The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 204

Orion

I rubbed my exhausted eyes, trying to make sense of why I was standing outside Le Bernardin at seven in the morning, watching members of the Kozlov crime family comb through the area like they were conducting a federal investigation. The early morning air was crisp, and the normally bustling street was eerily quiet, making our operation feel surreal.

The memory of Aveline's furious expression when she'd practically thrown me out of my own penthouse this morning was still fresh in my mind. Her exact words had been: "If you can't find Vivian, I'll handle it myself!" The determination in her voice had been both admirable and terrifying.

*Seriously? You want me to risk my neck saving someone who's tried to destroy you two separate times?*

But despite my irritation, I found myself genuinely curious about whether Vivian had actually experienced some kind of conscience crisis last night. The only way to get answers was to find her first.

Victor Kozlov emerged from the restaurant's service entrance, his massive frame moving with surprising grace for someone his size. He held up his phone, gesturing for me to come closer.

"Here's what we've got," he said in his thick Russian accent, pointing to the screen. "Security footage from the restaurant's exterior camera. Your girl Vivian—she was grabbed right here, approximately thirty seconds after you left with the other woman."

I studied the grainy video footage, watching two enormous men efficiently manhandle Vivian into a white van. Even in the poor quality recording, I could see the terror on her face. But what made my blood run cold was the unmistakable silhouette visible through the van's passenger window.

"Fuck!" I exploded. "That's Dwayne! That son of a bitch actually came back to New York!"

Victor squinted at the screen, then looked at me with raised eyebrows. "You can track this vehicle?"

He shook his head grimly. "License plates are obscured—probably fake anyway. These guys knew what they were doing."

"Damn it." I felt a grudging respect for Aveline's intuition. "So she was right. Vivian really did betray them, which is why they needed to grab her this way. They probably planned to use this exact method on Aveline."

Victor studied the footage more carefully, his expression growing thoughtful. "You know, these two enforcers look familiar..."

I immediately focused on him. "You recognize them?"

"Da. One of them used to work for someone who used to work for me." Victor's tone carried the particular brand of disgust reserved for betrayal. "The chain of command gets complicated in our business."

"Victor, please tell me this isn't blowback from some traitor in your organization," I said, feeling my patience evaporate.

He shrugged with the casual acceptance of someone who'd seen every form of human treachery. "Our world is survival of the fittest, Orion. Loyalty is... negotiable for some people. I've had plenty of soldiers come and go over the years, and not all departures are amicable."

"Like my uncle turning against me," I said, understanding the parallel.

"Exactly." Victor's expression hardened. "This particular rat is named Dmitri Petrov. I treated him like a brother for years, but he chose money over honor. Now he runs a mercenary crew—the Iron Wolves—operating out of the warehouse district in Queens. They're guns-for-hire, no principles, no code. Just cash and violence."

I cut him off impatiently. "I don't need the full background check. If they work for money, that makes this simple. Dwayne paid them to grab Vivian, so someone else can pay them to let her go. I want you to find this woman and guarantee her safety within twelve hours."

Victor nodded. "What's your offer?"

"Spread the word through your network—five million dollar bounty for her safe return."

Victor's eyes widened comically. "Five million? Boss, based on how you were talking about this woman this morning, I figured you wouldn't spend five thousand."

I smiled grimly. "Her stock value has risen considerably since then. She's worthless to me personally, but she matters to my wife. And what matters to my wife matters to me."

Victor stopped mid-step, staring at me in confusion. "Sir, when did you get married? I thought you were—"

I realized I'd spoken without thinking, but decided not to elaborate. "I've been married for years, Victor. Focus on the job, not my personal life."

Victor's grin was knowing and amused. "Ah, I see. So this woman is important to someone who's important to you." He waved his hand dismissively. "In that case, forget the bounty. I'll handle this personally, no charge."

"Seriously? Victor, you're a lifesaver."

"The favor you'll owe me will be worth far more than five million," he said with a wink. "Besides, the Iron Wolves made this personal when they started operating in my territory without permission. Dmitri needs to learn some respect."

As Victor walked away, already pulling out his phone to make calls, I felt a mixture of relief and apprehension. Aveline had been right about Vivian's situation, which meant she'd also been right about the danger involved.

For someone I'd considered nothing more than a troublemaker twelve hours ago, Vivian had suddenly become the key to keeping my wife from doing something catastrophically reckless.

*The things we do for love.*