Absolution (The Titans of Founder's Ridge)

by Nichole Greene

  Copyright © 2020 by Nichole Greene

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the brief quotations in a book review. Resemblance to actual persons, things, locations, or events is coincidental.

  Editorial Services: The Romantic Editorial Services

  Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations

  Warning

  ABSOLUTION is a novella with dark themes, including human trafficking and abuse.

  It should be read following the first two books of the Titans of Founder’s Ridge series.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Contact

  Playlist

  Also by Nichole Greene

  I asked a friend of mine to describe love. His answer blew my mind and inspired me in ways that I don’t think he could even comprehend. I’ll be forever grateful.

  Love is friendship on fire.

  This book is for those I burn for.

  1

  CONNOR

  “I have to talk to you and Dad,” my sister, Claire, says as soon as I answer her call. She’s been released from the hospital following the brutal attack on her, my fiancé, and her best friend.

  I stand up from the chair I’ve been glued to watching Lilith recover from her stab wound and surgery. She’s sleeping peacefully right now, her blonde hair plaited and swiped over her shoulder. I shoot a meaningful glance at my best friend, Griff, so he knows to keep an eye on her.

  “Are you okay? Do you need a doctor sent to the penthouse?” I ask in rapid-fire succession.

  “I’m fine,” she sighs in annoyance. “It’s about what I overheard in the van and on the boat.”

  Damn.

  I don’t want to leave Lily, but I also need to hear this. As of now, all I know about who took them is that there were five guys and they spoke Russian. I poke my head back in the room and nod for Griff to come over.

  “Okay, let me talk to Griff and make sure he can stay with Lilith. I’ll shoot you a text when I’m on my way.”

  “We’ll be here,” she says as she hangs up.

  I turn to face Griff; he looks almost as bad as I do. His usually styled hair is sticking up randomly, and red stubble covers his chin and neck.

  “Can you stay here while I go home to talk to Claire and Dad? She wants to tell us what she overheard the guys who had them say.”

  “Yeah, of course I’ll stay here with Lilith.” He looks over my shoulder and nods, “Lev’s here, too.”

  I turn and see my other lifelong best friend walking down the hall toward us. His eyes narrow when mine meet his. He blames me for the girls being taken and hurt. I don’t disagree with him. He walks past me without a word but shoulder checks me before walking into Lilith’s room.

  “He’ll move past this.” Griff says as I battle my natural urge to fight. “You guys are going to have to talk it out though.”

  “Talk with our fists, more likely.”

  “Whatever it takes,” Griff shrugs. “We’ll be with her if she wakes up, but she’s still on those heavy painkillers. She’ll probably be out until you get back.”

  “Yeah,” my jaw ticks as I push off the wall. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Take a shower while you’re home,” he says to my back, “you look like shit.”

  I throw my middle finger over my shoulder before taking the stairs.

  I grab a taxi in front of the hospital, so I don’t have to wait for a driver, and text Claire to let her know I’m on my way. If I wasn’t worried about someone overhearing one of my family’s dirty secrets, I would have had them come to me so I wouldn’t have to leave Lily’s side.

  When my dad immigrated to the United States, he did so to leave behind the mafia ties in Russia that his father and brother were so deeply entangled in. From oil, drugs, and weapons trafficking, he just wanted to build a legitimate business here. We’ve managed to do that, switching our focus from fossil fuels to renewable energy and engineering. We’re about to patent a new type of wind turbine that reduces noise and will hopefully make more people open to putting them on their land.

  I toss some money at the driver when he pulls up in front of the headquarters of our company, Volkov Industries. Dad, Claire, and I each have penthouses here. There’s a few more employee residences for certain executives and those who travel from other offices. Dad’s penthouse takes the entire upper two floors, while Claire’s penthouse and mine split the level below his. I take the back elevator that goes straight to his penthouse and punch in the access code.

  The elevator opens to Dad’s foyer. Our family’s crest is inlaid in the marble the same way it is at our house in Founder’s Ridge. I walk down the hall to the open kitchen and living room. Claire and Dad are on opposite sides of the couch. Claire is covered by a fuzzy blanket with her legs curled under her. Out of the three of our girls attacked, she came through with the least amount of injuries. She was only in the hospital one night, for hypothermia and exhaustion. She also has some stitches on her wrist from the zip ties she was bound in. Her long dark hair is loose and down instead of its usual bun.

  “How are you feeling?” I ask as I sit in the chair across from her.

  “I’m fine,” she answers with a sassy roll of her eyes. “How are Lilith and Ivy? They’re the two to worry about.”

  “They’re both going to be fine. I think Lilith will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.”

  “Good,” Dad says to me before turning his attention to Claire. “We’re both here. What do you remember?”

  She pulls the blanket around her tighter and looks back and forth between us. “They were going to sell us. I heard them talking about meeting up with a larger boat.” Her face goes completely expressionless. “Lilith and I were the targets. They had no clue who Ivy was. They were going to assault and kill her before meeting up with the next boat. Dump her body in the sound.”

  I don’t have to mask my reactions around family, sucking air through my teeth. I stand and start pacing while she details the vile threats she heard. Dad stands and pours three tumblers with vodka, handing one to me, one to Claire, and keeping one for himself. He’s as pissed as I am.

  “The worst part is,” Claire gulps her vodka like a pro, “I know who was behind it.”

  Dad’s eyes close, and he tilts his head back. He has an idea, and I’m guessing it’s the same person I think is behind it.

  “Uncle Ivan.”

  “Fuck!” I roar, letting my glass fly across the room and shatter against the wall. Claire doesn’t jump at my outburst, just calmly finishes off her vodka.

  “Connor,” Dad starts to try to calm me down.

  “No!” I point at him. “I’m going to kill him once and for all. He’s gone too fucking far. Selling the girls? To cover his debts, I bet.”

  “I agree. He has gone too far.” Dad’s hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes. “I’m on board with taking him out, but we have to be smart. He’s a well-connected criminal. Let’s see what Lake gets out of the guy he’s interrogating at his compound.”

  Lake Herrera is the leader of a mercenary group that specializes in hostage extraction. He went to Founder’s Prep a few years before I did, and he and his friends were the leaders of th
e school, like Levi, Griff, and I were. They all went to Columbia together, and he joined the Marines as an officer but was medically retired after an IED explosion took out almost every guy in his unit. He came home and started rounding up other former military guys and taking on jobs the US government can’t or won’t approach.

  He’s currently holding the only guy we were able to catch from the attack on the girls. Lilith managed to knock this guy out right before another coward stabbed her in the back. I’ll be going out to have a chat with him later in the week.

  “I won’t wait much longer.”

  “I want in,” Claire says from the couch.

  “Fuck no,” I say.

  “Absolutely not,” Dad says at the same time.

  “I was a target.” She stands, letting the blanket fall and stalking gracefully across the room toward us. “I might not have your stature or muscles, but I’m just as scary as either of you.” Her hands land on her hips in a power pose. “I’m just as invested as you.”

  Her glare cuts a path back and forth between us. She’s right, she is scary—quite possibly scarier than either of us. She might be a petite ballerina, but she has a fierce personality and the Volkov temperament. It’s a formidable combination.

  The three of us stare each other down, at an impasse for now.

  “Your mother’s coming into town tomorrow,” Dad says, completely catching both Claire and me off guard.

  “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be sure to avoid her.”

  “Same,” the air around Claire drops twenty degrees, “I have nothing to say to her.”

  Four years ago, my mother ran off with her lover, one of our maids, to her family estate in Ireland. She dragged Claire with them, but instead of keeping her at the estate, she enrolled Claire in an all-girls Catholic boarding school. Our mother also never told us why she left, allowing us to think it was our father who had the affair and broke the family. Claire and I both haven’t forgiven her, although for some reason, Dad keeps trying to have her back.

  “We’re all having dinner as a family as soon as Lilith is released from the hospital and feeling better. It’ll be here at the penthouse,” Dad tells us as he gets up to refill his vodka.

  Claire and I share a look, wordlessly communicating out mutual disinterest in a family dinner. She’s three years younger than me, but we’ve always been able to speak to each other with just a look. Even after being separated by an ocean.

  “Stop with the looks,” Dad says over his shoulder. “She’s your mother, and she wants to see you both. You will be here.” He turns and points at both us. “You will be pleasant and respectful.”

  “Whatever,” Claire mumbles under her breath before grabbing her blanket and walking down the hall toward one of the guest rooms. She pauses and turns, “Tell Lilith that I’ll stop by when she’s back home.”

  After she’s disappeared into the room and the door clicks shut behind her, I look to my dad. “How long is she staying here?”

  “As long as she wants.” He takes a drink. “I’m tempted to fake an electrical problem or something in her apartment and keep her up here with me for a while.”

  “I can go in and mess some shit up if you want.” I’d like her to stay with one of us, too. Levi and Ivy are staying in one of my and Lily’s guest rooms though, so it might be crowded with us. Plus, the tension between Levi and myself is intense right now.

  “Do it,” he nods. “I’m going to Lake’s compound tomorrow. I assume you and Levi will be accompanying me?”

  “I will be.” I walk over to the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows and look down on midtown. “Lev and I are not in a good place. I know he’ll want to come, but I’m not sure if he’ll want to come with me. Griff can stay with the girls when we get Lilith home in the morning.”

  “I’m putting twenty-four-hour security on your floor as well. It’ll upset the girls, but I’m not risking any more abductions. I’m going to reach out to some of my trusted contacts in Moscow and St. Petersburg to see what Ivan is doing over there, how far out of control he’s spiraled.”

  “Okay,” I nod, “once you find out what’s going on, we can start discussing how we’re going to take him out.” I look my dad right in the eyes for what I say next. “I’ve never been more serious about something in my life. Ivan is dead.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’m going to grab a quick shower before I go back to the hospital. Let me know what time you’re leaving tomorrow. I’ll talk to Lev.” Hopefully we don’t end up throwing punches. I know that is where we’re headed.

  2

  CONNOR

  “Do you need anything before we go?” I ask the girls.

  Lily, Ivy, and Claire are all stretched out on the couches in our living room getting ready to watch some movies. Griff is sitting at the kitchen island on his laptop. He’s staying behind while Lev and I go with Dad to interrogate the guy Lily knocked out before getting stabbed.

  “I think we’ll be okay,” Lily side-eyes me while pointing to the coffee table that’s covered with all their favorite snacks and drinks. “Plus, we have our babysitter over there to meet any of our unexpected needs while you two are away.”

  “You need to take your pain meds in three hours,” I say, ignoring her attitude. “I set an alarm, so you don’t forget. Let Griff help you move around.”

  “Con,” her electric blue eyes narrow, “I say this with love, but fuck off. I’m completely capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Let me know if you need anything,” I say turning to Griff. I know that if I don’t ignore Lily now, we’ll just start arguing, and she doesn’t need that. I’m being overbearing and protective, but keeping my family safe is quite literally the only thing driving me right now. Everyone in this room and my dad are my priority right now.

  Griff pats his back where a gun is tucked inside his jeans. He also knows my dad has his own security watching our floor of the building. We know that once Lilith figures it out, she’ll order them to go home so we decided to use own security that don’t answer to her.

  Lev walks over to answer the door when Dad knocks.

  “You ready?” Dad asks as he walks in and past me to check on the girls. He crouches down in front of Claire and kisses her forehead before doing the same to Lily. He pats Ivy’s cheek and asks about Frank, Levi’s father and her ex-stepfather, to see if he’s started increasing security. Ivy wasn’t a target according to what Claire overheard but now that she single-handedly saved Claire, she could be targeted for retribution.

  I look over at Lev, who still barely speaks a word to me, let alone makes eye contact. Griff looks up at me with his eyes darting back and forth between Lev and me. He raises his eyebrows, and I know exactly what that look means.

  This helicopter flight is going to suck.

  Lev and I say goodbye to the girls and follow Dad to the elevator. Dad stops in front of the security guard who’s sitting there and reiterates the importance of not leaving that spot until someone else comes to relieve him. We go up to the helicopter pad and board.

  The flight is as full of tension as I thought it would be. Lev completely ignores me and stays glued to his phone the whole time. It’s fine, gives me time to think and let my inner-monster bubble up to the surface.

  I’m not sure what Ivan thinks he is doing, trying to abduct the girls and sell them into sex slavery. From the time I was eight until I turned thirteen, I spent my summers with him in Russia. He taught me how to fight by using me as his punching bag or forcing me to watch him execute members of other mafia families. He always threatened Claire if I told Dad, so I kept my mouth shut.

  I did my best to keep her safe and tucked away from his brand of evil. I overheard Dad and Mom discussing sending her over there one summer when she turned eight. I remembered hearing one of Griff’s sisters talking about an intensive summer dance program and suggested that instead. Luckily, that turned into a recurring thing for her every summer until my mom whisked her away to Ireland.r />
  I know at some point I’m going to have to tell someone. Griff has always known part of it but not all the horrible details. Every day since the attack I’ve had nightmares. I can feel my control slipping. My darkness is a bottomless well, and I can feel myself sinking. My fists burn to smash into flesh. I crave the crunch of bone against bone.

  I’m pulled out of my violent fantasy when the chopper touches down on Lake’s compound in upstate New York. He’s waiting for us as we exit.

  “He’s not talking,” Lake says as he starts leading us toward a cinderblock building.

  We follow him through a steel door and down two flights of metal stairs into a dank basement. It smells like stale water and wet concrete. We go through another steel door into a large room. The guy is handcuffed to a bolted-down metal chair in the middle of the room. Spotlights shine in his face, which is mottled with blue and purple bruises and one of his eyes is swollen shut.

  A tiny surge of pride pulses inside me, reminding me that I am still human under this cloak of rage. All that damage to his face is from his fight with Lily. I’m glad she’s stayed a relative mystery to my family outside of Claire and Dad. No one knew that she has been training in Krav Maga for ten years or that she is capable of taking grown men down in multiples. I catch Lev looking at the guy’s face with a half smirk too, and I know he’s thinking the same thing.

  Dad steps up to the goon to start asking questions while the rest of us hang back.

  “Who do you work for?” Dad asks.

  The guy looks past Dad with his good eye and remains quiet.

  “I’ll give you one more chance to answer my questions for an easy and quick death,” Dad says, switching to Russian.