Chapter 7 #3
It doesn’t matter how good she gets at stalking and surveilling, he always seems to know she’s coming. She can’t even get close to him.
She thinks back to her conversation with Ruger. What she needs is a way to get to him when he’s vulnerable. A way to sneak up on him when his guard is down. If she can do that, she might stand a chance of getting the ring from him and winning his challenge.
Her eyes roam over her bedroom and catch on the electrical cord now running from an outlet to her bedroom door. She sits up quickly, her mind whirring.
She went through all that effort with Ruger because she’s vulnerable when she’s sleeping. And what was it that Shade had told her? Everyone has to let their guard down sometimes.
If she can figure out a way to sneak into his room while he’s asleep, she can take him by surprise!
She flops back down onto the bed in frustration.
With the new training program running almost twenty hours a day, Hawk and the other team members have been sleeping in shifts so that at least one of them is overseeing the men at all times.
She doesn’t even know when Hawk sleeps, let alone where he sleeps.
The man is as stealthy and secretive as it gets.
She springs back up as inspiration hits. She doesn’t know where or when he sleeps, but other people are living in the bunkhouse with him. She knows that the rest of the team won’t give her any information, but surely, some of Alexi’s other men will.
If she can talk one of Alexi’s men into giving her information, she can use it to finally—finally—get to Hawk.
But how? If she just marches up to one of them and asks where Hawk’s room is and when he’s usually sleeping, they’ll know something is up. They’d likely laugh at her or dismiss her as the silly young girl who needed Alexi to save her. Then they’d probably forewarn Hawk, ruining her plan.
What she needs is a way to get information from Alexi’s men without them realizing they’re giving it to her.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t interact with the men much, so she doesn’t know where to start.
She’s not one of the brotherhood, so the men mostly ignore her.
The only Bratva soldier she’s had any interactions with is the security guard at the front gate.
She shrugs and climbs off the bed. She can start there. She had no problem charming him enough to convince him to open the gate. Maybe she can charm him into giving her some information, too.
Two hours later, Ulayna walks confidently across the driveway carrying a plate of fresh-baked cookies. With no other ideas for manipulating him into giving her the information she needs, she decided to start with simple bribery.
She hasn’t forgotten her lesson from Phoenix and Hadley about using her looks to help get what she wants, so she chose her outfit carefully. She went for a look of innocent charm. Girl next door.
She paired her simple cotton T-shirt dress with flats and a headband.
She wanted to look innocent but not like a child, so she’d put on enough makeup to enhance her eyes, but not so much that she looked like she was trying to be sexy.
The last thing she needs is for the guard to think she’s trying to seduce him.
Overall, she’s pleased with the outfit. She looks… average. Not too young, not too old. Not too sexy, and not too sweet. With any luck, he’ll be more focused on the cookies she made than on her, and he won’t think twice about why she’s suddenly decided to bring him treats and ask him questions.
She knocks softly on the door to the security gate house before letting herself inside.
“Hello,” she says with a cheerful smile.
The guard quickly stands at attention. “Gost’ya, what can I do for you?”
Ulayna pauses at the title, shocked.
Gost’ya literally means “guest” in Russian. But when used as a title, it means honored guest. And in the world of the Bratva, it is a subtle signal that she’s untouchable. She isn’t just an honored guest; she is the honored guest of their pakhan and under his protection.
With one word, Yuri has given her more status than she’s ever had in her life.
The fact that she doesn’t have a last name has always been a cold reminder of her low-born status.
She was abandoned as a young child and left at the shitty orphanage where they didn’t care enough to give her a last name.
When they’d bothered to call her anything, it had been either “girl” or Ulayna.
Not having a last name has always been a neon sign to the world that she has no father, no lineage, and no place in it.
Because of this, her placement in Alexi’s household has always been a bit awkward.
She’s not a part of the brotherhood. She’s not a part of Alexi’s team.
And she’s a young, unmarried woman. Using only her first name would be considered an insult—one which the men know Alexi wouldn’t tolerate.
But with no last name to use, they never seem sure how to address her.
The men and household staff generally either ignore her or defer to Alexi.
The guard calling her gost’ya solidifies her place here. It’s a sign that she is accepted, respected, and protected. Maybe not by all of Alexi’s men, but at least by this guard.
Her chest fills with an unexpected warmth. She’s shocked at how much his acceptance matters to her.
She nods her head respectfully. “Yuri Dmitriyevich,” she says, using the patronymic version of his last name. With it, she’s acknowledging his use of his respectful title for her, and she’s showing her respect for his status as a member of the Bratva in return.
He grunts and smiles, breaking the moment of formality. His use of the title was intentional, and she won’t forget it.
“I made you these.” She holds out the plate of cookies.
He raises his eyebrow at her in question but takes a cookie anyway. He bites into it and groans in pleasure.
“Oh, these are even better than my wife’s.” Looking at her sternly, he adds, “Don’t tell her I said that.”
“You’re married?” Ulayna asks, knowing how unusual it is for men in the Bratva.
Yuri nods. “ The pakhan’s father, Boris—” Yuri spits on the ground, showing his clear disdain for the previous Bratva leader.
“He discouraged marriages. Said attachments made men weak.” He shrugs and takes another bite of the cookie.
“Thankfully, I was able to convince him of the strategic benefits that an alliance with the old-country Bratva would bring.”
Curious, Ulayna asks, “You married a woman from Russia?”
Nodding, Yuri says, “She is the niece of the Moscow pakhan. She and her mom immigrated here when she was a small child. I’ve known her since I was ten and have loved her every day since the first.”
Ulayna is fascinated by this new insight. “Did Boris try to use that connection?”
“He tried. But my Sofiya has the ear of her uncle.” Pride shines through Yuri’s voice.
“When she told him what type of man Boris is, her uncle cut all ties with him. As the pakhan of Moscow, he couldn’t give Alexi outright support in overthrowing Boris, obviously.
But he also didn’t stand in Alexi’s way. ”
Yuri finishes his cookie and brushes the crumbs off his hands. “What can I do for you? If this is a bribe to open the gate for you again, it’s not going to work. I won’t break a direct command from my pakhan.”
Ulayna shrugs, hoping she looks indifferent. “I was bored, and it’s no fun baking cookies for just yourself. Alexi is gone, and the team is all busy with the new training program.” She pauses. “Wait, why aren’t you in training?”
“I stuck it out long enough to prove my loyalty and to earn a good rank. I have no desire to be on one of the teams. My wife would skin me alive.” He gives her a wink, clearly teasing her.
“I’d like to meet your wife someday.”
“I think she’d like that, too.” After a pause, he says, “So you were bored and couldn’t come up with anything better to do than make an old soldier some cookies.”
She meets Yuri’s eyes and says, honestly, “I’d like to get to know the men better.
I’m living here, surrounded by the Bratva every day, but they’re all strangers.
They’re Alexi’s men, and I feel like I should know more about them.
” That might not have been her original reason for coming down here, but she realizes it’s true.
She actually does want to get to know them better.
Yuri tips his head to her, another sign of his approval and respect. “Have you considered joining their training?”
Ulayna shakes her head firmly. “Are you kidding? There’s no way I could keep up with them. I’d get laughed at.”
“From what I hear, you’re becoming quite skilled in evasive maneuvers and hand-to-hand combat.”
Ulayna’s eyes go wide. “You know about that?”
Yuri scoffs. “The only person who doesn’t know about that is Alexi, and that’s only because he has blinders on when it comes to you.”
Worried now, Ulayna bites her lip. “I don’t want to be the reason he has blinders on. Others might think that’s a weakness, and I would never do anything to make him look weak.”
“All the more reason for you to show the men your strength. Right now, many of them see you as a fragile thing that needs the pakhan’s protection. They know his team is training you, but they have not seen your skills. You must find a way to show them that you are not a liability or a weakness.”
Ulayna nods, determined. She’ll find a way to prove herself. She will.