Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
The next night, and the night after that. Every single night, he’d gone to her at the bar. He’d watched her, talked to her, and slowly drew her out of her shell. Yes, he’d lied about his name and who he was, but everything else had all been truth. The Zaitsev was his life, but there was no point to it without Chloe. He had to protect her.
Turning over his ignition, he pressed his foot to the gas and took off. He broke the speed limit but was sure not to put his life in any danger. He had to get to where Chloe was.
Opening his cell phone, he was about to put a call in to one of his contacts on the force. He didn’t understand why the cops had gone to Zaitsev. That part didn’t make any sense to him.
The only reason Zaitsev had been informed about Chloe was because she had actual evidence. This other person hadn’t given any evidence, it was all subjective. That should have come to him.
Just as he was about to make the call, his cell phone began to ring. It wasn’t a number he recognized. Answering the call, he pressed the cell phone to his ear. No one answered. Roman wasn’t going to be the first one to talk.
Then he heard it—the slight feminine scream. His wife. Chloe.
“You made a big mistake taking my wife,” he said.
There was a sudden tut. “Roman, you should know by now that I like to take care of business.”
“Zaitsev!”
“Yes, my men got her while I was talking with you. If you know my true intentions, then you will know exactly where to find me.”
With that, the call ended and Roman couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck was happening. Why was Zaitsev getting involved? What was his plan?
****
Chloe looked over at the older man. He was in his sixties, at least that’s what she had read when there had been news articles about Zaitsev. No one said his first name. She had no idea why, but all media outlets simply called him Zaitsev.
Her heart raced as she looked over to him. She had walked right into a trap. The moment she got the text, she was a little confused. Roman didn’t text her, but the guards at the door seemed to know exactly what it meant. Zaitsev had changed them. She didn’t know where Roman’s men were and she had no idea where they were going.
“I’m sure you know who I am, don’t you, dear?” he said.
Chloe nodded her head. She didn’t want to appear weak but words right now seemed to be failing her.
After getting the text, she had planned to stop at a pharmacy for a pregnancy test kit. She hadn’t told Roman yet, but she had a feeling he already knew that her period was late.
Nibbling her lip, she couldn’t look away from the man beside her. She felt sick to her stomach. Everyone claimed this man was a monster, and considering the fact he’d just kidnapped her, she believed every word of it.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” he said.
That didn’t make her feel comforted. She watched him. He sat back and looked so calm, so at peace.
Chloe had been happy before she got a call from Roman.
“Where is my husband?” she asked.
What had they done with Roman? Is this where her life ended? Was Zaitsev going to do what Roman couldn’t?
“I imagine he is trying to figure out where I took you.” Zaitsev turned to look at her. “I can understand why he became so smitten with you. You’re very different from most women within our world.”
“Roman isn’t smitten with me,” she said.
“Don’t play dumb with me.”
“I’m not playing anything. I’m just stating a fact, I’m not … Roman doesn’t love me. He just, I don’t know, didn’t want me going to the cops.”
“Now I’m starting to wonder about Roman’s choice of a wife.” He tutted. “I get that you’re nervous, but I don’t like when you play dumb.”
“I’m not playing dumb. Roman doesn’t do love.”
“No, Roman thinks he doesn’t do love.” Zaitsev sighed. “You know, that man has never failed anything for me. He is the most efficient man I know. A natural killer. No job is too hard for him. He makes all my problems disappear. He is far more than any Brigadier. He is a powerful man. I know a lot of men are loyal to him. His father helped him become the man he is today.”
Chloe gritted her teeth and took deep breaths, not wanting to draw attention to the fact she was alive. Why was he telling her these things?
“I was made aware of a problem. Now, my associates don’t bore me with the pathetic details, because the truth is I don’t need them. They don’t matter to me. Men and women come and go as threats. But nearly a year and five or six months ago, I got a call that a woman had entered the police station. She asked to speak to a cop interested in the Zaitsev Bratva, and she held a file. One that was quite detailed. The cop in question happened to be a personal friend of mine. He alerted me to the file and the problem, so I had no choice but to get my man. The one known for cleaning up loose ends.”