Page 27 of The Hunted Wife

“Aren’t you familiar with the Russian mafia?”

“Not very much.”

“Pakhan is the head of the family just as a don is in the Italian mafia. I am no longer associated with the organization, but as I’m sure you know, or you would not have come to me, I used to be..”

“That is exactly why I came here. I figure if anyone can help me, it would be you.”

“Why should I help you, Adam?” The old man narrowed his gaze.

Adam ran a hand behind his neck. “Because Sokolov is a volatile man and untrustworthy. No one wants that kind of man having any more power than he currently does. And he probably shouldn’t ever be trusted with the power he does have. Because he kidnapped my wife.”

Dmitry leaned forward and clasped his hands on the desk in front of him. “So far I agree. But what can I do about it? Sokolov is not one of my men. I have no power over him.”

“But you know where he might be, don’t you?”

“I might have an idea.”

“Where? Please help me.”

Dmitry is quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking about his answer. “I’ll help you Adam and tell you what I know because you asked and because Ricard Sokolov is the worst kind of man, if you can even call him a man. I received him here because of who he works for, not because I like him. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, is a true saying.” Dmitry sat forward and pulled a yellow pad of paper from one of the drawers in his massive desk.

Adam hadn’t really paid attention when he walked into the room, but it was definitely a man’s room. From the huge mahogany desk to the luxurious sofa against one wall and matching wing chairs around a mahogany coffee table, the room spoke wealth. He could afford those things but he’d never really wanted them. Everything he wanted was already at the house and had belonged to his parents.

He watched Dmitry make a drawing of a map until it was complete.

“This map will take you to my hunting lodge. Sokolov will be there but for how long I’m not sure. You should also know that the road that goes in front of the cabin continues on to Oak Creek from where he can easily make his way to Denver. Whether he’s taken this road or not I do not know. As I told him, it is very dangerous. Some sections you are literally driving over a rock slide. Whether he will risk it or not is unknown. I’ve been on it, and I would not risk it again, but Ricard is a wild card, there is no telling what he will do.

Adam took the map and stood. “Thank you. I appreciate all your help.” He might be working with Ricard, but I have no choice but to take the info at face value.

“Don’t thank me. I feel somewhat responsible. By the time he left here, I really thought I had talked him out of his plan. I’m sorry. This can’t make Milena’s father happy either, at least if I were Sergey, I would be furious with Ricard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he put a hit on him, and he certainly won’t welcome him into the family. Ricard has signed his own death warrant. You will not have to kill him in a way, he has already killed himself.”

Adam didn’t want to think about that. All he cared about was Millie, or Milena as Dmitry called her. He stood stepped up to the desk and extended his hand to Dmitry. “Thank you for your help. I truly appreciate it.” With those words he turned and left. He’d almost said, if he could help him in the future, to let him know, but he saw The Godfather. You didn’t say something like that to the Mafia, Russian or Italian.

The SUV pulled up outside a good-sized cabin.

“Get out.” Ricard stepped out of the door and dragged her after him.

They’d been driving for about an hour. Just long enough for Millie’s legs to ache from the lack of leg room in the backseat of the SUV. She staggered a little when her feet hit the ground.

Ricard grabbed her by the arm and half-dragged her to the cabin’s front door.

Viktor had the door open by the time she and Ricard got there.

Ricard shoved her inside and then yanked her arm again and pulled her down the hall.

He opened the door to a bedroom and shoved her inside.

She didn’t miss the lock on the outside of the door.

Then he pulled the door shut and locked it.

She was trapped. Windows, too small for her to crawl out of, let in some moonlight since the overhead fixture didn’t have any bulbs. She hated sitting in the dark. The darkness made everything worse. She began to pace around the bed, down one side, across the foot, and up the other side. Turn around and repeat.

For what seemed like hours, she paced. Then she heard the lock turn, and the door slowly opened. Ricard. “What do you want?”

“What I want, I can’t have without you, so you and I will go back to New York. We’ll be married, we’ll consummate the union and then in a few weeks your father will meet with a tragic accident. And I as the son-in-law will take over. That’s what I want. Then I’ll leave you in some villa in Italy or France, under twenty-four-hour guard, while I live my life with whoever I want. And when she gets pregnant, I’ll pass the child off as yours, and you will agree and then go back to your life in Europe.”

“Why can’t you have all of that without me? I know you have the manpower to do it, so why not?”