Page 22 of Daddy Brigadier

Regardless, someone is stealing from the Bratva, and I will not tolerate such betrayal. I must respond with the full measure of lethal force at my disposal to send a clear message.

I need to find out who the fucking thief is—and quick.

“You’re excused, Elise.” Andrei dismisses her, and without hesitation, she collects the paperwork and hurries out of the office.

Andrei stands in front of me. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” I assure him.

He exhales deeply, a hint of fear in his voice. “I can’t lose another father.”

I place my hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “You won’t.”

“When I heard you were missing, I had Nikolai monitoring the police scanners,” he admits, and who could blame him?

His father was shot while just waiting at a stoplight, and the fear in him is all too real.

“I don’t plan to die anytime soon.”

“I know you won’t,” he says, tucking his hands into his pockets and swaying slightly. “Because you’re going to retire.”

I slam my drink down on the bar. “What? I can’t just quit!”

“You will!” His intense gaze holds mine. “I’m aware of your heart issues.”

Glancing around the office, I am trying—and failing—to redirect my anger. “Are you really forcing me out?” I scoff, disbelief coloring my tone. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”

I want to retire, but I will do it on my own terms, not because the Pakhan questions my capabilities. One thief isn’t going to bring a lifetime of service to the Bratva to a screeching halt. They expect me to vanish and watch from the sidelines? No, that’s not how this will end.

Andrei returns to his desk and settles into his chair, pressing his fingers together and fixating on me with an intense gaze. “Find me the thief, then we’ll announce your retirement.” With a swift motion, he waves me away.

Fuming, I march out of his office and straight into Elise’s. “Did you know about this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He wants me to retire!”

She gives me a concerned look. “I won’t speak for Andrei, but I can tell you that while you were missing, he seemed scared. I’ve seen him angry before, but hardly ever afraid.”

I was by Andrei’s side when his father passed away, and the image is etched in my memory—the stark paleness of his eyes. He stood before me, frozen in fear, as if he had forgotten how to breathe.

“Brigadier.” I lift my gaze and freeze. Across from me, a pair of dark brown eyes reminds me of someone.

Krasotka. I’m desperate to drown the thoughts of the lady who has somehow stopped me dead in my tracks. Just one touch from her in the elevator sent my body into a frenzy, and I haven’t been able to shake her from my mind since then.

And now, even the woman across from me makes me think of her.

“You, okay?” Elise asks.

I tap the back of the chair I’ve been gripping so tightly that my knuckles hurt. “Yeah, Andrei is probably just looking out for me,” I say with a sigh.

She offers me a soft smile. “Change of subject?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Are you planning to bring a date to your birthday party next week?”

“Why? Are you trying to set me up?”