Chapter 28 —Demyon
Five Months Later
Her belly was already swelling, and with each passing day she was losing her strength but not her will. Despite everything, she was still as beautiful as ever, and when she smiled, something always cracked open inside me.
Because of her presence, the mansion was no longer just a place I spent my free time. It was now a place I proudly called home. Eva was the light in my dark, the other half that completed me. It took a long time for me to realize that, but I finally did, and I’d never been happier.
She laughed more often these days, smiled more too. And perhaps that was the secret behind her glowing skin. Our relationship was more defined now after spending so much time together; we’d become inseparable.
Wherever I went, I took her with me—including every Bratva meeting I’d attended within the last five months. At first, my colleagues weren’t comfortable with me bringing my wife along. But with time, they grew used to having her around.
Eva had never participated in our conversations; she’d just sit there in silence, watching and observing. As time went on, the Bratva leaders began to respect her silence. They knew wasn’t dumb or stupid. She didn’t want to speak without being spoken to.
She understood that these leaders were traditional Russian men, and her silence was nothing but respect for their culture.
On multiple occasions, they’d teased me about never leaving her side and how I could no longer hide my affection for her. A few of the younger men even labeled our union as something admirable. And according to them, they couldn’t wait to find their own missing ribs.
To the outside world, I was still a ruthless brute, cruel and merciless in every way. However, when I was alone with my wife, I was a totally different person: nicer, softer and more affectionate.
She was no longer just an instrument for my entertainment; she was no longer a prisoner.
She was my wife, my partner, someone I was starting to consider bringing into my inner circle.
Eva was a smart woman, and with those big brains of hers, I was certain that she would be useful to the organization if I gave her the chance.
I came to this conclusion after she advised me on how to tackle a particular Bratva issue. During the meeting with the Bratva elites, she listened to our deliberations but didn’t contribute.
She’d waited until we were back home, and while we were having dinner that night, she chipped in her thoughts. At first, it didn’t make much sense to me, but after listening to the detailed breakdown of her plan, I was speechless.
Maybe it was my masculine pride or something, but I didn’t let her see how impressed I was by her wisdom.
I thanked her anyway for the contribution, and the very next day, I called my cousin, Adrik.
After pitching the idea to him, he bought it immediately, saying it was the best plan he’d heard all day.
A few weeks later, she did it again; she advised me on another issue. When we implemented it as an organization, the results were outstanding. That’s when I knew that she was much smarter than I’d given her credit for.
Since then, I never took her words for granted, and I began paying close attention to every suggestion she gave. Eva had proven time and time again that she was more than capable of helping our organization grow.
No one knew that she was the brain behind the brilliant ideas I’d been coming up with lately. I didn’t want to tell them because, knowing the kind of people that they were, they would doubt me.
Although I hadn’t given her permission to speak up at our meetings, deep down, I wanted her to do so on her own accord. I wanted to see the shock on my associates’ faces when she opened her mouth to spill a fraction of her wisdom.
A part of me wanted to bring her into the folds. But the other part of me was afraid of dragging her into the violence of my world. It was clear as crystal that she was smart enough to handle herself and still be very useful to the organization.
However, in my eyes, she was still a delicate little thing that I must protect with my life.
Essentially, this was an internal fight between Demyon Tarasov, the Bratva boss and Demyon Tarasov, the husband.
The Bratva boss wanted to do right by the organization by bringing her onboard as a valuable asset. The husband, on the other hand, wanted to do right by his wife by keeping her safe from any form of violence.
One evening, in my study at home, Adrik and Ilya were discussing a plan they’d come up with.
We were standing over my table, palms braced against the polished wood. A map of the docks was spread over the surface with red and blue markers indicating significant buildings and areas.
Eva was sitting on the couch at a safe distance, her eyes pinned on the pages of the novel in her hand. She sat there as though she wasn’t listening, as though she was engrossed in the book she was reading. However, knowing her, I was certain that later on, she’d point out our mistakes to me.
“We move here,” Adrik said, tapping a point on the map. “Ten minutes after the exchange. Fast. Quiet.”
Ilya stroked his chin, nodding his head. “Yeah. That’s a good idea.”
“It is, if you plan on walking into a trap,” Eva said without taking her eyes off the book.
The room stilled.
Ilya and Adrik both looked at me, then slowly shifted their gazes to her.
Adrik cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”
She raised her head and met my gaze, as if asking my permission to speak. This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for, and I wasn’t going to deny her the chance to prove herself and blow them away.
I gave a subtle nod.
“Ten minutes is too late,” she began, her voice steady and controlled. “You’re assuming the exchange happens inside the warehouse. And that’s the problem.”
Adrik, intrigued by her construction, straightened his back and folded his arms across his chest.
“They say if you wanna catch a thief, think like a thief,” she continued. “These guys are liars, and if you don’t think like them, they’ll outsmart you.”
We looked at each, but none of us said a word.
She added, “If I were setting a trap, I’d never finish the deal where I planned to kill someone.”
Ilya cleared his throat, fingers scratching the back of his head. “Um…Mrs. Tarasov, do you mind explaining to us what you mean? Imagine you’re speaking to three-year-olds.”
Adrik and I glared at him for that statement, but he just casually shrugged his shoulders. He was right anyway because none of us understood what she was trying to say.
She closed the book, set it aside, and struggled to her feet, a hand supporting her lower back. She dragged herself over to the table and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“All right, pay attention,” she began, shifting her finger along the map.
“The delay gives your enemies time—enough to move the real handoff closer to the river. Out of sight, easy escape routes, reflective surfaces to spot approaching men.” She glanced up at our faces.
“You’ll storm the empty warehouse while they watch from across the water. ”
The silence was even heavier than before.
“It’s an ambush,” Ilya murmured under his breath.
“Exactly,” she seconded. “Your plan is solid, but it’s flawed. And if you pull through with it, you won’t just miss them; you’ll expose yourselves.”
The two men stared at her in awe, unable to spot an error in her analysis.
“Well….” Adrik’s quiet voice broke the silence. “Thank you for making me feel stupid.”
Her lips curled into a small, teasing smile. “You’re welcome.”
I stood there, beaming with pride, even though I didn’t commend her in front of the two men.
“Now what?” Ilya asked.
“Now we adjust our plan,” I answered.
And just like that, all eyes shifted toward Eva.
“Got any brilliant ideas?” Adrik asked her.
She hesitated for a moment. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
Eva spent the next few minutes restrategizing our plan, her hands moving in sync with her wise words. As she spoke, the world around us faded into the background, leaving only her and the sweet sound of her voice.
The two men were stunned by her contributions, and throughout the brief time she spoke, their eyebrows remained raised. They couldn’t believe their eyes, and when they glanced at me, I just beamed with pride.
Now that they’d witnessed her wisdom firsthand, it was only a matter of time before they brought up the idea of bringing her into the fold.
As I stood there watching her, it was clear to me that I couldn’t imagine a future without her in it. This wasn’t just about my attachment to her; it was about how obsessed I was with how valuable she was.
One day soon, I’d have to make a choice. I’d either bring her in to help the organization or keep her away from all of this.
At the end of the day, it wouldn’t be my choice to make anyway. It would be hers.