I had gone down to the kitchen to get a glass of water at night when I saw the light of Xavier's office on. "Hey, what are you doing?" he looked up, it was clear he was exhausted, his shirt rolled up to his forearms, his hair seemed messier than usual as though he kept running his hands through it.

"Work. What are you doing until 2 am?" He replied, I just shrugged and pointed to the glass of water in my hands. "Can't this work wait till tomorrow? Like you said, it's 2 am." He laughed quietly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure those Russians bastards don't care about my beauty sleep." My eyes widened in realization, I had been so preoccupied with my personal drama that I completely forgot about the still existing threat over our family.

"Shit, sorry. The whole Russian thing slipped my mind. I've been dealing with some stuff when I could clearly be focusing on more important matters." I sat on the seat on my side of the table.

"Oh don't worry about it. You of all people need to worry about something normal like a high school boyfriend." "Wait. So you're not gonna go all overprotective big brother on me for liking a boy, never mind actually going out with him?'' This was surprising because from what I've heard, older brothers are not supposed to be this cool about their sister going out with a guy.

Xavier laughed. I don't really think I have seen him laugh like this; he is never truly carefree unless he is alone. "Trust me when I say I tried to kill that kid for ditching you, but Sophia held me back. And I'm okay with you dating because I'm okay with the guys dating and if I didn't give you the same treatment then I'd be a hypocrite. Now, this does not in any way mean that you are allowed to do any lovey dovey teenage hormonal stuff in front of me."

"Good to know, now where are you with the whole Russian thing?" He sighed at my question, knowing I wasn't going to sleep any time soon. So he started explaining his plan to me. "The Russians have attacked us twice and both times, we were in big crowds. First, you and Luca were on a crowded road and then at the party so we know that they are not worried about being discreet.

So I'm thinking they're gonna make their next move at a time when we're in a more crowded place. The only big events coming up are two big shipments. One for narcotics and the other for munitions."

He finished pushing an open file towards me which contained the information regarding the incoming shipments. It didn't take long for me to figure out which one of these shipments they would try to tamper with. "They're coming for the munitions." "How do you know?"

"It's simple. Their most valuable source of money is the drugs whereas for us it's our weapons. Sokolov wouldn't want something he already has. He takes our arsenal; he leads in two spheres of the black market." Xavier had an impressed look making me smile in victory. "Now, what's your plan?"

"The shipment comes in tomorrow. Me, Alex, Sophia and the twins will be at our warehouse with back up-." "Wait." I stopped him in the middle. "What about me and Dante? Aren't we going with you?" Xavier just gave me an unimpressed look.

"No, you're both gonna be at home staying safe." I was about to interrupt him again but he just held up a hand to stop me. "This isn't your brother asking you, this is your leader telling you to follow the orders I gave you." I was speechless. This was the first time he had talked about me like I was a part of the mafia.

"Va bene Capo." (Okay, boss.)

After Xavier had a similar conversation with Dante the others were off to the warehouse. While Dante and I stayed back home. We had nothing to do so we were both sat in my room re-watching 'How to get away with murder' while pointing out the things we would have done differently so as to not get caught and everything seemed to be going according to plan until we heard sounds coming from outside.

I got up to check what was happening, there wasn't much I could see through my window but the sounds of crashing glass and breaking doors caught my attention.

"I'll go check what's happening. You stay here." I turned to Dante with wide eyes. He was crazy if he thought I was going to let him do this. "There is no way in hell you are going out there by yourself. I'm coming with you."

He turned to me, checking the ammunition in his gun, "Look, I know you have always been in on the action but I'm not taking any chances with the Russians and besides if something happens to me I'll need you to take over. Just trust me on this Katie."

Reluctantly I let him go. I waited in my room, gun ready. Waiting for Dante. Fifteen minutes had never felt so long. With my ear pressed to the door, I listened for voices. Finally I heard the sounds of fighting, struggling and a crash.

My mind travelled to the worst of places as I ran out. My back to the wall, as I creeped down the stairs slowly. Looking all around me even at the slightest of noises. The first room I went to was our living room, gun at the ready, "Let him go."

A man clad in black stood in front of me, he held up Dante by his head while his other hand had a gun trained to Dante's temple. Dante was unconscious, the blood on his temple and the vase on the ground explains his current state.

Half of the man's face was covered with a black cloth, only his eyes were visible, those too were neutral. I prided myself at being able to read people but I couldn't at all figure him out.

"Yeah there's no way that's happening." The man said, his voice thick with a Russian accent. "But you're gonna put that gun down now." I didn't move until I felt the muzzle of a gun at the back of my head. The guy in front of me had a cocky smirk on his face. I raised my hands slowly and the person behind me snatched the gun away from my hands.

"You do know I can still fight you all even without a gun. And still come out without a scratch." I was not being cocky, I just am that good.

"Oh I know, which is why you're not getting the chance to fight. You get two options. One, you came with us-." "Not a chance." "Let me finish дорогой." (Sweetheart)

"You either come with us, or I blow his face off right now." He punched the gun into Dante's forehead, pretty sure leaving a mark behind." My gaze was set on him, my hands shaking slightly from anger. I wanted to stab that fucker to death right now.

"You're bluffing." It was a shot in the dark, I was grasping at straws here, wanting even the slightest of reactions out of that man. A shot rang out through the quiet house. The wall behind me now sporting a bullet-sized hole. "Try me bitch! I'll blow this son of bitch's brains out right the fuck now."

"Okay okay! I'll come with you. Let him go now." There was no way in hell that bastard was getting to my family. The guy now satisfied with my answer let go of Dante's hair, letting him fall to the ground. I was about to run up to him until I was pulled back by the back of my shirt. The guy behind me tied my wrists together.

The one in front of me clicked his tongue. "I have no use for your brother. My boss wants you. So trust me your brother is going to be safe while you are to come with us." "Your words mean nothing to me." I spat the words into his face.

He laughed, "Well it's a good thing you don't matter to me either." Before I could get another word out, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. The bastards drugged me. My vision soon became loopy, my knees weak as I fell to the floor and my vision going black.

Xavier's POV

The shipment went through without any problems, no ambush, no hidden bombs, nothing. I could not believe the Russians didn't think to attack us right now. The fucking fools.

The guys were packing up. My brothers were sprawled out, on their phones, doing nothing as I supervised the last of the cases being transferred to my Italian base.

Even though we weren't actually attacked, I felt safer knowing I had left my youngest siblings at home. Our house was a safe place unlike here, they couldn't possibly be hurt back home.

My phone rang, it was Dante. Probably asking when we'd be back, he hated not being able to go to couch meetings. He was always interested in knowing more about weapons. "Hey, Dan, we're gonna be home soon. So it'd be a good time to get rid of any guests you might have brought home."

Instead of his usual answers all I heard was ragged breathing and sniffles from the other side. My body immediately tensed up. Alex caught my worried expression as he came over to me. "Dante what's going on?" He started crying "They took her. My sister they took her and I-I couldn't do anything."

"Dan what are you talking about, what's happened to Kate?" On hearing our sister's name all of my brothers gathered around me. "The fucking Russians. They ambushed the house. We tried to fight them off but one got to me and knocked me out, and when I wo-woke up she was gone." Dante explained, hiccuping at the end.

"I'm coming home right now. Just hang in there." I hung up the phone, my brothers already on their way to our cars. I called out to the rest of the crew. "Everyone needs to be on route to our house. This whole threat was a decoy. Leave this and get to my house now!"

If they thought I wouldn't go to heaven and hell for my sister, those Russians were soo wrong.

Kate's POV

I woke up disgruntled, my head felt like a ton of bricks, slowly coming back to consciousness, I found that my limbs were tied to a chair, no matter how hard I tried to pull free from them, those damn ropes just wouldn't give up. I was in a dimly lit room. Not a single window, I couldn't even see a shadow in this place.

The door of the room was revolting, no one came for hours. I was trapped in here with mouthing to look at and no one to talk to. Until finally the sound of the lock being open from the other came.

Two figures stepping into the darkness. The bright light from outside making me squint as I readjusted my eyesight. I knew the people that stood before me, one more personally than the other. There was no mistaking who stood before me. I couldn't believe it.

——————————————————— Hello!

We are so close to the end now! I'm so excited yet sad at the same time.

Who do you think the two people are?🤔🤔

Please comment and tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. The interaction with the past couple of chapters has been very less. If you guys aren't liking something so tell me so I can improve on it. I would love to hear your thoughts!🤗

I hope you guys liked this one!

Some really good stuff is coming up soon!

Love you all!💕💕✨✨