Page 93 of Assassin: Part 1

I’m going to be glad to see the back of them, that’s for damn sure.

“No dogs,” I decree. “If you want an animal to have around when you’re here, I’ll see about getting you a cat.” That’s as far as I’m willing to compromise on that.

“No fucking cats, Freya will probably eat it,” Oleg argues.

“Oh, I’ll take a leopard or tiger for sure.” Mila’s grin is sweet and wide, but her blue eyes taunt me. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

It sets off a whole other argument, and I half notice Rori, Alonzo, and Hades slipping out the door. At this point, I don’t give a fuck what they do. My mind is already moving on to what I need to do. Well, after I wrangle my niece, who is making me think she’s spent more time with Lane than I care to think about.

Not that I’ll tell Zakhar that. My brother will have a coronary, and I’m not hauling his big ass out of here.

“Enough,” I bark, shutting them all down. “Mila, that’s enough. If you want an animal, it will be a small housecat you can take with you to school. A school I will be pulling you out of as soon as your semester is over.” She blinks at me. “In the next few months, we will find you a new school that is more suitable, and since the majority of the threats against you are now dealt with, I could be persuaded to bring you closer to home.”

Her mouth twists into a deep scowl. “And I suppose I have no say in this?”

“No, you damn well don’t,” Zakhar snaps. “And wherever we put you, it’s going to be somewhere I can fucking keep an eye on you. The shit you’ve gotten away with before, that’s over, young lady.”

“You guys suck!” she screeches. “It’s not my fucking fault that I was given to a pedo. It’s also not my fault that you took for granted that no one else would ever try to get me again. You want to be pissed that Lane helped me, fine, but instead of seeing it as dangerous or some kind of weird, fucked-up betrayal, maybe you should realize how grateful you should be. I was always safe. She put a guard on me, constantly checked on me, and was a damn good friend. You don’t have to like it, but it’s what it is. And you’re not going to punish me for that.”

“Watch your mouth, Mila. You will not speak to any of us disrespectfully,” I warn.

Her eyes darken with fury. In moments like this, she reminds me so much of Zakhar, it’s eerie. “You know what, I don’t fucking care anymore. You want to ground me, Dad, Uncle, you go right ahead, but just know I’m never going to forgive you for it. Instead of realizing what I’ve been through, you want to blame me. I hate the fucking Bratva and all this misogynistic bullshit.” She spins on her heel and storms out, slamming the door hard enough it shakes the frame and makes Freya whine and pace in front of it.

Oleg lets her out to follow her without a word. Then he turns to Zakhar and me. “She’s pissed, but she’ll calm down, and while I get that she’s being disrespectful, I think you too should really think about what she’s saying.” Then he’s gone too, probably to make sure Mila hasn’t taken off.

Zakhar stares at the door then looks at me, gaze hard and expression cold. “I hope like hell you know what you’re doing, Ilya, chasing a woman like her. She’s going to bring nothing but trouble to our doorstep, and I will not allow her to put Mila in danger again. The only fucking reason I’m willing to put up with her at all is because of what she’s done for Mila. But that’s the only concession I’m willing to make. If she puts Mila in danger, I will take my daughter, and you will never find us again. So be very sure on what you’re about to do and decide if you’re willing to risk not only me and your niece, but your entire legacy.”

Then he’s gone, the door slamming behind him as well.

I collapse into my chair, the weight of everything sitting heavy on my shoulders. Am I making the right choice?

Pulling the letter out of my pocket, I don’t open it. I just look at it. Then I look at the office around me.

I’ve been Pakhan for so long it’s the only thing I’ve cared about for most of my adult life. Ever since my father died and Zakhar refused to take over. I worked damn hard to have our men respect me. To agree I was the right one for the job. I’ve proved it with the sacrifices, blood, and sleepless nights I’ve worked to make our territory and routes as big and profitable as they are.

Now, here I am, thirty-five years old with one of the largest Bratva empires in the country. Possibly even bigger than the majority of Russia. It’s put more targets on my back over the years than anything else.

So the idea of having another one because of having a woman like Lane at my side doesn’t frighten me.

What concerns me is whether Zakhar and Oleg will accept her. Accept my choice. If not, am I willing to walk away from it all to have her?

That’s the question, and one I don’t know how to answer yet.

Or, in reality, I do, but I’m not ready to admit it to myself, because to do that would mean acknowledging I’ve finally found someone other than the Bratva and my family who is important to me.

I look at the letter one more time before I put it in my desk drawer. Later. I’ll deal with that later. Right now, I have a house to clean up and a territory to secure. If Mishka Belov is planning on coming back to take over the territory, then he’s going to have to earn it just like I did.

I have to hope it doesn’t mean a bullet to the back of the head that I won’t see coming.

39

LANE

RUSSIA

Itake in the space clinically, nothing showing on my face, but inside, my body is a tightly wound ball of emotions.

Anger.