Page 88 of Exacting Vengeance

“If all Yuri wanted was to kill her,” Jack said, hitching his head to the apartment, “you’d have found her body in there.”

“I know.” He nodded.

“Yuri could be figuring you into his plans, as well,” Deke added.

“I know that, too.” Through the open door, he watched the forensic agents dusting for prints and knew exactly whose prints they’d find: his, Victoria’s, and Yuri’s.

“I gave Mike an update on the way over,” Jack said. “Money talks. He’s reaching out to his CI and every snitch in Brighton Beach.”

“Good.” That’s what he would have done, too, but it might not be enough.

Think! Put yourself in Yuri’s head. You know him well enough. What were his goals?

“He wants his money. I’m betting he thinks she still has it.”

“What happens when he realizes she doesn’t have his money anymore because Uncle Sam took it?” Deke asked. “Do you think he’ll⁠—”

“Kill her?” Kyle said more than asked. He’d already considered that five times in the last thirty minutes. He shook his head. “Maybe not. He’s obsessed with her, always has been. I think he’ll want to keep her. Like a possession.”

What worried him most was what would happen when Yuri figured out Victoria wasn’t the same person anymore. She was strong. A force to be reckoned with. A woman who wouldn’t take his sadistic brand of love lying down anymore. When he figured that out, then he might kill her.

And had Yuri seen the pregnancy test?

Would he hurt Victoria because the baby wasn’t his?

That vat of acid sitting in the pit of his stomach started boiling over. “He has to know I’ll come after him. He knows he can’t hide her anywhere in the U.S. He’ll have to take her out of the country. Somewhere without an extradition treaty.”

Jack yanked out his phone. “I’ll get an alert out to every airport, train station, bus depot, and marine terminal in the country. If he tries leaving, he’ll get snagged somewhere.”

“He’s too smart for that. He’ll assume his money is still in Chicago. That’ll be his first stop, but he won’t risk taking her on any form of commercial transportation. The chances of getting caught with a captive are too great.”

“Then he’ll have to drive,” Deke said. “Back roads only. No bridges, tunnels, or other choke points that could easily be monitored by police.”

“Maybe.” Maybe not. “We haven’t considered the possibility that she’d go with Yuri willingly.”

“Seriously?” Deke raised an eyebrow. “Why would she do that?”

“To stay alive.” That day at Semyon Novikov’s came back to him with so much clarity he could practically remember every word she’d spoken. “She always wanted children and thought she couldn’t have any. She’ll do anything to keep this baby alive.” His baby, and he loved her for it. For that, and so many other reasons. “Even if it means playing Yuri’s twisted game.”

He took a deep breath, praying for a miracle he knew deep in his heart wasn’t coming. “Yuri Petrov is a sneaky sonofabitch, and the Bratva has connections everywhere. Like any business, networking is everything. But if Yuri’s plan all along was to keep the money for himself, he wouldn’t trust anyone in Nikolai Lebedev’s network. He’d rely on his Chicago contacts, people who are loyal to him.”

All it would take was a payoff to the right person and Yuri could leave the country undetected. Forever. Maybe with Victoria.

Maybe without her.

The forensic team would take at least another two hours. Time Victoria might not have. He bit back the shout of fear, rage, and desperation he could barely keep from roaring out of his throat. She’s pregnant. He still couldn’t believe it. “I’ll find her.” I have to.

“We know you will.” Jack gave his shoulder a shake. “We’ll be there with you.”

Kyle checked his phone for any missed calls or texts, but there were none.

Victoria was out there alone, thinking he’d abandoned her again. In many ways, he had. If only he hadn’t been such a stubborn, egocentric ass. If only…

Those were the exact same thoughts he’d had the day his wife had been killed in a car accident. He hadn’t been with her, driving her to the doctor’s office for a prenatal checkup. If he had been, the accident wouldn’t have happened. His wife wouldn’t have been killed. His unborn child wouldn’t have died with her.

He could not, would not let history repeat itself.

Gritting his teeth, he hissed in a breath laden with more violence than he’d felt in his entire life. “I’ll turn over every single rock on the planet until I find him.”