Mafia Bloodlines

Prologue

Anastasia' pov

I sat in front of the small, cracked mirror, brushing my daughters' hair with gentle strokes. Faina and Ulyana, my precious twin girls, chatted excitedly as they played with their toys on the floor. They were two years old now, and their bright smiles and curious nature lit up even the darkest of places.

As I brushed their hair, I whispered a promise in their ears, a promise I hoped with all my heart would come true.  A promise that had kept me going for so long, it makes me look forward to the next day. The promise I would make to my little girls reassured even me, things would get better soon, they had to.

"Daddy will find us, my little ones. I know he will. He'll leave no stone unturned, and when he does, we'll be free. We'll be happy with your brothers and father. We will be one big happy family, just like we were always meant to be." I whisper in their ears.

I hoped that Vladimir would save us from this nightmare. I think three years had passed since I was kidnapped, and I'd lost count of the days. Time had become a blur, a never-ending cycle of pain, fear, and survival. Vladimir will come, he has to, he wouldn't just give up on me.

Although I hate to admit it I've changed during my captivity. I had never even held a gun before coming to this place. Vladimir had an army ready to protect me, I never really desired to learn to use a gun since I had always felt safe. I was definitely not your typical mafia Donna, assassin, something deadly, heck before this I wouldn't even have hurt a fly. Vladimir had built a world for me where I could just be and I was protected and shielded from the downside of the mafia world.

I don't even believe how much things have changed since then. I now have perfect aim, I can fight like a champion, better than a man. The Mexican mafia leader, Felipe hopes to turn me into a really baddas sadistic assassin, all while making my husband suffer. Felipe claims that Vladimir killed his wife and that is why he was after me and why Felipe is holding me here. He said that the original plan was to kill me and send my chopped pieces of flesh and body parts to my husband in a nicely wrapped gift. Felipe changed his mind at the last moment and just decided to keep me here and make me his puppet. I do anything and everything he asks of me, the lives of my daughters depends on it.

"Venom, the Don requires your assistance," Luiz tells me as he unlocks my cell. I kiss faina and Ulyana one last time before I walk out, following Luiz. Felipe is standing with two other men who are in expensive suits, judging from the way they look I'd say they  are Italian.

"Carlos, Santiago this is the infamous Venom.  I thought it was befitting for you guys to finally meet and not just meet, I wanted to show you guys my work and how far we have come with Anastasia Bukhari." Felipe explained, vaguely. I guess they are all going to be watching from the glass as I go on Venom mode. Felipe grips my hand tightly as he leans to my ear and whispers in it.

" Remember what is at stake here, there is always a high price to pay for defiance. I am a man of my word, your daughters will not be harmed in any way if you continue to follow my orders. Who knows these  men could walk out with one of your daughters in their possession. I'd  thread carefully if I were you, I hear Carlos  is a tyrant and  he is cruel mafia leader. So I'd hate it if you force me to give in to Carlos's demands now. Your loyalties must lie with me now, don't forget that," Felipe let's go of my hand and moves back a bit.

I let out a small breath before I opened the door and I was met with Sergie Novikov's  ice blue eyes. This can't possibly be the man I'm going to torture and kill. Sergie is still shocked to see that it is me, it was like he was seeing a ghost. That's why Felipe gave me that speech, he was threatening me so much because he knew that once I saw who the man was I wouldn't want to hurt or kill him.

" Anastasia?"
"It really is you, I mean we thought  you....." I cut his ranting off, this was definitely not the time for a little reunion.

"Sergie, listen to me I don't want to hurt you. I don't know what game they are playing with the both of us and why.  Tell me what they want to know so I don't have to torture the information out of you,"  I said, I wasn't threatening him, I was pleading with him to give in so I would t have to do this to him. He studies my face and sees that I'm actually serious. I've done hideous things to the people they have brought in for me to torture and silence, it would hurt me if those things were to be done to Sergie by me. I know that he would never betray his family, I would get nothing out of him no matter what tactics I used. And I respected that.

I walked to the metal table with the injections, blades, knives, and grinders. I took a small injection,a stimulant, we usually use it to keep our victims awake even though the mind's first instinct is to fall unconscious after prolonged pain and agony.  I injected it in the nearest vein I could find, making sure that Felipe and his friends could t see what I was doing.

The stimulant would increase his alertness,  energy and blood flow. After a minute Sergie realised what I was doing, he could feel his body giving up on him. I didn't even think the effects would be this fast, his heart condition must have been really bad.

" Sergie believe me I wish that things would have been different. There is a lot at stake for me, I don't want to hurt you, I will not hurt you." I say as tears brims in my eyes.

"I believe you my sweet girl. Do not let them break you, thank you Ana, for sparing me." Sergie said as he took more deap breaths, the air was leaving his body, he was sweating and his body was shaking. By the time Felipe got inside it was too late Sergie was already dead.

" Hey What did you do huh? I warned you about doing anything funny," Felipe shouted as he grabbed my shoulders in anger.

" I did nothing to him. The man was sick, he was frail, he was dying a slow death even before you brought him here. I followed your orders, the injection was supposed to keep him awake long enough for me to get information out of him and torture him to your full contentment Felipe." I lied while keeping my face straight, that's another thing I've mastered here, lying.  I knew Sergie had a serious heart condition which is exactly why I gave him the stimulant before I got crafty. Dying of a heart attack was more dignified than dying at the hands of Venom. I'm well aware of the things that Felipe would have wanted me to do to him, he would have had me cut him open and then stitch him back together again or even slowly peel off his skin. I couldn't do that to Sergie because I knew him too well and I loved him, he was family to me, my father in law and a dear friend.
Even though it was on better terms I was the one who killed him, his blood is on my hands now.