Seducing the Badman (Russian Bratva #2) by Hayley Faiman Page B

but I’m not. I rush over to him and wrap my arms around him, hugging him, my brother . With a stiff body he hugs me back and pats me like a child. I almost roll my eyes at him.
    Affection was not something we had as children, but I still yearn to hold my brother, to feel protected by him. I have missed him, and I know that he is hurting in this moment.
    “You did not return my calls,” I scold as I back up and glare at him.
    “I have been busy, Emiliya. You are not the only person on earth whose life has been shifted and uprooted,” he snaps. I take a step back at his hard words and stern voice as I gape up at him.
    “ Yakov ,” I whisper. He just shakes his head, holding his hand up to me.
    I forget how he can quickly change direction—how his moods can shift so suddenly; a person can easily get whiplash. It is a deplorable trait my father had as well. Yakov comes by it honestly.
    “I do not wish to fight with you, sister, not when I need you to help me,” he states. I cringe. Isn’t that normal in our lives? Don’t fight with someone because you may need to use them later.
    “I was worried about you,” I admit. He smirks and shakes his head.
    “I am a man, Emiliya. You do not need to worry,” he smiles sadly.
    “Who is the woman that was taken?” Sergei asks bluntly, interrupting my reunion with my brother. He frightens me. Not many men scare me, but Sergei is one of the most frightening men I have ever come across. It is as if his gaze can penetrate to your soul and see everything about you with one glance. It is unnerving.
    “Ashley,” he says softly, his eyes full of what I can only assume is torment.
    “She is?” Sergei prompts, his eyes focused on only Yakov. My brother sighs before he begins.
    “When I went to clean up Gregori’s home in the states, she was there—chained to the wall in his basement. She had a bucket to use for her waste, and it had been apparent she had not bathed in at least a month. It was deplorable. She was dehydrated and undernourished, her food and water having run out days before my arrival.
    “It took me weeks to bring her physical health back. Her mental health is a different story. She is strong, not broken like I originally thought she must be, living in that situation. Somewhere along the way, I decided to keep her. She has been quiet but well behaved, reserved, and soft. Then, when I was out on business, I came home and she was gone.
    “The alarm had been set when I left, but it was off when I came home. There are no security cameras, so I do not know if she left willingly or not. I know that she has a cousin, but no other family. She’s just a slip of a girl, so small and fragile. If she was taken, there is no way she could have fought anybody off.”
    Tears begin to fall from my eyes at my brother’s explanation. I chance a look to Maxim, who appears devastated and bursting with anger altogether. He must be remembering Haleigh and her abduction from years past. I cannot imagine the reliving he is doing this moment. Though we are not very close, I feel the need to comfort my cousin. I don’t. Instead, I stay silent, as I have been taught to do, and I wait.
    “The women need to be taken away,” Sergei announces as we all sit down. I gasp, grabbing Radimir’s hand, but he doesn’t move. He is completely motionless.
    “Where?” Maxim asks, breaking the silence. I can see a sheen of sweat forming on his brow.
    “Away from Russia and the U.S. We have safe house in Keiv, Ukraine. It is secluded. They will be safe there,” Sergei informs. Maxim shakes his head.
    “The baby,” he mutters, sounding panicked. Haleigh is looking down at her hands, afraid to look anywhere else.
    “The estate will be fully staffed, including a doctor for the women. This is what our safe house is for, Maxim. If she was indeed taken, they will come for Haleigh. Emiliya is a public figure. Once he figures out she is Radimir’s, he will gun for her next. Until we figure out who