The Russian's Secret Child (The Fedosov Family Series)

by Leslie North

Both women nodded their heads eagerly, “Well, why don’t we get to know each other a little better and you can tell me what you already know and then I’ll have a better understanding of how to help you.”

  “That sounds great.” Desi drawled, “I hate not being able to communicate with people. I’m a writer…”

  “Were a writer. Now you’re a television reporter.”

  Desi made a face at Julia before she continued, “Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted… I hate not being able to communicate with people or read the language. You can teach me to read Cyrillic, can’t you?”

  Jasmine sat down and shook her head ruefully, “Not unless you have lots of time and like being frustrated. Cyrillic is one of the hardest languages to learn to read because it uses characters, not letters.”

  “Well, I’m willing to put in the effort, if you’re willing to teach me. I was thinking that maybe I should get one of the primers the elementary kids use. That would be a good idea, right?”

  Jasmine nodded, “Yeah. Are you wanting to learn to read Cyrillic, too?” she asked Julia.

  “It would be nice to be able to read the street signs and such, so yes.”

  “Okay, well, we’ll need to locate some primers…”

  “I’ll ask Mrs. Rusnik. I bet she knows where to get them,” Julia jumped from her chair, leaving the small office.

  Jasmine turned and looked at Desi, “Who’s Mrs. Rusnik?”

  “She’s the dragon lady that keeps this place running and our men in line. She even keeps Misha in line, which is no easy task. Have you met him yet?”

  Jasmine couldn’t stop the blush that rushed to her cheeks. Had she met Misha? Boy, had she ever and then some!

  Desi watched her new tutor blush and laughed, “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes’.”

  Julia returned, “Mrs. Rusnik said she knew just who to call and they should be here tomorrow.”

  “Great!” Jasmine returned, forcing an enthusiasm into her voice. “So, why don’t we take a walk? You can point out the items you already know the Russian words for, and I’ll teach you a few more.”

  Both women jumped up, “That’s a great idea! Come on; let’s go before the men get back.” Turning to Jasmine, they explained, “They’re just a tad overprotective and if we’re still here when they get back, they’ll want to tag along and that would take all of the fun out of the adventure.”

  By all means. Let’s leave before the men get back just in case Misha is with them! “Sure, let’s go now.”

  The women left the building without incident, not seeing Sergei send one of the security guards to follow them. They walked several blocks, naming things, and places in Russian while Jasmine filled in some they didn’t know. When they returned two hours later, Jasmine declined the invitation to go back upstairs with them and meet their almost-husbands.

  She excused herself, saying she had another appointment and hurried off down the sidewalk. Both women shrugged and thought nothing about her fast departure. They had learned several new words, and were anxious to display their newfound knowledge to Mrs. Rusnik, and the men.

  Jasmine hurried home, her feet hurting by the time she finished the ten block walk across town. She kept her head down, and her eyes and ears open for danger as she walked the last two blocks. The Russian Bratva was currently fighting amongst themselves, and since she lived in the heart of their territory, it was more common than not to see violence taking place in broad daylight.

  She had never been the recipient of their violence, but she also knew there was a first time for everything and wasn’t stupid enough to think she could live in this part of the city without the possibility of harm coming to her.

  She breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the apartment complex. Climbing the stairs to the third floor, she knocked on her neighbor’s door, “Dasha, I’m home,” she called through the door.

  Dasha opened the door with a smile of greeting upon her face, “Oh good, I was just about to put him down for a nap. Now we won’t have to wake him. Mikhail, look who’s here, baby. Momma’s here.”

  Jasmine smiled at her son, picking him up and nuzzling his baby neck, “Hello sweetheart. Were you a good boy for Dasha?”

  “He’s always a good boy. He was a little cranky at first, but he seems fine now. So, how was your first day?”

  Jasmine smiled, “It was good. The two ladies I’m working with are very nice. I must say it’s nice to hear other American’s speaking English.”

  Dasha laughed, she wished she could speak English, but alas, she only spoke Russian. It was a bonus that Jasmine spoke Russian as well as she did English so they had no problems communicating with each other.

  “I should get out of your hair. Thanks again.”

  “Don’t mention it. It’s worth getting up, to know that I get to play with this little man for a few hours. See ya tomorrow?”

  Jasmine nodded, “Same time.”

  “Have a nice day.”

  Jasmine carried her son to her own apartment, making sure to fasten all of the locks and chains before she headed for the kitchen to put the kettle on.

  “Mikhail, I did well today, baby. In a few months, Mommy will be able to afford to apply for a new visa and then we’ll go home to America. We just have to hold on for a few more months.”

  Jasmine rocked her son to sleep, sipping her tea and dreaming of the day she could board a plane with her son and leave Russia. She should have left before her visa expired, but she had stuck around hoping Misha would come back so she could tell him he was going to be a father.

  By the time she had realized he wasn’t coming back, she was extremely ill and it was all she could do to take care of herself from one day to the next. She had met Dasha at one of the medical clinics and Dasha had taken her under her wing.

  By the time she had been feeling well enough to make rational decisions, her visa had expired and she had lost her chance to turn in her final doctoral thesis. She had allowed her future to slip through her fingers, and ended up stuck in a strange country, pregnant and alone.

  The only way for her to fix this mess was to obtain a new visa, a forged one, but one that would most likely result in her being able to enter the U.S. once again.

  Unfortunately, the cost for such a piece of paper was in excess of two thousand American dollars. Money she didn’t have, and without a work permit, couldn’t earn. She was screwed!

  She had called the U.S. Embassy from a payphone shortly after Mikhail had been born, but had been told that they could only assist with her visa. They couldn’t help her get her son into the U.S. because he was technically a Russian citizen. Since there was no way she was leaving her son behind, she had become stuck here.

  When she had seen the advertisement for a Russian tutor and recognized the DAV Mining address, she had seen the first glimmer of hope. Now she just needed to keep the tutoring job until she had enough money saved to purchase visas for her and her son, and then enough additional money to purchase their plane ticket home.

  She would still need to keep her other job of translating American newspapers for one of the local Bratva bosses, but that was only enough to pay the rent and purchase meager food stuffs for her and her son. She needed to dazzle Julia and Desi so that they would keep her around until she had enough money saved to leave. Please, let them want to keep me around!

  Chapter 4

  Jasmine put her sleeping son down on the bed and stacked the pillows behind him so that he couldn’t roll off the bed. She stretched her arms, feeling the tension in her shoulders and wishing she dared to go out for a run.

  Living in Ligovo, that wasn’t an option. So she did the next best thing, she turned on some music and started going through an exercise routine that would have done the U.S. Marines proud, or one Russian Army Special Forces soldier. Where did that thought come from?

  She pushed her muscles for over an hour, wiping the sweat from her brow as she finished the last set of lunges. Her muscles were burning
, but her mind was clearer. Heading for the shower, she quickly washed off, making sure to not drink any of the water.

  The water in St. Petersburg was so bad that not even the locals drank it. Everyone drank bottled water, which thankfully, Dasha was able to obtain through the hospital for free. She wouldn’t have survived without Dasha. She had delivered Mikhail so that Jasmine hadn’t had to worry about answering a bunch of questions at the hospital. She had obtained his vaccines, and when he had come down with an ear infection several weeks back, she had diagnosed it. Bringing home antibiotics and pain drops for him. She was Jasmine’s very own angel and she only hoped that one day she would be able to repay her for all of her kindness.

  *****

  Misha was disappointed when the women returned from the unauthorized walk and Jasmine wasn’t with them. He didn’t press for her whereabouts, instead he called Sergei and was informed she had gone straight back to her apartment.

  He read through the report about the other occupant of the apartment building, not liking the fact that the building was owned by the most notorious Bratva boss in the city. Jasmine, what are you into girl?

  Julia and Desi raved about how nice Jasmine was, and how helpful she had been. Misha listened; glad that she was getting along with the women. He wanted her to stick around long enough for him to get some answers.

  “I wish I had her figure,” Desi said. “She’s got those long legs, and that hair. I wonder if she colors it, or if it’s naturally that blonde.”

  Misha was only half-listening, so he answered without a second thought, “It’s entirely natural. Everywhere.”

  When it grew completely silent, he looked up to see both women and his cousins staring at him openly. “What?!”

  “You know Jasmine?” Julia demanded.

  He looked to Dmitry for help, who just shrugged before saying, “I believe we would all like an answer to that question. You seem to have carnal knowledge of the woman. When did you meet her?”

  Misha sighed, “I met her at the university eighteen months ago. She was completing her doctoral studies in Russian literature while I was here on a training mission. And both you and Alexey have met her at least once before so don’t play the innocent bystander.”

  “How long?” Alexey asked.

  “Three weeks.”

  “And two days,” Sergei added, entering the conference room where everyone was just finishing up lunch.

  Misha glared at him before adding, “Could you be any more helpful?”

  “As a matter of fact, I could. Jasmine lives on the third floor along with her neighbor, Dasha Orlov. She’s a charge nurse at Admiralteyskie Verfi Medical Centre.”

  “What else does Jasmine do? She has to have some way to pay the rent on her apartment and purchase food.”

  “That I don’t know yet. I’ve got someone in the area asking around.”

  “Well, I don’t know what you did, but don’t mess with her anymore. She’s our new friend and we really like her,” Julia told him.

  Misha shook his head, leaving before he divulged more information about their new friend than they wanted to hear. Jasmine was up to something, he just hadn’t figured out what.

  *****

  The next morning, Jasmine hurried into the DAV building, trying to calm her breathing since she had run most of the ten blocks. Mikhail had come down with another earache during the night and she had been awake since 2 a.m. when Dasha had come home.

  She had offered to take care of him so that Jasmine could sleep, but her son was so unhappy, she couldn’t do it. She had left him screaming in pain fifteen minutes before and only hoped she could focus enough on the two women she was supposed to be tutoring today. She couldn’t let a little thing like lost sleep or worry over her son cause her to lose this job!

  The security guy, Sergei, wasn’t at the front desk this morning, so another man hailed the elevator for her and sent her up. She took the few moments while in the elevator car to take some deep breaths, calming her racing pulse and staggered breathing. She could do this. She had to!

  Chapter 5

  When the elevator door opened, she had herself mostly under control; that was until she looked up and saw Misha standing in the doorway to his office, staring at her. Damn!

  She gave him a tight smile and headed for the office where she hoped the two women were already waiting on her. Fate was on her side and she and the two women got to work.

  Mrs. Rusnik had obtained two elementary primers and Jasmine started at the beginning with the women – learning the Cyrillic alphabet. “So, let me get this straight – there are 33 characters in the Russian alphabet, but two of the characters don’t have a sound?” Julia asked.

  “That’s right. Good job. How about you try…”

  A tap on the door interrupted what she’d been about to say. “Excuse me,” said Mrs. Rusnik as she entered, “Miss Jasmine, you have a phone call. A lady named Dasha?”

  Jasmine felt the color drain from her face and grabbed the back of the chair she was standing next to for support. “Yes, she’s my neighbor.” Mikhail! Something must be wrong with Mikhail!

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t transfer it to this office, it isn’t set up for that.”

  “That’s okay. I can take it anywhere.”

  “You can use the phone in the conference room. Follow me.”

  Jasmine quickly followed the secretary, praying silently that nothing was seriously wrong.

  “Right in here. I’ll transfer the call. When the phone beeps twice, just pick it up.”

  Jasmine nodded, heading for the phone and praying silently under her breath that she could handle whatever Dasha was calling about.

  The phone beeped twice and Jasmine quickly lifted the receiver, “Hello?” When no response came back she remembered that Dasha didn’t speak any English. She tried again, “Privyet?”

  Jasmine listened as Dasha answered her, explaining that Mikhail’s earache had worsened and his eardrum had become perforated and was bleeding slightly. Dasha strongly recommended he be taken to the physician. Jasmine sat down in the closest chair and started to cry. She had been so close to getting them out of the country, and now this!

  “Dasha, nyet…” Jasmine listened as Dasha cut her off, explaining that unless Mikhail got proper medical treatment, he could suffer permanent hearing loss in his ear. But he’s only 10 months old! He’s just starting to try and walk and he might lose his hearing! This couldn’t be happening!

  Jasmine listened some more as Dasha explained about taking him to her hospital and seeing if one of the pediatrician’s would look at him without making a paper trail. She made no promises, but said she would try.

  Jasmine continued to wipe at the tears that ran down her cheeks, dripping onto the boardroom table before she could catch them. She assured Dasha that she would meet her there. The hospital was on the far side of St. Petersburg, and would take her almost forty five minutes to walk to, but maybe she could find enough energy to run that distance in half the time.

  Drying her tears, she turned, intending to go tell the women she would need to cut short their lesson, but Misha was standing in the doorway. “What is wrong?” he demanded.

  Jasmine looked at him and the tears started to flow faster. If only she could tell him! He would be furious with her, but maybe he could make it so her baby wasn’t made to suffer for her actions. Could she trust him?

  Misha watched Jasmine as she cried, puzzled at the strength of the emotion she was displaying. Jasmine was always in control, or had been. She looked like her world was falling apart.

  Jasmine took a deep breath and decided that maybe she could fudge the truth just a bit and ask Misha for a ride to the hospital. She didn’t have to tell him why.

  “That was my neighbor. I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to meet her at the hospital.” Maybe he would offer to take her so she didn’t have to ask.

  Misha took a step inside the room, “Is everything okay?”

  Jasmine s
hook her head, “No. I’m sorry, but I really need to go. Could you tell Julia and Desi that I will do my best to be here tomorrow?”

  Misha nodded, making no attempt to move and let her leave the room.

  “Misha, I really have to go. Please?” Jasmine knew she sounded like she was begging, but her entire world was getting ready to fall apart, she’d had very little sleep, and to top it all off her baby was in danger of losing part of his hearing. “Move, damn it!”

  She regretted her outburst immediately, seeing his eyes narrow at her. Great! “I’m sorry. That was rude, but I really need to go.” She moved to push past him, but he caught her arm, halting her progress.

  It had been eighteen months since she had felt Misha’s hands upon her person, and just like that, she was transported back. Her senses narrowed, her body tightened, and her breath halted in her throat.

  Shaking her head, she pulled her arm from his hold and headed for the elevators. She’d already wasted a few precious minutes and now she would have to run to the hospital. She took the elevator down; unable to forget the questioning look in Misha’s eyes as he watched the doors close.

  Sergei was back in the foyer, but she didn’t even acknowledge his greeting. Stepping outside the building, she stretched her calves briefly, slung her purse sideways across her body, and took off in the direction of the hospital. The cold air made running more difficult, but she didn’t think about that. A few more blocks! I can do this!

  Sergei watched Jasmine’s strange actions as she exited the building, and it wasn’t until she took off running that he realized she had been stretching in preparation for a run. Picking up the phone, he called Misha, “Sir, Jasmine just left here.”

  “I know. She got a phone call. Some emergency with the neighbor. She said she had to get to the hospital right away. And don’t call me sir.”

  “Did she also tell you she was planning on running there?” The closest hospital to the DAV Mining office was more than 10 miles away.

  “What?! Stop her!”