Page 130 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

Suddenly, the door bursts open. Gennady runs across the warehouse, his breathing heavy. He’d gone to deal with some Bratva business in the middle of the chaos.

“Do you have your phone? I’ve called you a million fucking times.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and realize it’s dead. “Tell me now.”

“I really didn’t want to deliver this news in person.”

My muscles clench. “What news?”

“Arya and Lukas are gone.”

The jolt of fear that rockets through my chest is painful and sharp. It feels like my heart is being ripped out of my rib cage.

“Has Ilyasov called?” I demand. “If he couldn’t get through on my phone, he would have tried to call someone else. Probably you.”

Gennady shakes his head. “He hasn’t called. But Dima… I don’t think this was your brother.”

I stop and stare at him, brows knit together. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Clothes were missing from the closet, a suitcase is gone, and Lukas’s diaper bag, too. It looked like someone packed them up. I doubt Ilyasov would have bothered. Plus, nothing was disturbed and no one saw anyone come or go on the security cameras… except Arya.”

It takes a second for the meaning in his words to sink in. For me to fully understand what he’s telling me.

“Arya left.”

I don’t know why I’m surprised. And I don’t know why it hurts as bad as it does.

She’s left before. More than once. But this one cuts deepest of all.

I spin around and reach out a hand to Vera, gesturing for her to stand up.

“I just gave birth,” she snaps.

“Which is why I’m helping.” I bend down and slowly pull her to her feet, wrapping her arm around mine. “We’re leaving.”

“Dima, come on,” Gennady says, walking next to me as Vera and I slowly make our way across the warehouse. “You can’t be thinking about going through with this Trial right now. You have to find Arya. Fuck Ilyasov and Vera. What about your family?”

“I’m not selling her. I’m ending this.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Gennady demands.

I sigh. “I’m saying I quit. This isn’t worth it anymore.”

48

Arya

I’m on my way to the airport when something grabs my attention out of the window: a familiar wrought iron gate set in the middle of a gray granite wall.

I pull to a slow stop in the middle of the road. Car horns scream as other drivers veer around me, giving me the finger and throwing curses in my direction.

But I don’t care. I feel like I’m being summoned in this direction. I have to go in there, whether I like it or not.

So I turn into the graveyard.

It’s like another world in here. The road is just beyond the borders of the low wall, but all the sound seems to stop at the perimeter. I park the car near a familiar patch of grass and get out.

Freeing Lukas from his car seat, I take him into my arms. He’s been alternating between whimpers or wails since we left Dima’s house. Even now that I’m holding him, he’s still fussy. It’s almost like he knows we’re making a big decision and he’s trying to let me know he isn’t happy.

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