Her Volkovs #Book 4 novel Chapter 34

The night after Nikolai and Alexei left Belle with someone whom they trust, back in the safe house.

"She should be awake by now. Why isn't she awake?" Said Artan.

"Her doctor said she just needs rest. Her vitals are stable." Alexei replied while lodging bullets in his guns.

"You said you would never let anything happen to her. You can protect everyone else around you except your wife?!" Artan narrowed his eyes on Nikolai.

"You were there. I should be asking you why she almost died beside you." Nikolai shots back at Artan. He recalls Sergey telling him over the phone that the enemy is closer than he thinks. At the back of Nikolai's mind however is that Artan would probably go ahead and kill him personally rather than make Belle suffer. He knows that the Albanian Mob Boss is still in love with his wife.

Artan faced off with Nikolai, "Accuse me all you want Volkov but Belle is the only person in the Russian Mafia I do not relish being dead."

Axel interrupted, "Hey-can we not do this now? The real enemies are out there planning their next move while we bicker over who's protecting her. It's not the time to do this. Sergey Yvanislov and the German mob knew that Belle is under mine and Artan's protections. This is an attack against the whole Conglomerate and not just the Russians anymore."

"Sergey and the Germans are my problem. I will handle them." Nikolai said as he puts on the holster.

"I can't do that. The other Bosses are waiting for our next move." Axel replied.

"Why don't you just do whatever you want to do with the Conglomerate De Alba? Right now, our wife almost lost her life and the twins in her womb, we don't have time to play politics." Alexei interrupted.

Axel and Artan glanced at each other as if agreeing that this isn't the right time to insist. The brothers are enraged and blood is the only answer. Axel thought if this happened to him, his reaction would have been the same, worse even.

Nikolai and Alexei left for the warehouse where they met with his men. Everyone in the Russian Mafia's payroll showed up from different parts of New York and other neighboring states. The last time this happened was when Vyacheslav and Viktor were brutally murdered. Nikolai rose hell in the big city. The enemies of the Russian Mafia were gathered for torture and those who were lucky enough to escape abduction were hunted down in pain of having their families slain. It was a merciless killing spree. This went down as one of the most violent times in modern gang land history.

The Volkov brothers became powerful figures in the underground criminal world following the footsteps of their fathers and then more. Volkov holdings flourished and became one of the most successful private investment companies in the whole of the United States of America. While Nikolai handled both the legitimate business and their underground stakes, Alexei took charge of the Russian Mafia.

Alexei raises his hand signaling everyone in the warehouse. The Russian Mafia boss walked farther out while his brother stood behind him. "The German mob tried to end the life of my wife and my unborn children-the future of the Mafiya. And so, the same respect shall be afforded them. I called this meeting for one reason alone. I want every single member of the German Mob dead before the dawn breaks. The existence of the Otto family will end tonight in the hands of the Volkov Mafiya." Nikolai looked over his shoulder to meet Alexei in the eye.

Alexei nods and steps forward, "The Germans know we are coming for them so let us show them what a bunch of eager motherfuckers we all are. Let this night be a warning to those who think they can cross the Russian Mafia. As a gift, all sources looted are yours to keep. The Conglomerate will take care of the clean-up when the job is done."

-

Meanwhile, somewhere in New York City...

Anonymous (talking to Victoria): He is shutting me out of the loop. I have a feeling he suspects me already. All I know is that the Conglomerate is preparing for a massive clean-up tonight. There's movement in all the hemispheres covered by the Russians. His gang leaders are all in town. Volkov is coming for you.

German Mob Boss (snatches the phone from Victoria): You son of a bitch! After what you and that traitor Sergey and my cunt of a stepmother pulled tonight, you better pray I don't survive this night because if I do, I am going to gut you and Sergey alive.

Anonymous: Victoria had the balls to do what you were supposed to do Otto. You were warring with the Russians and yet you were playing nice, waiting for Volkov to change his mind.

German Mob Boss: I had everything under control! I was about to fix the mess that she started in the Conglomerate meeting!

Anonymous: Victoria knew you were willing to sell her out just to save the German mob. She knew you were planning on delivering her to the Russians for the truce.

German Mob Boss: She dragged us all in this situation. She was the one who started it all. So she had to suffer and not me or my brothers and the mob.

Anonymous: If I were you, I will put all that energy into making sure that you and your little brothers are out of New York as soon as possible. Volkov is as coldblooded as he is a crazy man Otto. He will not let this night pass doing nothing.

Otto ended the call, clenching his jaw. He came over to his brothers ages six and eight who are sleeping on the couch with their toys beside them. He glowered at Victoria who is now smoking from afar. Her hands are shaking, body trembling while waiting anxiously.

~

Safe House

He sat on the bed beside Belle. He held her hand tightly, brushing her soft skin with his thumb.

"I was gone for a while and here you are barely breathing." He whispered.

He was dowsing a man with petrol after getting information from him when his phone rang. It was Nikolai and he wondered why the Boss was calling when he was supposed to be radio silent. He thought something very important must have come up.

When he finally found out about what happened, he knew that it was as serious as it gets. He had to go back. It was about Belle -- his sunshine.

Yuri recalls her beautiful face when she rushed to help him in the boathouse. She embraced him, held on to him tightly in front of everyone, in front of Volkov and Alexei. Belle did not hold back when she said she wants him to stay in the Mafia. Her words were like music to his ears. So this is how it feels like when someone cares for you? He thought to himself that time.

Of course, it was short-lived. He wants to shoot himself in the head for being delusional. He knows he was foolish for even thinking that his Boss' wife cares for him more than a man subordinate to her husband. Yuri knew his place in her life and in the mafia that's why he focused on his mission and his deal with the Boss. Even if he believes that he does not have a chance to be with her, leaving the mafia to finish his mission was his redemption-- his chance to prove that he is worth the trust bequeathed upon him by his Pa Vyacheslav.

If he succeeds, he will remain the third man in line from the big Boss. If he fails, he will permanently leave the mafia and forever live in shame. Yuri thought Belle must be so upset with him when he left. She must have thought that he lied; that he doesn't care about her when in fact it's the opposite. Yuri was and still madly in love with Belle.

From the outside, Andrey is silently observing his younger brother. They both have been summoned by Nikolai and Alexei to do the most important job of all in the midst of the chaos happening at the moment. While the Volkov brothers are putting things in order back in New York, he and his brother have been tasked to stay in the safe house to protect, perhaps the most important person in the Mafia. Andrey thought if anything happens to this woman, Volkov might as damn well lose his sanity. He has seen how the worlds of the Boss and the Underboss revolve around Belle and he can't even start to think of the shit that will go down if they lose her.

His brother is smitten and was about to be stripped off of his title in the Mafia. The main reason why he flew back to the city he swore he would never go back to several years ago.

My brother had the fucking balls to cross the Boss and gambled his own life just to get a taste of a woman he could never have. How fucking stupid is that? Somehow Yuri's romantic suicide paid off as he was not banished from the mafia-- the one piece of the puzzle that doesn't seem to fit. Andrey thought to himself.

Regardless of his opinion about his brother's indiscretion, his job now is to make sure the wife lives---and his brother's head remains attached to his body.

~

Belle's POV

"Nobozy leefs ze khouse vizout my purmission. Beby, opyen yor lyegs, I'm going to yeat yuhr poosy. Don't mek me repeat myself. Yend of!" I say with all my conviction, impersonating Nikolai's Russian accent-my most favorite accent in the world. He has been teasing me about my pouty lips whenever I was mad at him and his brother and so I thought I could tease him with his accent in return.