AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I took deep, calming breaths before stepping out of the room and walking up to the one I’d seen before. He was tall and handsome with the famous Russian blue eyes but nowhere near as handsome as Nikolai. “Why are you standing out here?”
“I’m Danil,” he said, his Russian accent thick in his voice. He motioned his head towards the other guy. “He’s Akin. We’re your bodyguards.”
I placed my hands on my waist and exhaled. “I appreciate the introduction, but it doesn’t answer my question.”
He glared at me as if he would rather stare at the wall all day than talk to me. I hated that I was bothering him, but I had to clear my confusion.
“It’s our job to protect you.”
“Does that include standing outside my door all day?”
He nodded.
I flayed him with my gaze. “Mind watching me while I shower and dress too? I don’t mind being protected, but do it from a place that won’t make me uncomfortable.”
“We’re just following boss’ order. Take it up with him if you don’t like it.” His expression turned blank, marking that he was done with the conversation.
My anger burned through me like a volcano waiting to erupt, but he was right, he was just following Nikolai’s order and I could only take it up with Nikolai. All I had to do was ignore them until he was home.
I headed to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat despite the maids’ protest, then I spent the rest of my day walking around and getting used to my new home. No matter how short my stay here would be, I needed to know the environment well enough to plan an escape.
Time rolled by quickly and by the time evening came, I already knew all the maids who worked here, their names, and the corners with the CCTVs. I ate dinner and lounged on the recliner in Nikolai’s room to read a non-fiction book I picked from his bookshelf. It was getting late, and I was exhausted from walking around all day, but I needed to discuss the bodyguards with him before I missed him again the following day.
Two more hours passed before Nikolai came home. Ice washed down my spine as he entered the room. I took in the expression on his face: it was darker than I’d ever seen it, murderous and terrifying.
There were splatters of blood on his white dress shirt, and he was holding his gun in his hands. I knew he had a gun—or guns—but he’d never held one in front of me before.
When I met the chilling darkness in his eyes, unease rolled through me like. “Nikolai,” I whispered, holding my breath. “What’s wrong?”
He looked at his hand as if just noticing he was still holding his gun, then he tucked it away in his back pocket and started to undo his buttons. I noticed the blood on his knuckles.
He hadn’t said a word yet and I was dying for him to say something. “You’re scaring me.”
When he looked at me this time, his eyes softened. “The Italians attacked us tonight. We lost three men, and one of them was my cousin.”
Chapter 12 - Nikolai
I had a terrible day today. One of our warehouses was attacked this evening and although we didn’t lose any of the shipments that’d come in an hour before the attack, three of our men died because of it.
One of the attackers had been unfortunate enough to end up wounded and just like the bastards they were, the other Italians had abandoned him to his fate.
Unlike the Italians, we never left a wounded brother behind. One rule of the Bratva was that we sacrifice our lives for each other. I’d brought the wounded man home, taken him to the hidden basement I used as a torture room and called our family doctor to take care of him.
He couldn’t die until I extracted all the information I needed from him, and then, depending on how easy he made it for both of us, I would make sure he died an easy death.
When I walked in minutes ago, the only image that’d been on my mind was my cousin lying lifelessly on the ground and the blood sprouting from where the Italian bullets had pierced them.
I hadn’t seen my mother when she died, but Sergey had, and I imagined it was a similar scene. Sightless eyes are looking in your direction, and the image embedded in your memories, haunting you for the rest of your life. It was not something anyone could forget in a hurry. It followed you everywhere, reminding you of that moment when your loved ones became nothing but an empty shell.
“Nikolai.” Giselle’s voice was soft and cautious as she pulled my attention back to her. Fear seeped into her eyes, her harsh breath killing the silence in the room.
I hadn’t intended to scare her. I’d been so out of it I’d forgotten she was here, and that I now had a wife. One that trembled at the sight of blood. One that didn’t grow up in this dark underworld that I did.
At this moment, when everything appeared gloomy, I came to a new realization. Giselle and our baby were the only good thing I’d done all my life. They were my gleam of light in the darkness around me and I didn’t want her experiencing this.
Becoming part of the mafia wasn’t something I’d chosen, but I could choose to keep my family—Giselle and our baby—away from this life.
Giselle walked up to me and tried to touch me, but I moved away. “Don’t. I don’t want you getting dirty.”
