Chapter 39
Leo
N ora never ceases to surprise me. After the revelation that I was the one who had been watching her, I thought she would hate me, that it would ruin the small tentative connection we’d formed. Yet instead, she threw herself into my arms and finally gave herself to me.
If that wasn’t confirmation that we’re meant to be together, I don’t know what is. My perfect, beautiful, strong wife.
In the week since, we’ve hardly left the bedroom other than to eat. I can’t get enough of her. From that first night, she has slept beside me, officially moving into my room. Some nights I find myself watching her sleep like I used to back in New York. It feels like a world away now.
I wish we could remain in this bubble forever, but I can’t shirk my responsibilities to the family and my Pakhan. The honeymoon period he granted me is officially over. As of today, I must resume my duties.
I can only imagine the type of mundane and humiliating tasks Dimitri has in store for me.
Either that or I’ll be on execution duty.
I know how Dimitri’s mind works. He’s seen that I have feelings for Nora, feelings he believes make me weak.
He’ll want to toughen me up again, get my hands dirty, and bring back the attack dog that kills on command.
I have no qualms about killing, I’m good at it.
It doesn’t cause me sleepless nights, and I don’t regret murdering our enemies.
But I do wonder how Nora will react. I don’t want to hide this side of me, though she’s seen it before, but will she believe killing is justified if no one is in immediate danger, if I’m killing a man I don’t know simply because my Pakhan told me to?
I believe she’ll understand. Nora not only accepts but embraces the darkness inside me.
I take one last lingering look at her peacefully sleeping beside me before I reluctantly climb out of bed and get ready. My uncle has called for an early meeting, and I can’t risk being late. I kiss her cheek and leave a note for her, letting her know when I’ll be back.
***
The sun is just peeking above the horizon as I leave, opting to take my sports car instead of the driver—just because I have to be up early doesn’t mean the poor bastard does.
I drive with the roof down, enjoying the breeze and enjoying how few other cars are out this early.
If there’s one thing I hate about LA, it’s the traffic.
I drive fast but not recklessly, enjoying the feel of the powerful engine under my control.
It’s not often I get to go on drives. I decide that Nora and I should take a trip, driving along the coast. Now that she’s embraced being my wife, I can finally start to spoil her and show her that being a part of a Bratva family doesn’t mean it’s all danger and duty.
I can show her that there are some perks, not least that being filthy rich means you can enjoy the finer things in life.
I’m so lost in thought, planning all of the vacations I want to take Nora on, that I’m not as vigilant as usual.
I fail to fully notice the blacked-out SUV that’s been following me for a couple of miles.
As we near a particularly deserted stretch of road on the outskirts of sleepy suburbs, the SUV pulls up alongside me to overtake me.
My instincts kick in just seconds before it rams into my side, and I manage to swerve to avoid the brunt of the impact.
But the car doesn’t relent, it stays beside me, preparing for another attack.
I press my foot down hard on the gas, accelerating ahead of it, but they follow close behind, ramming me from behind. I can’t see the driver and have no idea which enemy is hot on my heels, I simply focus on getting away. But the SUV manages to keep up with me.
I don’t doubt that if they manage to run me off the road, I’m dead. With the roof off, I’m fucked if they roll the car. And if the crash doesn’t kill me, gunmen will come out and finish the job. This isn’t a warning, this is an assassination attempt.
We continue our game of deadly cat and mouse, getting nearer and nearer to civilization. If I can make it, then I’m home free. They won’t risk too many witnesses or a police chase, not if they’re smart.
As we round a bend, I can see taillights up ahead. Almost there.
There’s the sound of crushing metal as the SUV manages to make contact, hitting the back of me. I lose control of my car and suddenly, I’m headed right for a tree. There’s the bright flash of lights and the blaring of a horn—there’s a moment of the impact, a flash of pain.
Then everything goes black.
***
I awake in a hospital bed, confused for a moment before I recall the events of what happened.
How the fuck am I still alive?
“Leo? Oh, thank god, you’re awake!” Nora’s voice pulls me into full consciousness, and I look up at her tear-stained face.
“What happened?” I ask, hoping she might be able to shed some light on why they didn’t finish the job.
“The man who found you saw the whole thing, said some car crashed into the back of you then drove off without stopping, a hit and run. The doctors said you’re lucky to be alive.
If you weren’t wearing your seatbelt or if the car had rolled…
” She trails off at the thought of what might have happened.
A lucky escape. If there hadn’t been witnesses, I’d be dead.
“My injuries?” I ask.
“You were unconscious when they brought you here. You hit your head pretty badly and broke some ribs, but nothing else. No internal bleeding, but they said they wouldn’t know the extent of your head injuries until you woke up.
How do you feel?” she asks, surveying me as if I might drop dead at any moment.
“I’ve got a pounding headache and my ribs ache, but it could have been worse,” I reply truthfully. “Nora, I don’t mean to worry you, but it wasn’t a hit and run or an accident. They were deliberately trying to run me off the road.”
“Nikolai said that might be the case. He went to get the doctor when we noticed you stirring,” she explains. “Who would do such a thing?”
“I’m heir to the Russian Bratva, Nora, I’m not short on enemies who want me dead,” I reply wryly, not wanting to hide the truth from her. “I’m sure Nikolai will have some theories on who’s top of the list when we speak to him.”
She strokes my cheek, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it. “I’m so glad you’re okay. When I heard you’d been in an accident, I thought the worst. I couldn’t imagine a world so cruel as to take you away from me when I’ve only just found you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” I reply, squeezing her hand. She kisses me gently and I can taste the salt from her tears, which I gently wipe away.
At that moment, Nikolai and a doctor walk in.
“Still alive, I see. If you didn’t want to come to the meeting, you could have just called in sick like a normal person,” Nikolai says with a smile.
“It’ll take more than a car crash to kill me,” I reply.
“Well, you’re very lucky, I’ll say that,” the doctor chimes in as he comes over to run some tests.
After answering all of his questions, and checking my pupil response and other physical signs, he confirms that there seems to be no serious damage and that I am severely concussed, but otherwise fine.
“We need to keep you overnight for observation. If all goes well, we should be able to discharge you tomorrow. But you’ll need a few more days of rest and recuperation.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
With the doctor gone, Nikolai grills me on the events preceding the crash and I tell him everything I can recall. When I’m finished, Nikolai sighs.
“Well, there’s no way of knowing for sure, but the meeting this morning was about the Chinese Cho Dynasty. There have been movements against us from them. Dimitri thinks now that we’ve allied with Quinn, they want to gain some footholds against us to ensure we don’t become too powerful.”
“That makes sense. Will we retaliate?”
“Dimitri and Quinn are deciding our next moves,” he replies with a shrug, his expression betraying that he doesn’t like how ingrained Quinn has already become with the inner operations of our empire.
“Dimitri shouldn’t trust my father as far as he can throw him. He’ll betray him, it’s only a matter of time. Perhaps he already has. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was the one who tried to kill Leo, even if it was if only to punish me,” Nora spits.
We both consider this for a moment.
“She’s got a point. Quinn was our enemy for years, the man who killed our Pakhan, my father, Dimitri’s brother, and yet now Dimitri is his brother in arms. Something isn’t right,” I say.
“I’ll find out what I can. You’re too close to this, given your personal feelings toward Quinn and the fact that you’re married to his daughter.
There’s no way Dimitri will reveal even a hint of his motives to you.
If he’s planning to take Quinn down, he won’t risk your wife reporting back,” Nikolai says.
“I wouldn’t spit on that man if he was on fire. I’m not a Quinn anymore, I’m a Belyh,” Nora says bluntly.
Nikolai chuckles. “I see why you like her. Still, my point still stands.”
I nod. “Thank you, Nikolai.”
“Be well, brother. Something tells me that we’re heading toward the eye of the storm. I’ll be in touch,” Nikolai says before leaving.
Something tells me he’s right.
***
I’m grateful when the doctor discharges me the next day. I couldn’t have handled another day stuck in bed feeling useless. However, I didn’t bank on my wife’s powers of persuasion.
“Upstairs to bed with you,” she orders the moment we walk through the front door.
“Nora, I’m fine. I can’t stand the thought of spending another minute in bed,” I grumble.
“Funny, you didn’t seem to have a problem with spending an entire week in bed before,” she purrs, leaning in close to kiss me seductively.
My cock immediately springs to attention. Damn if this woman doesn’t already have me wrapped around her little finger.
“Fine, but only if you join me,” I reply, trailing my fingers lazily along her waist.