Chapter One
‘Get over here’
Mikel shouted as gunfire exploded across the car park, Luca leapt across the car and rolled under the truck next to him,
‘Where are Nikita and Dmitri?’
He asked and Luca pointed to the two men pinned down by the gunfire next to a large SUV,
‘Fuck’
Mikel handed Luca his other gun and they shot their way over to their colleagues when they reached them Dmitri opened up the SUV and they leapt in while he started the engine. It was bullet proof but even so they ducked as the ping’s of the bullets hit the sides clutching their chairs as it swerved out of the car park on to the main road.
‘We were set up’
Nikita snarled angrily.
‘No shit’
Mikel grunted as the SUV picked up speed heading for their compound, Dmitri was a seasoned get away driver and it was not long before it pulled up inside the protective walls. Striding into the office Luca shouted over his shoulder,
‘My Office, all of you now’
The four men faced each other and Luca glowered,
‘No one betrays the Bratva. [Solntsevskaya Bratva are the Russian Mafia] We have an insider find them by the end of the day.’
Katalyna was sat on the floor playing with her toys, the late evening sunshine caught her pale ash blonde hair turning it golden. She was a dainty, beautiful little girl and her Mother was the youngest sister of the Bratva Pakhan [Boss] Luca Sanchez. She had the same pale blonde hair as her daughter but her eyes were an insipid blue grey. Katrina was not as beautiful as her daughter, the little girl had the most unusual green and gold cats eyes that captured everyone’s attention when she looked at them. Her Father was Roberto Maldini, the notorious Italian Mafia Don. Katrina had met him on a holiday to Italy. She had been swept away by his dark, sexy good looks and he had fallen for her cool blonde classic Russian look. They had spent a month together, their passion burning brightly unable to keep their hands off each other. Roberto had even bought her a ring and then they discovered who the other one really was and the anger and hurt was passionate. It was to late though, their feelings for each other were so intense Katrina refused to go home betraying the Bratva Code. She loved Roberto and moved into his luxury villa on the island of Sicily. He adored her and proposed two weeks later giving her the stunning diamond ring he had bought. They were happy for such a short time, it was huge a coup for Roberto stealing their hated enemies [The Russian Bratva] prize female, Luca’s beloved baby sister. He could not stand for it, his own sister breaking the strict Bratva Code so he had to act or he would be punished. He sent in his soldiers and there was a bloodbath, a dozen Mafia men were killed, eight Italians and four Russians. Roberto was seriously injured but his men got him safely away and Katrina was forced to return to Russia not knowing if he lived or died. She was four months pregnant with his daughter, they had only just found out and for a few days her world had been complete.
Roberto survived and vowed to get his revenge on the fucking Russians who had ruined his life he wasn’t interested in the fact Katrina was gone from his life. He had plenty of pretty girls willing to share his bed and do whatever he asked them to do. He also enjoyed those who were not so willing, he enjoyed a fighter, enjoyed forcing them to do what he wanted it was more arousing than those who lay back and let him do it anyway. He did not miss Katrina and he forgot about the baby he had put in her belly. Her brother allowed her to keep her baby but they kept her a virtual prisoner at the Bratva compound.
Katalyna never left the compound, the only time she went outside was to play in the large manicured gardens, the Guards had built her a swing and a slide. As she had grown from a baby to a toddler the men had felt sorry for the dainty beauty, her Mother ignored her and her Uncle wanted nothing to do with her. Katrina had sunk into a deep depression after her baby was born and left her care entirely to others. Rarely leaving her bed even when the baby had cried relentlessly she had severe Post Natal Depression but none of them knew what it was so she went untreated. Luca had ended up hiring a Nanny as little Katalyna had screamed her hunger and fear at being ignored keeping them all up for most of the night. She had only settled when a maid had taken her from her Uncles arms washed and changed her then given her a bottle of milk and she had fallen into an exhausted sleep. It was a miracle she had turned into the cute little girl she was, all his Guards loved her, it was hard not to. When they gave her attention she would smile up at them her stunning eyes shining golden so that she appeared lit up from within. She revelled in the few minutes attention they spared her.
The Nanny did her best, she adored the little girl to and tried everything she knew to get Katrina interested in her daughter but failed miserably.
‘Mama sick’
The little girl would say looking up at her Nanny,
‘Mama always sick’
She said matter of factly and went off to play with her toys as the Nanny worried about her, Katalyna needed to go to pre school and mix with children her own age now she had turned three. Her whole living situation was wrong, living in this big cold impersonal house with four men, and God knew how many male soldiers. Not that she minded the soldiers, she enjoyed their company and they enjoyed her body, she was a very game woman, they said, always ready and willing for any of them.
She knew the rules though, Mr Sanchez had made it clear she must deal with the child and not bother him unless it was important. Well she thought the little girls eduction was very important so taking a deep breath and gripping her hand tightly she marched to her Uncle’s office and knocked on the door.
