“We’ll find them,” he said as I stormed toward Nina’s room and playroom. Seeing the trashed door sent an icy chill down my spine.
“No. No!” I rushed inside.
We both saw the asshole in dark clothing at the same time. I dropped down, first yanking off his mask then checking his pulse and noticing the gash in his face and forehead. He was no one I recognized, but that wasn’t saying much with how many people we saw on any given day. His features didn’t appear distinguishable other than his hair color.
What did hair stylists call it? Strawberry blond? A fancy way of saying he had some natural red tones in his hair. Often aclassic sign of an Irish heritage. I checked his pockets and as expected, found no identification. We’d encountered that before.Think. Breathe and think.Where were my girls?
“Anything?” Mikhail rushed into the bathroom, hissing almost immediately.
“Not a fucking thing. He’s not dead, but he soon will be.” I grabbed the weapon only a couple of feet away, hissing as I pocketed it. A Sig Sauer. Used by FBI agents, assassins, and almost anyone in the mafia circuit.
Maybe finding one of them alive would allow us to obtain some important information. He would talk. I’d make sure of it.
“What the hell? The side of his face looks like someone used it as target practice. Not one of ours,” Mikhail muttered. “What caused his injuries?”
“Maybe a gun,” I said, scanning the room. “No. A baseball bat. It’s missing from the corner. Lainey.” Oh, my fucking God. She’d attacked him before he could hurt her or the girls. With no signs of blood and little disturbance in the room, either she’d managed to protect the children or someone had taken them.
I bolted into the bathroom, yanking back the shower curtain. Something caught my eye on the tub’s bottom. A hair clip. Nina’s. The kids had been shuttled into the tub for safety. What the fuck had happened?
Jesus fucking Christ.
“Where the hell is she? What the fuck happened?” I was close to panicking, rage hitting me hard.
“Calm down. I don’t think there’s a chance these monsters managed to take her from the property.”
While Mikhail’s voice as always was the one of reason, I couldn’t give a shit. I was in his face in a second, barely able to remember he was my Pakhan and I owed him respect under every circumstance. As soon as I pointed a finger in his face, I managed to restrain myself, backing away.
But not before enduring his initial harsh glare. However, that was quickly followed by his expression of concern. “We’ll find her, Sasha. You have my fucking word.”
I fisted my forehead, trying to process what had occurred. “How did they get into the house?” Even if they’d gotten out, there was no way the perpetrators could have escaped with two young girls and a woman without being challenged.
“We’re going to find out. Lainey is a smart girl and she obviously did everything in her power to protect the children. Think. Where would she go and hide?”
As soon as he asked the question, my eyes flew open. “Oh, my fucking God.”
“What is it?”
I ignored his question, racing toward my bedroom, almost ripping the closet door off the hinges so I could get inside. I was shaking from anger as I pressed the hidden button for the panic room.
The chest shifted to the side, the door popping open and even before I crouched down, I gathered a scent of Lainey’s incredible perfume.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
My girls were alive and safe.
All thanks to my beautiful musician.
Even so, I made a pledge at that very moment. There were no other words for what would occur.
The person responsible would die.
CHAPTER 11
Sasha
“Daddy!”Nina crawled out of the confining space, jumping into my arms.
“Thank God,” Mikhail whispered.
