As soon as they touched down in Venice, Michael and Alexei led their charge out to the waiting Maybach. Dimitri Baranov had influence everywhere. Amy realized this when she set eyes on the luxury car. She would tutor for about 4 weeks in various cities, not 2 weeks as she had originally thought. Dimitri had been livid when she told him.
Their first destination was Venice’s Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello di Venezia. Then Milan’s Conservatorio di Milano in her second week. Florence’s Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini would follow and would ultimately conclude in Palermo for Olivewood’s School of Music. She would do her lessons in the Opera House there.
She made Olivewood her last stop because she knew Dimitri would want to accompany her. The trouble in Russia was intensifying, and Viktor needed his help. Her husband could be ruthless when he put on his Pakhan persona. She had encountered this when she saw him on
Amy breathes in the freshly brewed coffee smell of Arianna’s and beams. This was her home, the home she came to love. She glances over at the servers and noticed she did not recognize them at all. She frowns as she wanders over to the counter and asks one server for Arianna. They said she would be out shortly. She skims the diner and her eyes settled on a familiar family, although the little girl was not so little anymore. Isabella Ricci saw her first, suddenly her eyes lit up. “AMY!” she exclaimed and dashed over to her, arms outstretched. Amy wrapped her in a big hug. “Bella!” Eve ran after her daughter, but then made eye contact with Amy and her expression softened. “Amy-Lou,” Eve sighed and joined in the hug. “I missed you guys,” Amy murmured in Italian. The language had come back to her as if she never stopped speaking it.“Amy?” she hears Arianna’s soft voice behind her, and she turns, setting Isabe
It was her third day in Olivewood, and something already irritated her. “Alexei, please. You and Michael scare my students. Let me show up at the Opera House first and then you can enter. Give me 5 minutes.” Amy begs her bodyguards. Her students had come to her in confidence, saying Alexei scared them when he stood around in the mornings. She had to make them comfortable again, so she promised to communicate with her bodyguards. “We cannot do that, Mrs. Baranova. The boss will have our heads.” Michael says curtly, and Alexei nods in agreement. If anything happened to her again, Dimitri would execute them. Amy sighs, “Fine. I will call my husband and sort this out.” She responds and draws out her phone, dialing her husbands’ number. “Amaranthe,” he answered on the fourth ring. That was odd, “My love, I would like Michael and Alexei to ease up with their hovering. They are scaring my students. I need them to give me at least
**WARNING' The following chapters contain scenes of a violent nature!**Amy waits for Michael to give her the all-clear before she could enter her home. Today had been emotionally draining for her. All she needed right now was a hot bath and her bed. Striding straight towards her room, she runs herself a hot bath and collects her bath towel and robe. She was still ignoring Dimitri’s calls and had not kept true to their every 2-hour promise. Her husband had a lot of explaining to do if she had misread the signs. Giving an exasperated sigh and sliding under the water, she put him out of her mind and closed her eyes.Insistent knocking could be heard on the bathroom door a few moments later and Amy shot out from under the water. “Yes?” she shouts, annoyance clear in her voice. “Apologies, ma’am,” It was Michael, “But I have Mr Baranov on the line, and he would very much like to speak with you.” He finished i
Amy smells something and wakes up. The Enforcer was glaring at her as if she disgusted him. “You better have a different answer when I return.” He spat out and pulled her up, only to throw her against the wall. She whimpers and curls into a ball, holding her abdomen. The baby would never survive the torture. If that were merely the beginning, she would lose her little bean. Tears stream down her face when she came to this conclusion. Her firstborn, dead because she opted to anger her husband by going out with Antonio. This was all her fault.The room floods with light again and she inched closer to the wall. She peered up slightly and noticed that this was not the Enforcer, but a woman. The woman got down on her haunches and Amy turned her head away from her.“Amy, look at me.” The person commanded in a hoarse voice, which oddly sounded familiar. As she turns her head, a flicker of something registers in her mind. But this familiar face looked d
Six mob leaders from all over Russia entered the Baranov Mansion in Moscow. Coupled with their personal security and the whores he had to provide them with, the tension could be cut with a knife. Dimitri scans the room in disgust and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. These were the individuals he had to persuade he could lead. His father stripped them of all their titles during his reign, and they had taken it back slowly. All while Viktor Baranov decided to take over a city that was Famiglia territory. “Ah, the young Pakhan of New York.” Came the voice of Goran Abramov, Pakhan of St. Petersburg. He had never seen eye to eye with Viktor, and Dimitri knew he was dying to take his place. Dimitri scoffs at him, “I may be young, but we both know I have slain more, Goran.” He says, then turns to walk away.He did not want to anger anyone here tonight. So before things escalated, he cleared his throat and called for everyone’s attention. &
8:40 am - Dimitri got out of his car on the Moscow Airport runway when his phone rang. It was Alexei. Before he could greet his soldier, the latter spoke. “Boss! It is Mrs. Baranova; she has been taken!” he cries out, clearly disturbed. Dimitri stood up, not comprehending what Alexei had just told him. “Alexei, slow down. What do you mean by my wife has been taken?” He asks and he could hear Michael asking Alexei for the phone. “Boss, it’s Michael. We were not even 5 minutes behind Mrs. Baranova. When we arrived at the Opera House, she was missing, and they left her car open. There was blood splatter on her passenger side window. Whoever took her had left a note.” Michael answers him calmy and Dimitri felt the blood leave his face as he heard the bodyguard speak. Someone had not only taken his wife but hurt her as well. “What does the note say?” he urges.“’lo scacco matto,’ it means Checkmate in
3 hours in and still no word. They were waiting on the border of Olivewood and No-mans-land. Dimitri lit up another cigarette and steps out of the Maybach, growing more frustrated by the minute. He knew these types of extractions took time, he only managed to get his mother out 3 days after she was kidnapped. But Amaranthe did not have that kind of time. She was being tortured, had a weak heart, and a child in her womb. That was if the child was still alive. His wife was tough, she knew how to defend herself. This was why her getting taken surprised him so. Was she distracted that morning? Had she given up? He stopped questioning Amaranthe’s motives and raked his fingers through his hair, annoyed at the silence. The Maybach door opens, “Sir,” Michael calls to him and holds out his phone. “Russo is on the line.”Dimitri drops his cigarette and takes the phone from him. “Russo, please tell me you have her.” He urges, the desperation in
“This is preposterous! The Bratva are not allowed in No-man’s-land!” Luciano Russo exclaimed as he brought his fist down on the table. Dimitri gave him a stern look. “That was to keep the peace. I think The Red Witch and her puppets have done more than just break the truce. It is shattered.” Dimitri answered flatly, to which Luciano sat down, pondering what Dimitri had just said. His eyes moved to the older brother, who was nodding. “I agree. Mia broke the decree set up so many years ago the minute she brought Amy onto Marino land. Dimitri has a right to retribution. Blood for blood.” Antonio Russo spoke up. Dimitri looked at the man who was once his love rival. He expected Antonio to try and stop him, not agree with him.“Thank you. It has been decided then. My men and I attack tonight.” He says and gets up. Cocking his head to Lev and Boris, they exit Antonio’s mansion. It was only him, Lev, and Boris. Alexei and M