VERA
Tears prickle my eyes as I watch Andrei being wheeled into the operating theater. Blood staining his clothes and the bedding.
They shot him close to his heart, and the bullet is still inside of him.
Roman, the brotherhood doctor, needs to perform surgery to get it out.
All I want if for him to be taken to a hospital and treated, but that’s against Bratva code.
If he went to the hospital, they would ask questions about how he got shot.
There’s a high chance of it all going wrong. I can’t lose him.
I sink into one of the chair outside and let my head fall backward. Stress, panic, and pure fear are ruling me at the moment.
Roman even said it might take up to two hours to perform the surgery. Those two hours will be the longest of my life.
“Vera, how are you holding up?” Alexi asks, trailed by Lyov.
I smile at Alexi and eye Lyov. Alexi is a friendly guy and a good friend of
Andrei’s. Lyov is cold and harsh. I’ve never seen him smile—not once.
I return my attention to the door Andrei has disappeared behind. “Not great.”
Alexi takes a seat next to me and sets a hand on my shoulder. “He will be okay.”
“How do you know?” I ask, staring into his unique hazel eyes.
He shrugs. “Andrei always pulls through.”
It doesn’t instill me with much reassurance. There will always be that one time when he doesn’t pull through.
Lyov takes the other seat and crosses his arms over his chest. “Andrei cares about you.”
The statement hangs in the air, and I shift.
Alexi chuckles. “He cares about her? Haven’t you seen the way he looks at her ever since that auction? He fucking adores her.”
My cheeks heat, hearing Andrei say that.
Lyov grunts, face unreadable.
Alexi gets up and claps him on the shoulder. “Duty calls, but can you keep Vera company for me?” He winks at me.
Lyov looks less than amused but nods in reply. An awkward silence settles between us for a few minutes, until, he breaks it. “Vera, I hope you will watch over him.”
The sentiment coming from him startles me a little. “Of course.”
He looks a little less troubled. “Andrei is a difficult man to get through to, but I hope he will live a little now he’s met you.” There’s a whisper of a smile tugging at his lips. “The guy has never given two shits about anyone as much as he does about you.”
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, wondering what to say in response. “Do you think he will be okay?”
Lyov chuckles a deep rumble beside me. “Andrei’s been through worse than a bullet wound before and come out the other end.”
“He has been in the operating theater a while.”
Lyov sets a hand on top of mine and squeezes. “He’s been in there for under half an hour, and Roman said he might be in there for two hours.” He shakes his head. “How about we grab some pizza, then once we’re back he will be out?”
I GLANCE between Lyov and the door. It would help time pass quicker, but the thought of leaving the building makes me sick to my stomach. “I can’t.”
He nods and stands. “Okay, I’ll get someone to grab us the pizza and bring it here.”
I can’t help but smile at how the cold, brooding spy is opening up. He’s always seemed so quiet. For the first time, I see him soften and become more human than ever before.
Any time I’d observed him around Andrei’s house or with him, he appeared to be made of stone. An unbreakable, cold man with no feelings what so ever.
It seems the Bratva turns men into monsters, but beneath it a lot of them still have hearts. “Thank you, Lyov.”
It is nerve-wracking, waiting. The silence between the two of us is almost deafening. Our pizza arrives, and it’s a welcome distraction for all of twenty minutes.
I keep tapping my foot on the tiled floor, glancing up at the clock. Another hour passes and the door opens.
Roman steps out with blood on his clothes. “He’s fine and resting.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Vera, he wants to see you.”
I glance at Lyov and he gives me an encouraging nod. My knees shake as I stand to my feet. My stomach is a bundle of nerves as I wonder what he will say.
Will he tell me I’m free to leave? I don’t want to leave him, ever.
Andrei is sitting up in the hospital bed. He looks exhausted as his head remains back on a pillow. The moment he sees me, his dark eyes light up. “Vera, come here.” He holds his hand out toward me.
I walk toward him and take it, shutting my eyes at the feel of his warm, rough skin against mine.
“You’re okay,” I breathe.
He chuckles. “Yes, I’m okay.” His brow furrows. “Please don’t tell me you sat outside this whole time worried?”
I stare at him, wondering whether to answer. “Damn right, I was sat outside worried.” He was hurt. A man who I have learned to adore in such a short space of time. I grab his hand and lace my fingers with his. “Roman mentioned the bullet was close to a major artery… I thought—”
He cups my face in his hand and I stop speaking. “Krasivaya, listen.”
I stare at him for a moment, waiting for him to speak. We fought side by side and ended my uncle’s life. It is over now, and I’m no longer his slave. If he asks me to leave, I won’t be able to take the pain.
“YOU DID WELL, TODAY.” He smiles. “You’re the daughter of a former pakhan. A man I respect, even in death. You’re not and never have been a slave, Vera.” He shakes his head. “As you know I find the whole slave trade deplorable.”
I can feel the tears prickling at my eyes, as he speaks. This is the conversation is heading in only one direction, and I don’t like it.
“Why are you crying?” he asks, brushing the tears away from my cheeks.
I shake my head, swallowing hard.
“I’m freeing you, but I don’t want you to leave, Vera.” He pauses a moment, swallowing. “I love you.”
The tears fall faster hearing him say those words, as I try to get control of my emotions. It’s impossible. They spill like a torrent of waves down my face.
He wipes them away from my face, cupping it in his hands. “Is it so terrible to be loved by me?”
I shake my head, pain gripping the side of my throat. “No… I-I love you too, Andrei.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me onto the edge of the bed, running his hand down my back in a way that sends shivers down my spine. Every little touch from him, no matter the situation, sets me on fire.
“You are so beautiful, Vera.” His hand grips the back of my neck possessively, pulling me toward him. I moan, as he kisses me hard and deep. “And, so damn insatiable.” He smiles against my mouth.
“You shouldn’t be kissing me, you should be resting.” I pull away and shuffle to a safe distance from him on the hospital bed.
He tries to reach for me, but I shift into the seat next to his bed, crossing one leg over the other. “Are you playing hard to get?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Rest, Andrei,” I say, trying to remain serious.
He laughs. “How about I rest, and you ride me?” He pulls back his covers to reveal his tenting boxers.
I can’t deny the mere sight of him hard and ready gets my pulse racing, but
I’m not an idiot. He’s just undergone surgery.
“I can see you are considering it,” Andrei teases.
“No freaking chance.” I cross my arms over my chest. “You need to get some rest. Do you want me to fetch you any food or drink?” I ask, standing up.
Andrei doesn’t let up, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward him. I notice him wince at the pressure it puts on his wound. “I’d like you to give me a kiss.”
I kiss him softly and chastely, trying to keep him at bay. Andrei won’t let me go as he deepens the kiss, demanding entrance with his tongue. “Andrei,” I say his name in an attempt at a warning, but it comes out more like a moan.
Roman clears his throat behind us, forcing him to release me. “What the hell do you think you are doing, Andrei?”
I STUMBLE BACK as he lets go of me. “He wouldn’t give in,” I say, my cheeks flushing.
Roman chuckles and steps closer. “No, he can be a stubborn as hell bastard.”
Andrei’s eyes flash. “Watch it. I may be bed bound for now, but I won’t forget you disrespecting me,” he growls.
He raises an eyebrow and sighs. “Sorry, sir, I told you to rest up.”
The fury on Andrei’s features almost scares me. He may be a soft-hearted man beneath it all, but he’s also the brutal pakhan of the New York brotherhood. I can’t ever forget that, even if I want to.
The seriousness cracks and he smiles. “I know, but I missed Vera.” He winks at me, before turning cold eyes on his doctor. “But, don’t speak to me like that again, Roman.”
There’s still that air of power around him all the time. Even Roman, who seems friendly, fears him. Life would be easier if we were both normal people, without the Bratva way of life hanging over our heads.
Andrei’s choice to be with me will be questioned, considering he purchased me from an auction as a slave, no matter what my ancestry is.
Roman nods in agreement to his boss’s instruction. “Sir. I’m sorry.” He bows his head, before leaving us alone.
“Why do you act like that?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.
“Like what?”
I wonder if my question will annoy him. “You are so harsh and unforgiving to your men.”
His brow furrows. “I’m the pakhan of my brotherhood, my men have to both fear and respect me.” He shakes his head. “If they don’t, then I’m risking everything.”
I sigh, not understanding the Bratva politics and code they live by. Even though my father was pakhan, he kept me and my siblings ignorant to it all. I’m not all too sure my mom really knew much about what he did or who he was when he wasn’t with us.
“I don’t understand it.”
Andrei squeezes my hand. “You will in time, and I intend to keep you around for a very long time.”
I smile, thankful that the man I’ve fallen for loves me to. The other alternative would have been painful.
He regards me. “I know this is an odd time to ask, but are you on any contraceptives?”
My stomach twists and eyes go wide. Shit. When we fucked I never even considered the consequences, too caught up in it all. “No, I should have said something. I—”
Andrei grips hold of my chin and pulls me close again. “Good, I want you pregnant with my baby as soon as possible.”
His words startle me and I’m unsure how to feel about them. I’d always wanted to be a mom someday, before my family was killed.
After that, I’d been living on autopilot. Life after killing the man who murdered my family wasn’t a consideration.