Bought by the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #17)

Chapter 19 - Abram

I watched her our entire trip. At first, she was skeptical, which was clear. But once she spent some time there, something changed. The flight back had been quiet, but the smile on her lips was all the reward I needed. Somehow, I felt sure I had gotten through to her.

Dusk was upon us, and I wanted to get home quickly. The trip was nice but tiring. As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed Tasha’s car in the driveway. This was odd as I spoke to her last night. As we got closer, I saw her leaning against her car and two of my guards waiting beside her. Something was wrong; I could feel it in my bones.

“Oh, look, Tasha’s here,” Nadia said excitedly.

“Uhm, yeah,” I replied, distracted by my thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, I tried not to jump to conclusions. While parking my car, I noticed Ash was also there; he was standing on one side. This wasn’t good. He ran some of our weapon warehouses. One of our most trusted managers. We got out and walked over to Tasha.

“Hi, sis, what’s happened?” I asked, unable to wait.

She gave me a weak smile. “I’ve come to visit. There are things for you to deal with,” she nodded in Ash’s direction. “I will keep Nadia company until you get back.” Slightly confused and a bit worried, I watched as the two women went inside.

Tasha has never shown up without notice. This was more serious than I thought. I felt a hand on my shoulder as they disappeared through the door. Turning rapidly, I saw Ash standing behind me.

“Boss,” he said, lowering his head.

“Spit it out, man,” I practically shouted, needing to know what had happened.

“One of our warehouses was hit last night.” Swallowing hard, I could hear he was trying to contain his emotions. “We lost all the weapons and ten of our men.” He paused again, glanced around, and then continued. “None of the workers made it out alive.”

For a moment, it felt like my heart had stopped. Ash stood there waiting for my orders. Staggering back, I leaned against Tasha’s car. My first thought was of one of our enemies who also took a similar approach some years back. But we had new enemies to consider as well.

Ash stood with his fingers laced before him, waiting for me to decide on the next step. My blood was boiling, and my mind felt like it was about to explode. Taking a deep breath, I looked around. Now I knew why Tasha was there, and I was glad she had come to keep an eye on Nadia.

Walking back to my car, I tried to clear my jumbled thoughts. I stopped and looked back. Ash was still standing where I left him. “Are you coming?” I hollered at him impatiently. Ash was an elderly man in his late sixties. He had a limp from his war days but was a trusted manager.

Watching him run towards me almost made me forget we were in a serious situation. “Sorry, boss,” he huffed as he reached me.

Holding out the keys, I tried to sound calm as I spoke. “Take me to the warehouse. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Ash nodded and got in. The drive was spent in silence as I worked on my thoughts. Pulling up to the warehouse, I felt my heart sinking to my feet. There were a lot of good people working here. Ash had barely stopped before I was out and headed inside.

The place was flooded with high-intensity floodlights. With darkness creeping in on us at a quick rate, I felt glad my men had brought so many lights.

A lot of my men were present. The cleanup had already started. The coroner was also there. Most of the bodies were covered and being removed from the scene. I felt my anger rising but also felt a deep sadness as I watched them being taken away.

These good people died for no reason. They could have been attached when there were no workers, or they could have tied them up. There was no reason for bloodshed. Taking everything out would have made more than enough impact. But no, they had to kill innocent people. I couldn’t let this stand.

This meant war!

Shaking my head, I went inside to what was left of the building. The entire one side looked like it was crushed by a wrecking ball. I suspected most of the guards were taken out with this hit as it was the side housing their office. As I moved through the rubble, I tried looking for clues.

I hoped we could find some evidence to indicate who had done this. I moved through the building along with some of my guards. We turned over heaps of rocks, wood, and steel but found nothing. There was no sign of the device being used to cause this damage. Frustrated, I slammed my fist into a wall.

Scanning the area, I screamed at the guards. “Can anyone tell me what happened?”

Everyone went silent as they turned, looking at me. The men glanced around at each other, mumbling. I knew it must have looked like I was losing my mind. But in that moment, it felt like it.

I noticed one of my men approaching me out of the corner of my eye. Turning to face him, I hoped he had something, anything would do. “Boss,” he uttered as he steadied himself on some rubble.

“Yes, man, spit it out. Did you find something?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I sounded overly harsh. I treated my men with respect. But this incident has turned me into a monster. “Sorry, Jim,” I added, taking a slow deep breath.

Jim actually worked at one of the offices. He had contacts that came in useful at times. He nodded lightly. “My friend found some of the footage before the blast.” Turning, he continued to speak over his shoulder. “This way.”

I followed, hopeful that we could see who was responsible. He glanced back as we approached the young man sitting in the middle of a heap of bricks and papers. He looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. I wondered how a child could do work like this.

Before his feet lay what I assumed used to be our server. It appeared quite busted. A cable ran from it to the laptop resting on his legs. “What have you found, young man?” I asked as I stood behind him.

He pressed a button on the keypad, and some images started appearing on the screen. There was a lot of noise and blurring, but we could see some of the men near the side of the building. They placed something against the wall, retreated, and then everything went boom, followed by nothingness.

I could swear one or two of the men in the blurred image were part of the Vasilievs family. “Can you clear up the images?” I inquired, wondering how good he was.

If it was the Vasilievs that caused this, was Nadia involved? Did she betray me? I was distracted for a moment as my mind flooded with questions.

“I tried, but with what I have on my laptop, I can’t get a clear image. Sorry,” the young man said, pulling me back to the present.

“Right,” I responded, shaking my head. “Send what you’ve got to Tasha, and she’ll be able to give us a clear image.”

“Tasha?” the young man asked, looking at me over his shoulder.

“Jim,” I said, tapping Jim on the shoulder as I turned to leave. Jim nodded and rushed to the man’s side. As I walked away, I heard him giving instructions. Feeling slightly closer to finding the truth, I headed out. I had to get home and take over so Tasha could go to work.

“Ash?” I called out, stepping back through the hole in the wall where we had entered.

“I’m here boss,” he responded from somewhere to my side.

“Let’s go, I think I got what I came looking for.” I had just completed my sentence when I noticed Ash walking beside me. “Good man,” I added as we got into the car.

As we drove, I tried to figure out if Nadia had anything to do with this. I hadn’t seen her sending any messages lately. So, unless she had another phone, I felt sure she couldn’t be responsible. Nothing she had sent could have led to this catastrophe.

I considered calling my brother’s and wondered if Tasha or any of my men had done so. Yet, they haven’t called or shown up, so I felt sure they didn’t know thus far. This was good. I wanted proof of who had done it before going to them.

Without evidence, Anton and Akim would surely make their own conclusions. This wouldn’t be good for Nadia or me. Ash pulled into the driveway and parked in my usual spot. “Thanks, Ash,” I said, getting out. “I’ll talk to you more in the morning.”

He nodded, handed me my keys, and left. The front door opened as I approached, and Tasha stepped out. “Nadia is in the entertainment room,” she said, coming to stand before me.

“Thank you,” I replied, hugging her tightly. “I had the computer whiz at the scene send you the images. If we can see who is in those pictures, we will know who attacked us.”

“I’m on it,” she replied, heading to her bike. “I’ll catch you in the morning. Try to get some rest.”

I stood for a bit, watching her pull out and drive off. She was the only one in this family I could speak to about anything. Tasha never judged me and never would. I found Nadia where she said she would be.

“Is everything okay? You look a tad distressed,” she said as I walked over to join her on the couch.

Exhaling loudly, I shook my head. “Nothing for you to worry about. But I am a bit tired, so I’ll turn in early.”

Nadia turned her head sideways. Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. “You sure?” she questioned.

Pulling her into my arms, I squeezed her tightly. “I’m sure,” I replied, kissing her cheek. Have a good night.” I felt sure but had this nagging thought I couldn’t get rid of. Entering my room, I locked the door and entered the secret room.

I went through all the videos from last week and all the messages. I couldn’t find anything indicating that Nadia had any involvement with this incident. Feeling slightly relieved and grateful that I was right, I went to bed.

Early the next morning, I left the house. This was before Nadia was up or breakfast could be ready. I left a note with Nadia's kitchen maid, letting her know I would be back soon. I had to meet Tasha and get to the bottom of this before the others got wind of it.

Upon my arrival at the office, I headed straight up to Tasha’s office. I felt sure the rest wouldn’t be in yet, and we would have time to figure it out before letting them know. I didn’t even knock as I reached her office. I simply waltz in.

“Good morning, you’re just in time,” Tasha said, smiling as she looked up from her computer.

Hearing those words and her cheerful demeanor put me at ease. Grinning, I replied in a light tone. “Morning, sis. So, what have you found that could bring on such cheerfulness?”

“Let me start by stating that Nadia had nothing to do with this,” Tasha commented as she rose from her desk. “I went through everything. Nadia sent no intel that could have led to the raid; she is clean.”

Breathing out hard, I felt some of the tension in my shoulders dissipate. My heart even felt lighter. “This is good news indeed,” I replied, smiling. I had jumped to conclusions but was very glad I was wrong.

“Have a seat, let me show you something,” she added waving her hand for me to sit in her place.

Taking her place, I saw she had a set of images on the screen. She pressed a button, and the images fell away. They came up one by one, filling the screen as if I had zoomed in on each. There were two I liked most. They clearly showed two of the Vasilievs. I recognized them from the files Tasha had compiled before all of this started.

“Thank you, Tasha,” I huffed, feeling my body heating up as anger filled my veins. “Can you find out how they knew about the warehouse? If Nadia didn’t assist with this, they may have someone else within our midst.”

I could see she was pondering on my question. “I can try,” Tasha replied. She tapped my back showing me to get out of her chair.

Grinning, I got up and moved to the side. Lifting my hands in the air, I spoke in a light tone. “Okay, sorry, jeez, don’t be so pushy.”

She gave me a wicked look before laughing. “I can’t make any promises, but I will see what I can gather. You going to talk to Alexandr?” she questioned, raising her brows.

“Now that I know Nadia is not involved, I will,” I replied, walking to the window. “I hoped we would have more information before I did, though.”

“Yeah, but it’s going to take some time. Sorry, brother.”

Turning, I walked back to her side. “Will some extra large coffee shakes help?” I asked, speaking in her ear. There was a small family-owned coffee shop a block away. They made milkshakes that Tasha just loved. She always said they gave her brain superpowers.

Tasha glanced at me as she tapped my cheek. “It might. But I doubt it. I will try anything right now, though. Thanks for offering.”

Grinning, I left her to do her thing while I sneaked out of the building to get her one. As I returned, I saw Anton and Akim arriving. I took the staff elevator and quickly went to Tasha’s office. Entering, I looked both ways down the hall. They weren’t on the floor yet.

Closing her door, I handed her the shake as I whispered. “Found anything?”

Tasha grabbed the shake and took a big sip. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and pulled her face. I was sure it was a result of a brain freeze and not my question. I waited for her to recover before leaning closer and looking her in the eyes as I spoke. “Anything?”

“Go home!” Tasha demanded. “I will tell them that you forgot something and will be back later. I will try my best to find something for you and will let you know as soon as I do.”

Nodding in agreement, I left. Maybe there was something I missed. I would speak to the employees at home to see if Nadia had gone out or had any visitors.

Nadia was in her room when I got home. I went to my office and called in the staff one by one. By lunchtime, I had only seen about half, so I had lunch in my office. I called Tasha to touch base.

She hadn’t gotten very far either. She did, however, have a list of three employees that could have been involved. I didn’t want to believe that we had loyalty issues. But anything was possible in our world.

“I am sitting down with Alexandr this afternoon to discuss the employees. But I think you should stay home. Come in tomorrow, and let’s see what we have then,” Tasha said.

“Right, thank you, sis. I’ll go back to the warehouse and see if my men found anything more. See you in the morning,” I replied before hanging up.

By the time I was done talking to the staff, it was getting dark out. I told Tasha that I would be late as I needed to check in with the guards in the morning. As I rose to head down for dinner, one of the kitchen ladies entered.

“Oh,” I said, surprised to see her carrying my supper. “Are we not having dinner together?” I questioned, as I sat back down.

“Miss Nadia has already had supper and retired for the evening, sir,” she replied.

She placed the plate on the table and left. As she headed out the door, I spoke. “Thank you.”

She turned, bowed her head lightly, and left. I wondered what Nadia had done all day as I ate. I didn’t really have time to ponder it, though. I needed to find out what happened so we could prevent another attack.

The next two days were filled with inspections, meetings, and following up on leads. Alexandr took the news much better than I had expected. Anton was up in arms, as I predicted. He wanted Nadia and was ready to start a war.

Eventually, Tasha found a tiny bit of evidence. I felt relieved as I had been living at the office and the warehouse for the last three days. Heading home, I couldn’t wait to see Nadia. I wanted to have a romantic dinner, maybe watch a movie, and hear what she has been doing to keep busy.

I arrived home late and hoped she was still up. Entering the mansion, I stopped in my tracks. Nadia was sitting on the stairs, leaning and hanging onto the railing. “Nadia,” I huffed as I rushed to her side. Going down on my knees before her, I spoke softly. “Nadia, what’s wrong?”

She glanced at me, her eyes flickering open and shut. Her complexion was pale, and she looked sweaty. A small smile crossed her lips as she reached out to me. Her touch was hot as she placed her hand on my cheek.

Lifting mine, I felt her forehead. “You’re boiling!” I huffed. “I’m so sorry for not being around,” I added as I lifted her into my arms. Quickly, I walked upstairs to my room. I placed her down on the bed carefully. The fact that she didn’t even try to argue scared me. “Nadia, I’m just going to draw you a bath,” I added.

Nadia grabbed my hand as I started turning away. She must have seen the fear in my eyes. “I’m alright,” she whispered. Her voice sounded hoarse. “It’s just a cold. I just need to rest.” Nadia closed her eyes, and her hand fell from mine.

My heart was beating in my throat. For a moment, it felt like I couldn’t breathe. “Nadia,” I said, kneeling beside the bed. She tried looking at me, her eyes opening and closing again. “I’m going to draw you a bath with some oils and herbs that are great for curing a cold,” I added, swallowing hard.

Nadia smiled weakly as I rose. I moved quickly, filling the tub and adding the necessary oils and herbs. Mila, Alexandr’s wife, had given these to me when I came down with a cold a while back. I prayed that it was only a cold, and this would work. I had to do something; I had to help her recover.

Feeling the water once the tub was halfway full, I made sure it was the right temperature. I added the herbs and oils needed. Giving it a big swirl, I headed back to my bed to fetch Nadia. As I picked her up, I considered calling one of the maids but decided against it.

Entering the bathroom, Nadia opened her eyes. She frowned at me as she spoke. “I can walk, you know.”

“I know,” I replied with a small chuckle. “I want you to conserve your energy so you can get better.”

I moved up to the tub before lowering her to her feet. She stood, but it was wanly. “Let’s sit rather,” I said assisting her to sit on the side of the tub. As I started undressing her, she giggled. This made me smile. “What’s so funny?” I questioned.

“You are treating me like a baby,” she replied softly.

“You kind of are one at the moment,” I said teasingly.

Nadia smirked as I dropped her clothing to the floor. “Ready to get in?” I asked, taking her around the waist. She pushed up and placed one leg in the tub. I waited patiently for her to get the other one in before lowering her into the water. “Please don’t fall asleep, I’ll be right back, okay?” I added.

She nodded her head as I walked to the door. Satisfied with her response I left to prepare her some food and make some medicine. I had a recipe my mother used when we got sick, and it has done wonders for me over the years.

After making the cold remedy, I warmed some of the cook’s fabulous chicken soup. It was filled with nutrients and light enough to keep down. I also made a hot water bottle in case she needed it.

Grabbing a tray from the cupboard and piling everything on it, I headed upstairs. Placing the tray on the table in the corner of my room, I got the bed ready. I wasn’t about to leave her alone and would sleep on the chair if I had to.

With everything set up, I went to check on Nadia in the tub. She was moving her legs up and down. Smiling, I approached slowly. “No, no, no,” she huffed as she saw me.

“What did I do now?” I asked, kneeling next to the tub.

“Just a bit longer. It’s nice in here,” she replied.

Chuckling, I took a towel from the rail. Holding it up, I spoke gently, urging her to get out. “Come on, I have a soft, warm bed and some amazing soup waiting for you.” Reluctantly, Nadia started getting up. I assisted her out and wrapped the towel around her. Picking her up, I returned to the room and placed her on the bed.

I had fluffed the pillows and added some more so she could sit upright. “Are you comfortable?” I asked. Pulling up the sheets, I covered her with them.

“I’m good,” she replied, sounding a little slurred. I gave her some of the medicine and then sat down next to the bed while she ate some soup. After a couple of bites, she held the bowl out to me. “Do you really think that was enough?” I questioned, playfully.

Nadia smirked and pulled her face into a scrunch. “Just a couple more,” I pleaded. “For me, please.”

I watched as she took another three bites. This time, when she held the bowl out, I took it. Standing up, I spoke as I kissed her head. “Thank you.”

Placing the bowl back on the tray, I decided to get onto the bed next to her. Nadia didn’t fight me. She shifted down and placed her head on my chest. I lightly played with her hair, allowing my fingers to drift through them.

She fell asleep quickly. Looking down at her, I realized I wanted her in my life no matter what. I had to free her from the hold her family had on her. Preferably sooner than I had planned. I had to be sure she was safe. Grinning, I knew I wanted to introduce her to my family as a woman of our caliber. But I knew I would have to prove her innocence to them.

For now, she was only my secretary in their eyes. A woman to get information from about our adversaries. But soon, I hoped to make her more.