Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Keeping a grip on her hand, they made their way up and out of the basement. Dmitriy didn’t know what they were going to find, but seeing Gnesin Bratva soldiers was a huge sigh of relief.
Chapter Twelve
Three Weeks Later
Dmitriy stood in front of Nikolai Gnesin’s desk, where just three weeks ago sat the head of operations for the Gambino Mafia. They had gotten to Babkin, along with a couple of other families, promising wealth and power, but it had all been a trick. They had been able to take Nikolai captive, kill his staff, his family, and kill the soldiers that had been close to him.
Of course, they hadn’t realized that Nikolai always had a backup plan. The only snag in that plan was the soldiers in waiting, needed proof of life. Dmitriy didn’t know Nikolai had also contacted Jack over the years and put the paranoid genius at the head of his survival. The moment he and Anastasia went to Jack, they had helped initiate the backup plan.
The soldiers had proof of life, which was all they needed to move in, take back Gnesin’s mansion, and kill the Gambinos. The past three weeks had been busy. The Gambinos had attempted to flee but didn’t stand a chance.
The Babkins had turned on Nikolai Gnesin, but the leader of the Bratva had spared Anastasia Babkin. She hadn’t run. She had attempted to risk her own life to protect and save Nikolai, and for that, he had granted her freedom.
Dmitriy hadn’t stopped her, but he knew where she was and what she was doing. He knew she was safe. That was all that mattered. Although he didn’t say anything, he did miss her.
“Ask me?” Nikolai asked.
Dmitriy frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Nikolai smiled. “You have done everything you needed to do. I am safe and, well, you have seen to that.” He got to his feet and rounded the desk.
“Everything is back to the way it should be.”
“Within reason. Trust me, it is going to take some time before everything is back to where it needs to be. Which is why I am wondering why you are here and not with your girl.” Nikolai leaned on the front of his desk, and Dmitriy looked at him with a raised brow. “I’m not a stupid man, Dmitriy. I know the Babkin girl is the one you want, and yet you sit here and you do what? Wait? Hide?”
“I don’t hide.”
“I gave Anastasia freedom, and now I am giving you yours.”
Dmitriy looked toward Nikolai.
“I know, it makes no sense to free the one man who figured out I was being held captive, but Anastasia does not want this life, and I feel that, in time, neither will you. You need to go and be with your woman. Trust me on this. The love of a good woman is hard to find. Look at me, I have no wife, no children, and a lot of enemies. I am giving you what you deserve, Dmitriy. You have fought for the last time.”
“Nikolai?”
“You owe me nothing but friendship.” Nikolai held his hand up. “I always said one day I would repay you for everything you have done for me. This is it. This is what I am giving you. You’re in love with that woman. Don’t sit back and allow another man to take what is yours.”
And with that, Dmitriy left. There was only one person he wanted, and now was the time to go and get her.
****
Anastasia had lost her job at the artisan supermarket, and she had also lost her apartment. Thankfully, as a parting gift, besides giving her freedom, her life, Nikolai had also given her a reward for not running away and for helping him.
She was able to purchase a small house outside the city, in a small town, far away from trouble. At least, that was what she hoped. All she wanted was a quiet life, away from all the trouble. The only problem, Dmitriy wasn’t there. And she missed him so much, all the time.
It was so surreal that just three weeks ago, she was helping him with the leader of the Gnesin Bratva, and now she was grabbing groceries and looking to set up Halloween decorations.
There was still quite a bit of money left, and she was currently hunting for a job. There was also the little dilemma that her period hadn’t arrived yet. She hadn’t gone to get a pregnancy test, because the truth was, she didn’t want to know the answer.
Running fingers through her hair, she tried to contain her nervousness. She still hadn’t purchased a test, but as she looked around the home, she couldn’t help but think about Dmitriy. He hadn’t called. There had been no contact. And she didn’t know how to contact him. Everything had been handled by Nikolai.