Cruel Paradise - A Mafia Romance Chapter 175

“We need to figure out a way to call Ruslan.” Josh’s eyes meet mine. The longer we stay in the darkness, the clearer things become. “He’ll come for us.”

Tears prick unexpectedly at my eyes. Those four little words prove that, despite all his hurt, he still has faith in Ruslan. Deep down, he knows that Ruslan cares about us, even if he doesn’t always show it.

Our bodies teeter to one side as the van takes a sharp bend. I can hear muffled murmurs from the front of the van but we’re separated from it by a thick black partition.

As far as I know, Ruslan has Adrik in his custody. So… who the hell are these guys? And what do they want with us?

Are we slowing down?

“Kids, listen to me carefully, okay?” All three of them perk up with alertness. The girls lift their heads from my lap. “You stay in the corner of this van and be as still as possible. The moment you get the opportunity, you run. Do you hear me?”

All three kids look terrified. Hell, I’m sure I do, too. But it’s all we’ve got.

“Run where?” Reagan asks, chewing on her bottom lip. “I won’t know where I’m going.”

“Find an adult and ask them if you can make a call to your dad,” I instruct them, thinking on my feet. “Then call Ruslan. All three of you know his number by heart, right?”

“I don’t!” Reagan says in a panicky voice. “Auntie Em, I don’t!”

Josh grabs her hand. “I know it. Repeat after me.”

He starts repeating Ruslan’s number slowly, enunciating each digit. He repeats the number three times and then has Reagan say it again after him.

Oh, God, we’re definitely slowing down.

By the time the van comes to a stop, Reagan has the number memorized. At least, I hope so. I nod to the kids and they push themselves into the corners of the van as the engine dies. I can’t hear much from the outside, but I do hear the sound of the driver’s door open and then shut. The other door does the same.

I’m hoping that we’re dealing with only two men. Somehow, I doubt we’ll be that lucky.

“Auntie Em,” Reagan says from her corner. Her voice is trembling violently. “I’m still scared.”

My heart splits. “I know, sweetheart. But I promise you, I’m gonna keep you safe.”

Josh reaches for his sister’s hand. “Me, too.”

Thud. Click. The door handle mechanism springs open. Reagan gasps and scurries backwards. Caroline slaps her hands over her face and Josh’s fists tighten as the double doors to the van are flung open. I hold my breath, ready to face our captor, ready to attack. But—

“Ben?!”

54

EMMA

The shock of seeing my brother-in-law freezes me in place. So much for the fight I was planning on putting up. I’m dumbfounded.

He has the audacity to smile cheerfully at the kids. “Hey, guys. Missed me?”

He actually has the balls to say that out loud.

“You motherf—”

But before I can finish the expletive, something flies past me, knocking me off-balance. It takes a second for me to register that the little cannonball that blazed past was none other than Josh.

He hurls himself on Ben and the two of them kick up a cloud of dust as they collapse in the dirt. Reagan and Caroline scream, rushing around me in panic.

“Josh!” I cry.

But he’s not listening. He’s too busy beating the shit out of his father. He’s unloading punch after punch in his dad’s face, and despite the size difference, it’s all one-way traffic. Every punch is devastating and efficient.

“What the… Stop!… Fucking hell… J-Josh… stop!” Ben splutters from between his raised arms.

But Josh doesn’t stop. He doesn’t look like he’s anywhere close to stopping. And I’m not super inclined to stop him myself. Not until I see how terrified the girls are right now.

“Josh, honey… stop.”

I leap out of the van while the girls hover on the edge of it. The whole time, their brother keeps pummeling the shit out of Ben. Blood and sweat mingle with the dirt beneath them. The sweat is Josh’s. The blood is his father’s.

And then I notice a figure approach from my peripheral vision. I jerk backward when I look up and recognize his face.

“Adrik?!”

He grabs hold of Josh and drags him off Ben. Josh roars when he’s pulled off his father but Adrik just throws him onto the dirt and pulls out a gun.

Everyone freezes.

“That’s enough,” he says quietly.

He stands just over Ben’s face. Ben looks like shit, covered in muddy, bloody grime. Adrik looks down at him in disgust.

“Beaten by a child. Pathetic.”

“You know what’s even more pathetic?” I snarl. “Kidnapping your own kids and terrifying the shit out of them.”

I back up so that I’m shielding both girls. But Josh is entirely too exposed for my liking. I keep trying to make eye contact with him but his gaze is firmly fixed on his father.

Ben sits up and scowls at me. “You left me no choice.”

“Actually, you were given a choice. Many of them. You just chose wrong.”

“As much as I hate to break up all the family drama here,” Adrik drawls, “this is getting boring.”

I stare at the man in horror. “How are you even free?”

“You don’t know?” Immediately, I bite my tongue. Why the hell did I even open my mouth in the first place? “Oh, poor thing. He didn’t tell you.”

That old, familiar uncertainty gnaws at my stomach. “What do you want, Adrik?” I stammer out, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he growls. “I want revenge. We both do.”