The scowl, however, was completely and utterly Gavril’s.“Sorry, Mama,” Katarina said quietly, her head still bowed. “We were too loud.”The woman continued to stare at me, her cool gray eyes assessing every inch of my skin, and I suppressed the urge to shiver under her gaze.Yet another trait her son had gotten from her. “I’m Sveta Stanislavovna,” I finally stated, stretching out my hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, and thank you for allowing me into your home.”She glared at my hand and I started to sweat under the light sweater I was wearing, dropping my hand awkwardly to my side.This woman could melt ice with her stare.“Maria Afanasyevna.” She took my hand in a light grip.I felt like I should curtsey or something, but I remained perfectly still as she looked over my shoulder at her daughters. “Dismissed.”Both girls wasted no time in leaving the room, squeezing past their mother without another word.Maria looked back at me, her eyes assessing again. “You will take tea in my sola
GavrilI walked into the building, Anatoly at my heels, and ignored the men gathered. Word had gotten around that the Pakhan was back in Russia, and my whereabouts were now public knowledge.In a sense, the streets around the car were clogged with people, some wanting to talk to the Kirilenko leader for business or patronage. It always happened whenever I came home that people who wanted money, drugs, women, or a business alliance would find me and try to discuss matters. Sometimes I set up meetings with a few worthy men or women, trying to keep the peace among my own people before heading back to America.Tonight, I wasn’t there to do that. “Pakhan,” one of the men near me said, inclining his head. “Right this way.”Anatoly moved to my side, his hand touching the gun at his hip as we moved to the elevator, piling in a moment later. While we were on our home turf, it didn’t mean that the threats stopped there. There were rivals, even in St. Petersburg, that would love nothing more tha
NaomiI heard the words coming out of Gavril’s lips, but more importantly, I saw them reflected in his eyes. He truly would protect me.Not Sveta, but Naomi Spencer. Even if he didn’t say it, I believed that was who he was talking about anyway.So, I stood on my tiptoes and brushed my lips over his, wanting to be close to him again. When we were having sex, we were on the same page.He groaned and took over the kiss, though his movements were gentler than they had been in the past.Almost like he cared.Tears sprang to my eyes, but I refused to shed them, forcing myself to focus on Gavril’s kiss. His lips roamed over mine, seeking, tasting each and every corner until I gasped and he swept in, dominating the play of our tongues.His hands slid around me, and he held me against him, kissing me until I had to pull away, breathing heavily. “I haven’t seen your bedroom yet,” I panted, earning a chuckle from him.“Well, let me rectify that,” he answered, tugging one arm loose to lead me tow
Gavril“Everything is in place with the shipment. It will leave today.”I held the phone to my ear, staring out of the bank of windows that gave me the best view of the river as the sun rose. “If anything is wrong with that shipment when it arrives in LA, I will hold you personally responsible.”“Of course, Pakhan.” Surov laughed. “I will not fail.”I ended the call before he could say anything else and tucked my cell phone back into my pocket. I had thought bringing Naomi here would be good for her. But now, after what she’d told me last night, I wasn’t so sure anymore.Sighing, I let my shoulders slump momentarily and drummed my fingers against my thigh. So much was riding on this shipment. Not only my personal future, but the future of the Belaya Bratva as a whole. I needed the Krasnaya brigadiers to be on my side, and delivering this shipment of women to them was going to be the only olive branch I would extend.A token of goodwill so that they would believe I was looking out for
“On one condition,” I replied, walking to the door that connected the bedroom to the living room. “You need to get dressed.”I didn’t wait for her response, wondering why the hell I felt like I was walking on clouds at making her happy this morning.Or teasing her.Or laughing with her.She was supposed to be a tool.And now she was going to be my ruin.When she walked out, I gave her outfit a cursory glance before leading her to breakfast. I had been told that we would be in the formal dining room this morning. When we arrived, it was clear that we were late.“Good morning, Gavrushka,” Katarina said brightly from her chair, her plate already full of food. “And Sveta.”Naomi’s hand tightened in mine, and I gave her a brief squeeze as my mother looked both of us over, her sharp eyes betraying nothing.“Good morning,” I said as I led Naomi over to the chair, pulling it out for her. “I trust that you are all well?”“What about you, Gavrushka?” Aleksandra stated, arching a brow. “Are you
NaomiOne week laterI turned in different directions in front of the mirror, checking my outfit.“I think it’s great,” Katarina said, her legs swinging as she sat on the side of the bed. “You look great. More than great, actually. You look hot.”“Gavrushka will not be able to keep his hands off you,” Aleksandra added, winking. “Not that I think he ever had a problem with that.”I blushed as I turned to the two younger girls. They weren’t far off from the truth. Despite my cold one-on-one meeting with Maria, my time in Russia had been nothing but amazing. Gavril was incredibly attentive, taking me on boat rides with just the two of us or taking me out to dinner so that I could see more of his home city.And St. Petersburg was truly a beautiful city. Growing up, I had imagined all of Russia to be a dreary, gray place. But Gavril had shown me a city that was vibrant and alive. And under his watchful eye and careful guidance, I could almost have believed that we were in America.Tonight,
NaomiHis long fingers brushed over my center, and I parted my legs to give him better access, my nipples tightening painfully. My breathing became ragged as he slid his finger past the small scrap of lace and directly into my wet, inviting warmth.“You must remain quiet,” he whispered, hot breath tickling my ear. “Or they will make us leave.”I clenched the armrests with my hands as Gavril started to move his finger, his thumb pressing against my swollen numb lazily. He seemed to play me like an instrument, his skilled fingers brushing over the aching parts of me while his finger moved in and out of me to the tune of the music, pushing in with each crescendo and pulling out in time with every decrescendo.“Gavril,” I gasped as I felt the heat start to build. “Please.”“Please what?” he murmured, his beard chafing my shoulder as his other hand slipped underneath my bra, rolling my sensitive nipples between his devilish fingers. “Tell me what you want.”“I…I want,” I told him, biting m
GavrilI was fucking furious underneath my cool facade. I knew I couldn’t kill the little man before me, but I wanted to snap his fucking neck for even coming to my house and attempting to garner information.He looked over at Naomi once more before tucking the paper back into the folder he had been carrying. “Well, I will bid you all a good night.”“I will walk you out,” I told him.He nodded and I walked him to the door, ensuring that he got back into the car he had come in before shutting it firmly behind him.Fuck.My mother was waiting in the receiving room when I made my way back, along with a pale-faced Naomi.“Bed,” she commanded my wife. “I need a word with my son.”A word. She wanted a word?She was going to get a fucking word from me. I walked over to Naomi, took her hands, and found them trembling.“Go on,” I told her softly, pressing my lips to her forehead. “I will be there soon.”There was a flash of fear in her eyes, and I realized that it was fear for me. She was afrai
GavrilIt was done. The last words fell from Naomi’s lips, and I loosened a breath. I thought I had been nervous before, but today had been nerve-wracking for me, wondering if Naomi would actually realize what she was about to do and run.Hell, I wouldn’t blame her. After everything I had done to her, she was still going to marry me.The priest droned on, but I gripped her hands in mine, staring into her beautiful eyes like my life depended on it. Today I was fucking happy. The last few months, I had been fucking happy, and honestly, I was waiting on the hammer to fall and crash this perfect existence that had become my life. It was more than Naomi, though she was a huge part of this happiness inside me.No, it was the rebuilding of my Bratva, the business ventures that I was taking on that actually were legit ones to make Naomi and our family proud. I wanted the Belaya name to be more than just a crime family.I wanted it to be a legacy that would carry through the generations.“You m
NaomiToday was my wedding day.It wasn’t that a woman could look at herself in the mirror and go down the aisle to marry the same man twice, but I could.This time, however, I wasn’t about to marry Gavril as another woman or sign another woman’s name to the wedding register.He was getting Naomi Spencer, social media influencer and B-rated actress.I was getting one of the most powerful men in LA’s crime scene. I was definitely coming out on the sweeter end of the deal.“You look beautiful.”I turned to face my soon-to-be sisters-in-law, taking in their light green dresses. “And look at you two!”Katarina smiled as she modeled the dress for me, a perfect fit for her. “It’s lovely, Naomi. Thank you for allowing us to be part of the wedding party.”“Of course!” I stated. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I had been psyched that the girls wanted to be part of the wedding to begin with, coming to LA for their first time ever a week ago. Ilsa and I had made certain, with Maria’s permiss
GavrilTwo Months LaterSt. Petersburg, RussiaI held onto Naomi’s hand tightly as we followed the dirt path through the headstones, the blustery wind tearing at our winter coats. It was brutally cold, snow threatening in the air, but Naomi had refused to put this off just because of the weather. “We have to do it today,” she’d demanded this morning when I had tried to coax her back to bed. “You have put it off long enough, Gavril.”She was right. I had put it off for years, and since Naomi had her closure with Jon Hampton, it was time for me to have mine so we could move forward.I hadn’t told Naomi about my dream that night, how I had carried on a conversation with my former love. I didn’t know why. I knew she would believe me, but there was something that made me want to keep it close to myself for now. Maybe one day I would tell her.Right now, though, I was going to have my closure another way with Katya.Finally, we reached the hill where my mother had told me she had been buried
NaomiTo block out the noise of his bones cracking. I scrambled to get them, and the moment I slid them on, piano music filled the air, much like the type that Gavril would play. The sound soothed my nerves somewhat, knowing that when I was finished here, we could move on with our future. He could play this melody for our child and me, do the things that he loved to do without fear that I was going to reject him.We had a bright future ahead of us, one that was going to be filled with love, laughter, and a bit of violence, but knowing that Gavril wasn’t going to do the trafficking anymore filled me with contentment so I could handle the rest. My husband wasn’t perfect, but neither was I.Wordlessly, with the music playing in my ears, I watched Oleg remove the tips of Jon’s fingers with his cutter, not bothering to wipe up the blood that dripped from the open wounds before he added the tips into the cup with the teeth. I couldn’t hear any of the noise that he was creating, but watching
Naomi“Here, put this on.”I winced as I took the black plastic apron from the burly brigadier, my stomach in knots. I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to disposing of Jon’s body, but I also knew that if I didn’t see it firsthand, he would still occupy my thoughts.I would still look over my shoulder for years to come, expecting him to have cheated death somehow and return to life. I didn’t want him to have this hold over me any longer.Tugging the apron over my clothing, I tied it across my waist. Oleg wordlessly handed me a pair of gloves next and some goggles. “In case there is a mess,” he muttered as he outfitted himself in the same getup.Finally, he looked at me. “Are you ready?”I appreciated the tinge of concern in his eyes, knowing that my request wasn’t quite what he would have expected. He had taken me from the mansion to an abandoned set of buildings not far from the docks where I had witnessed the women trafficking, and he had been quiet throughout the drive there.
GarvrilThe doctor reached out and shook my hand. “It was a pleasure to do so.”Naomi entered just as Dr. Carter exited and sat on the bed, looking a bit better than she had the previous night. “Bad news,” I told her, reaching for her hand. “No sex.”She looked startled before rolling her eyes. “You did not ask Dr. Carter if we could have sex.”“I didn’t have to,” I stated before tugging on her hand until she was moving onto the bed. I had asked Carter to help me move over so that my wife could at least lie beside me, and he had obliged, even though it had been far too fucking painful to move. “Come here.”Naomi did as I asked, and when she was situated next to me, I pulled her hand up to my lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Marchetti still babysitting?” I asked lightly, not sure how I felt about having my enemy in my household.It wasn’t that I wasn’t grateful that he had come for Naomi’s sake, but fuck, it was an odd feeling.“He and Ilsa left this morning,” Naomi said, resting our
GavrilI woke to darkness, and for a moment, I wondered if I had finally died in transition.Gradually, however, the room came into view, and I drew in a breath, swearing when it hurt like hell to do so.“So you are finally awake. Welcome back.”Fuck. Now I really was in hell if Roman Marchetti was sitting at my bedside. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked hotly, fighting through the pain that was coursing through my body.He chuckled, snapping on the lamp before stretching his legs out before him. “I’m giving your wife and mine a break. Trust me. I would rather be anywhere but here.”Naomi. I tried to sit up, but Roman placed a hand on my shoulder. “Now don’t go undoing all the doctor’s hard work. I believe you are going to have to pay him double what you normally do.”“Where’s my wife?” I rasped.Roman reached over and pulled a glass from the bedside table, one that had a straw dangling from it. “She’s sleeping, and I would suggest that you let her do that just a little bit l
NaomiI ran my fingers over the ivory keys, keeping my touch light so I wouldn’t press them down. Had it really been just yesterday that Gavril had sat here, playing his songs for me?It seemed like a lifetime ago, and now I wasn’t even sure I would ever hear him play again.A shudder sliced through me and I rose from the stool, unable to sit still for a long period of time. The basement was the safest place for me, Oleg had stated. After all, bodies littered the mansion and its grounds, now being cleared away by the Bratva that was left.It was a pitiful crew, no more than ten or twelve men, but they had come running the moment Oleg had let them know that their Pakhan was on death’s door. Even from my vantage point, I could hear them moving things upstairs and didn’t want to think about what would be left.Vera was gone. I wouldn’t see her pinched face anymore or have her give me strength when it was least expected. I thought about our last conversation and how she had begged me not
GavrilI opened my eyes to a dull sun shining down at me, my body feeling sluggish. Lifting my hand, I saw that there was no blood on it and when I looked down, I realized I wasn’t bleeding out on the floor of Naomi’s bedroom any longer.Instead my clothing, my suit, was pristine, no sign of the trauma that I had just tried to endure.Fuck. Was I dead? Was I in hell?Pushing up off the floor, I saw that there was a haze to everything no matter where I looked, just a cloudy, empty void that stretched as far as I could see.I had to be in hell. There was no way I had done enough good deeds to make it to the man upstairs. He would bar the pearly gates if I even attempted to approach them.Another thought crossed my mind, and I felt the fear rise up in my throat. I had died. I had left Naomi alone when I had promised not to.Life had a cruel, cruel way of shitting on me, it seemed.A cool rush of air brushed over me, and when I turned, I stumbled back a few steps.“Hello, Gavril.”My mouth