Chapter 3

ILYA

“I don’t have time, Linden. Just say what you came here for. I’m sure you won’t waste your time just to gawk at me, because the last thing you wanna see is this face.” I point at myself.

He inhales another deep breath and takes his phone, showing me the image that paralyzes me in terror. The sudden jolt in my chest breaks the fear that immobilizes me.

I take the phone from him. I want to make sure the image is not playing tricks on me, or not AI-generated.

The unrelenting grip makes my hand shake.

“Are you fucking with me?” My eyes narrow at him. I shove it back to him. “Do you think I did this? Why would I hurt her?”

I still struggle against my instinct to find a reason why he’s here, and who could do something like this?

Deep within me, my blood is already boiling in my veins. I haven’t felt rage and violence since I put my father to rest, and I’ve kept the monster inside me locked up since then.

“I know you didn’t do it. She’s in a lot of pain. The doctors put her in an induced coma—”

Fuck. “I don’t wanna hear it. You’re wasting your time coming here.” I trudge away with my feet weighing tons, and my legs feel like they’re melting into a puddle.

“I need your help.” His words halt me.

When I turn to him, our eyes lock again. I see a storm of emotions clouding in those deep blue depths— pain, regret, anger, and determination.

“I can’t fucking help you. After what you did to me, I should be the last person you approach. Go home and don’t ever come back, or you will all go home in pieces,” I say through gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry.” He knows me. I don’t just threaten someone. I keep my word and do it.

“No. You’re fucking not.”

“I haven’t found who did it, but I know someone out there is sending me a message, and they’re coming after me, my business, and my family. They started with Willa, who has nothing to do with what I do for a living, Ilya.” He swallows and calls me Ilya instead of Vasilyev. He looks desperate and something else I can’t quite name.

“Not my fucking business anymore.”

“You’re the last person my enemy will cross. Please?”

“No.” I walk away even if he’s still calling my name, following me. “Go back to New York, Linden.”

***

After three years, he and I sit down in my office. My men and Linden’s men are tense outside. I’m glad Sasha, whom he had encountered in the ring, is still in Russia looking after the business.

All I can do at this moment is look at the images of Willa lying on the hospital bed in an induced coma with bruises all over her beautiful face, her neck, and arms.

I’ve done some terrible things in my life, which can never be forgiven, but I never lay a hand on women.

The anger, chaos, white-hot rage, and chilling fear bottled up inside me disorient and disturb me, calling for blood.

No matter how hard I try to keep myself calm, Linden has been watching me like a hawk, observing me in silence.

When I lift my gaze from the desk where the images spread, I narrow my eyes at him. “Why the fuck did you pull out her bodyguard?”

“That was one of our deals.”

“Deal?” I clench my fists hard as I roar in rage in a deafening bellow. “You’ve been controlling her life for years, and you agreed to pull out the only thing that kept her safe? I thought you cared about her, Linden, and all you wanted was to keep someone like me away from her because I was a notorious, ruthless wanted criminal, and I would do no good for her, and I would only put her life in jeopardy. And look what happened?” I point at the image where there’s a bruise around Willa’s neck.

“I only honored our deal.” He drops his gaze. “And I’ve caused her enough ordeal.”

“Then what the fuck do you want from me?”

“I’m sorry for just dropping by, disrupting your country life—”

“You don’t fucking mean that.”

“I do, and I’m desperate.”

“I still haven’t heard any reason. What the fuck are you doing here, Linden? I stayed away from Willa, your family, your friends, and associates, and I have nothing to do with what happened to her.”

“I know. My people are handling the internal investigation, and I haven’t talked to my sister. She’s in great pain.”

“So what do you want me to do? Find the people responsible for this? Don’t you have unlimited resources to get the job done?”

“I do, but I need your help protecting my sister.”

“Remember what you told me? I’m a wanted criminal. I kill people in cold blood, and you don’t want to taint the squeaky-clean image of the Linden family, the Braddsons, and your precious Osmium by associating your sister with me.” I scoff and cross my arms over my chest. “I’m sorry, but I can help you. You have resources. Use them. Take Willa away somewhere safe where she can heal physically and psychologically. I’m the last person you’d be asking for help, Linden. I’m getting married.”

“What?” I instantly see the shock in his eyes.

“Yes. It’s long overdue. I made a promise to my father before he died, and I’m honoring it. I don’t have time to waste, and it’s been almost two years without incidents in my life, and I’m not planning on creating one before my wedding. And it’s not appropriate to bring Willa into my home, considering our disastrous past.”

He lets out a shuddering breath, nodding glumly. “With the ongoing investigation, I want her away from my own problems. I feel like I failed her again, Vasilyev.”

“You did what you thought was right. Isn’t she dating someone from your circle, the smug billionaire?”

“No.” He looks at me again. “My sister never dated anyone in three years. She’s not comfortable around Perry Rhodes. It creeps her out. I think she still loves you.”

I shoot him a sardonic glance as I stand up. “Well, you made it pretty clear we couldn’t be together. And I’ve moved on. I wish her well and a fast recovery.”

“You don’t mean that.” He stands up as well, red-rimmed eyes staring at me. “I’ll do anything. Just name it.”

I glare at him. “You’re under investigation for associating with organized crime families, and you’re still entrusting your sister with someone like me, whom she has a past with? What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you really trying to protect her? Because it looks to me like you’re trying to torment her.”