29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“ W hy haven’t I seen Makari around?” I looked around the table at the men in power.
My wayward family bookkeeper had been more reclusive since Kaida gained the upper hand on him. I still couldn’t believe she took the guy’s tongue. A grown-ass man almost the same age as me.
“He was bested by a bitch, I wouldn’t show my face either,” Viktor mumbled.
“Like when Tiffany took him for a ride all those years ago,” the phone spoke. Alexie was sitting in on the meeting virtually, as Roman was here somewhere with his new wife, but too obsessed with her to answer his phone.
“Are we going to allow that school to reopen?” Issak muttered.
“It would be good to work on alliances with the next generation,” Viktor mused. “We can’t possibly keep housing all these girls.”
The Pakhan was right. The rescuees from The Academy overran the mansion. Since I found a connection with Isadora, it’d given some men ideas. Some thought that the girls were there for them.
We’d executed several over the past few weeks, for trying to take something that wasn’t theirs.
“Makari has been holed up with that Asian cunt. Guess her pussy keeps him busy.” A representative of the Bratva’s assassins tried to mutter, but Viktor glared at him.
“So we need the school. If we are in charge of it, we can still hold the leverage,” our Pakhan addressed us all.
“But will the other families go for it?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“We start small and build up. Let’s get it built and we can ask forgiveness later,” my Pakhan said.
I thought it was a terrible idea, I doubted the families would trust us with their futures. Getting the girls out of here made the family property less of a target though.
We could also help the ones who still needed medical care with full staff, rather than running Issak ragged. He had other responsibilities in the Brotherhood. My spies also told me he was getting a little too close to one of the girls.
All I knew was that she had medical problems, and he’d been seen coming out of her room more often. Some men rumbled he was doing more than just examining her.
I hoped for his sake it wasn’t true. Not again. Viktor wouldn’t hesitate to kill him this time. I left the meeting as soon as I could and headed out. I wanted to see if Makari was at his second home, before I found my malen'kiy angel, and spent some quality time with her.
She said she had something to tell me, and I already knew what it was. But I was going to wear a poker face, and I already had my tears ready to go, so she thought I was surprised. I wanted her announcement to be perfect.
Just as soon as I found the asshole skipping out on meetings.
I headed to his spot. Ever since the Yakuza came and Kaida was ordered to be collateral, Makari had acted oddly. He’d tried to do something to her and she bit him. Issak said it was a challenge to even find his tongue, let alone reattach it.
I pulled into the parking garage and left my car with the valet. I had a key to his Penthouse, a spy in my network had copied it for me, so I let myself in. The apartment was a disaster. It looked like housekeeping hadn’t been by in weeks.
Clothes were strewn about. Dishes were piled in the sink. Glass was broken on the floor, and some lamps had fallen over as well. What the hell had gone on over here?
I made my way up the stairs, my gun drawn in case there was any danger. I checked the hallway before going room to room, looking for any sign of him. There was none. But the chains on the bed said one thing.
Makari wasn’t alone.
I didn’t know who he had with him, but when I found him, I would pistol-whoop his ass for causing me emotional harm. He was family. Brotherhood. It looked like he was missing.
I even caught a few blood drops on the floor.
If Makari wasn’t here, where the fuck was he? I left his Penthouse as is, troubled. I headed back to my family mansion. I needed to speak to Viktor, but it was too late in the evening by the time I got back.
I would just have to wait until tomorrow.
I headed to my room and was met with the sweetest sight when I opened the door. My wife, lying on the bed, wearing a hot little number, and snoozing away. She must’ve waited up for me.
I missed out on what would’ve been a fun ride, judging by the risque number she had on. I took off my clothes and slid into bed with her. For the first time in a long time, I felt fine.
Like the world was right again.
My malen'kiy angel was safe in my arms, in my bed. Her belly was full with my child, and I knew that was what she wanted to tell me. Innocent that she was, she thought I hadn’t known from the jump. I’d been testing her piss for a while now.
As soon as my seed had taken root, I knew.
I must’ve made too much movement getting in bed, because her sweet brown eyes fluttered open.
“Benedikt?” Her honey tone rasped.
“I’m sorry I was so late coming back to you,” I whispered.
She yawned. “It’s alright. I ended up crashing super early. I’ve been so tired lately.”
“Is that right?” I murmured with a grin.
“Yeah, and my breasts are sore. I can’t seem to keep anything down. Do you think it’s the flu?” She blinked coyly at me.
“I think, brat,” I said, as I rolled over on top of her. “That I’ve got you pregnant with my child, and now, we get to live out the best days of our lives.”
“The best days?” She murmured, her eyes feasting on my tongue as I wet my lips.
“Yeah, our golden years.”
She snorted and put her hand on my face, pushing me away. “Speak for yourself, old man.”
I bit her palm. “Fine. My golden years, and your baby years.”
She made a face. “Yuck. Don’t say that again.”
“Fine, I’ll say this,” I rasped. “I love you.”
She gasped. “You said it out loud, and not only when I’m sleeping.”
I grinned. “Caught that, did you?”
She smiled. “Every night.”
There was a pause, and I narrowed my eyes at her. She giggled and kissed me softly. “Believe it or not, I love you too.”
I did. She showed me every single day. If someone told me I would’ve found love at The Academy a year ago, I would’ve laughed them out of my house. I didn’t believe love was in the cards for me. It was about who was placed in my life .
Isadora Petrov became the light in the darkness I didn’t know I needed.
She became more than just a prize; she became my everything, and I wouldn’t change any of that for the universe.
“Let me sleep, old man,” she muttered, tossing a pillow at my head.
I nipped her neck one more time, and rolled over so I could cuddle her. Life was good. The Brotherhood was at the top. We had all the leverage. Nothing could stop us. I had my lovely wife. My malen'kiy angel. I couldn’t be happier that I could keep her with me.
My perfect angel.