The Soldier (Chicago Bratva 4)

Breaking you was always my worst fear, Blossom.

I hear Pavel’s voice in my head and lean into the sound.

What is he saying?

The person on the bench beside me reaches out to touch my shoulder, and I jerk my head up to tell them I’m fine.

“Pavel?” I wipe my tears, blinking rapidly. “You’re here?”

He picks up my hand and pulls it to his lips. “I’m here, beautiful.”

“Are you taking me back?” I realize how pathetic and desperate I sound. “I’m sorry--I… what are you doing here?”

“Come here.” He reaches for my waist and pulls me to straddle his lap, my shins resting on the bench, my arms tangled around his neck. “I told you I wouldn’t lie to you, Kayla, but I did. I lied when I said I’d let you go.” He shakes his head. “You’re mine, blossom. Nothing can change that.”

“I thought…” The lack of food and sleep in the past week is doing a number on my brain. I can’t seem to understand what’s happening. “Did you move to Russia?”

“No, little flower. I moved my mother to Chicago. I’m sorry, my phone was off the entire time I was there, and I didn’t get your messages until today.”

“You moved your mother…” I clap a hand over my mouth and laugh hysterically. “I thought you were gone forever.”

“I intended to stay away, beautiful, but I just can’t. I meant it when I said you’re everything to me. There’s just no reason to exist except for you.”

“Pavel.” I choke on a sob and strangle him with my hug.

He rubs my back and presses a kiss on my neck.

“I was wrong to doubt us. I love you, Pavel. I’m scared by how much I need you, but rejecting your help where I most needed it was cutting off my nose to spite my face. The truth is, I don’t even care about my career anymore. You’re what’s important to me.”

“No,” he says sharply. “I won’t allow that. Your career comes first. That’s why I’m moving here, so I can support you better.”

Now I cry like a baby. “I want you here,” I agree. “I really want that.”

“You’ll have it. You’ll have everything you want from me. I promise.”

“I don’t want safe words for this relationship,” I tell him.

He arches a brow.

“No exits. No outs. Neither of us gets to call red.”

His lips slowly stretch into a smile. “I won’t let you go again, little flower. You belong to me, and I’ll never release you. Not even in death.”

I kiss him. “Promise?”

His gaze is a warm caress on my face. “I promise,” he murmurs.

Epilogue

Pavel

We close on the apartment building on a beautiful June day. Sasha and Kayla both look like movie stars in their short shorts, high heels, and sunglasses snapping a selfie in front of it for Sasha’s Instagram. I stand back and watch, hardly believing it’s all real. That it happened so easily.

That’s what life with Kayla is like—easy. She makes me feel like a god with her total surrender, her belief in me, her bright, happy smiles any time I’m near.

Maxim stands beside me, his gaze on Sasha soft.

“Thank you, brother. I still can’t believe you did this for me.”

“It’s a worthwhile investment,” Maxim says. “And you’re family.”

Family.

In the bratva, we are supposed to break all ties to our former families and swear allegiance only to the brotherhood. That’s one of the reasons I was sent away for killing my father. I wasn’t supposed to be looking in on my mother any more.

Until Kayla cracked open my blackened heart, I didn’t allow myself to truly acknowledge or receive the benefits of brotherhood. Of men who would do anything for me--not just kill or die, but shape me, mold me, and launch me back into the world with an opportunity to make something more of myself.

I’m humbled by the support they’ve given me--all of them.

Ravil’s terms were easy. I still belong to him. When he needs something, I’ll do it. For the moment, he hasn’t made any requests, but when he does, I won’t balk. I won’t hesitate to serve the pahkan who deserves all my respect and honor.

“Let’s go open this bottle of Dom Perignon,” Sasha says, holding up the bottle clutched in her fist and waving two glasses with the other hand.

Maxim holds up the two he was tasked with carrying. “Right behind you,” he says.

“Wait, wait!” I call, jogging forward.

The women stare at me like I have two heads. I reach Kayla and scoop her up into a honeymoon carry. “Isn’t this how you do it?” I ask, carrying her through the doorway.

She giggles and kisses my neck. “Thank you, Master,” she purrs in my ear.

I try to will away the boner that breathy honorific gives me.

We take the elevator to the rooftop because all the units are currently rented, a condition we don’t want to mess with for the moment. Next month Kayla and I will be able to move into the penthouse suite and start remodeling it, but for now, the cash generated from rent will go into the building upgrades. Maxim and Sasha own the building outright and aren’t requiring me to pay a cent toward that expense. I’ll manage the property and upgrades and split the profits from it with them. If or when they choose to sell it, they’ll split the gains with me. Maxim and I did a gentleman’s handshake on the deal because we’re bratva brothers. Brothers don’t solve things in courts. If something goes wrong, the grievance will be dealt with in blood. To me, this means nothing will go wrong. We deal in honor, and both of us will honor our commitments.