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I was probably making a mistake. Riley was the kind of man who deserved a good woman. Someone he could come home to every night who would cuddle up on the couch with him and talk about their mundane day while binge-watching one of his TV shows.
Not someone who would come home covered in blood from killing someone or talk about what drug deals had gone wrong or what businesses were trying to cut us short and needed to be reminded who they worked for.
“Kat? Are you alright?” Riley said softly from the other side of the door, and I sighed, pulling on a loose sweater and an old pair of Yuri’s sweatpants.
Guilt rolled through me as I tightened the drawstring.
Yuri.
Anatoly had said he would want me to be happy and deep down, I know that was true but how could I be happy when everyone in my life were doomed to die?
“I’m fine,” I said as I opened the door to see Riley sitting on the edge of my bed with the bottle of vodka in his hand.
“So, do you want to start by telling me how you got involved in the Bratva?” He said and I sat on the bed, moving up to lean back against the headboard, and took the bottle from him.
“I was born into the Bratva.” I said before taking a long sip.
“My father had been what is affectionately known as royalty in our circles. His father had once been the head of the Moscow syndicate before my cousin took over. We moved here after my grandfather’s request to take over and clean up the ranks.” I sighed, realizing it had been a long time since I had spoken about my parents and something I wasn’t going to enjoy.
“My father took over here in Australia, cleaned up the different families who ruled over smaller patches of turf, and then he was assassinated. It was never discovered who ordered the hit. I lost not only my father that day but also my mother. Their car wasfound with my father’s body in it, but my mother’s body was never found. I was sixteen at the time.” I took a shuddering breath and another swig of the vodka, wincing as this one burned my throat.
“My godfather Ivan took over the Bratva and raised me. He was a jaded man, but he loved me well enough. He raised me in the only way he knew how. To be a ruthless leader, though he still started me in the lower ranks because to him, running the Bratva is like running a business and the best leaders understand everything that happens in your business.” I smiled at the memory of Ivan’s talks over the dinner table.
“I learned everything from running drugs to how and where people launder money. I know every business that is run by, owned by, or connected to the Bratva, I know every drug route, every way to smuggle a person in and out of the country, or weapons or other things we may need to get. I know all the ways to torture a man to get information and how to kill without being caught and I knew it all by the time I was twenty-one.” I glanced at Riley to gauge his reaction, seeing nothing but interest.
“That was how he showed me he loved me as much as Ivan could love. My father had sheltered me, he didn’t believe women should be involved in things like that, and my mother, though she had been born into the world as well, kept to herself. They married for alliances, not for love and she did her duty as a loyal wife and tie to a rival family that brought us all together.” I paused, knowing this was going to be the moment that would make or break things with Riley’s thoughts on me.
“I was also set to marry someone in Moscow to form another alliance. I had met the man once before when he came to visit his brother here and he was polite enough but saw me only as a bargaining chip to get more power. Then I met Yuri.” I closed my eyes, letting the memory of him dance through my mind.
“Yuri and his brother Anatoly were ex-military and trouble. But the good kind, at least for us. They worked hard and got the job done quickly. Yuri was determined to win me over and he eventually did. Our love was a secret one in stolen moments of passion and declarations of soulmates right until the day he died.” I could feel the tears threatening to spill over as I took a deep, steadying breath.
“On the day he died, I had asked Ivan for his permission to marry Yuri instead. He gave it to me, saying he didn’t care about the alliance. I just didn’t realize he was planning on having him killed.” I said, the bitterness ringing in my voice.
“Yuri had been working with the government and feeding them information about our operations in order to save his brother. Ivan found out and orchestrated his death and put the blame on someone else. I spent years taking my anger out on that man until I found out it was Ivan all along and killed him.” I smiled grimly as I remembered those moments.
“Now you know who I am and what I do. If you want to leave, I understand.” I said and Riley took the bottle of vodka from me and I watched him swallow a mouthful before he leaned forward and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“I’m not going anywhere, Kat. I told you that there was nothing that you could do or say to make me leave. Thank you for telling me the truth.” He said as he put the bottle on my bedside table and moved closer, his thigh brushing against mine.
“I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that alone and I want you to know that you never have to again.” He looked at me, his beautiful brown eyes full of sympathy and an emotion I didn’t want to acknowledge.
“I’m not as innocent as you think, Kat.” He started before we heard shouting.
“KATERINA!” I raised my eyebrows as I recognized the voice and before I could get up, Leo appeared in my bedroom doorway.
“What the fuck!” He said as he looked at Riley and then at me, Riley’s hand dropped to my thigh and Leo’s eyes took in every movement.
“Leo. What are you doing here?” I said as I scrambled to get off the bed, Riley standing behind me.
“I heard the call come in over the dispatch radio. Why didn’t you call me?” He said as he kept his eyes on Riley who was now standing at my back, his body close enough that I could feel his warmth.
“I was a little preoccupied with other things, it didn’t cross my mind to call you,” I said and I saw the flash of hurt followed by the anger.
He strode toward me and I noticed the gun in his waistband.
I guess Leo hadn’t been lying when he said he had his own past. I wondered what secrets he was hiding there.
“It. Didn’t. cross. Your. Mind.” He grit out and I raised my eyebrow at him.
