The gates opened loudly in the headquarters, and a second later, an unfamiliar black car drove in hastily. It stopped abruptly. To my shock, my father got out of it.
He was accompanied by a man wearing a suit and grim expression as he scanned all the guys.
Radmir tensed and pushed me behind him while my father called out, his face red with rage, “Vivian!”
Oh, God.
What is he doing here? How has he found me?
Once I arrived in Russia, I wrote to them that I was fine and needed a vacation from the life they had pushed on me. They were furious, but I didn't bother to do anything else. I was old enough to have my own life, and they could deal with the Jordan family on their own.
Apparently, Dad didn't agree.
“Do not use that tone on her,” Radmir growled, while I shifted my stance to stand next to him.
“Dad—”
He held eye contact with Radmir. “You will not tell me how to speak to my child who ran away with a criminal!” he shouted. When his voice rose, I noticed the guys stood up, all traces of humor gone as they gathered behind us, providing protection.
Why though? My father wouldn't kill anyone!
“She is my woman, and you will not disrespect her.” Radmir’s cold voice chilled the temperature around us, and shaking my head in exasperation, I took a step toward my dad.
“Shut up! Vivian, get in the fucking car!” he bellowed, stopping me in my tracks as my eyes widened. “Or this man”—he pointed at the guy in the suit—“will take him straight to prison.”
Freaking what?
Unbelievable! Truthfully, I didn't understand why was he acting this way. “Dad, I’m twenty-three years old. I’m not an underage kid you can control.” My heart panged painfully at the distance between us, but I wouldn't let him dictate my life. My choices and desires mattered too, and it wasn't like I gave up on my old life or anything. We had been planning a trip back to the States, so Radmir could be introduced to my parents, and then I’d properly move here.
Dad’s jaw ticked as he fisted his hands while breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with fire as he sent daggers Radmir’s way but spoke to me. “You will come with me, Vivian, or he goes to prison,” he repeated.
Radmir asked with a chuckle that lacked any humor, “Based on what? You are in Russia. Your laws don’t apply here.” His voice held nothing but coldness, and even I shivered from it, and not in a good way. While I didn't appreciate my father barging in here and shouting threats, Radmir had no right to speak to him like that either.
“Radmir, Dad—” I started, but neither of them cared, as they faced each other off.
“She is a US citizen and I filed a missing person report.”
“I’m not missing, Father!”
The man in the suit cleared his throat, opening his mouth for the first time. “You haven't answered your phone. They couldn't locate you, and since you traveled here and were spotted in the company of, well, Russian mafia, it became an FBI case. We have spoken with FSB and Interpol and have permission to take you back.” Blinking several times, I tried to absorb this information and not lose my mind.
My family actually contacted the FBI after I told them everything was fine?
“Look, Agent—” My eyes scanned his chest for a name tag and once I noticed it, I added, “Hank. I called my parents, and I’m not here against my will.”
“I don’t need you to speak for me,krasivoglazaya.” Radmir ran his hand softly on my back while addressing my father. “Like I said before, you have no jurisdiction to threaten me with prison. Let’s get inside and talk it out.” He gentled his tone, and I knew he did it for my sake, trying to reach my father somehow, but his effort was pointless.
“I don’t need to hash out anything with you. She is coming with me, unless you want FSB here sniffing around your headquarters? Yourpakhan?” He spat the word as if it was dirty. “Surely you agree with us and don’t want unnecessarily problems.”
FSB stood for Federal Security Service of Russian Federation, the equivalent of FBI in the States. While Radmir explained to me that they couldn't catch their dealings, if they tried to get them inside and create problems… they could. And they’d never visited headquarters before. Considering the place had drugs, women, and guns, they would have enough evidence to create problems. Maybe not imprison them, but the obstacles would be huge. No one wanted to deal with a gang who couldn't handle the law.
But knowing my father and the way he had behaved with his opponents, he could do so easily and without remorse in his heart.
Someone had to interfere before it escalated into something neither of them would be able to stop.
Taking a deep breath, I came to a conclusion in my mind and said, “Fine, I'll go with you.” Satisfaction settled on my father’s face, but I ignored it and focused my whole attention on my man who went rigid beside me, while his eyes shone with fury and desperation.
“Vivian—”
