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CHAPTER16
RUSLAN
“Ican’t stay,” I whisper as I run my fingers through her hair. “I work nights on the weekends.”
She doesn’t say anything right away, but she does shift her head backward slightly, her eyes lifting to mine.
“But you’ll be back?” I ask.
“We’ll have breakfast together.”
Her lips curve up into a smile and I touch my mouth to hers as I slip out of bed. The last thing that I want to do is leave her alone and naked in this bed. Especially the first time we’ve been together when we can technically be together. I want to stay here with her, but work comes first—the Bratva comes first.
Always.
“You’ll have a guard outside of the condo door, and another will patrol often while I’m at work.”
She laughs softly. “Isn’t Azar dead?” she asks.
I hum, nodding my head. “He is. His wives are not, and neither are any other enemies that I don’t know about. Rostam is still on my shit list, and I do not trust him. It’s safer to have one of the men guard you. Especially since I don’t have the best home security here. That will change, I just haven’t had the time to take care of it yet. After this work weekend, it is my next priority.”
She dips her chin slightly, then lifts it back up, her eyes never leaving mine. “Okay, Ruslan. I can completely understand that.”
I can see the worry swimming in her gaze. Maybe even questions. Making my way toward her, I dip my knee into the mattress and touch my mouth to hers before I speak.
“Those bitches, none of them, will ever touch you, Isa. Not fucking ever. No man, woman, or child. Nobody will ever lay a hand on you. You will never be hurt again, not like that, not ever.”
She gives me a small smile, it’s just a hint of one before she speaks. “I’ll be here when you get home from work, then,” she says.
I hum, shifting forward and touch my mouth to hers. “Yeah, you will,luchik.”
Standing again, I turn and walk away. I don’t look back, because I know that if I do, I will never leave and I need to get to work. I need to get my fucking ass to work, otherwise, Osip will be forced to ride me and ask questions. I’ve made it this long without even a hint of questioning and I’m not going to start now.
Edmon is standing outside of the condo front door when I slip out. Locking the door behind me, I look over to him and jerk my chin.
“I appreciate this,” I call out.
He dips his head, his brow arching as he watches me. He doesn’t say anything right away, so I rock back on my heels, shoving my hand in my pocket.
“Nothing will happen to her again,” he murmurs.
Lifting my hand, I cup my chin. “Do you know how I can get ahold of her parents or who would know?” Edmon told me they’re in Florida, but that doesn’t narrow it down much. I need a little fucking more than that.
He clears his throat and finally speaks. “Panas may know. He was seeing the other daughter. Wanted to marry her last I heard. Don’t know what happened. She went with the parents, and he never talked about her again.”
“I didn’t know there was another,” I say.
Edmon nods his head a couple of times, though he’s staring straight ahead as if he’s thinking of something else completely, maybe even lost in time. As if he’s back in time to when Isabel’s family was here, before they sold her as a child bride. Though I’m still not sure what the price actually was for her, and why they all disappeared afterward.
The men who brokered the deal didn’t go any fucking where. They all stayed right here like proud goddamn peacocks until we took them down. And I have a feeling I’m still not done taking them down. One by one, they will fall though.
“I’ll give him a call. He’ll talk about it?” I ask.
Edmon shrugs a shoulder, his gaze focused on mine. “Your guess is as good as mine. Don’t talk about women much. Each of us has our own shit going on.”
“You’re both customers,” I say with a laugh.
“Exactly. We don’t talk about that, none of it. I don’t want to know what he does and I’m sure as fuck not telling him what I do.”
