Page 49 of The Pakhan’s Heir

It’s all I can think to say as he continues to bend my wrist so far back that I think it will break. He holds me in pain for a moment, studying my face for deception, then he lets me go.

“Don’t you ever forget that,” he says. He lets go of my wrist, then leans back, drinking his coffee. “I want reports every two weeks from now on. I want you to find out about any deals or any moves that the Rostovs are making. Since you’re so close to Alexandr now, it should be no problem to get me the information I need to protect our family… should it?”

“N-No,” I say, rubbing my wrist.

“Good.” He stands and straightens his jacket, then he walks over to me and kisses me on top of my head. “I’ll see you soon, Dochurka.”

He walks away and my nausea returns, building and cresting like a wave. It dies away quickly and I get up to leave.

I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this… But I need to figure something out, and soon.

The moment I get home, the bile starts at the back of my throat and I realize that I need the bathroom. Now. I rush up the stairs and to the bedroom as the bile rises and settles on my tongue and between my teeth.

I just barely make it to the bathroom and when I do, everything I ate for dinner comes up in a rush as I vomit into the toilet until there’s nothing left but dry heaves.

And when it’s over, I just sit on the bathroom floor, sweaty and exhausted. What in the world is wrong with me? I’ve never been sick like this before. Usually, if I’m nauseous, it doesn’t just come and go like this. And usually, I’ve got some other symptoms happening, like a runny nose or a sore throat.

All this time, I was thinking that it’s nerves, but now that I’m sitting here replaying it back, this nausea doesn’t seem to care about my nerves at all. It’s not food poisoning. I’ve had that before and it’s never lasted this long. I don’t think it’s a stomach flu anymore. Stomach flu nausea doesn’t come and go like this.

Then what? I stand up slowly and cradle my stomach, leaning over the sink. I don’t need this right now with everything happening. My father’s expectations and now how I feel about Alex…

Oh, wait. When was the last time I had a period?

I walk into the bedroom and grab my purse, digging out my phone, and sit down on the edge of the bed as I open my tracking app. The screen opens and I see last month’s chart.

Oh… oh, wow. I’m late. I’m really late.

I count the weeks again, hoping that maybe the app is wrong or I’m missing something. It’s not. My period was due almost a month ago.

I need a test. I have to be discreet, though. I don’t know how Alex is going to take the news if I am pregnant, and that’s just the least of my problems. If word gets back to my father…

I start to hyperventilate a little, so I close my eyes and start taking deep breaths. First things first. Get a test. Find out for sure. Then I can worry about what to do next.

I stand and grab my purse, heading back out into the world.

18

ALEX

Kostya was supposed to meet me at the house this afternoon, but he just called a little while ago, wanting to meet at his apartment instead… and sooner rather than later. It sounds encouraging. I think he’s finally got something on the traitor. It’s been about a month since I buried my father and Gedeon and I feel like, of all the duties that I have now as Pakhan, finding the son of a bitch who caused this war is the priority.

The aftermath has been a disaster. Gedeon had six of his Boeviks positioned around us that night. Every single one of them was taken out, their bodies left for the police to find. So far, they haven’t linked any of Gedeon’s men to me, but I know that they must at least know who some, if not all, of them are. Every one of us, even the freshest out of the Sixes, have records.

Then again, if there is a traitor, I still don’t know who he’s reporting to. The Irkutsks claimed the death of my father, but for all I know, this son of a bitch could be talking to the police as much as they may be in league with the Irkutsks. Whoever they are, when I find them, I’m taking their head.

I’m about five minutes away from Kostya’s apartment and I still feel the warm, fuzzy feeling all over my body from making love to Nona this morning. It’s become a daily thing between us since my father died. Sometimes, two or three times a day, actually.

In a strange kind of way, she’s become my north star. It’s easy to become consumed with revenge when something like this happens. The darkness we all play with has a chance to consume your soul completely.

But that’s not happening. Every time I lose focus, Nona brings me back with a soft word or a touch. She’s been keeping me grounded. If anyone had told me months ago that the daughter of Slavik Sokolov would become the reason I haven’t gone completely mad from the death of my father, I’d have laughed in their face.

I pull up in front of his apartment and glance around. No surveillance that I can see… or else they’re getting better at it. As I walk into Kostya’s building and make my way to the elevator, my phone buzzes. It’s Rikki.

“Hey, Brother,” I answer as the elevator doors close. “You doing all right?”

“Yeah,” he says. “I was just wondering if you’ve talked to Kostya yet.”

“On my way now. Something up?”