Punching Aleksander’s smug face wouldn’t do Viktor any good. He’d already lost Pavel. Viktor couldn’t afford to lose his best lieutenant, and Aleksander knew it.
“No. Ava will be my wife. She belongs to me and will never betray me. It’s about time I thought about the future. I’ll eventually need an heir.” At this point, Viktor lied through his teeth. Ava said they’d review their relationship once he retrieved Pavel and dealt with the Mogileviches. Let her think she called the shots, but they both knew Viktor was the one in control. Ava must know she had no way out, no one to turn to but him after last night. She’d already chosen her side.
Aleksander nodded. “Very good. I’ll inform the others.”
“Is Katya awake?” he asked.
“She is.” An unexpected look of tenderness crossed Aleksander’s face, but it quickly disappeared. “She just left the house to send Anya to daycare. Should I call her back?”
“Yes, tell her I need her to babysit Ava.”
“Before she left, she told me to pass on the message. The mayor and police commissioner called. They want answers.”
Viktor scoffed. “Of course, they do. I’ll have Katya arrange a meeting with them.”
“Fernandez also wants to talk to you.”
He swore. Of course, the cartel boss heard about last night’s mishap. Either way, it was too late for Fernandez to turn his back on the arrangement they made. To an old-school gangster like Fernandez, breaking a contract was equivalent to a death sentence. Viktor knew the old man would fulfill his end of the bargain, but he’d need reassurance. Viktor had to wade through so much shit and it wasn’t even noon.
“Got it.” He gave Aleksander a dismissive nod.
Viktor returned to his room. Ava’s soft snores filled the room. He watched her for a few moments. Viktor needed to shower, get dressed, and tackle the rest of the day. Pavel’s kidnapping had a ripple effect. The Kotov Bratva would be put to the ultimate pass. The fact Viktor let Goran’s men take his own brother was a guaranteed sign of weakness. Even now, Viktor could imagine his enemies closing in on him, making alliances and schemes to take him and his operations down. He gritted his teeth.
Part of him was pissed off at Pavel for letting himself get taken. Viktor knew no one had counted on the ambush right outside the gala, but still, it grated on his nerves.
“Viktor? Are you awake? Isn’t it still early?” Ava asked in a sleepy voice. Viktor approached her. He pressed a gentle hand on the curve of her back, then leaned in close for a kiss. Ava must still be dreaming or had conveniently forgotten she was mad at him, because she smiled when he pulled away.
“Go back to sleep,” he told her.
“Won’t you join me?” She held out her hand toward him.
Her shirt rode high up, exposing the swell of her tempting breasts. Her nipples poked through the thin fabric of her shirt. Viktor’s boxers felt a little tight. So tempting, but he didn’t have the time. He needed solutions to his problems and Ava was a distraction of the worst sort.
“Later,” he answered her. “I need to work.”
“Work? I need to get to the office. There are reports I need to—”
Viktor pressed a finger to her lips. “Stay here. Take a day off.”
“I can’t do that.” She still sounded half-awake to his ears.
“Then I’ll have someone bring your work computer here. Your personal belongings will also be here by the end of the day.”
This time, Ava rubbed at her eyes. She sat up and finally seemed to realize she wasn’t waking up in her own bed. She studied her surroundings, then her gaze landed on him. “Oh.”
“That’s right. You finally remember?” he asked her.
Ava bit on her lower lip. “Yes.”
“You’ll stay here until this problem is resolved,” he reminded her.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” She punched the pillow next to her in frustration.
“No,” he told her. “Unless you want to end up dead in a ditch, your body in pieces.”
A lesser woman would’ve cowered from him. Ava just crossed her arms over her breasts and glared at him. Fuck, but Viktor got hard whenever she showed him this sassy side of her. “Thanks for painting me that gruesome picture. Now I can’t unsee it. How did you even get a key to my apartment?”
Viktor shrugged. “I can be very persuasive.”
“You didn’t have your guys break into my place, did you?”
“We’re not thugs. No, one simple phone call to your landlord and he amiably agreed to hand the keys to my man.”
“You threatened him?” Ava asked him warily.
“Bribed,” he corrected. Viktor made sure the greedy landlord knew who he was dealing with. At least the bastard understood it was wiser to cooperate or get in his way.
“I never liked Mr. Miller anyway,” she muttered. “And Gina? My mom?”
“You’re free to talk to them. Right now, they’re on a first-class flight to the destination of their choice.” Viktor paused. “You will, however, keep my secrets and tell them the bare minimum.”
“Of course. What do you think I am, a tattletale? Besides, I don’t want to drag them further into this mess.”
“Very well. I’ll need to leave you for now.”
“Crimes to plan and people to kill?” she asked.
Viktor decided he found this sarcastic side of Ava a little charming. After all, his future wife needed an iron stomach. Not anyone could easily stand by his side.
“Something of that sort.” Viktor began to leave, but Ava grabbed his hand.
“Please do what you can for Pavel. I didn’t like your brother at first, but he kind of grew on me.”
Viktor nodded. “Katya will be home soon. She’ll provide you with anything else you require.”
“Except freedom,” she said in a soft voice.
Viktor turned, cupping her chin. “Little bird, you’re free to leave. No one will stop you. Not even me. Just know that once you step out of this house, you’re free meat.”
Viktor was purposely baiting her because his patience had reached its limits. Ava swallowed. Of course, Viktor would never allow her to leave this property. His enemies would love nothing more than to snatch her from his grasp and use her as leverage against him.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said.
Viktor certainly didn’t expect her to apologize.
Ava continued, “I know I’m acting like a brat, but I just feel so lost, so uncertain about everything.”
“I forgive you.”
Ava touched his hand. “Viktor, do you really care about me, or are you just worried your enemies would use me against you? Am I just a liability?”
So, Ava had overheard snippets of his conversation with Aleksander. Viktor wasn’t worried. Sooner or later, his future wife would be privy to his deepest and darkest secrets. Any other woman would’ve been frightened out of wits after seeing him murder someone right in front of her eyes. Ava hadn’t exactly embraced the darker part of him, but she didn’t shy from it either.
“Aren’t they one and the same? If you were ripped away from me, it would devastate me,” Viktor simply answered. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
She said nothing for a few seconds. Her expression was hard to read.
“Does that answer satisfy you?” Viktor prodded.
“Yes. Thank you for being honest with me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ava put her hair to one side. She gripped the edges of the toilet bowl, then vomited again. This couldn’t be happening. Was she sick? Had she eaten something funky the day before? Ava had skipped dinner. Lunch had been a tuna sandwich from the nearby sandwich store. She’d eaten there dozens of times before and never once felt sick. She flushed the toilet bowl and rose unsteadily to her feet.
An upset stomach seemed mild compared to the other alternative. Ava rested her hand over her still flat stomach. No way. Except it seemed probable given they hadn’t been using
any protection at all. It just felt so good to feel his bare cock inside her. It felt right. Special. Before last night, she truly believed Viktor could be the man she’d been waiting for her entire life. The man she could spend the rest of her life with.
Ava wandered to the sink. She brushed her teeth to get rid of her vomit breath. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday. Questioning herself whether she was pregnant or not was beginning to drive her crazy. Ava needed to talk to someone. She exited the bathroom and picked up her phone.
She tried Gina, but only received her voicemail. Viktor told her both Gina and her mom were on their way somewhere. Were they still on the plane? Her stomach did a flip. What if Viktor lied? Maybe Viktor decided they got in the way of his plans and getting rid of them would solve some of his problems.
“Viktor would never do that,” she whispered to herself.
Ava checked her messages. There it was. Texts from Gina and her mom. Both women seemed to think they’d won a free trip. Gina’s last message said she’d text Ava once she landed in Paris. Paris? That seemed so far away. Her mom, meanwhile, was going to Milan. Both were dream destinations to Ava. She’d never even been out of the country.
Ava hadn’t managed to ask Viktor further questions about Gina and her mom’s situation, but Viktor had probably attached someone to watch them from afar. That gave her some measure of relief. She made a mental note to question him later, once he was no longer that busy. She set her phone down. No use worrying. Ava would go insane from all this unnecessary stress and worrying.
Food. Breakfast would distract her, although she didn’t relish heading downstairs and bumping into more of Viktor’s men. Ava gagged. Her stomach heaved again. She ran to the bathroom and threw up once more. She didn’t hear the knock on the bathroom door.
“Are you sick?” Katya looked at her with concerned eyes. The other woman looked perfect as always, dressed in a black cashmere sweater that hugged her slim body and a pair of black jeans. “Do you need a doctor?”
“I’m good.”
Ava rose to her feet and considered herself. She flushed the toilet again. Okay. Her stomach seemed to be settling. She brushed her teeth. Katya waited patiently for her outside the bathroom. She could hear Katya talking to someone, but she understood nothing because Katya spoke in Russian. When she emerged, Katya put her phone down.
“Viktor asked you to babysit me?” she asked.
“Babysit?” Katya asked, laughing. “You’re a grown woman.”
“Those were the exact words when he was speaking to some guy named Aleksander earlier.”
“Aleksander is Viktor’s third-in-command, well, his second, considering Pavel isn’t here.”
Ava regarded Katya for a few moments. “Is it okay for you to tell me important details like that?”
Katya shrugged. “Whether you like it or not, you’re part of Viktor’s life now.”
“No. That’s not true. I told Viktor I’ll stay until Pavel’s rescued, but after that? We’ll see.”
Katya’s sad smile unnerved her. “Are you sure you don’t need a doctor? What about pills for an upset stomach?”
“I’ll be fine, it’s from the shock of everything, I guess.” Ava lied, although God knew she was dying to tell someone about her suspicions. She thought Katya was her friend. Maybe she still was. It wasn’t easy for Ava to form friendships. She really liked Katya, but Katya’s main loyalties were to her brother and the Bratva. Ava couldn’t trust her completely. Would she report everything they discussed to Viktor?
“You look like you’re having deep thoughts,” Katya pointed out.
“Did Viktor ask you to spy on me?” she blurted unthinkingly.
Katya frowned. Her blue eyes narrowed. It was rare Ava saw Katya lose her cool. She definitely looked annoyed now. “I am my own person. Viktor might give everyone orders, but I’m here today not as his sister or his spy.”
Dang it. Ava had made things awkward between them. She felt like a bitch for calling Katya Viktor’s spy. She remembered Anya last night. Katya seemed close with Anya. The other woman often talked about her daughter at work. Katya might be the sister to a Bratva boss, but she was also a good person.
“I see. That’s good to know. I think.” Her stomach growled again.
“I haven’t had breakfast either,” Katya said. “Let’s head downstairs?”
“I can eat,” Ava admitted.
The two of them headed downstairs. Katya’s presence bolstered her courage. She received contemplative stares from Viktor’s men once again as Katya and Ava made their way to the kitchen. Katya had also noticed.
“Ignore them. They’ll get used to you. It works both ways. You’ll also be more comfortable living here as time passes by,” Katya said. Three men in suits were talking and having their morning coffee in the kitchen. Despite being half their size, Katya didn’t seem intimidated by them. “Igor, if the three of you are done eating, Ava and I would like the kitchen to ourselves.”
The dark-haired man wearing the wrinkled suit Ava presumed was Igor grinned at Katya. “Why don’t you ladies join us? There’s plenty of space at the table.”
Katya looked at her watch. “Isn’t it time for the meeting? I bet Viktor is already there.”
“Aw, Katya. You’re no fun at all,” one of the younger men, the guy with the blond hair and piercings said.
“She’s right. I don’t want to be late,” Igor said. The big man rose and stretched. The young blond guy said something to Igor and his other buddy in Russian. They laughed, then left them alone.
“What did he say?” Ava asked Katya.
“He said you don’t seem to be Viktor’s type.” Katya cleared the dirty plates and cups from the table and placed them in the sink.
“What’s Viktor’s type?” she asked, curious. Katya grabbed unused coffee mugs from the wall rack. Then she poured Ava and herself coffee from the pot.
“Sugar? Milk?” Katya asked.
“Both,” Ava said. She noticed Katya drank her coffee black, just like Viktor. Ava pointed that out and it made Katya smile. “You didn’t answer my earlier question.”
“Very well. Viktor doesn’t have a type. Not exactly. Before you came into his life, he’d fuck any woman that caught his interest.”
“Wow. You really don’t mince your words, do you?” Ava asked wryly.
Katya shrugged. “What’s the point of lying?”
Before she came along, Ava mused, Viktor had been a different man. Did she really have such an influence on him?
“What are you hungry for? Eggs? Bacon?” Katya asked her.
Ava shook her head. “I don’t think I can eat anything greasy. Do you have cereal?”
“All kinds.” She followed Katya to a cupboard. Katya opened it, revealing at least eight different kinds of opened cereal boxes. Katya sighed. “Anya likes to eat a different one every day.”
“Sounds like you spoil your kid,” Ava teased. She paused. “How does that work? Raising a kid in um, this kind of household?”
“The men are careful what they say when Anya’s around,” Katya said. “Most of Viktor’s men can be trusted. There are a few unpredictable ones, but I can handle myself.”
“I don’t doubt that. You never talk about Anya’s father,” she said. “Sorry, is that a rude question to ask?”
“Not at all. Andrei, Anya’s father, died protecting Viktor from a shooter.”
Ava stopped sipping her coffee. “Oh, Katya. I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“That was years ago. No apologies needed,” Katya said in a dismissive voice. The other woman might be putting on a tough act, but Ava could tell Katya still hadn’t gotten over Andrei’s death. Not truly.
“And you’re not mad at Viktor?” she prodded.
“For a little while, but Andrei and his family had been serving Viktor’s family for three generations. To Andrei, he fulfilled his duties.” Ava detected bitterness in Katya’s voice.
“Wha
t about you?” Katya asked, abruptly changing the topic.
“Me?”
“You don’t seem to be doing so good. Earlier, you were throwing up.”
Ava winced. She considered keeping her suspicions about being pregnant to herself, but realized she couldn’t. Ava would go crazy if she couldn’t confide her condition to someone else. “Katya, I lied. It’s not from the shock or anything like that.” Ava lowered her voice.
Katya leaned closer, looking concerned.
“I think I’m pregnant.”
Katya widened her eyes. She quickly recovered and suddenly pulled Ava into a warm hug. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful news, Ava. It’s been a long time since there was a child born to the Kotov Bratva.”
“Hold your horses,” Ava said quickly. “Let’s not be too presumptuous. Maybe I’m not carrying Viktor’s kid at all. I could have just eaten something rotten.”
“What do you truly believe?”
“What do you mean?”
“In your heart, do you wish for this baby?”
Ava couldn’t answer immediately. Everything was happening too fast. One moment, she knew her place. She’d been no one important. Just an accountant, a small-town girl trying to make ends meet, but now? Her entire world had spun out of axis after finding out Viktor was the Pakhan of the Kotov Bratva. Her life was now in his hands, now that his enemies knew about her.
All she ever thought and cared about was climbing the career ladder back at her old firm. Ava had been an ambitious and hard worker. Was she happy? Not one bit. She felt like she’d spend the rest of her life running on a hamster wheel. Meeting Viktor gave her life excitement. Color.
Even if he was the city’s most dangerous man, she couldn’t imagine having another man’s baby. Katya and Anya turned out okay, didn’t they? The Kotov Bratva took care of them.
“Yes,” she replied honestly. “Do you think Viktor would be mad or happy about the news? We never really discussed children.”
“I don’t think Viktor ever pictured himself being a father, but this is good news, Ava. He’ll be pleased.”
Her uncertainly must’ve shown on her face because Katya gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Ava, you couldn’t ask for a better protector. Viktor would go to hell and back again for you and your baby.” She hugged her again. “I’m happy it’s you he picked. You’ll be part of this family.”
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