The Personal Assistant

Twenty One

Andriy's POV

In what world did a mother and her son go missing on the same day, hours apart? In what world would it take a man this long to figure out that his nemesis could be responsible?

  After waiting at home for over an hour for Joanna, I called her mother. No answer, so I let my impulses control me and I drove up to Markham. One of the foster kids answered the door; a mousy eighth grader with blonde hair. Her name was Anna and she was from Russia. I remembered meeting her the day she moved in over family day weekend.
"Privet, Andriy." She greeted me.
"Privet, Anechka. Where is Andréa?" I asked stepping in and closing the door.
She pointed to the backyard. The door was open and I could hear voices in a foreign tongue. I smiled at the child and headed to the backyard. Joanna's dad Andréa and her uncle Marco along with his wife and sons.  Marco caught my attention first. He locked his gaze on me and his eyes narrowed when he saw the lack of his niece and her son.  Alessandra and her sons along with Jacquelyn were taking advantage of the unusually warm march and did some yard work. Andréa was manning the grill.
   "Andriy, what are you doing here?" Andréa asked. He'd turned around the sound of the sliding door closing. I forced a small smile and glanced back to Marco.
   "I need to talk to you. Both of you actually. It's about Joanna and Jordan." I said.
  Andréa looked to his brother in law and back to me. I sat down at the glass table across from Marco. Andréa sat at the head.
   "To keep it simple, Jordan went missing from his school this afternoon, and now Joanna is missing too. I was to pick up Jordan from school and he was not there, the teacher already assumed Joanna had gotten him. When I called Joanna she said she'd look around the area. We agreed to meet at home but when I got there she wasn't there. She's not answering any calls or texts." I explained.
  Marco huffed and shook his head while mumbling in Italian. Andréa had tears welling in his eyes.
   "Did you call the cops?" He asked.
  I shook my head. Andréa cursed in Italian.
   "Why would you ask such a stupid question? You know he can't go to la polizia! Non si dovrebbe essere scioccati." Marco scoffed.
   "Why can't he go to them?" Andréa looked at him in confusion.
  Marco turned to me and raised a brow.
   "Would you like me to explain? Mr. Vasilevsky?"
  I gulped. I knew what he was getting at. I didn't answer so Marco explained.
   "Andriy, is the boss for the Russian Mafia. To keep it simple."
  Ashamed, I looked down. It was not something I wanted known. Especially by my girlfriend's father.
"Dio mio! Questo è colpa sua!" Andréa growled.
Thankfully the women and children were at the far ends of the yard.
"Andréa, sai i russi e italiani sono alleati. If this is his fault, it is not deliberate." Marco calmed him down.
"But, when it comes to my niece, no one is my ally. When it comes to family of the Italian mob, no one is safe." He continued to me.
I nodded.
"Does Joanna know about you?" I asked.
"Does she know that her uncle and her father are mafioso? Not her father. She just knows about me. Tell me, do you recognize me?" Marco replied.
"I've seen you before, but when I was younger."
It was at an auction. For prostitutes. I was in my early twenties. I was moving up in the family and was allowed to attend more risky events. The fathers before Sergei and I were close with the Italians. We'd been introduced but names never stuck around. Though they should have. In the family, you were taught to keep it in the family. But if you needed outside help, you'd go to the Sicilians.
"Yes, that's correct. Please explain what is really going on." Marco nodded.
I looked to Andréa, his face was stone. I told them. I recounted my relationship with Vitaly. How he threatened me, how he's been trying to take what's mine. I started from the beginning but tried to recount quickly. Time was precious. Just like my Joanna.
"Do you have an idea of where she is?" Marco asked.
"No, but I know that Vitaly owns a warehouse downtown by the beach." I paused.

"Yebena mat'! I should've known." I groaned.

"If he's taken them to that warehouse, you can't go alone. You need to be careful. You need to play smart." Andrea reminded me.

~

Jordan's POV

Mommy was bleeding from the nose. It dripped down over her mouth and her neck. Someone took her jacket and shirt off of her and left her in her underwear. Her head tilted to one side and it looked like she was sleeping. I wished I was sleeping. Back in my bed at Andriy's house.

"Mommy?" I called her name.

She didn't move. I called again. No answer. The next time I screamed. I screamed her name until I started crying. The room was dark and cold. We were alone. I continued to cry because I realized it was my fault. Mommy always told me never to talk to strangers, but I did. He sounded and looked like Andriy. I believed it was his brother. I should never have listened to him.

Joanna's POV

  The cold water on my face was what brought me back. I must've passed out after too many blows to the head. I was shocked that I wasn't in a coma. My ears were ringing and I hadn't opened my eyes yet. The shrill sound of an alarm blended into screams. Jordan's screams! My eyes opened and I snapped my neck to my left. My beautiful son was tied up in a chair screaming at me and three of Vitaly's henchmen. They were three beefy men, two with buzz cuts, one with a man bun. Buzz cut guys reminded me of soldiers. It didn't help that they were carrying two guns. Man bun guy spoke first. I could tell he was the lead in their little trio.
  "Little Joanna, all tied up and helpless. Bruised and bloody. Andriy should've listened to Vitaly. He should've treated you better. But you should've been smarter and listened to him. Stay away from Vitaly." He growled low.
   "What the hell are you talking about?" I barked back.
   "Vitaly and Andriy had a business deal. A deal that Andriy never followed through with. Andriy fucked over Vitaly, and now sweet Joanna, you and your son have to pay the price."
  Man bun guy smiled a disgusting smile. He backed away from me slowly and turned to face the other men. I turned my head to my son and immediately wanted to sob. He was unharmed unless you counted being tied up to a chair. Jordan was crying as the three men began to converse in Russian.
   "Momma I'm scared. I wanna go home!" He sobbed.
   "Oh baby I know. We will be alright. Be brave." I offered.
  He sniffled more and tears continued to roll. His crying grew louder and stronger. Man bun guy snapped back around and growled at my son.
   "Shut the fuck up before I kill you!" He roared.
He stormed back to me and spat in my face, "Make him stop crying before I do, you stupid whore!"
  Man bun guy slapped me across the face before disappearing with his boys.
  "I'm sorry Momma!" Jordan moaned.
I could tell he was trying to contain himself.