Chapter 15

"Ilya, what...?" Alejandra's voice came, and I didn't even need to look to know she was at the top of the stairs.

Perfect timing for her to show up.

I didn't take my eyes off Kolya, but he, in turn, gave Alejandra a good look.

"Ah, I think I understand," my brother said, still looking at Alejandra.

"Alejandra, go to the bedroom. Stay there," I said in Spanish, still keeping my eye on Kolya. I knew my brother too well to not anticipate his possible moves and how he might retaliate.

She obeyed immediately, running and closing the door behind her.

"Now it all makes sense, brother. Not that I doubted, but she’s beautiful."

I raised my head, feeling my shoulders tense.

"It’s not because of that. It would never be because of that." That insinuation pissed me off. It was true that I was attracted to the girl, but that would never cloud my judgment. "What are you doing here, Kolya? You made it clear you’d turn your back on me if I chose to protect the girl."

"I couldn’t. Tasha was devastated when she found out."

"Why the hell did you tell her?" I asked with a growl, almost animal-like.

"Because I’m not going to cover for you. Because Tasha is a smart girl. And because she needs to know. I don’t want her defending you at a Bratva event. You know she’ll be cast aside too if she does."

My shoulders dropped, and if I wasn’t so convinced that any wrong move would put Alejandra in danger, I would have faltered.

Tasha was my weak spot. She always would be. The thought that I might have put her at risk because of my new fucked-up reputation would be my ruin.

"Besides... I had to make a decision I didn’t want to regarding her," Kolya said, sounding reluctant.

"What do you mean?"

"I promised her to Oleyno Ivanov in marriage."

Ivanov was an associate of the Bratva, investing a lot of money in the organization and holding much of the Russian underworld in his hands. He was a manipulative bastard who always played the game to his advantage, letting everyone else get screwed.

"What?" I growled again. "Ivanov is a son of a bitch. And he’s older than me!"

"A powerful son of a bitch. They won’t marry until she turns eighteen."

"He doesn’t even live in Russia anymore! No one in the family, as far as I know."

"For a while. He’ll be back. She’ll be safe, Ilya. He’s Pavel’s friend, he’ll be an ally for our family."

"Shit!" I roared. "SHIT!"

This wasn’t at all what I wanted. The last thing I could wish for was for my actions to affect my little sister.

"How is she dealing with it?"

"I wouldn’t do anything without her consent."

"I can imagine the kind of consent she gave."

"Reluctantly, of course. But she knows she needs to do what’s best for our family." He paused and shrugged. In doing so, he lifted one hand from his knee, and I motioned for him to put it back. "At least someone is thinking rationally. And she’s thirteen!"

I took a deep breath, feeling my head explode. Every neuron in my brain seemed to be short-circuiting, paralyzing me completely.

"Pavel will find you eventually, Ilya. He has resources."

"And I have a good plan. You trained me well, Kolya," I said with disdain.

"I did. That’s why I found you here. I got to Levchin very quickly."

Andrei Levchin was our cousin, the owner of the cabin, who had been helping me with everything, including Alejandra’s paperwork. He was also related to Kolya, but he had become much closer to me, and no one knew about that little property of his, especially because he owned many others.

"And no, he didn’t rat you out. But you know I have my ways of finding things out too."

Of course. He was good. My brother was the most strategic and intelligent person I knew.

"So, what are you going to do now that you found us? Are you going to turn us in?"

Kolya looked me straight in the eyes. He seemed to be pondering.

"What if I said yes? Would you kill me for that girl?" he asked very calmly, as if he already knew the answer.

"Not for her. For everything that marriage with Pavel would represent. But no. You know I wouldn’t kill you, Kolya."

"Then give it up. I’ll figure it out. We can protect the girl, and I’ll find a way to make up another story. Say it was all a misunderstanding." As I stood still, refusing to lower my weapon, he continued: "Pavel wants your head, Ilya. If he finds you, he’ll take the girl too, and she’ll suffer the consequences."

"How is he with you? Does he blame you?"

"No, because I had to maneuver things. But it was close."

"Is there any chance this marriage to Tasha could be undone if I come back?"

I knew Kolya could lie. He could say yes, that he would talk to Oleyno, but I knew my brother’s honor, because we had been raised by the same man. Despite everything, the same blood ran through our veins.

"No. I can’t. It’s decided."

"Then there’s not much I can do. I’m sorry, brat..."

I wouldn’t have the courage to shoot, but I flew at Kolya, grabbing him by the neck. My movement was so quick that it caught him off guard, and I held him in a chokehold until he passed out.

Still at the same drawer where I got the gun, I grabbed a pair of handcuffs—the same ones used on Alejandra when I first found her—and dragged him to the stairs, cuffing him to the railing. Of course, I left the keys nearby, within his reach, so he could free himself when he woke up.

Then I went upstairs, shouting for Alejandra to gather her things so we could leave as quickly as possible.

It was even more definitive. I was turning my back for the second time on everything I knew and everything I had sworn loyalty to.