep Theo safe, too. I can’t leave him undefended.

George.

I pull out my phone and call George. He answers on the second ring.

“I need your help,” I say, talking faster than my brain can keep up. “Molly is gone, and everything has gone to shit. I can’t trust Theo with anyone else but you. Can you do it?”

“I can do it,” he says without hesitation. “I’m on my way now.”

I silently thank God for one loyal friend and am about to turn inside when I look up and see Sasha walking towards me. He is one of the newest recruits the Bratva has. I barely know him beyond a few short conversations. He is holding a tall coffee in one hand, and he doesn’t meet my eyes as he approaches.

“I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“Me too,” he admits with a shrug. Then, he lifts his coffee. “I figure there won’t be anyone coming to relieve me anytime soon, so I’ll need the caffeine.”

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