Chapter Five – Rurik
Malachi had been spending far too much time at Jitter Beans, though perhaps he thought I hadn”t noticed. There was only one reason for him to continue returning multiple times per day, and it wasn”t to get another caffeine fix.
Nika. A name that now carried a weight I couldn’t ignore. Her silvery tresses, her disarming smile, and the gentle lilt of her voice were all seemingly innocuous details that had managed to pierce through the armor Malachi had so carefully constructed around himself. I wasn”t immune either.
As we strode toward the sleek, black SUV parked nearby after our daily trip to get coffee, I stole a sidelong glance at my friend, brow furrowing slightly. “You know the rules, Malachi,” I said, my tone low and cautionary. “Getting tangled up with outsiders is a risk we can’t afford.”
His jaw tightened, his piercing gaze fixed ahead. “I’m aware of the rules, Rurik,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “What”s the harm in ensuring her safety? She’s too delicate and innocent to face the dangers of this world without a protector.”
A wry smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Can’t argue with that. The problem becomes, who will protect her from our lifestyle?”
He grunted at me without answering as we got into the car. I hoped I”d given him something to think about, but I sympathized and understood his reaction to the petite barista. For a brief second, I allowed myself to envision what it might be like to have her in our lives, shared between the two of us as we preferred.
Even as I entertained those fleeting thoughts, the weight of my allegiance to the bratva pressed down upon me like a vise. We were soldiers, bound by a code that demanded unwavering loyalty and the ability to sever ties at a moment’s notice. Attachments were a liability, a weakness that could be exploited by our enemies. We weren”t forbidden to take girlfriends or even wives, but they had to understand our code and be part of our life for it to really work.
As the city blurred past the tinted windows, I grappled with the conflicting desires that warred within me. For the first time that I could recall, I yearned for something more than the constant interaction of violence and retribution that defined our lives, tempered by the ingrained discipline that had been drilled into me from a young age. I was still loyal to my brotherhood, but I ached for something more.
Malachi’s gruff voice broke the silence, his tone carrying a hint of resignation. “She’s better off not knowing the truth about us.” His words hung in the air, a tacit acknowledgment of the unspoken boundaries that governed our existence.
I nodded, my expression impassive. “Agreed.” As I concurred with him, I wondered if Nika could find a way to share our lives and embrace our world. It was a fool’s dream, but I allowed myself to imagine it unfolding for just a second.
***
The days that followed were a study in restraint, a constant battle to maintain the boundaries that had been drilled into me since I first pledged my allegiance to the bratva. With each visit to the coffee shop, those carefully constructed barriers seemed to erode, chipped away by her disarming presence.
Malachi’s behavior didn’t go unnoticed. The subtle shifts in his demeanor and the way his gaze would linger a beat too long on Nika as she moved behind the counter, were telltale signs of an attraction he couldn’t quite conceal. If he was trying to fight it, he gave no evidence.
It was during one such visit that the situation took an unexpected turn. Malachi and I had settled into our usual booth, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. As Nika approached our table, a tray laden with our orders balanced precariously in her delicate hands, a sudden commotion erupted near the entrance.
An unknown Armenian associate strolled in like he owned the place before coming to an abrupt stop when his gaze landed on our table. He froze, as did we before Malachi and I surged to our feet. His eyes widened in alarm, and he was looking around hastily, as though plotting an escape.
It happened so quickly that we couldn”t intercede in time. The man grabbed Nika, using her as a shield. She dropped the tray of drinks, and they fell to the floor with a clatter, splashing hot coffee everywhere, but I barely noticed when some struck my cheek. I was too focused on the scene before us. “Let her go,” I said in a voice thick with anger and fear I couldn”t quite hide
In an instant, Malachi rushed forward, his body coiled like a predator poised to strike. A low growl rumbled in his throat as the Armenian pulled out a knife, clearly planning to bring it to Nika’s throat.
The man was sweating heavily. Nika was obviously frightened, but she was also handling it with equanimity. She stood calmly, her gaze alternating between me and Malachi, and she looked unrattled.
Malachi looked at me as a silent strategy passed between us. With a nod, I circled around to flank the man from the other side.
Nika’s eyes widened as she watched my movements; the man holding her tightened his grip, making her gasp slightly, but. even in that moment of tension, she held her ground, her chin tilted defiantly.
The man’s movements grew more erratic, his hands flailing wildly. In a blur of motion, Malachi seized his wrists, his grip like iron as he subdued the man with a practiced ease that spoke of years of training. I took him down from the back, hitting him in the knees and snatching Nika from his grasp as the he fell.
As the commotion subsided, Malachi looked at me. With a slight incline of my head, I signaled my agreement that we should send for our people to remove him from this place and turn him over to the interrogators.
As Malachi forced the man to his feet, still holding his wrists behind his back, Nika’s voice cut through the charged silence, sounding shaky, but she didn”t appear overwhelmed. “What’s going on? Who is that man?”
Malachi’s jaw tightened, his expression guarded as he weighed his response. “It’s best you don’t ask too many questions,” he said, his voice low and tinged with a hint of regret.
Her brow furrowed, a spark of defiance flickering in her eyes. “After he grabbed me, I deserve some answers.”
A heavy silence hung in the air, the weight of her words settling upon us like a tangible force. I saw the conflict raging within him. Like me, he wanted to shield Nika from the harsh realities of our world, but we both knew ignorance could prove just as perilous.
Clearing my throat, I stepped forward, my expression carefully schooled into a mask of neutrality. “All you need to know is he didn”t target you for any other reason than opportunity to create a human shield. You”re in no danger. Nothing else concerns you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she regarded me with a mixture of frustration and intrigue. “This does concern me,” she insisted, her voice tinged with a hint of steel. “It felt pretty personal when that knife was against my neck.”
I nodded. “I”m sure, but for your own safety, it’s best if you don’t pry too deeply into this. You”re in no danger as long as you keep your distance.” It was painful to tell her that, because I was giving her instructions to keep away from us.
Malachi’s jaw clenched, his muscles tensing as he struggled to maintain his composure. “Rurik is right. The less you know, the better.”
A heavy silence descended upon us, the air thick with unspoken tensions and unresolved questions. Nika’s gaze flickered between us, myriad emotions playing across her delicate features.
As we exited Jitter Beans, dragging the man with us to the alleyway until a team could pick him up, I was acutely aware of the weight of Malachi’s stare. His eyes bored into me, a silent challenge simmering beneath the surface. “You’re treading on thin ice, my friend,” I said, my voice low and laced with a hint of warning. Malachi’s brow furrowed, his piercing gaze meeting mine with a defiant glint.
“And what, pray tell, are you implying?” His tone carried an edge, a subtle challenge that hinted at the simmering tension beneath the surface.
“Nika,” I said simply, letting the weight of her name hang in the air between us.
Malachi’s jaw tightened, his broad shoulders squaring as if bracing for a confrontation. “Should I have just let her be hurt to keep this scumbag from coming for us?” He shook the man roughly in emphasis.
“Nyet, but you’re getting too close.” I shook my head. “Getting deeper entangled with Nika means bringing her into our world. Is that a risk you wanna take?”
A humorless chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest as he evaded my question. “Is that what this is about? You think I’ve developed some sort of schoolboy crush?”
The accusation hung between us, and I was momentarily at a loss for words. Malachi’s gaze bore into me, his expression a mixture of defiance and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“Haven’t you?” I asked, my tone laced with a hint of challenge.
Malachi’s lips curved into a wry smirk, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes that betrayed his bravado. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed, but the words lacked their usual conviction.
“You”re putting her in danger.” Yet, even as I acknowledged the risks, a part of me empathized with the allure that Nika exerted. Everything about her made me yearn for something more than the constant cycle of violence and retribution that defined our existence.
“You’re one to talk,” Malachi countered, his voice low and laced with a hint of accusation. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her.”
A tense silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the Armenian’s soft grunts and occasional feeble attempt to escape Malachi. I had no response, because what could I say? He was right.
For a fleeting moment, my mind conjured the image of Nika’s radiant smile. Warmth blossomed in my chest, a sensation that was both exhilarating and terrifying in its intensity. Swallowing hard, I met Malachi’s gaze once more, my expression a carefully constructed mask of impassivity. “Which is precisely why I’m distancing myself from her,” I said, my voice low and resolute.
Malachi’s brow furrowed, a flicker of surprise flickering across his rugged features. “You can’t be serious.”
“Deadly serious,” I affirmed, leaning against the brick building. “The bratva demands complete loyalty, and it’s hard to give that when your attention is divided.”
A heavy silence settled over us, the weight of my words hanging in the air like a tangible presence. Malachi’s gaze hardened, his jaw clenching as he processed the implications of my decision.
“So, that’s it, then?” he said, his voice laced with a rare note of vulnerability. “You’re just going to walk away?”
I held his gaze, my expression resolute. “It’s the only way to maintain our focus, our commitment to the cause.”
Malachi’s lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes flickering with a myriad of emotions that he struggled to conceal. For a moment, I thought he might argue, might challenge my resolve with the same fiery determination that had forged our unbreakable bond.
But then, with a barely perceptible nod, he seemed to acquiesce, his broad shoulders sagging ever so slightly. “If that’s what you think is best,” he said, his tone laced with a hint of resignation.
As we lapsed into silence once more, the weight of our decision settled over us like a shroud. Yet, even as I steeled myself against the allure of Nika’s captivating presence, a part of me wondered if we were making a grave mistake—if, in our quest to protect the bratva, we were sacrificing a part of ourselves that could never be reclaimed.