Page 53 of Pay the Piper

I’ve known all along that Misha was a dangerous man, but to hear Nikki talk about how he tortured and killed someone just hits different. It feels…real. And for Nikki, someone I trust, to think he’s more dangerous than Gabri? I’ve been so deep in my sex fairy-tale fantasy that I haven’t stopped to look into Misha at all. I trusted him because what? It felt right? Jesus fuck Abby! Was Conor not enough to teach you better than this?

My heart beats almost clear out of my chest, and I can barely breathe all the while breathing way too fast. I know I’m seconds away from a full-blown panic attack and right here with nobody to protect me—

“He insulted you,” Misha whispers, looking down at the skillet of now burnt butter. He turns to face me with pain in his eyes and speaks up slightly. “Not you, per se, but he insulted my girl.” He pauses, looking down at his balled fist, and flexes it straight. “And anyone else who dares to even speak poorly of you will meet the same fate.”

His confession halts my panic, and I’m finally able to breathe. He’s not doing anything that would indicate violence, but still, I worry. “Misha?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to need you to explain yourself…please.”

His expression softens as he breathes a sigh of relief. “Of course, sweet girl. What would you like to know?”

“Everything,” I whisper. Because it’s true. If I’m going to even consider rebuilding my life with this man, I need to know who he is. I will not make the same mistake I did with Conor. He seemed like the most golden retriever around, and ended up being more violent than I could ever imagine

Misha pulls a barstool out across from where I’m sitting. “Okay, Abby, I’ll tell you everything.” He sighs again and rubs his temples. “For starters, I’m a pretty important officer in a very powerful Bratva outfit.”

Bratva…there’s that word again. The one beside Teddy’s name…

“Do you know what a Bratva is?”

I shake my head.

“I would assume you’ve heard of the Mafia.”

I nod.

“Bratva is the Russian equivalent of that.”

I look down at my twiddling thumbs. “And you’re…an important official?”

“Yes. I haven’t always been.” He sighs again. “Okay, let me take you back to the beginning. I was born in Russia. My father handed me over to the Bratva to be raised as a soldier. I was the payment for his debts. I was so young I don’t even remember the bastard’s face. It was rough, but growing up in the compound at least guaranteed food and a roof over my head. I trained hard, gave it everything I had, and along the way befriended the Pakhan’s grandchild.”

“Pakhan?”

“Oh, um…Have you seen The Godfather?”

I nod.

“He would be like…Don Corleone.”

“Ahh…”

Misha waits for a moment, continuing when I don’t say anything else. “Well, we became as thick as thieves. More like siblings than friends. There was danger in Russia, though…more than just your typical Bratva business. So we escaped and came to Thunder Bay when we were teenagers. My, um, friend’s father was the Pakhan for the outfit of the Bratva here—”

“Teddy?”

“Excuse me?”

Oh, fuck, fuck, I’m not supposed to know about Teddy being in the Bratva.

“Oh, um…Just, Ellie has mentioned that you work for her husband or with her husband or something…”

He chuckles. “Yeah, something like that. Teddy is the Pakhan now. When I moved here, it was his father in charge, but he passed away not too long ago.”

The tension in the air slowly dissipates as Misha continues to talk about his history working in the Bratva and his connection to the Santoris. I knew from the beginning that he was a dangerous man, and it never deterred me. With each recounting tale of his past, he only draws me in closer. I know firsthand how vulnerable a messy past can be…so much so that I don’t think I have the courage to return the favor and tell him about my secrets.

“Which brings us to last night, when a traitor within our ranks decided it would be wise to speak poorly of my woman. So I did what I will do to anyone who does the same…I erased his footprint from the earth.”