Fractured Souls

License notes Copyright © 2023 Neva Altaj www.neva-altaj.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Editing by Susan Stradiotto and Andie, Beyond The Proof (www.susanstradiotto.com) (www.beyondtheproof.ca) Proofreading by Yvette Rebello (https://yreditor.com/) Manuscript critique by Anka Lesko (www.amlediting.com) Cover design by Deranged Doctor (www.derangeddoctordesign.com) Table of Contents License notes Table of Contents Author’s Note Trigger Warning Character Notes Playlist Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Epilogue Dear reader, About the Author Author’s Note Dear reader, Fractured Souls has been my hardest book to write so far. Because of the delicate subject, it’s different from the previous books in the series. Fractured Souls focuses mainly on the characters, and while there is a Mafia/crime subplot present, it’s secondary to the characters’ story. Also, if you’ve read the previous books in the series, you know I love to throw a bit of humor into each story. This book, however, won’t have that element. It deals with an extremely heavy subject, and the inclusion of humor would have been distasteful. Please read the trigger warning on the next page. If you feel like you may find the subject matter disturbing, or it may cause you harm, please skip this story. Don’t worry, if you do decide to pass on this one, you won’t miss any revelations critical to the rest of the series, and you will be able to return to the Perfectly Imperfect world in the next book. However, if you’re still uncertain whether you should read it, please feel free to email me or reach out via TikTok or Instagram message (my contact information is on my website at www.neva-altaj.com/contact) and share your concerns. I’d be happy to give you spoilers so you can decide if you want to read the book or not. Your mental health matters. I would like to express my gratitude to Ruthie, who did a sensitivity read for Fractured Souls and offered advice for improvement so that Asya’s struggles, and her journey, are presented realistically and tactfully. If you choose to read Fractured Souls, I hope with all my heart that you’ll like Asya and Pavel’s story. It might be a part of a Mafia series, but above all else, it’s the story of love, overcoming hurt, the strength of family, and the perseverance of the human spirit. Trigger Warning This book contains topics that may be difficult for some readers, such as an on-page sexual assault (including rape, but not between the main characters), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mention of attempted suicide, mention of sexual slavery, mention of drug use, explicit scenes of violence and torture, and gore. If you are a survivor of sexual and/or physical abuse, parts of this story may trigger memories that can cause stress or sadness. Our heroine deals with her situation by relying on the strength and support of our hero. While we believe that love can heal, please keep in mind that this story is a work of fiction. I encourage you to seek out help from a support organization and/or a trusted health professional. You do not need to suffer in silence. Character Notes Asya – pronounced as [ˈaːzja]. Pasha – Russian nickname (short form) for Pavel, used in casual settings. Pashenka – a variation (affectionate diminutive) of the name Pavel/Pasha, used as a term of endearment by close family members/relations. Mishka – a Russian term of endearment, meaning little bear or teddy bear. * * * In case you need to refresh your memory on the Bratva hierarchy and family ties, check out the “Extras” page on my website. Playlist There are several classical pieces mentioned throughout the book. Here’s the list in case you want to check them out. “Moonlight Sonata” by Ludwig van Beethoven “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov “Gymnopédies” by Erik Satie “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg “The Rain Must Fall” by Yanni “Für Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven “River Flows in You” by Yiruma Prologue It’s snowing. The ground is cold on my back, scraping my shoulder blades, as I stare over the man’s shoulder into the dark expanse above me. Everything seems blurry. I can’t discern separate snowflakes, but I can feel them falling on my face. Fragile. Delicate. They remind me of the notes in one of the pieces by Erik Satie so I hum the tune while a searing pain keeps tearing at my insides. Should it hurt this much? I know it was supposed to hurt at first, but I never imagined it would keep hurting. The man grunts and the weight is suddenly gone. I slide my hand down my stomach and over the fabric of my torn dress to press my palm between my legs. Wetness. Too much. Way too much. I raise my hand in front of my face, staring at my blood-covered fingers while the melody still plays in the back of my mind. “Well, you’ve ended up being quite a treat, sweetheart,” the male voice says. “I had my eye on your sister initially. You may look the same, but there is just something about her that oozes class. The clients do tend to prefer more polished ones, but you’ll do.” Panic, as I’ve never felt before, explodes in my chest, breaking me out of the stupor I’d fallen into. I roll to the side until I’m lying facedown on the ground. Energy surges through my veins, and