The Game

ALEKSANDR

The city lights were a blur as we raced down the highway, Azure in our sights.

I dialed Kaia’s number for the tenth time, only to be met with her voicemail once again.

“Damn it,” I muttered, shoving my phone back into my pocket. The thought of keeping Kaia chained to my bed was becoming more appealing by the second.

I shot a glare at Niko, who was just finishing up his call.

“What did Feliks have to say?”

His grimace was reflected in the rearview mirror.

“He assumed she was asleep in her room and didn’t want to disturb her,” Niko relayed.

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting. I couldn’t blame Feliks for his assumption. He usually left food out for Kaia, who would eat whenever she felt like it.

“But how did we miss Stasya being at the house?”

Niko shook his head, acknowledging the oversight.

I knew he’d deal with the gatekeepers for this lapse.

“Stasya lives there. Samuil thought you knew she was coming home. Plus, she was with Kir. They didn’t see it as a big deal.”

I grunted in response. They were right. Stasya usually stayed with me when she wasn’t in the city. And with Kir around, no one would suspect her of any mischief.

That left Kir to deal with.

I dialed his number, and he picked up on the first ring.

“Boss.”

The sound of women’s laughter and singing in the background was a relief. He was close to the group.

“~Where is she~?” I demanded, my voice hard.

“Stasya’s on the dance floor with her friends—”

“Not Stasya,” I interrupted. “~Kaia~.”

There was a pause. Clearly, my sister hadn’t told Kir who she was.

“She’s with Stasya. They’re heading back to the VIP floor now.”

My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles turning white.

“Listen, Kir,” I said, my voice dark with emotion, “Kaia is mine. If anything happens to her, someone will pay.”

Kir cursed under his breath.

“I didn’t know,” he said, not bothering to apologize. He knew I valued actions over words.

“I’m on my way. Keep her off the dance floor.”

His response was immediate.

“Yes, boss.”

I ended the call and exhaled deeply.

“Why would Stasya do this?” Niko asked, glancing at me in the mirror.

I clenched my jaw.

“Does she ever need a reason to piss me off?” I retorted.

But deep down, I knew why Stasya had done it. My control over Kaia reminded her of her past life—a life we never discussed. A life where she longed for freedom.

KAIA

I trailed behind Stasya and the other girls, heading back to our booth. It was a welcome respite from the noise of the dance floor. Despite the crowd, I felt surprisingly at ease.

“Why’d you pull us away?” Anya asked, sipping her water. “The DJ was just getting good.”

Stasya nudged me, pulling me away from my margarita.

“What?” I slurred, the alcohol making my words fuzzy.

“I saw Kir on the phone, looking at you. That can only mean one thing.”

My fun was over.

Sure enough, Kir was standing by the stairs, arms crossed, glaring at us. Xavier was next to him, frowning as Kir whispered something and pointed our way.

“Aleksandr’s coming, isn’t he?” I groaned. I was having too much fun to leave.

I’d never been part of a girl gang before, but this group made me feel right at home. They didn’t mind that I didn’t know the lyrics to the songs, or that I spent the first ten minutes on the dance floor just standing there, too shy to let go.

“He’s not happy, according to Marco,” Anya shared. Her eyes were glued to her phone as she typed out a response.

I just grinned, sipping my margarita and shrugging.

“Well, that’s okay. I’m not exactly thrilled with him either.”

Stasya threw her head back in laughter, and the other girls joined in.

“Anyway, I better hit the restroom before my future husband decides to drag me out of here,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I’ll join you,” Anya offered, setting her glass down. Her phone buzzed in her hand, causing her to glance at it. “Oh, it’s Marco. I better take this before ~he~ decides to drag me out too.” She made a face. “I’ll catch up with you.”

I nodded at her and headed toward the small hallway that led to our private bathrooms.

I was just about to push the door open when a gloved hand clamped over my mouth, pulling me back against a solid body before steering me toward the hallway and the emergency exit.

Fear surged through me, and for a moment, I was back in that terrible day when I was kidnapped by Cristiano’s men. Drugged and tossed into a car like a bag of trash. But Cristiano wasn’t here now, and I had no clue what this person intended to do with me.

I tried to scream, kicking and scratching at the muscular arms holding me, but his grip only tightened. He was dressed in all black, and when I managed to turn my head slightly, I could see the lower half of his face concealed by a balaclava.

I mustered all my strength and drove my elbow hard into his ribs. He grunted, his grip loosening just a bit. It was all the opportunity I needed. I twisted in his arms, ducking under his outstretched hand, but he caught me by the waist again.

This time, my scream echoed through the corridor.

Footsteps thundered down the hallway as Xavier and Kir drew their guns and sprinted toward me.

“Stop!” Kir yelled.

The masked man released me, sprinting toward the exit. As he pushed through the door, he yanked off his mask, and a pair of piercing green eyes met mine.

“~Ilya~?” I whispered, my body freezing in shock.

Xavier and Kir rushed past me, but the door had already slammed shut, and the man was gone.