Page 143 of His to Own

“If you could tell us your account of the night, it would help,” Officer Ivanov squeaks out.

“Why would I do that? I wasn’t there. I’ve been here all night.”

“But your car was spotted at the scene of the crime.”

I glare down at the little Officer Ivanov until he flinches. “What crime? As I said: no comment. If you have any questions for me, you can call my lawyer. Otherwise, leave me alone.”

“Who’s your lawyer?” Officer Petrov asks but I slam the door in his face. They have nothing to arrest me with right now. I know Nikolai will have all of this wiped. The only true witness was Polina and she better not say anything.

Obviously Lana and her sister and mother will keep quiet. When it comes to mafia business, you always learn to keep quiet. I’m not going back to jail. At least, not until I get Elena home safely.

The hacker calls me back and lets me know that the license plate belongs to a man named George Voronov. He gives me the address and everything.

I call Nikolai, who informs me that he has his men cleaning up the bodies and talking to the police. Everything will get covered up in no time. The power of being a mafia man.

“I’m on my way to George Voronov’s house. It was his van that took Elena.”

“Maxim, wait for me.”

“No. You’re busy dealing with the shootout. You need to handle it. You’re better at that than I am. I need to find Elena. I’m going.”

“At least take back up with you.”

“No time.” I hang up and hurry out of my house. It’s reckless going without any back up but I’ve always been a bit reckless. What’s life without some fun thrills?

I find George’s house after a thirty minute drive. Each minute that ticks by I know is a minute longer that Elena could be killed. I will not lose her. Not when I didn’t get the chance to tell her how proud I was of her tonight.

Watching her read her poem, standing on the little stage, knowing how afraid she was but still doing it anyway, made me realize that I love her. She can’t die before I get the chance to tell her that.

George’s house is a small, little shack in a shitty part of the city. It’s the same part of the city I grew up in. The memories of going without food and the coldness in my father’s voice and the smack of his hand as he hit my mother haunts me. I push it down. I put all of that behind me. Now is not the time to bring it back up.

I don’t waste time knocking. Instead, I shoot the doorknob and kick open the door. A man sits on a ratty couch, drinking vodka in his underwear. But it’s unmistakable. This is the man who grabbed Elena and drove away.

He gasps when I grab him by his white tank top and punch him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

“You look awfully cozy,” I say, punching him again for good measure. He coughs and it comes up bloody. “Given that you kidnapped my wife tonight. Where is she?”

“It wasn’t me. I was just paid to do it. I don’t have your wife.”

“Who paid you?”

“He never gave me a name. Just told me to bring her to a red barn and tie her up. Which I did.”

“Where is this red barn?”

George hesitates and I punch him again. “Ok. Ok.” He shakes his head like that will help with the pain but we both know it won’t. “I’ll give you the address. Just don’t kill me.”

“And leave you to live so you can call whoever paid you that I’m coming to get my wife back? Let me guess. The man who paid you: tall, black suit, pocket watch?”

“Yes. That’s it.”

Fucking Aleksander. I saw the bloody head of one of my men who Aleksander had killed the night he kidnapped Elena. I know what he’s capable of. The blood lust inside of him and he has Elena again.

“You’re going to die,” I announce to George.

His eyes widen. “Wait! What if I’m not telling the truth?”

“Then I would just come back and kill you if you weren’t. So I know you told me the truth. Which is why you’re going to die. I can’t have you warning Aleksander that I’m on my way.”