Chapter 7 Sergei
SERGEI
She thinks I’m angry with her, and I don’t want her here.
I don’t, but that’s not why I’m angry.
In fact, it has little to do with her and everything to do with Alek.
He had taken his role as husband of a beautiful, intelligent, incredible woman and used it to hurt her.
And not only that, but he’d found joy in that shit, just like my father had.
Fuck. It pissed me off even more that Alek had me thinking about my father.
Dimitri Volkov had a sick need for perfection, and if one of us slipped up and didn’t give it, there would be hell to pay.
My mother learned that lesson long before I did.
I could still see her standing next to him, dressed to kill and wearing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She’d learned to play the part of the dutiful wife, and she played it well.
She had no choice. If she dared to falter, the monster would reveal himself, and he would do whatever it took to break her.
He thrived on breaking her.
On breaking us.
And I hated him for it, and that rage and hate I felt for him bled straight into my hatred for Alek.
He was no different than my father. He carried the same venom in his veins and felt the same need to dominate.
He found joy in watching Alina flinch beneath him and seeing the shadows around her eyes.
And every time Alek had raised a hand to Alina and hurt her, it had taken a piece of that girl’s soul. I hated him for that, but my hatred didn’t erase the truth.
I was fucked.
That was clear and simple.
If the Bratva found out I was helping Alina, they would brand me a traitor.
They would ask no questions. They wouldn’t have any need to. They wouldn’t care why she’d left or why I’d agreed to help her. Nor would they care that I’d always been loyal to them, and they wouldn’t think twice about the blood I’d spilt in the name of family.
To them, helping her would be an act of betrayal.
And that was the one sin that earned no forgiveness.
Besides, they were looking for an excuse to end me.
They’d been looking since the day I packed up my mother and brothers and moved to Little Rock.
They would make an example out of me, and I knew what that meant.
I’d seen men on their knees with a knife at their throats while they begged for mercy.
And I’d seen the aftermath. There were no clean deaths for traitors. Only slow, painful endings.
I’d placed a target on my back the second I agreed to help Alina, and it only grew larger the closer I got to her.
Yet, that didn’t stop me from wanting to protect her from him, because when I looked at the bruises on Alina’s face, I didn’t just see her.
I saw my mother. I saw every wound my father carved into my childhood.
I knew I would burn for helping her. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But I would burn. I didn’t fucking care. I would walk straight into the flames if it meant protecting her, and that surprised the hell out of me.
What was even more surprising was the fact that this wasn’t the first time I’d felt compelled to protect her. There had been multiple times.
One stood out more than the rest.
A Christmas party at the house.
It was a yearly event, and everyone came.
And it was something else. Every corner of the house was decorated.
There were lights everywhere, ice sculptures, Christmas trees, and the food was endless.
Men would dress in their most expensive suits, and the women wore their finest designer gowns and expensive jewelry.
I was sitting in the corner with a couple of so-called friends and a stolen bottle of bourbon when Viktor and Nikolai walked in with Alina.
Her hair was up, and she was wearing a short, red, sequin dress and heels.
She was sixteen or seventeen at the time, but she looked much older. And she looked good. Damn good.
I was watching her walk across the room when Mickel leaned in and teased, “Damn, Alina’s putting on quite a show. I think it’s time I got a piece of that—”
I hadn’t even let him finish his thought before my hand was on his throat. I pulled him within inches of my face and snarled, “Watch your fucking mouth!”
“Easy, man. I didn’t mean anything.”
“I know exactly what you meant.” I tightened my grip as I warned, “You even breathe her name again, and I’ll make sure it’s your last.”
He gave me a nod, and I could tell by the fear in his eyes, he believed me. They all had. No one dared to even look at her after that. It had been a lifetime since that night, but that same instinct to protect still burned through me.
There was something about this woman that had gotten under my skin.
And no one got under my skin.
Like always, the morning came too damn early.
The sun was barely up and the city was still quiet, but I was wide-eyed and ready to face the day.
After a long, hot shower, I got dressed and headed into the kitchen for some coffee.
As I waited for it to brew, I wondered if Alina was awake. Part of me hoped she wasn’t.
I knew the second her eyes met mine again, I’d have to face all the things I’d rather not face, like the fact that I still hadn’t called Viktor to let him know she was here.
The weight of that decision weighed heavily on my chest. She was his friend.
He would know how to handle her and make sure she stayed put.
But for reasons I couldn’t begin to explain, I didn’t want him to know she was here. I didn’t want to hand her off or even ask for his input. I wanted him to steer fucking clear and let me handle this thing on my own. So, I did the only thing I knew to do.
I started making breakfast.
I wasn’t the type to make breakfast for anyone. Hell, I barely made it for myself. And yet, there I was, cracking egg after egg into a mixing bowl. I’d just started scrambling them when the sound of soft footsteps drew my attention to the hallway.
And there she was.
Her dark red hair was damp around her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater. It was just a simple outfit, but she looked good. Beautiful even. And for a second, I just stood there staring at her with that stupid spatula in my hand like some fucking asshole.
Eventually, I pulled my head from my ass and motioned my head toward the front counter. “Sit. Breakfast is almost ready.”
Her eyes flickered from me to the stove like she couldn’t believe I was actually cooking.
Hell, I couldn’t believe it either. After a moment, she gave me a quick nod and made her way across the room.
She seemed to walk with a little more ease.
I hoped that meant that the Tylenol had helped, and she was on her way to a full recovery.
As she sat down, she muttered, “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Her brows furrowed the second I said, “You should see a doctor.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s just a few bruises. I’ve had far worse.” I had no doubt that she was telling the truth, but it didn’t make me feel any better. Before I could push further, she asked, “Is there coffee?”
“Just made a pot.”
I turned and quickly poured her a cup, then placed it in front of her. “You put anything in it?”
“This is fine.” She smiled and muttered, “Thanks.”
She took it in her hands, and for the first time since she’d been here, she seemed to relax a bit. I finished the eggs and scraped a pile onto her plate. I added a couple of slices of toast before sliding it over to her. “Eat.”
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“It was nothing.”
“It’s something to me.”
She held my gaze for a moment, then started eating. For a few minutes, there was only the sound of forks clicking against our plates. The quiet between us wasn’t uncomfortable. It almost felt normal, and then, she set her fork down and her eyes met mine.
“When will I see Viktor?”
The question hit me square in the chest. I should’ve been expecting it. She’d come to the casino looking for him, not me. I wasn’t the one she wanted sitting across from her, cooking her breakfast, and trying to make her problems disappear. She wanted him for that.
She got me instead.
Too bad for her.
I leaned back in my chair and announced, “He’s tied up right now. He’ll be around when he can.”
“Tied up with what?”
“A project for the casino.” The lie slid out smoother than I’d expected, but it still tasted bitter. “It’s a big one. It needs his full attention.”
Her brows drew together as she muttered, “I see.”
She didn’t buy it. Not for a second.
She knew Viktor well enough to know he wasn’t one to put off a friend. She knew he would come if he knew she was there. Her lips parted like she was about to call me on my bullshit but thought better of it and turned her attention back to her plate.
She took another bite of toast, then asked, “So, how is he?”
“Viktor?” I cleared my throat. “He’s good.”
“Is he married?”
“No.”
“Is he seeing anyone special?”
“He has his share of women, but no one special.” I won’t deny that her questions were getting to me, but I played along. “His focus has been on getting the casino off the ground.”
“And how’s that going?”
“We’re still sorting some things, but it’s going well.”
“So, you really did it.” A soft smile crossed her face. “You got out.”
“You know it’s not that simple.”
“But you left, and you’re still breathing.”
“It’s not that simple,” I repeated.
“It never is, but it’s still impressive.” She pressed her lips together, then asked the question I knew would inevitably come. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“Nothing,” I answered without a second’s hesitation. “I won’t let it.”
“But Alek…”
“I’ll handle Alek.”
“But how? He has the family behind him, and…”
“I said I’ll handle him.”
My tone was harsher than I’d intended, but I’d meant what I’d said. I knew I couldn’t keep her hidden forever. In time, Alek and the others would find out that Alina was with me. And when that happens, it won’t just be her life in question. It would be mine, too.