Unrequited Love

Chapter 37 - Mikhail

I raked my hands through my scalp as I paced the entire length of the lab restlessly. I had bought it a couple of years back when we'd decided to slowly modernise and digitalise the Bratva's operations. We had been trying to find any sort of hint as to where Luciana had been taken, but all we were met with was dead end after dead end.

Alexei's fingers tapped furiously on the keyboard as I moved over to stand behind him. He zoomed into the man's face as we both got a closer look at him. He was definitely older, stockily built - someone who could easily handle taking down Luciana alone. Was this the same mole in the Bratva that I had been told about? My mind whirled with several questions as I pushed Alexei to work harder, find out more. I wasn't going to leave the svoloch' who had dared to lay a hand on my angel.

I bit down the urge to punch a hole through the screens as I sat down on a chair, my knee bouncing with impatience. I felt a slight buzz in my pocket as I pulled out my phone, ready to fling it to the other side of the room. My hand hovered over the screen as I decided whether or not I should pick up the unknown number. Following my gut, I swiped and picked up the call as I was met with a familiar female's voice.

"Mikhail...it feels good to talk to you again." She drawled in that thick, raspy accent of hers.

Anastasia had been one of the older women that I had hired to work in one of my clubs before she had decided to go work for someone else. She had been a fairly loyal woman, informing me of any rat in our ranks. Hence, I felt it absurd for her to call me, especially in a crucial moment like this. My mouth turned down in a frown as I replied to her.

"What is it Ana?" I bit out with barely restrained irritation flaring in me.

She laughed hoarsely, a result of smoking a pack of cigarettes everyday, before she answered me.

"I thought you'd like to know that I have something of yours here."

"Who?" I snapped, although in my heart, I had an inkling as to who it was.

"Does the name Luciana Rodriguez sound familiar?"

"Stop fucking around with me Ana."

"I'm not Mikhail." She soberly replied before there was a pregnant pause in the conversation. "She's here. Safe for now. Although I wouldn't count on that for long."

"Who took her?"

"I don't think you're going to like to hear this Mikhail but -

"Just tell me who it is goddamnit!" I shouted as I stood up and banged my fist on the desk.

"Dimitri." She murmured lowly.

I felt like my heart had stopped functioning for a second. No...it couldn't be. The man who had practically raised me and been more of a father figure than my own biological father himself. No, he couldn't have betrayed me like this. He'd always been the one who'd believed in me - apart from Sofia and Ilaria.

"I'm sorry Mikhail." She answered evenly, a hint of sympathy in it. After all, who better than her knew what it felt like to be fucked over by your own flesh and blood.

"It's fine. Just let me know the address and I'll be there." I gruffly responded, my heart still not ready to believe the harsh truth.

"Be quick."

And with a terse goodbye, we both hung up as I let out a sigh.

"Time to go battle with the big, bad wolves, Alexei." I muttered as I prepared a plan in my head, ready to go to any lengths to get Luciana out of there.

With a questioning eyebrow raised my way, Alexei leaned back in his chair, the CCTV footage temporarily ignored. At the sound of a ping on my phone, I opened it to see the unfamiliar address that Ana had sent me as I explained my plan to Alexei.