Realistic or Modern Of Ivanov Blood Reboot//All spots full!

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

Did Aleksi know that Nicholai was probably correct about the space issue and the fact that she was avoiding him by working every waking hour? Yes. Yes he did. But what was he supposed to do about it? His conscious was so heavy about the way they left things and he knew it was all his fault. He knew about her hang-ups and issues with past relationships and still he did this. Aleksi may be a member of the mob, a future leader even, but he had always prided himself on being good with women and nice in general outside of his mob actions. Yet here he was fucking things up. "I know, just... I don't like feeling this way." His best friend and guard continued and Aleksi flopped on the couch once again, this time just flipping his body over onto his back. "Good for her I guess. I still cant believe that Katya's men thought that kidnapping her was even a remotely good idea."

Aleksi's phone went off and Nicholai grabbed it before Aleksi could even really react, he was hoping it was Zofia but when Katya's name left Nichola's mouth instead he had to admit he felt guilty from how excited he got. He truly was awful.

"It is a GREAT idea dear Nicholai. We get to see our friends and maybe just maybe we can start making things less weird after our time imprisoned in the Ivanov Manor. Now come on, put on your best mood you can and do this for me. I need something good." Aleksi and Nicholai arrived at the restaurant and got out of the car, as they made their way towards the door another thought hit Aleksi's brain. "Plus you haven't seen Mikhail since you sucker punched the man and I for one think this is going to be hilarious."

They joined the others at the table and if looks could kill both Aleksi and Nicholai would be dead, Mikhail was doing everything he could to not murder Nicholai on the spot and Masha seemed to be doing the same with Aleksi. As much as Aleksi wanted to pretend he cared about the looks they were getting, he only noticed them for half a second before his eyes fell on Katya and he felt his heart jump into his throat and his stomach fall to his feet. The combination of his very confusing feelings for Katya and his guilt over Zofia were really starting to be too much for him to handle. "Uh, thank you for the invite. It is really nice to see you all outside of the house." It was clear to anyone with eyes that he wasn't his normal self as he quickly took his seat at the table and poured himself a heavy pour of merlot and took a long drink.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

Mikhail had always been able to see right through Katya and it drove her insane. What was he, her father? So what if she wanted to look nice for someone? It was made clear years ago that if they got involved with each other it would create a huge issue in the families. It was her fault for even telling her father her feelings, if she hadn't maybe they would have been able to at least stay friends. But now she couldn't even dress nice for a nice dinner that he just so happened to be attending? "I'm always on my best behavior, nothing but professionalism here Mikhail. Promise." Katya gave Mikhail a reassuring smile as Annabella and Masha joined them.

"See Mikhail, I'm not the only one to dress up. A girl just wants to look nice for dinner, and Masha you look lovely. Thanks again for joining us." Did Katya expect for them to become best friends overnight? Of course not. Annabella had explained how the lifestyle made Masha uncomfortable so she wanted to take it slow with her sister. Unfortunately, Katya never knew how much time she had left with her heart condition. It could fail any day, they had been saying that since she was small. The mob was supposed to go to someone in the family and part of Katya wanted that to be Masha, though she knew that Masha wouldn't want anything to do with that. Maybe if she got used to the mob she'd change her mind though?

Soon enough the Petrov's were joining them and she could instantly tell that something was off with Aleksi. "Nice to see you guys. Nicholai, try to play nice with Mikhail tonight, he's still quite sore about that punch." And with that small attempt at lightening the mood they went on with their dinner. Katya had a few glasses of wine to try and drown out the awkwardness. Everyone seemed in a funk, even Aleksi! And he was the one to usually lighten the mood. She tried to keep up conversation with everyone and see how their week had been, so once they were all caught up Katya stood up from the table with a small smile. "So Aleksi and I have to discuss some business, pardon us for just a few minutes."

After she slid her black jacket on she moved to Aleksi and gently touched his shoulder as she passed by him, walking outside into the cool night air. Instead of business talk when he joined her outside she wanted to see what was wrong. "I uh, came here to thank you for stopping a war from happening, it's the last thing I wanted for the families to go through but I would have completely understood. I really appreciate it. I wanted to warn you about this new family, too. They've been getting involved in arms deals around Russia and several bodies have been popping up lately from people tied to them. But right now I'm actually far more concerned with you. You're not your usual chipper self. Everything okay? I heard there were some issues with you and Zofia. Do you want to talk at all? Need me to talk to her?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

Why was everyone so tense? She understood Masha's tension, but even then she was doing better than any of the boys! It seemed like the girls were the only one at ease at dinner. Maybe it was the wine? After a few glasses and some food Katya was taking Aleksi outside to talk business, which left the table at a weird standstill. Mikhail seemed to want to knock Nicholai out, and that was probably due to what happened in the house. She knew that he and Katya were the types to hold grudges but he was still mad about that? That helped everyone be set free from the house! "Everyone just needs to chill. What's done is done and we just need to clear the bad air between everyone. Hell, Katya and Aleksi seem fine with each other and they're from opposing families. If anyone should hate each other I feel like it's them." Annabella was new to the family and completely unaware of the history between the two families, but her point remained the same.

"Masha has every reason to want to knock Aleksi out but she's behaving better than the two of you. Now, we're guards of the families and we're supposed to be on our best behavior. Right? Bury the hatchet, let bygones be bygones. Or just punch him and get it over with. We're going to see each other in the future, you can't avoid each other. I mean, unless you're sending Aleksi and Katya to meetings by themselves. I'm sure you don't want them left without guards."

As Annabella poured herself another glass of wine she eyed a man that approached the table. He appeared slightly intoxicated but Annabella bit her tongue and took a long drink of the wine, waiting to see what the man wanted from them. "You know, you're quite beautiful. What are you doing hanging around with these lot of losers?" Anna's eyebrow arched curiously as the man addressed Masha. She sat down the glass and gave a small eye roll. The man didn't just flirt and leave though, he seemed to push the matter. "Y'know, you can do better. I don't have any plans later if you want to come back to my place with me. I promise to treat you real nice."

Why were men so full of themselves? She couldn't help but give a small laugh before rolling her eyes at the man. "Yes, she looks breathtaking doesn't she? Now why would you think she would go for a cretin like you? You don't even properly introduce yourself or ask for her name, you just initiate the conversation by gross flirting and assuming she wants to get with you. You're a pig, now shoo before the chefs make you into something that actually looks appetizing." The mans face became red and he seemed enraged by her words. Next thing she knew he walked up to her and grabbed her by her collar and yanked her up. He said something along the lines to where if she wanted to talk like a man she better be tough enough to prove it, though she didn't pay much attention to him.

Within seconds Annabella was grabbing the man's arm that held her, pressing a pressure point to make him release his grasp, and flipping him like he was weightless until he was laying flat on his back on the ground. "Now will you leave? Or will you make me prove myself further? If that's your intention we should go outside, I don't want to bloody up such a nice restaurant." The man quickly got to his feet and ran off back to his table, leaving Annabella smiling sweetly at Masha. "Are you okay? He didn't scare you did he?"

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

As much as Nicholai wanted to argue with Aleksi he knew that he was right, he did need something good in his life right now. And it seemed like he was beating himself up too much about the Zofia thing to remember his hangup about Katya. So a dinner with her wouldn't kill them. What would kill Nicholai was Mikhail. Once again Aleksi was right, they'd see Mikhail for the first time since the punch and he was pretty sure he was still livid. Mikhail was a strong man and he was sure no one had landed such a cheap shot on the man before. Nicholai took advantage of their history and old friendship and ruined everything with one punch, but they needed to get away from the manor. In all honesty Nicholai would do it all again.

"Why were we invited if we're social pariah?" If looks could kill Mikhail would have struck the Petrov guard down right where he stood. Nicholai sighed quietly before smiling gently at Masha. "Ah, hey Masha. You look lovely." At least she seemed happy to see him? She was the more polite one of the group though, so maybe it was just niceties. Though, the niceties didn't extend to Aleksi. To be fair he did fuck up with her best friend...he did hope that Aleksi and Zofia could come to a mutual break up, clearly that's where this was all leading to. Zofia just needed her space first and Aleksi refused to give her that. "Well, uh, thank you for the invite. It's nice to see everyone not locked up."

Drinks seemed to soften the mood slightly, though Nicholai felt an overwhelming amount of tension hovering over the table. They had some small talk about their week as they caught up, and after a couple glasses of wine and some food Katya announced that she needed to talk to Aleksi. Alone. Nicholai gave a curious look at the woman before she excused herself from the table, his look turning into a stern one as he looked at Aleksi. "Don't be long." He knew Katya would never hurt Aleksi and vice versa, but he knew the history between the two. He wasn't sure what could happen outside, if anything could happen outside, but he wanted to make sure that Aleksi remembered that Katya was completely off limits and just a friend. She wasn't even supposed to be that, she was just the Don from the opposing family!

That left Nicholai and the others sitting at the table alone awkwardly. Before he knew it Annabella was scolding him and Mikhail like a couple of children. Nicholai had no beef with Mikhail, but as soon as she mentioned the two of them having meetings by themselves he instantly tensed up. "They won't be having meetings without either one of us, I can assure you of that." With a heavy sigh Nicholai looked across the table to Mikhail. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hit you. It was Katya's crazy idea and it worked. If we were locked up much longer the Petrov's would have sent men to search for us and it would have gotten messy. If punching me would make you feel better though, feel free. I have it coming to me."

Soon enough a strange man was joining them at their table hitting on Masha. However before Nicholai could even say anything Annabella was quickly chiming in and essentially telling the man to buzz off. Her words made Nicholai smirk, though when the man moved and grabbed her he quickly stood from the table. It wasn't necessary it seemed, as Annabella quickly proved how effective she was as a guard. In the blink of an eye the large man was flipped on the floor and running back to his table, allowing Nicholai to sit back down. She nearly left him speechless. "Wow. Bravo Anna, impressive."

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

Stefan wasn't one to lecture anyone. He was a creature of habit and enjoyed the simpler things in life. That's all he wished on others but it was clear that Zofia's life was plagued with stress from other people. She was such a good person and Stefan hated to see that, he just wanted her to be able to relax and not worry about those stressful things. So if dinner, drinks, and some friendly conversation would lighten her mood and make her night just a little better he would gladly take part in it. He wanted to help her figure things out so that she could relax and maybe take a day off of work.

So that's what they did. They ordered a bunch of food to snack on while they drank away the night and Stefan did his best to distract her. From conversations to dreams for the future, to dream vacations, to favorite foods, hell they even discussed favorite animals. They complained about things that bothered them in their lives; from the family to his overbearing mother that wanted more from him despite him being a lawyer for one of the biggest families in Russia. He never felt like he was good enough, that's why Stefan was always pushing himself to do more.

How many drinks have they had? The waitress had taken a few rounds of mugs and shot glasses to where he had lost count of the total. Did it matter? They were having a good time. So when Stefan's phone chimed it drew him back to reality. "Mikhail huh? Not often he texts me..." Stefan's eyes focused on the screen as he slid the phone open to look at the message, his brows arching curiously at the message. "Lucky you skipped out on dinner, Aleksi and Katya keep looking at each other like a couple of love struck teenagers..." Honestly Stefan didn't mean to say the text out loud, he was just that drunk to where anything he was reading he had to say out loud. Stefan wasn't around when the families were friends so he didn't know the complete situation between the two of them, but Mikhail had always explained it wasn't a good situation. It broke up the good relationship the families had and what made Katya turn her attention to women.

"I'm sorry, I read that out loud didn't I?" Stefan's face was turning red from anger as he slammed his phone back down on the table. "I just- I don't get it. He had a great girl and he completely fucked things up with her. And for what? Some silly childhood crush? It's fucking ridiculous and he should be ashamed of himself. He should at least be a man and be honest with you about his feelings, he shouldn't bottle them up and lie about them." Stefan threw back one of the remaining shots in front of them in a huff, crossing his arms and leaning back into the booth as he tapped his foot against the floor in irritation. "I'm sorry, not all men suck this bad. You deserve a guy that's always there for you and treats you like the amazing woman you are."

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

The dinner was going smoothly for the most part, neither of the guards had murdered each other and it seemed like Masha and Katya were getting in some decent light conversation. Aleksi spent most of it just pushing his food around on the plate and drinking far too much wine on his empty stomach. There was just far to much going on in his head and this dinner, which he hoped would lift his spirits, was actually confusing him even more.

After a while Katya stood from the table and caught Aleksi’s attention when his name left her lips. “Business?” He glanced over at Nicholai before finishing off his glass and standing from his chair. “Sounds… awful but necessary.” He gave a small chuckle as he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and tossed it over his shoulder before following Katya away from the table and followed her outside. He let go a sigh at Nicholai as he spoke, telling them to not be long. “I know.”

Outside they found the air much colder than it had been when they arrived at the restaurant and Aleksi took the time to actually pull his jacket on over the long red sleeves of his dress shirt.”So, what’s going on?” He paused to let her talk, bringing up a few different topics in a matter of seconds and causing him to slow as they walked the block surrounding the restaurant. “Well, to start. It’s no problem, not starting any fighting is in my interest as much as it is in yours. If I even let my men think for a second it was okay to try and start some shit with you guys none of us would walk away from it. Second, I’ve heard some rumors but hadn’t seen anything too worrisome so good to hear from you about it. We hadn’t been able to tell if these incidents were another family or some bullshit random crimes.”

Then came the last bit. The part that Aleksi both wanted to talk about the most and the least at the same time. “I actually think you talking to her might be the worst thing to do in the situation.” Aleksi stopped walking and reached out, gently grabbing Katya by the crook in her arm and spinning her around to face him. He knew they couldn’t ever be more than what they were now, hell what they were now might even be pushing it. “I-uhm. Zofia took a really big step with me that last day in the manor. She told me she loved me and I just didn’t say anything.” His own baby blue eyes stopped staring at the ground to actually look up into Katya’a searching hers to any sign that he needed to shut up. “I couldn’t respond because I still feel like there’s another door open, I still have feelings for you Kat but… despite how much I know and understand we can’t. I can’t accept it, I can’t accept unless you tell me we can’t. I don’t care what Nicholai or the other men say, I care how you feel. I know how dangerous it would be and I understand completely either way. And it is so selfish of me to ask but I need you to either accept me or let me go so I stop hurting her…” his hand tightened around her arm slightly before he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. It was again, a selfish move but… either outcome he would be okay. He just couldn’t stand in limbo anymore, he had to move forward one way or another.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Dinner was pleasant despite the obvious attention between the two male guards and the fact that Masha was ready at any second to rip Aleksi a new one. Her and Katya had a lot to talk about and thankfully the avoided the topic of anything too mob related. Anytime Masha felt herself grow awkward she would turn to Annabella and try and have her help come up with things to talk about from the past week at the church. Once they are mostly done eating Masha watched as Katya stood and announced that she and Aleksi had some business to discuss. Masha was naive to think they could last too long without bringing up the mob but… it was nice while it lasted. Plus honestly after taking to Annabella about her outlook on the family she was much less worried about the entire thing.

Aleksi and Katya made their way outside leaving the rest to finish up at the table. “It was really a nice dinner. And I am very happy to see you all! Well except Aleksi, no offense Nicholai but your boss is a slimy little roach.” She said the last bit with a bit more anger than she intended before setting down her glass of wine and dabbing her mouth with the napkin from her lap. The others talked about the punch between Mikhail and Nicholai and as they did a man was approaching the table. Masha had noticed him but honestly thought he must be heading over because he knew one of the others. However when he opened his mouth and began speaking directly next to her she quickly realized how wrong she had been.

“E-excuse me?” Masha stammered as the man spoke, she wasn’t necessarily new to male advances but this was aggressive and honestly rude! “They’re not losers! They’re my friends!” She huffed and went to say more but the gross man continued to talk and she found herself to stunned to speak. Thankfully Annabella began to speak and Masha found herself completely turning away from the man to look at the red haired woman wide eyed. The compliment from her made Masha’s face go warm, and as she continued to speak she found herself unable to look anymore and turned her attention to her hands folded neatly in her lap. That is at least until the man chose to cause a commotion and was soon found lying on his back before running away like a scared puppy with its tail between its legs.

“Oh my!” As Annabella turned to her with a smile Masha had stood from her chair without really thinking. Her first instinct was to ask if she was okay but of course she was, she just tossed than man like he was weightless and she was a member of the Ivanovs. That knowledge however didn’t keep Masha from reaching out and straightening the collar of Annabella’s shirt. “No he didn’t scare me, more grossed me out than anything. I’m sorry he grabbed you like that but thank you for what you said…” Her face warmed again and she felt a strange tightness in her chest that made her quickly clear her throat and drop her hands. “Uh Katya and Aleksi have been gone a minute, should I go check on them?”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

Zofia hadn’t had any honest fun all week, sure talking with Stefan was nice and honestly really helpful but tonight? This was actually FUN. She missed this, it felt like it had been forever since she actually let loose and acted like herself. At the church she had to be a more toned down version, with Aleksi she definitely acted cooler than she actually was and at work she put on a face. Everyone always thought she was being honest and fun and herself but, she was sarcastic and a little catty but she was also silly and nice. It was a good change of pace.

“Mikhail can text?!” Zofia let out a snort as she took a large drink of the vodka cranberry in front of her. “He always seemed much more like a rotary dial kind of guy.” She sipped again and lightly chuckled at her own small joke before her mood took a drastic turn as she heard the contents of the text she had just made fun of. Zofia had always had feelings about Katya and Aleksi, just from stories he had shared and from seeing them together during their time in the house but, subtle feelings and actually hearing it are two very different things.

Stefan realized what he had done and quickly started trying to make her feel better but Zofia was already down in the dumps once more. “He does suck, I don’t know what I expected though. They always suck, I mean at what point do I acknowledge that it’s me?!” Zofia took a shot from the table and slammed it back before running her hands roughly through her rose gold hair. “My parents didn’t want me, multiple fosters didn’t want me, no boyfriend has ever wanted me. I mean my god it’s a wonder I even get into relationships anymore. I clearly must be some vile human incapable of love.” Stefan continued and called her great, Aleksi stupid and told her that she was deserving of someone who found her amazing and treated her well. It caused her to let out a sad chuckle as she leaned forward in the booth and peered over at him. “Well if that’s all true do you think you could quickly figure out where I can find another you? I mean you’re the only one besides Masha who has ever spent time with me like this, just letting us both be honest and not hide our frustrations or our happiness. I mean I’ve been whining to you for a week over that idiot and you still show up.”

Zofia paused and she felt a realization hit her head as she noticed how close she had leaned into Stefan. His eyes hovered only a few centimeters above her green tear stained ones and she could smell the whisky on his breath. “I mean, you’re just one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. I really mean it Stefan, I think you’re amazing…”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Summers

They got through dinner with no one pulling a gun out so Mikhail counted that as a win. Eventually Katya and Aleksi made their way outside and as they did he shot Katya a look to remind her of what he had said earlier. Their discussion was necessary but it needed to remain professional and nothing more. After the two of them were gone Annabella felt it necessary to bring scolding him and Nicholai like children, well mostly him, and while he had to admit she had a point he instead chose to roll his eyes at her and pull out his phone to shoot a text off to Stefan.

Mikhail was going to ignore it it, that is until Nicholai spoke up and caused Mikhails anger to spike once again. “Listen here, we both know you did indeed WANT to punch me. Maybe not at that moment but let’s not act like we like each other.” It was almost venomous the way he spoke now. The two men had always been on opposite sides of things but Mikhail had to admit there was some personal sting behind their relationship as well. “And I very well don’t NEED your permission to hit you. If I decide one day to finally snap though, I’ll let you know.” Before things could get too much more toxic a man was approaching the table and causing Mikhail to reach for his gun. For the most part he seemed like a harmless drunk and there was no way he would get away with anything but Mikhail had to admit he found the man so repulsive he was considering a quick warning shot to the foot.

Thankfully that never became necessary and Annabella quickly handled the problem and checked in on Masha. “Oh yeah, you’re right. Let’s head out, they couldn’t have gone far so we can just get the cars and get going home.” Mikhail was thrilled at the idea to get back to the manor and get Katya away from the Petrovs so as soon as it was mentioned they were off, headed outside and quickly ushering the valet to retrieve their vehicles.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

Everything seemed to be going quite well. Aleksi was always the easiest person to talk to and that seemed to stand true even to this day, even talking about the likelihood of another family was an easy thing to talk to him about despite the sensitivity of the subject. Why couldn’t their parents have been okay with their relationship when they were younger? Even if they couldn’t have been romantic she never wanted to lose him as a friend. When the families broke apart he took a large piece of her heart with her.

Suddenly Aleksi was stopping her in her tracks and time seemed to stand still as her light blue eyes stared through heavy lashes up to Aleksi’s blue eyes. His words…they broke her up inside. Tears welled in her eyes despite fighting them back, a lump formed in her throat as she tried to find the words. Their relationship, or what relationship they had, was stopping him from moving on with his life. Katya completely understood how he felt. Every attempt she made to date a male resulted in failure. Why? Because no man measured up to Aleksi. He was her other half and the only partner she ever wanted. That’s why she dated females; Katya couldn’t compare women to what her and Aleksi had. Katya didn’t deserve Aleksi one bit, he deserved someone that could make him happy and not drag him down. That’s how her father explained it to her years ago…and he was right. All Katya would do would complicate his life. Hell, she wasn’t even involved with him and she was creating turmoil in his life. What would happen if they did get together? She could die any day and it would leave Aleksi alone and broken hearted.

As soon as his forehead met hers the tears streamed down her pale cheeks. Her free hand reached up and cupped his cheek while a small smile formed on her lips. “I want nothing more than to be with you Aleksi, you know that’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’m no good for you though, all I would do is hurt you in the end. deserve someone who can be there for you for the rest of your lives.” Gently her lips pressed against his for a long moment. It was their first kiss and it had to be their last, so Katya selfishly wanted to savor the moment. All good things had to come to an end though. As the moment passed her hand fell from his face to quickly wipe away the tears from her face. “I’m setting you free Aleksi, I hope for nothing but happiness in your love life. Go and fix things with Zofia, yeah? I, uh, need to get some fresh air.”

With that said Katya gave him a warm, sad smile before walking off down the street. Tears had stained her cheeks and her mascara had began to run. Despite that she put on a fake smile and tried her best to rub the mascara off of her pale cheeks when she seen Masha approaching her. “Oh, hey. I was just heading back. Everything okay?” But before Katya could listen to Masha for a response something sharp bit into her neck. “What the-…” However her words seemed to be lost as everything faded to black. Her body collapsed to the cold ground.

—

Long lashes slowly opened, a small groan passing Katya’s lips as she came to from the sedative that had been used in her. “F-Fuck.” She felt extremely queasy as she sat herself up on the slab that she laid on. Where was she? Her pale hand held her head as her blue eyes slowly looked around to assess her situation. It looked like a dungeon from a scene in the movies. It was cold, dark, dreary. Hell even her cells in the basement of the manor were nicer than this. There were bars surrounding the area she was in and it was deathly quiet save for a dripping sound from off in the distance. Quickly Katya remembered what happened and she stumbled to her feet, though doing so shot a pain through her chest. With a small wince she patted herself down to feel for her gun but, alas, it seemed like it had been taken from her. “Oh, fuck my life, come on!” With a frustrated groan she strained her eyes as she looked off towards the corner of the cell. Someone was laying there. Someone was with her when she had been grabbed, too. “Masha?” Her heart broke for her twin. Like she told Aleksi, all she did was bring pain to others. Whoever kidnapped them must have been confused on who was who right? Was this a rival family? Was this the one that she was looking into?

“Masha are you okay?” Katya walked over to her sister to make sure she was okay. Masha didn’t have an issue with her heart like Katya did, did she? She hadn’t said anything relating to any issues but neither did Katya…it was just something she avoided discussing. Not even Aleksi or Nicholai knew. “Masha, love, I need you to wake up. We have to find a way out of here.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

Annabella was never the type of person who got involved with people romantically. She had dated a few people but nothing ever came from it; she had always been too busy from her work in the military and, now, she her job round the clock was being a guard and trying to find out more about what happened to her father. It was becoming clear that the Ivanov's weren't involved with his death and she was going to have to figure out what to do next on her investigation. Not only was it hard to leave a family once you join, hence why she gave them the fake name she used whenever undercover in the military, she was having a hard time leaving Masha. Zofia seemed to be distancing herself from even her, and despite the fact that Masha was finally letting Katya in she didn't want to leave her without a friend, let alone a guard. The way it was explained by the elder members of the family was that the pair was in danger if anyone found that they were twins, so Annabella didn't want to leave her unguarded.

When Masha adjusted her collar Annabella couldn't help her cheeks from heating as she looked down at the sweet woman. "Not a problem, anything to keep you safe from creeps like that." The red headed woman gave her a sweet smile, the smile falling slightly when Mikhail mentioned them going to get the cars. "Yeah, sounds good. Don't be too long Masha." With a gentle pat on her head Annabella headed out to the valet to grab the car. Katya handled herself well in self defense and with a gun so she wasn't too worried about Masha being alone with her, but that still left the pair without a guard and in turn made Annabella nervous.

Aleksi came back before the girls did and looked rough, he and Nicholai were the first to get into their vehicles and leave. it left Annabella and Mikhail sitting there waiting for the girls. Soon five minutes turned into twenty, and by the half hour mark they were making their way down the street to look for the girls.

The search lasted all night. They had Ivanov men join their search and to look all over town. Where had they gone? No matter how pissed Katya was she wouldn't ever abandon the family, and no matter what happened Masha wouldn't abandon the church! Anna was panicking inside. She knew that leaving the girls alone wasn't a good idea but she foolishly let Masha go off on her own. They searched all over town and Katya's favorite spots, went to the bar Zofia worked at, they even went to the church! But it was all for naught. Even the text to Zofia was unresponded to!

By the time they returned to the manor the sun was coming up, but adrenaline was keeping Annabella going. The only option was to ask Aleksi if he had seen anything despite Mikhail's dislike for the Petrov's. But Aleksi was the last one to see Katya or Masha. So while Mikhail tried to figure this out on his own Annabella called Aleksi on the way to the manor and said it was urgent, to see if he could come talk to her and Mikhail. When they got to the manor Annabella sighed heavily and let Mikhail and the other men know that they were on their way. While they waited she paced the living room, her tan hand running through her red hair in frustration. "I just, I don't understand. They were literally alone for a miniscule amount of time. They had to be gone by the time we even got the cars."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

"They didn't explain why they needed you over?" Nicholai raised his brows as they once again traveled to the Ivanov manor. They were traveling there far too often lately and the Petrov men were beginning to ask questions, the last thing Nicholai wanted was Aleksi's father or mother to start questioning them. Nicholai was hoping that the dinner last night would be the last. It seemed like Aleksi had gotten the resolution he needed and seemed slightly at more peace. Until the phone call this morning. He seemed like he was going to make things right with Zofia, and even if he didn't he just wanted him to get his mind off of Katya.

Nicholai also wanted as much space from Mikhail as possible. Nicholai was a friendly guy but he had never dated anyone until Mikhail, and that only happened because they used to get along so well. When the families were friends they had seen each other all the time, even hanging out together whenever Aleksi and Katya went off on their own. They grew close and Mikhail was the first person he had ever felt anything. So the fall of the families friendship hurt in more ways than one. They never should have gotten involved, but they used to get along so well. Honestly? He missed that friendship and confidant. Yes Aleksi was his friend but also his boss and also his responsibility, he couldn't relax around him or confide in him like he could with Mikhail. Too bad Mikhail pretty much hated his guts now.

"Let's get it done quick, we can get ahold of Masha to see if we can set something up with Zofia today. Just do a lot of ass kissing." With a small chuckle Nicholai stood from the car and was quickly escorted along with Aleksi inside the manor. Everyone seemed stressed and frazzled, to the point where they weren't even given a hard time. Once inside he noticed Annabella anxiously pacing the living room, and it looked like she hadn't slept since they saw her last. "You look a hot mess. Is that the reason you called us? You need me to babysit Katya or Masha or something?" Nicholai teased them with a small smile as he crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby wall.

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

Zofia's words truly broke Stefan up inside. While he didn't experience the same things that she had he knew the 'never being wanted' feeling. His father abandoned him, his mother said he was never good enough. No matter what he did he never met her standards and she had even sent him away to boarding schools to try to make him better. Stefan always strived for perfection but, still, nothing was ever good enough. Eventually his mother got remarried and had a daughter. All the love Stefan had ever wanted was given to his half sister and it messed him up. Those feelings of never being enough and not being worthy always ate him up, and the last thing he wanted was that for Zofia. She was too nice and caring of a person to go through that.

Stefan was a proper man typically, he enjoyed courting women and dating them and making them feel on top of the world before he made any moves on them. Her words resonating with him though and he just wanted to make her feel better. So he took a chance by gently touching her chin and leaning in for a kiss. If she smacked him he'd understand, but he knew that there was a connection they shared. He didn't expect that connection to full blown blossom in that booth. Soon enough Stefan was paying the tab and with Zofia's permission escorting her back to the manor. Katya and the others looked to still be out and it left the place to just them, so after one last drink for the night they retired to his room.

They were up rather late with each other. Usually Stefan never slept well and was up early but having Zofia next to him kept him relaxed and helped him sleep. The muffled voices were enough to wake the light sleeper though, so he slowly opened his eyes and followed it with a long yawn. It wasn't any of his business what was happening; Katya would contact him if he was needed. Gently Stefan kissed Zofia's cheek before he tossed on a tight workout shirt and some workout shorts, having every intention on making her a nice breakfast in bed.

However once Stefan walked out and seen Nicholai and Aleksi he felt his heart jump into his throat and felt extremely nervous. Not so much at being caught so much as Aleksi seeing Zofia if she walked out. Stefan had no regrets about last night. After all the shit he was putting her through? He didn't deserve her. At the same time though he was sure Zofia didn't want to see him right now. Quickly Stefan tossed his long brown locks into a bun on the top of his head, a small scowl crossing his face. "This all looks eerily familiar and I strongly dislike it. What are you guys doing here?" Stefan was so focused on their presence he didn't even notice the lack of Katya's presence.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

One moment her and Katya had been strolling down the sidewalk, talking as Katya shared her soul with Masha about the entire Aleksi situation. But then in the next moment the world went black. Between that moment and now there wasn’t a single thing that Masha could remember, not a sound or a smell or a sight. All she knew is that when she woke up to the sound of Katya’s voice she felt weird and groggy. It took her a while to realize that whatever she was laying on was as hard as concrete and that the room around her smelled of mildew and burning lantern oil.

“Wait where are we?” Masha finally sat up and rubbed her eyes for a while before taking a look around the dim area. It appeared that once again they were imprisoned but this time it was clear they weren’t in the care of the Ivanov family. Honestly Masha felt like bursting into tears but instead what happened was a curt laugh leaving her lips as she dropped her head into her hands and continued laughing like an absolute psycho. She was terrified, upset and angry but most of all she was just so over this. Ever since finding out about her twin sister in a complete coincidence her life had been turned upside down. Since that day Masha had been kidnapped twice, worried the sisters, grown distant with her best friend and gained a bodyguard because she was in so much danger. What else was there to do but laugh at this point?!

A few minutes passed and Masha finally calmed down, sitting back up straight and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes as the laughing came to a halt. “Okay so who did this? The Petrovs? Another family? A rouge Ivanov? What’s the angle here you think?” She peered up at Katya and then stood, slowly turning around the room and taking it all in. Oddly enough there was something strangely familiar about the place the longer she looked at it. It was drab and dreary but the ornate archways and pillars that lined the room were fairly unique looking. The sconces on the walls and the lanterns held in them looked just like the ones…. “Oh my!” Masha suddenly gasped and raced towards the bars of the cell, her hands wrapping around the cold metal as she peered at the lanterns closer. “There is no way, why does this place have the same lanterns we keep in the church? I mean I swear Katya those look IDENTICAL to the ones we have in the halls and such at home. I’ve never seen anything else that looks like them until now, I’ve always thought they were such a unique shape.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

The queen of bad decisions was apparently back at it again, Zofia thought highly of Stefan and did really truly like him but… was this the way to start anything? While she was plastered drunk and still very much in a relationship? A relationship that was already in a very confusing place before she decided it was a good idea to kiss a man who was not only not her significant other but also a member of an opposing family? The answer was no, it wasn’t how she wanted to start anything. But it was how they started something. Once he kissed her she knew it was over, there was something here and it was exciting and amazing and like nothing she had really ever had before. Zofia felt like he had trapped her, or maybe she trapped herself and he just locked the door. Either way she was completely entranced and soon the two of them were back at the manor.

They stayed up late between talking and otherwise… which lead to Zofia sleeping soundly until the late morning when Stefan’s exit from the bed caused her to stir. “Where are you going?” She groaned as she felt the kiss on her cheek, pulling the covers tighter around her body as she adjusted on the bed. She got no reply however as he was already getting changed and heading out the door.

Zofia wished she could say she regretted what had happened but she really didnt. She felt terrible, guilty, gross… but for once she actually felt like she had met someone who truly believed she was worth something and she was happy to say she thought he was worth the world. Again, she wished whatever was happening with Aleksi had been sorted out prior to this but… things happen for a reason right?

Outside the room she could hear voices but it was too hard to tell if she recognized any. Honestly it was probably just some of the men talking about todays business or something. Zofia chose to ignore it and made her way over to his dresser and chose to help herself to clothes that were much more comfortable than the work outfit she had worn over here last night. She found a pair of black cuffed sweatpants that she rolled and tied tight around her waist before pulling on a yellow hoodie that nearly reached her knees. Once dressed she pulled on her socks from the night before and made her way out into the room where voices were coming from while checking her phone for any missed texts.

“Hey Stefan I borrowed some clothes, I really hope that’s okay.” Zofia yawned as she entered the room, speaking before finally looking up and nearly fainting when she saw who was all standing there. Stefan was there, but so were Annabella and Mikhail…. And also Aleksi and Nicholai. There was no way to describe the pit of despair that began to fill her stomach as she started to think of how to explain the situation but there was no way to really explain herself. She had done a terrible thing yes but she didn’t regret it. Maybe that made her a bad person but it was the truth. “Listen Aleksi I-“ Zofia stopped when she noticed the look on everyone’s faces around the room. Mikhail looked stressed, he never looked stressed. It was also rare to see Annabella here… she was always with Masha. Then the out of despair got worse. “Where is Masha? And Katya? Annabella why are you here and not at the church!?”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Summers

How did this happen? How was he so stupid? They knew there was another family coming around, another family that was gaining traction. Not only that he knew that Katya and Aleksi shouldn’t EVER be allowed to talk alone, even on business. Watching the way that man returned to the valet it was clear he had been broken. Mikhail was an idiot for ever letting Katya be alone for more than enough time to use a properly guarded bathroom. When they realized the girls were taking too long last night there was 1001 possibilities that ran through his head. The first was that while walking with Masha she dropped from her heart and Masha not knowing what to do fled. But there was no body and he didn’t know the new Ivanov sister well but didn’t think she was that heartless. Then came the idea of the new family but as the night went on and they searched and searched there was really only one thing that made sense to him. Petrov.

Maybe Aleksi getting his heartbroken was unrelated but it was highly possible one of his men decided to get even for their boss being imprisoned by the Ivanovs, honestly Mikhail couldn’t blame them if they had. He would kill them on sight but, couldn’t blame them. After a long while the two guards had returned to the manor and got everyone in on the help. It seemed almost everyone was up all night searching the city, some came back to nap here and there but god Mikhail was near sure he and Annabella hadn’t even blinked.

Annabella eventually let him know she had texted Aleksi about the situation and initially Mikhail was angry but after some thinking… maybe they should have him come over for some questioning. As they waited they sat in the living room and Mikhail couldn’t help but sigh as he listened to Annabella beat herself up. “I trained you, you were with your mentor and you saw me say it was okay. There was no reason for you to have thought any differently. I really thought it would be okay… whoever did this knows a lot more than we think they do. I mean there’s no way it’s random so we just need to talk to Aleksi and see what happened before they left.”

As if on cue the two men walked through the archway into the living room and Mikhail pushed himself up off the couch with great difficulty. He was sure he looked a mess, bloodshot eyes, bags, messy clothes. But right now he really didn’t care. “Are you sure you guys aren’t already babysitting them?” Mikhail scoffed at Nicholais comment but stopped when Stefan entered the room and spoke. “Have you been here all night? I’ve been calling you and no one said they saw you! We didn’t think you came home! For fucks sake Stefan!” He wanted to yell more but was cut off once more by another person joining them in the room. It was a sight that in a different situation would have made Mikhail nearly die laughing but right now he had no time for any stupid drama.

Thankfully it seemed Zofia was smarter than she acted and asked where the girls were. “They’re gone. After dinner last night they just disappeared, no signs of struggle or anything left behind. Phones off and trackers disabled. Nothing. And the last guy to see the both of them was Aleksi… so Aleksi, care to share anything with the group?”

 

[KAYDEN]

Aleksi Petrov

Aleksi hated this, he hated this definitive feeling, he had always imagined when he did finally kiss Katya that it would be amazing and special but this was sad and definite. This was them saying goodbye to each other, from here on out the both of them needed to get away from this, move on and remain friends or maybe even less. Aleksi wasn’t sure how he was going to move on but… at least now he knew he had no chance moving forward. Katya fully believed that the two of them would only end in ruin and he honestly couldn’t tell her she was wrong. As they kissed he tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes but between hers and his there was too much going on and eventually he gave up, waiting until they broke apart from each other. “I’m going to always care about you Kat, a whole hell of a lot but you’re right. We both need to find people that fit, that work in all aspects. I just hope eventually whoever I find fills the spot you’re going to leave.” Aleksi really believed that person was Zofia, apart from Nicholai she was his closest friend in recent years. He loved her, he wasn’t in love with her, but maybe after some time and those closure with Katya he could go forward. “You deserve happiness too Katya, remember that.” He gave her a final kiss on her forehead before she ushered him away and Masha walked passed him and up to her twin. There was no way this went unnoticed by her and he was sure Katya would need someone to talk to. He only hoped she was understanding of the situation and didn’t make Katya feel bad or anything… plus now he was sure this story would end up getting back to Zofia and he would have to explain himself. Which he probably should anyways but still.

Slowly Aleksi had made his way back to the others and he and Nicholai were off back to their mansion, their car being the first returned by the valet. When he got home that night he sent Zofia a text that he wanted to talk in person but never got a response. Eventually he fell asleep after hours of drowning his sorrows in a bottle of wine.

In the morning Annabella had called about something urgent but she wouldn’t say what over the phone. At first Aleksi had a terrible feeling but then remembered Katyas warning the night prior about the new family trying to gain traction around town. This was most likely about that. He got dressed fairly quickly and grabbed Nicholai and soon the two were in a car headed for the Ivanov manor. “You sure are pushing the Zofia discussion this morning for a man who just yesterday was telling me to give her space.” Aleksi chuckled awkwardly as the two men made their way from their vehicle into the manor. He wasn’t exactly excited to be here and see Kat after their meeting last night but he supposed they had to get used to seeing each other in a new light eventually. Might as well rip off the bandaid. Plus Nicholai was right, it was time to do some major ass kissing and get Zofia to speak to him so they could try and move on from all of this.

Only as soon as they entered the manor Aleksi quickly realized that something was very wrong. They found some familiar faces in the living room and Aleksi stood in silence as he took in everything happening around him. Nicholai spoke up which gained a quick response from an awful looking Mikhail, “And what the hell is that supposed to mean? I’d like to remind you Mikhail that if this is a business meeting you are simply a fucking guard dog so watch who you are talking to. I don’t care for people insinuating I’ve done something.” Aleksi was quickly catching on to a bad feeling again. Katya and Masha weren’t present, Annabella wasn’t at the church, Mikhail looked the worst he had ever seen. Something had happened to the girls. The conversation slowed as Stefan came in the room, soon followed by Zofia. Aleksi hadn’t seen her in over a week now, for a moment he felt himself almost smile until she spoke and looked up at him like a deer in headlights.

“I-no you’re right. Not now.” Aleksi wanted to scream, argue, fight. Cry. Something had happened to Masha and Katya, Zofia had clearly been here last night and judging by her outfit Aleksi could assume what she was here for, Mikhail seemed fairly sure Aleksi had something to do with it and it was just all going to shit too fast for him to handle. “You know I wouldn’t hurt her, either of them really. What do I have to gain from that you fucking dunce?” Aleksi spoke through gritted teeth as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Nicholai call the men back at the house, on the off chance any member of the Petrov house decided to play vigilante let them know they will be punished with loss of their life. Also tell them I expect full cooperation in helping the Ivanovs with this. We were family once and while I understand why we separated, we need to keep a good working relationship.” Aleksi the fun, loving, stupid but sweet guy was gone and Aleksi the boss was here in full force. He needed to turn off all the emotions playing games in his head if he was going to be any help. “I swear Mikhail I don’t know anything. When I left the two of them were talking and I walked ahead to give them privacy. That’s it.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Katya Ivanov

Masha laughing was not what Katya expected but, honestly, she didn't expect to get kidnapped twice. Any reaction was understandable at this point. As soon as she calmed down Masha started going through the list of people that could do this to them and truly Katya didn't know. Ivanov's would never lock her in a dungeon, and she was sure the Petrov's wouldn't put them in a dungeon either. "I'm not too sure who it is this time." Katya let out a small sigh and felt another sharp pain in her chest, so slowly she sat down on the slab of bed she woke up on. By then Masha was gasping and going on about the lanterns being the ones she had at the church. At first Katya just wanted to laugh at the thought. A church kidnapping them?

Then she thought about it a little more. Her grandfather never allowed Katya to go to church. He said most of them were full of crazy nuns that wanted to convert you, almost like it was a cult. It was something that she always questioned, but in the end all she was ever told was that the church was the reason her mother was dead. "Masha did you tell anyone in the church about me? I know it sounds weird, but hear me out." Katya took a deep breath before trying to explain it to her best ability. She didn't want to offend Masha. Her sister was deeply involved with the church, she was raised by the church, and she probably didn't want to hear about the church being responsible for kidnapping them. But she was the one that brought up the lanterns and pointed out the difference. "My grandfather always said that the church was the reason for our mothers death, that they were basically like this big cult. Once they have you in their clutches they won't let you go, and they want everyone to join them. If they heard about me then do you think they'd want me to join the church too?"

In theory the idea was insane, but their lives in general were insane.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Annabella Valentina

Annabella and Mikhail were running on no sleep but things seemed to be finally falling towards the right direction. Aleksi and Nicholai were here and were being helpful, and Zofia was there as well. This was much easier to do in person versus on the phone, though it wasn't fun. "Zofia, there's a situation. We're handling it and we tried to get ahold of you, but." Annabella cleared her throat and gave Zofia a sad smile. "So last night we were out at dinner, and while we were getting the cars Masha and Katya were taken. It all happened so fast and we think someone must have been watching them and waiting for an opportunity to grab them. We're working on finding them. I tried calling and texting last night, but I'm glad you're here. Hopefully you can help with the search. You too, Stefan." Annabella shot him a look that told him he had no choice in the matter.

A knock sounded from the door before one of the men walked in with a letter addressing 'Who it may concern' in regards to Katya and Masha. Annabella quickly took the note and read over it, furrowing her brows as she finished it. "So it says To who it may concern, Katya and Masha are safe and in their rightful home. They've been taken from the dangers of the outside world and brought to the home they were meant to be raised in, and will join them one way or the other. Do not worry about the girls, they're following in their mothers footsteps and serve the lord."

"What the fuck is this? Their mom is dead, right? She died when they were little from what I heard."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

While Nicholai was on board with the Petrov family helping look for Katya and Masha he didn't believe it was a good for Aleksi to be involved. He was always getting too involved with Katya. Now wasn't the best of time either with the whole Zofia situation. It had been how long since he had contact with her and now here they were seeing her with Stefan? Though, when Aleksi gave the order to contact the men he was quick to oblige. It wasn't often he went in 'boss' mode but when he did Nicholai was never one to argue. So, Nicholai made the call and gave the orders to the men. They seemed hesitant but when Nicholai insisted and said that it was an order from Aleksi they said that they'd send over some men to the manor.

Then the letter came and it confused everyone. No one knew the back story with the twins' mother so the letter made no sense. Follow in her footsteps? Serving the lord? And what part of the twins lives were dangerous? Katya was constantly guarded and in the highest position of the family, and Masha was living at the church with a full-time guard! In the end they decided that it was best to send Nicholai and Mikhail out into the city to look for the girls while the others made the manor their base of operations.

Nicholai awkwardly walked through the city with Mikhail and tried to think of things to say or places to search. "How are you holding up?" Obviously he wasn't doing great and it was a dumb question but it was the first question that came to him. "The letter said something about serving the lord, it makes it seem like they are making the girls be nuns. I think Katya would rather die than be a nun, I haven't ever seen the girl open a bible." Should they start searching churches? Where would they start? Masha's church?

 

[Sir Damien]

Stefan

What a morning. At first he was elated to wake up next to Zofia, he wanted to make her breakfast and coffee and give her a beautiful morning. It all went to shit though. Mikhail was yelling at him as soon as he was out of his room, Aleksi was joining them and soon Zofia was leaving the room creating even more tension than what was already there. What the fuck was going on? Stefan was already pissed with Mikhail yelling at him; he had permission to take the night off! Now Aleksi was there making things hella awkward. Then Annabella was dropping a bombshell on Zofia. The twins were missing, worse yet they were kidnapped. The letter soon arrived and complicated the matter. There was no ransom, there was no threat, there was just a statement that the girls were taken from their dangerous life and brought to their rightful life to serve the lord. Like, what the fuck?

Mikhail was rightfully the next one in charge. He had served Katya the longest and learned from her and her father, but for some reason Aleksi was taking over the search. Mikhail seemed fine with that and went off to continue the search with Nicholai. Everyone was awkwardly left at the manor. "Here you go." Stefan gave Zofia a sympathetic smile as he approached her with a fresh cup of coffee. "They'll find her, Mikhail is an asshole but he'll go to the ends of the earth to save Katya. That includes Masha as well. And Nicholai is an obedient man, if he's told to find the girls he'll find them." Stefan wanted to put Zofia at ease, it wasn't going to happen with her best friend missing but he wanted to comfort her anyway he could. Especially considering the fact that Aleksi was here and complicating her feelings. Stefan just wanted to be there to support her during these trying times.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Masha

Masha turned around to face Katya as she responded to her question. Her twin continued, mentioning her theory about the church and at first Masha got instantly defensive. The church had kept her safe from all this nonsense since she was a baby! It wasn’t until she learned about her birth family that things started to go downhill for her. “I mean, of course I did! Sister Sophia recognized something was up that first day I met you. A few of the nuns were acting weird that day sure but could you blame them, it was a funeral for a mafia boss anyone would have been suspicious.” She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. Thinking back to that day again was strange, she could remember the sisters being adamant that Masha help in the kitchen and for her to allow Zofia to be the one to handle guests. Even more, before the funeral they had even tried to get the girls to take the day off and relax in town. Before she thought it was just them not wanting the girls around all the mafia members, but now… no. There was no way. “I mean… they do want you to come spend time with us.” Masha rubbed at her arm uncomfortably, “But I just thought it was more about wanting to meet you. I don’t mean this to sound harsh but… you guys have expected me to be so involved with your lifestyle and meet your family. And I understand they’re my family too, but so are the sisters here. They raised me. I-I can’t think about them wanting to hurt anyone let alone me. P-plus I’ve been in the basement in the church! It looks nothing like this!”

Masha knew she was lashing out slightly and that she was being overly defensive but still. The church really WAS her family, it was all she knew up until the last couple of months. “You-you’re theory isn’t unrealistic, but remember how hurt you were when your own family imprisoned you in your own home? I can’t imagine it, I don’t want to entertain the idea. The lanterns are insanely specific , I cannot ignore that but… I can’t accept that any of the sisters would do this. Or that they have connections to anyone that could or would!”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Zofia Smith

Zofia was stuck between two revolving thoughts; one, wishing she was back in bed with Stefan, sleeping peacefully and completely oblivious to all the trouble around her… and two, feeling as if this was somehow her fault. If Zofia hadn’t been such a baby she would have went to that dinner last night, she would have been with Masha and maybe couldn’t have seen something or stopped something. But no instead she was getting drunk with a very very amazing man and following him home. As if that wasn’t problematic in itself! Aleksi was in serious mode and while Zofia was thankful that everyone was taking this all so seriously, she was also hurt. Of course he was taking this seriously, the girl he was actually in love with was missing. Though she supposed she had no room to be upset… she did just cheat on him less than 24 hours ago. Jesus this was all such a mess.

Then the letter came and things only got worse. “What does that even mean? Is that trying to imply the church is involved? That’s insane! Those women love Masha, so much that they put up with my shit. I suppose it could be another church… another religion even. But why?” Zofia spiraled a bit before groaning and giving up trying to make sense of this

Zofia held her head in her hands, trying for a moment to get ahold of her thoughts and emotions. As she was blocking out the world though, a small beam of light trickled through. She opened her eyes to find Stefan standing with a small smile, holding out a cup of coffee. It was enough to make her nearly cry as she reached out and took a sip of the strong liquid. “I know, they’re all very capable. I just, I’m worried about who did it. If it wasn’t either one of these families I can’t trust that the girls are safe you know? Masha isn’t a push over and she isn’t stupid but she’s not strong and she’s never been in real danger before. She can’t protect herself…” She moved a few inches closer and reached out to squeeze his hand for a few short moments before letting go and turning back to the group as things slowly came together in this search party.

“Mikhail let me go to the church. I won’t say anything about Masha or Katya being taken, or anything about Katya in general but… there’s a sister there that’s always been particularly close with me and Mash. One that has been telling Masha small bits about her mother since we were children, she always told us in private. Without the other sisters around. If anyone knows anything about their mom it’s Sister Sophia… I’d like to try and help. Please. I’ll even take a guard if you want…”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Mikhail Summers

Mikhail was distraught, he wasn’t thrilled with Aleksi taking charge of the Ivanov house like he was but honestly maybe it was for the best. If he could handle things here and get both his men and the Ivanov men on the same wavelength it would be insanely helpful. Mikhail was the second man down from the top but he was never one for this sort of leadership, he was a doer. This meant he could have feet on the ground, he trusted himself finding the girls more than any of these imbeciles. “Men you will listen to Aleksi on this one. I need to be out on streets with you searching and Katya trusts him, so in her abscense we will accept the Petrovs assistance. If I hear a single one of you have them any form of flack I will handle it personally. I’m not thrilled taking orders from him either but, we need to find Katya.” Mikhail yelled to his men who were all griping and groaning, thankfully as soon as he spoke 99% of them sprang into understanding and did as they were told. The remaining 1% also did what they were told, just with more groaning.

The letter came and Annabella read it out loud to the group. Some discussion occurred and Mikhail found himself deciding it was best for him and Nicholai to hit the churches in town while the men did more general searching around town. So that’s what they prepared for. As Mikhail was sliding his gun into his harness and buttoning up his coat over top he was approached by Zofia who was instantly rambling at him. “You didn’t have to beg like that Zofia, you’re a free person you know. But I do appreciate that you won’t mention what is going on, that is probably for the best. If you trust this Sofia person, please do go. Tell me what you’re able to find out okay? And I insist you take someone with you, take Annabella.” He leaned down to whisper to the short woman, “I was going to just say Stefan and Anna but I can’t leave Aleksi here alone, plus those two have something to work out I believe.” He winked before straightening up and heading out the front door with Nicholai.

The two men walked and Mikhail held his gps up in front of him, creating a small list of nearby churches. There wasnt a lot in their little city but enough to take a while to search without raising any suspicion. Besides him Nicholai spoke up and Mikhail looked at him out of the corner of his eye. For a small moment a flash of vulnerability flashed in his eyes but it was quickly gone. “I’m fine. I just can’t believe this happened. How shit of a guard am I?” He chuckled curtly and pointed down the road. “Zofia is going to the church her and Masha live at so let’s save them for last, there’s only a few others in town but I think you’re onto something with the nun thing. Might as well check them out, see if anything strange sticks out to us. I already sent some men back to the restaurant to get any camera footage to see if there is any marks on the vehicle who took them, or any footage in general.”

 

[Colt Voltage]

Nicholai Petrov

“Please, do you know how often I lose Aleksi? At least once a week. I know she didn’t willingly leave, but it happens. You can’t blame yourself. Whoever was after the girls had been eyeing them for a while it seems…so cut yourself some slack. Katya would scold you if she heard you call yourself a shit guard.” Would that comfort Mikhail? Maybe not perfectly, but he did hope it put him at ease. These people must have been professionals. “So we’ll check out the other church’s in town while she checks the one at home. Cmon.” The tall guard gave the other guard a small pat on the shoulder before taking off towards one of the three churches in town.

The first church was in the center of the town, they questioned a few of the sisters but they didn’t seem to recognize the girls. After they thanked them the pair headed to the outskirts of town to the next church, only to meet failure there as well. The last church was Zofia’s; he knew she was questioning someone there but it wouldn’t hurt to look around. As they approached the church Nicholai noticed the ground of the cemetery nearby disturbed. “Mikhail. Look.” His voice was whispered so no one would hear but him. Quickly he motioned to the tire tracks in the mud. There had been no recent obituaries in the paper and this was one of the oldest cemeteries in town, there were old tombs and crypts and plenty of places to hide. Two bodies were heavy and required a car to transport them.

“It wouldn’t hurt to look would it? Cemeteries are public property.” With a cocky smile Nicholai opened the gate and held it open for Mikhail before proceeding further in the graveyard to follow the tracks. They lead to the far back of the cemetery to an old crypt. “Don’t crypts usually have names on them? All this one has is a cross.” Despite the ground showing that something had been dragged into the gated entrance the gate was locked. Upon further inspection it appeared that the lock had been soldered together, so no one could get in maybe? Or out… the thought churned his stomach slightly as he rattled the door. “There has to be another way in, right? Maybe from the inside?”