Chapter Nine
Bogdan’s island was perfect.
Anastasia stared out across the beach where they had spent most of the previous day making love and basking in each other’s company. Something was different with him. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew it existed.
There was no denying the feelings that had swept over her in recent weeks. She hadn’t wanted to be married. Bogdan had been a terrifying prospect for a husband, and now she didn’t want to be without him. There was a threat to her life, and while they were together, he would be in danger.
She gasped as the very man himself wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “You look deep in thought,”
he said, pressing his lips to her neck.
She couldn’t help but smile. “How could you see me when I have my back to you?”
“You’re a smart-ass, but I can see it in the reflection in the window.”
He kissed her neck. “Tell me what is troubling you.”
“No, you’re going to laugh at me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
She sighed and then spun around in his arms and raised her brows at him. “Okay, fine, how about this? I’m afraid for you.”
And for the first time, since they had been married, so probably the first time ever, she watched as Bogdan found humor in what she had said.
“See, I told you, you were going to laugh.”
“Anastasia, baby, you do not have to worry about me.”
“Don’t do that, okay? It’s not fair and this is serious.”
She let out a sigh. She had reached up to cup his face, and then she tried to step away, and he wrapped his arms around her, stopping her from leaving.
“I’m not going to let you go. Not when you feel like this. I’m here for you, Anastasia. I’m not laughing at you, or joking about this. I know what I am doing. I know who I am and what I’m capable of. You don’t have to be afraid.”
And yet, as she looked at him, she couldn’t help but feel the tears start to seep out of her eyes. “You can’t say that. You said yourself that your father was the best man for the job. He was the best, and yet he didn’t make it. Someone was able to get the better of him, and he died.”
“That is not going to happen to me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“My father didn’t have anyone to live for, but I’m not him, and guess what, I do. I have you to live for, and that is exactly what I am going to do. I’m going to live for you, always for you.”
Before she could say anything more, he pressed his lips against hers, silencing all form of protest with a single kiss.
Tears fell from her eyes, and then she pulled away, cupping his cheeks. “I can’t lose you.”
“You’re not going to. You’ve got me, Anastasia. You’ve got me for life.”
She stared into her husband’s eyes, and promised she would not make a fool of herself, yet she just couldn’t bring herself to stop.
The love she felt for him went beyond understanding. She knew he was a cold-blooded killer. A man who people had nightmares about because of what he was capable of doing, and yet none of that mattered to her.
She loved Bogdan. He had protected her when only her mother and Gustov had.
“I love you,” she said.
Bogdan looked at her and she didn’t know how long they both stood there, just staring at one another. She was not expecting anything from him. Their marriage had been a business deal. Nothing more, nothing less. They were together to keep the peace.
“I love you, Anastasia,”
he said, and the moment he spoke those words, she couldn’t help but gasp.
“What?”
“I love you, and I promise, nothing is going to happen to me or you. We’re in this together, and I’m going to deal with your father.”
“Bogdan, you can’t do that!”
“Trust me, I can. First, I need to have a meeting with Gustov,” he said.
“Why?”
“He wants to talk to me. I don’t know what about, but if it means keeping you safe, then I’m going to do it.”
She looked at him, and there was something in his eye that told her he wasn’t happy. “What is it?”
“You don’t miss a thing, do you?” he asked.
“You’re my husband and I think it’s kind of my job to see when you’re unhappy.”
He smiled. It didn’t quite reach his eyes, but this was already huge for the two of them.
They were in love with each other. Anastasia knew this was a gift for both of them. They certainly hadn’t been pushed together through a love match. She just couldn’t believe it.
“The letter you had that stated your mother was paying money to your father…”
“Yeah, what about it?”
Anastasia asked.
“He never got the money. It was being intercepted by an offshore account.”
“Owned by my father?”
she asked.
“No, owned by someone else but I don’t know who that someone else is.”
She looked at him and then shook her head. “You’re kidding, right?”
she asked.
“I have a feeling he’s behind it.”
“Gustov? No. There is no way.”
“Are you sure?”
She opened her mouth and then she couldn’t help but close it. “He’s the only one my mother trusted.”
“Yes, and yet, have you noticed she is no longer with you, as is all of her family? You’re the only person remaining.”
“No, there is no way Gustov would do that.”
“I need you to trust me. Will you do that?” he asked.
“I trust you completely.”
And with that, he kissed her hard.
****
Bogdan didn’t want to bring their honeymoon to a close quite so early, but he also couldn’t allow this to continue.
He told Galkin of his suspicions, and what he hoped to achieve, and he waited for all the fine details to be put in place. Mainly, the one that meant his actions wouldn’t cause an all-out war between the Bratva and the mafia.
Taking her brothers had been easy. Chaining them up in a secret location, stripping them down, and giving them a taste of their own medicine had felt quite rewarding to Bogdan. Galkin was impressed.
It didn’t take long for Dante to get in touch.
Bogdan had been sure to send the message that his two sons were taken. Then, all that was required was a secret meeting, at which Dante was then taken, and now as Bogdan stood in the secure warehouse, he looked at Anastasia’s father.
He didn’t like Dante. The man was a piece of shit. He had Evelyn, along with his current wife as a mistress, and even now, he had several mistresses around the country, along with many children.
He was also unconscious, which just wouldn’t do. Bogdan was done playing games with Dante and Gustov.
Anastasia loved him, and now he needed her to be safe so he wasn’t constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting for the next person to attack. He was angry that he even had to consider this.
Grabbing the bucket of ice water, he launched it straight at Dante, waking him out of his little sleep with a gasp.
“Wakey, wakey,” he said.
Bogdan was known for being a patient man, but now he was not interested in playing with this piece of shit. He wanted answers and he wanted them fast.
“What the fuck,”
Dante said.
At least he knew he was wide awake and ready for what was about to happen.
“Oh, good, I didn’t want you to be asleep for this.”
Dante frowned and then looked around the warehouse. “What is the meaning of this?”
He tried to struggle out of the confines of the ropes that bound him.
There was no use. Bogdan was the best, and there was no escape for anyone who was at his mercy today.
“I thought you might also like to know that I have your sons with me today.”
He clicked his fingers and sure enough, the two rooms with his sons came to life, showing them bound, bleeding, and in a very bad state.
“You piece of shit,”
Dante said, growling. “You’re going to pay for this. You and your Bratva scum.”
Galkin had decided to come along with him, to see his work. He smiled at Dante.
“Who do you think made sure all of this was acceptable?”
Bogdan asked.
Dante froze in place.
“It would seem as a Capo, Dante, you have pissed off your boss one too many times, and from what I can tell, they are a little fed up dealing with you. This is why I’ve brought you here today, so we can solve a few problems.”
He was not usually this talkative, but today he would make an exception.
“What do you want?”
Dante asked. “Is it money? Do you want to kill my daughter, is that it?”
“Now that is a funny that you should mention it. It is about your daughter, but I’m a little more curious as to why you think I would allow you to kill her.”
He watched as Dante’s nostrils flared. The man clearly wasn’t happy being caught in a lie.
He offered the man a smile. “You’ve got nothing to say?”
Bogdan looked toward Galkin, who nodded. With a click of his fingers, one of his sons had his neck sliced.
Dante screamed. There was true, rare emotion. “This is war. This is fucking war, you piece of shit. Do you have any idea what you have done?”
“Actually, these are the orders that came from your boss,”
Galkin said.
“You’re lying.”
“It seems you have gotten behind in your payment, and your boss is not happy with the reputation of the good Italian mafia name your sons are besmirching,”
Bogdan said, taking over from Galkin.
Bogdan had been surprised at how quickly the Italian mafia boss had been willing to hand over the whole Rinaldi family, or more importantly the sons. From what he knew, the wife and daughter were already being handled. This was not Bogdan’s problem. Dante had caused a great deal of upset, and because of it, he now had to pay the price.
“You lie.”
“I don’t lie,”
Bogdan said. “The man himself is tired of you and your family sullying the reputation of his family, and it is time you learned your place once and for all. You are not a master, but merely an employee. You do not make the rules, you follow them.”
He saw his words were angering Dante.
“So, you tell me, what would you like first, to have every part of your body cut away, or watch your second son die?” he asked.
Dante stared right back at him, and then he smiled. It was not the reaction he was expecting. “Do you really think she is safe?”
Dante asked.
Bogdan stared at him. “My wife is always safe.”
“I thought you would put the pieces together, but I guess not. You know I don’t have what it takes to completely annihilate the entire family line of my late wife,”
Dante said. “For one, I just didn’t give a shit, but he came to me with the perfect plan to get all of my wife’s fortune. She wouldn’t just hand it over, but with time, we’d be able to take most of it. I don’t know why Evelyn didn’t give it all to him, but … she was close. She died before he could finally take it all. He did make sure she wrote that final letter. Not what I was expecting, but I should have known he would stab me in the back.”
Dante smiled. “I can imagine he is about to finish the job he started. I tried to convince you to kill my daughter, but you failed. You decided to keep her. He has been throwing you off the scent ever since, and I guess you’re about to pay that price.”