Nikoli (Full Novel)

by K. J. Dahlen

  Danton swung his gaze over to view Ramon. “And just why would I want to fucking do that? She means nothing to me and even less to her two faced father.”

  Ramon shook his head then shrugged. “All I’m saying man is that as long as you keep her with you, you have a bargaining chip. You spill her blood and you have nothing left. Apparently, he does care or they wouldn’t be tearing up the streets looking for you and her.”

  Danton eye’s narrowed. It occurred to him that Ramon had come out of this so called street tearing without a fucking scratch. “How the hell did you escape injury?”

  Roman snorted and lifted his shirt.

  Danton saw a bloody bandage.

  “What makes you think I did?”

  Chapter Five

  Kosta watched as the private plane made its way around the landing strip to the terminal and stopped at the off-loading area of the airport. He’d been in New York since early this morning at Nikoli’s request. When he got the call from his brother late last night, he got the first plane out of Louisiana he could get.

  Yuri and the others wanted to join him but they would follow later in the day once their own detail of protection around their families was secure. When he had explained to Salt, what was going on she urged him to go and that made the trip much easier. When he told her he hated to leave her so soon, she said she’d completely understood the reasons behind this trip.

  Kosta had been filled in with the situation as his brother drove him into the city from the airport. The fact that Nikoli had a daughter didn’t surprise him. Shaking his head, he didn’t say anything. The men he worked for were a randy bunch but they seemed to be happy with their women. Nikoli always insisted he had had his chance at real love, the kind of love that would have to last him a lifetime. He’d been there when Bethany died and he had watched Nikoli take her death hard, then when his son was taken when he had been just hours old. Kosta had seen the man he once knew fall apart completely. Watching him rebuild his life had been hard and now, Nikoli was a man no one knew any more.

  When he and his brother had been chosen to travel with the team to America he’d been proud. These were good men. He and Kirill were honored to be chosen. They left their older brother Felix behind to remain with Sergi but the Grigori men were protectors. Had been all their lives. It ran in the family and a prouder tradition couldn’t be said of most families.

  Nikoli had kept Kirill with him but sent Kosta with the brothers and he couldn’t have been happier about that. Kosta had become more than just a guard in Yuri team, he had become a friend to them, and that alone meant the world to Kosta.

  Now he watched as Sergi’s private plane settled. He knew within minutes the big man himself along with his team would be walking through the doors where he was waiting. This day had been long in coming but meant just as much today as it would have meant thirty years ago after the attack that almost took Misha’s life. Kosta knew rage back then at all that had happened. Someone plotting to murder one of them to bring gain to themselves. This man Danton was lower than dirt and he had alluded Bratva for too long now. Maybe finally, real justice could be served.

  Kosta watch as the doors opened and a group of big men came toward him. Sergi might be an older man but he carried the power of the Bratva with him. He was still a huge man in height and width, the only concession was his white hair but even at sixty seven, he carried it off well.

  Misha walked beside his father, never behind him and Felix walked a step back of the other two but never would he be behind them totally. Their protection was his responsibility and he took that job very seriously.

  Kosta held out his hand to the men as soon as they came close enough. Sergi shook his hand first then Misha and then Felix grabbed his and pulled him into a hug.

  Sergi and Misha chuckled then when Felix released him.

  Sergi then turned serious. “Well, what news do you have for us?”

  Kosta nodded. “We began hitting his business and contacts. Once we knew his street name, we had no trouble finding him. He’s been here for a while now.”

  “Is it true that the bastard took Nikoli’s daughter?” Misha asked.

  “Da.” Kosta nodded. “He told her mother that he would kill her or sell her if she fucked up and didn’t get Nikoli to a place he could kill him.”

  “So how did she end up telling him about the plot against him?” Felix asked his brother.

  Kosta stared at the men in front of him. “From what Kirill has told me. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t let him die even at the cost of her own child. Kirill was there when the plot came out after she arrived at Nikoli’s penthouse residence and he heard all of what she confessed. Apparently, she’s loved Nikoli for the past decade and even though he treated her like shit from day one, in the end she wasn’t the kind that could go ahead and allow him to be murdered. She also knew she might never see her child again from the beginning of this kidnapping. That this man would keep her daughter in any case.”

  “How did Nikoli take the news he has another child out there somewhere?” Misha asked with a raised brow.

  Kosta snorted. “He is furious but determined. He called in the troops and he’s taking down the threat piece by piece. You know Nikoli. He protects his own very well.”

  Felix matched his brother’s snort. “Nikoli is very stubborn indeed.”

  Sergi clenched his fingers into fists. “But this is a man I want to see die. This Danton or whatever his name is now. You’d better tell Nikoli I want to be there when this Podonok meets his Maker. I have that right.” Kosta nodded but did not smile at the Russian swear word that meant fucker in English, even though many of them did not use the old language much now. He knew better than to smile at this man’s harsh words in any case. “Nikoli knows that. It will be as you wish.”

  “Then let’s go to Nikoli’s and find out what more he knows about Danton Valeril,” Misha suggested. He would never forget the man’s name that had almost ruined him in the Bratva and had almost killed him.

  ~* * * *~

  A half an hour later, the men entered Nikoli’s penthouse. Kirill was there and Felix nodded at his younger brother. He didn’t approach him, as the man was busy making off a street map as calls came in. They were slowly narrowing down where Danton might be hiding. Taking down his contacts, one by one, street by street. They weren’t leaving him anywhere to go. They were also closing in on him. They knew he couldn’t get out of the city.

  Sergi and Misha found Nikoli and were talking quietly in one of the corners.

  Felix, Kosta and Kirill all got together as well. Kirill clasped his brother, Felix’s hand and smiled.

  Felix asked. “What’s going on here? Why did Sergi come all this way for one man?”

  “You remember how Misha was attacked in the street years ago?” Kirill asked.

  Felix nodded. “I know this is the man who attacked him but how did he come to light here and now?”

  “Danton Valeril kidnapped Nikoli’s nine-year-old daughter and threatened to kill her or sell her if her mother, Bella didn’t get him to a certain café at a certain timem so he could kill him.” Kirill shook his head. “She couldn’t do it. She said she knew she might never see her child again but she couldn’t set Nikoli up to be murdered,” he repeated pretty much word for word that Kosta had said.

  Felix looked around the room and finally took notice of the woman sitting on the small sofa.

  Felix and Kirill didn’t say a word as each was thinking about what that kind of love was like. Finally, Felix asked, “How close are you to finding the bastard?”

  Kirill stared at his brother for a moment. “We know exactly where he is. It didn’t take us long to ferret him out but Nikoli wanted to ruin the man first. Besides, he needs to know if his daughter is still alive before he moves in for the kill. We found the one man who knows Danton the best and he agreed to work with us.” He nodded toward Nikoli. “We are surrounding him and planned on taking him down as soon as Sergi arrived here
. So we should be good to go anytime now.”

  Felix nodded. “Da, this is good. Sergi spoke of the plans he made all the way over here. It was grisly to hear, my brother. Very grisly. Not that I blame him. But I do not think I have seen him this way for many years. He wants to take the man out himself and that alone tells you how he feels. Danton will rue the day he attacked a son of the Bratva.”

  The Gregory Grigori brothers all nodded in a solemn silence as they looked over at the heads of Bratva Russia and Bratva America territories. This would all not be pretty when it came down.

  ~* * * *~

  After Nikoli caught up the others on what had already been done Sergi yawned and Nikoli offered him a room to rest in until his men finished their work. After they left, Nikoli noticed Bella had fallen asleep on the couch.

  Nikoli stared at her for a moment then gathered her in his arms. He carried down the hall and placed her in his guest bedroom.

  She woke when he laid her down on the bed but she didn’t say anything to him. She just stared blankly at him. Her eyes looked bruised and swollen from crying. Her whole attitude seemed broken. She couldn’t even seem to cry anymore.

  Nikoli straightened and looked down at her. “Try and get some rest. You were awake all night.”

  “I haven’t slept in days,” she whispered. “Not since he took my baby.”

  “Then rest now. Malina is going to need you when we get her back.”

  Bella shook her head. “I want to believe that, I really do but a huge part of me doesn’t believe it.”

  Nikoli sat down on the edge of the bed. “Believe it. My men won’t stop until he’s in their hands. We are tearing his businesses down one piece at a time.”

  “Do I want to know what his businesses are?” Bella’e eyes looked haunted.

  Nikoli hesitated then shook his head. “You really don’t want to know.”

  Bella closed her eyes tightly and tears rolled slowly down her pale cheeks. She began to tremble.

  Nikoli felt a tug in his chest, so gathered her into his arms. Kissing her temple lightly he whispered, “We will find him and her and bring her back to you. That I promise.”

  Bella shuddered and grasped his arms. “Oh Nikoli, I may never see her again!” she wailed.

  “We’ll get her back. You have to have faith in us.”

  She stared at him for a moment. “She’s my whole world. She was all I had left of my dreams and hopes. I ache because I cannot hold her in my arms. I feel utterly empty. ” Lifting her hand, she cupped his scruffy jaw. “She was all I had left of you, even if you didn’t know she was alive. I couldn’t forget how I felt about you, but then having her filled my heart.”

  He sighed. “I do not understand how you can have feelings for a man who treated you as I had.”

  “You were unapproachable back then, you still are today, But the time we spent together showed me that you were warm inside underneath all of the control. I’d watched you for months but you never saw me until that night.”

  “Oh, I saw you,” he admitted. “I think I even knew you were watching me all along but before then, I didn’t want you offered. I thought if I showed you the least encouragement you would want more and I couldn’t give you that. I don’t know why I came to you that night, but for once, I needed someone who could show me a little tenderness, I suppose.”

  Bella closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t think I would have cared at the time that it was a one night thing. When you took my hand and led me up here, I was so happy.”

  “Then it turned to ash the next morning, didn’t it?” he asked softly.

  Bella nodded. “Yes, it did but you know what? I never regretted the time we were together.”

  Nikoli moved her off his lap and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Try and get some rest.”

  Nikoli was almost to the door when he heard the first sob. She was trying to keep them quiet but it wasn’t working. He tired to keep going but the sounds coming from her were breaking his heart. The pain he heard was raw and when he turned, he could see she was crying in her pillow. She had the pillow scrunched to cover her face and her body was tight and shaking.

  Nikoli knew he couldn’t leave her like this. He knew he’d already done a lot of hurt where Bella was concerned. Silently, he kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed behind. Pulling her into his arms, he hushed her cries. Wrapping her in his embrace he refused to let her go. He held her while she struggled against her.

  Finally, the struggle wore her out and she fell asleep in his arms. Nikoli knew he should move away but he couldn’t. Just holding her felt so good. She was soft and warm and it felt like she belonged right where she was at the moment.

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Her scent intoxicated him. Of all the women he’d been with over the years, her scent was the one he remembered the most. It was light and slightly floral yet had a spicy undertone. He’d never smelled that combination before and this alone had made her unique. He couldn’t remember the other women he slept with. To his mind, they were one and the same. All blending together with no real discernment individually. But he remembered this woman even after all these years.

  Even now she remained in his memories, the softness of her touch, the small groans she made when he made love to her. Nikoli remembered well when she had fallen apart in his arms. Her ecstasy had been something to watch, beauty like he’d never known, in fact. He’d lost control in her arms and that was something Nikoli didn’t do. He was proud of the control he had but that night he’d lost it. She’d been the only one that had elicited that from him. Maybe that was why he ruined things the next morning. He swore to not get into a relationship with any female. Just sex. Only mindless sex, no more than that.

  He shifted in the bed and she snuggled closer to him. Soon, her head was nestled on his chest. Nikoli didn’t want to move from her but he also knew his men would be coming back to report on Danton soon.

  He couldn’t stay long but he could make sure she was asleep before he did leave her. He held her close and closed his eyes.

  ~* * * *~

  Hours later, his eyes snapped open when he heard a knock on the bedroom door. He looked over at Bella and found her still sleeping. Extracting himself, he went over to the door and opened it.

  Kirill was standing there with Kosta and they nodded to the living room.

  When Nikoli followed them after closing the door behind him, he found several of his security team waiting for him. “What did you find?” he asked Kirill.

  Kosta snorted. “Plenty. Danton is really a bastard. He’s into things no respectable man would think of.”

  Nikoli was well aware of what kind of filth the man peddled. “We know that. Have you found him yet?”

  “We’re closing in on him.” Kosta nodded. “We’re getting very close but it could be one of two places and if we move too fast, we’ll spook him. We don’t want him to go underground and have to start the hunt all over again.”

  Nikoli’s fingers curled into fists. “I want him found quickly and quietly and with no fuss. I want my daughter back, alive and well. We all know what that bastard is capable of and she’s already been with him for three days. He might not even have her anymore and if that’s the case, we may never find her again.”

  He heard the gasp behind him and when he turned, he saw Bella standing there.

  She had gone pale and was trembling and when she took a step toward him, he saw her eyes roll up and she fell forward. He rushed to her and caught her before she hit the floor.

  Lifting her into his arms, he turned his head and growled at his men, “Find that bastard and get my daughter back!” Then he stomped toward the bedrooms down the hall. He completely bypassed the guest room and carried her into his room.

  He laid her out on his bed, then walked into his bathroom and wet a cloth. Coming back, he laid the cool cloth on her forehead.

  Bella came around slowly and when she reached up to rip the wash cloth from her forehe
ad, she glared at him. She sat up slowly as her eyes still looked dilated. “Did you think it’s true? That he may not even have her anymore? That she’s—she’s being…” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked horrified.

  Nikoli thought about lying to her but then changed his mind. She had to know nothing but the truth. “It’s possible. He’s had her long enough to do just about anything to her.”

  Bella gasped, raising her hand to cover her mouth. “My poor baby…” she whispered.

  Nikoli grabbed her upper arms and shook her a bit. “He’d better still have her and she’d better be ok. My men are ripping apart the city, destroying his small filthy empire and tracking down his partners. No one seems to know where he is just yet, but they are closing in.”

  Bella sighed. “God, I hope she’s ok, that’s all. Please God! The things they could…” She couldn’t seem to finish.

  “We’re getting the message out on the streets. Sergi brought more men with him and they will dig him out from whatever rock he is hiding under.” Nikoli slowly nodded at her attempting to convince her.

  Bella bit her lip and looked toward the door. “You should be out there with your men. Finding out what they’re doing. Not here with me. Please go and do whatever you have to.”

  Nikoli nodded. “Da, I should be. Are you going to be okay here?”

  Bella shook her head. “I want to be there as well. This waiting and not knowing is driving me crazy.”

  Nikoli shook his head. “I don’t want you to hear what they are finding. All it will do is scare you. I think you’ve have enough of a fright.”

  “No.” Bella shook her head. “I need to know exactly what Malina is going through, whether is frightening or not. I can only imagine and right now my imagination is running wild. But I can’t let that rule me. I want to be there for her and I can’t if I don’t face this.”

  Nikoli nodded. “Ok but if it gets to be too much, I want you be leave the room. They will be discussing some things that you may not want to hear.”