I never told my sister I owned half the land in this town. When I returned from the army, my daughter was forced to sleep in the pigsty, humiliated, and told, "You're a useless burden." In front of me, she even sneered, "A poor, washed-up soldier has no right to speak up." I silently signed the legal papers, reclaiming the entire house she was living in. A week later, I took my daughter and left, leaving her standing there crying in front of a house that was no longer hers.

I stared at the glowing screen of my laptop in total disbelief.

The deed to Thorne Manor had just been transferred to a shell corporation based in Moscow.

"Who exactly did she sell my home to, Vance?" I demanded.

"The buyer is listed as Viktor Volkov," Vance whispered.

My blood ran completely cold at the mention of that name.

Volkov was not just a foreign real estate developer.

He was the ruthless leader of a global crime syndicate that I had fought a brutal war against in Eastern Europe.

Sarah had unknowingly sold our family home to a man who wanted me dead more than anyone else in the world.

"He knows I am back in town, Vance," I said, piecing the puzzle together.

"Volkov didn't buy the land for the property value; he bought it to draw me out into the open."

I looked at Lily, who was finally sleeping peacefully in the massive king-sized bed.

I could not keep her in this town while a Russian crime lord was hunting me.

"Marcus, prepare the private jet for immediate departure," I ordered.

"We are taking Lily to the secure bunker in Switzerland until this is resolved."

I packed my minimal belongings and wrapped a heavy blanket around my sleeping daughter.

We moved silently through the service elevator and into the underground parking garage.

My armored SUV was waiting with the engine already running.

I secured Lily in the backseat and climbed into the passenger side.

As the heavy garage doors opened, a massive explosion rocked the street directly in front of us.

A burning city bus had been completely tipped over, blocking the only exit from the hotel.

Through the thick black smoke, a dozen heavily armed mercenaries stepped into the garage entrance.

They raised their automatic rifles and pointed them directly at our windshield.

A tall man in a dark trench coat walked through the center of the mercenary squad.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

Viktor Volkov smiled at me through the smoke.

"Welcome home, Captain Elias," Volkov shouted over the burning wreckage.

Chapter 4 - The Russian Syndicate