Hating the Bratva

by K. D Clark

  I hesitantly let go of her hands, and she crosses her arms over her chest. I start the car and head towards the street.

  “Don’t take me home.”

  I grip the steering wheel hard. “You have to go home at some point.”

  “I’ll just run again.”

  “I’m sure Nicolai won’t let you out of his sight for a second time. I’m sure he’s had his ass handed to him.”

  I glance her way to see the angry melt from her place and be replaced with regret. She probably hadn’t thought about that when she took off.

  “Please,” she says so quietly I can barely hear her. Her voice comes out deflated. Like all the fight has left her body, and that’s what pains me the most. Delaney is full of fight, always has been, but that sound of defeat is like a kick to my stomach.

  I jerk the wheel and make a U-turn on the empty street heading back to my place. I’ll pay for this in the morning, but I’m not a strong enough man to drop her off at home. Not when she begs me like that.

  I’m breaking the rules by taking her to my place.

  She doesn’t say anything for a good ten minutes, and when I glance over, I see she has fallen asleep. Her head rests against the window. I wonder how much sleep she’s gotten in the two days she was gone? Probably as much as I have. When we get to the house, I don’t bother waking her up. Instead, I lift her into my arms and carry her to the guest room.

  Delaney

  The sound of a drill assaults my ears, and I roll over in the bed. I grab a pillow and push it over my head. What the hell is this? Satin. My pillows aren’t satin. I open my eyes and sit up. It takes me a moment to remember where I’m at. The last thing I remember is Alek making a U-turn after I begged him not to take me home. So, he took me here? To his house? Even though my dad, Gavrill, and everyone else will throw a fit once they find out?

  The door swings open, and Alek steps through. He’s fully clothed with two coffee mugs in his hands. His short, blonde hair is wild on top. He probably styled it like that on purpose. He must have shaved this morning, too, because his jawline is sharp and prominent. “Oh good, you’re up.”

  I glare at him. “How could I sleep with this banging?”

  He raises an eyebrow, and I drop my glare, remembering that he could have taken me home last night.

  His muscles ripple underneath his shirt as he approaches the bed and hands me one of the mugs.

  I take it between my hands. “Thank you.”

  He nods and takes a seat in a chair across from my bed. The room is pretty bare. The bedding is satin, white. There’s a dresser and a tv, but not much else. The walls are white too. I wonder if he’ll leave it this way or if this is because the house is still under construction. Maybe this is a room he would have wanted my opinion on. I take a sip of my coffee, trying to distract myself from that thought. His eyes never leave mine as he lifts his cup to his lips and drinks.

  “I can’t do this,” I say, blurting out the thought that’s been ruminating in my head since Saturday. I can’t marry Ivan. I just can’t. There is nothing wrong with Ivan. I don’t know him very well, but he’s decent looking, and he doesn’t seem to be a total jackass. His biggest flaw is that he isn’t Alek.

  Alek looks away from me for a brief moment. It’s the only indication that he’s struggling with this too. I know he bought this house for us even if he won’t admit it.

  “You have to.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “What’s your other options? You already tried running,” he says.

  “Ha! That wasn’t running. I just needed to get away to think.”

  His eyes darken, and if I didn’t know him, I’d be scared right now. “And that’s where you went to think?”

  I can tell he’s probably thinking about Kevin. Oh god, Kevin, I need to text him. “It’s not like that.”

  “Then what is it like?”

  I sit my coffee down on the bedside table and stand up. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

  He stands up to and crowds my space. He smells like fresh soap. I can almost feel the anger rolling off him. Anger seems to be his default setting. I notice I’m still wearing my clothes from last night, but I must have slipped my bra off in my sleep. My nipples harden against the glittery tank top, and I pray he doesn’t notice.

  “Stay here. I have to clean up the mess you made,” he says, backing away from me.

  “The mess I made?” Like it’s my fault that Gavrill and my dad pulled the rug from under our feet?

  “Yes, the mess you made because you ran, and now I have another man’s fiance at my house.”

  Tears form in my eyes, but I won’t allow them to spill over.

  “That’s how you see me now? I’m just another man’s fiance?”

  He grimaces, but before he can answer me, I rush to the en suite bathroom and slam the door. Once I’m alone, I allow the tears to stream down my cheeks.

  Out of everyone, I thought maybe Alek would be on my side. I should have known. He lives by the same code as everyone else. Now people would only see me as Ivan’s future wife, not a nursing student, a daughter, or anything else besides Ivan’s wife. The loss of my identity hits me so hard I feel like I can’t breathe. I gulp in deep breaths, but it’s like I can’t get the oxygen into my lungs. I try to concentrate on the constant noise of construction, matching my breath with the sound of a hammer until I can breathe again. On the bathroom floor of Alek’s guest bedroom, I’ve never felt more alone.

  Once I’m confident that my panic attack is under control, I wipe my face and stand on unsteady legs. The makeup from last night is still on my face, and it feels thick and uncomfortable. The guest bedroom is small, but it has modern upgrades. This must have been one of the first rooms finished during the construction process. I reach into the shower, turn the water on warm before stripping out of my clothes and stepping under the rainfall showerhead. The warm water puts me at ease, and my muscles relax a little bit. I find a bar of soap and use my hands to wash. Once I’m done, I feel a little bit better. I wrap a white, fluffy towel around myself and walk out of the bathroom. I’m glad to see that Alek is gone. It’s not like I brought an overnight bag, so I don’t have anything to wear. I crack open the bedroom door to the hallway. I look around, making sure none of the construction workers are on this floor, before stepping out. It seems like all the work on this floor is already finished, which means the master bedroom is probably up here. I follow the hallway until I come to a set of wooden double doors. I open the door and step inside the vast room. There’s an entire seating area in front of a fireplace. It would probably be beautiful in the winter months. Too bad I’ll never know.

  I cross the room to the closet and find a pair of Alek’s sweatpants and a t-shirt. I pull them on even though they are way too big for my frame. Something about wearing his clothes feels scandalous, especially since I have nothing underneath. Now what? I turn to face the room. There’s a remote on the unmade bed, and I pick it up. I press a button, and the curtains start to open up. The view is impressive. His room opens up to the backyard. I can see past the land to the tree’s beyond us. It’s like living in the mountains. It would have been beautiful to wake up to this view every morning. I throw the remote back on the bed and walk out of the room. It only reminds me of what I’ll never have. I make my way back to the guest room. My phone vibrates on the dresser, and I quickly pick it up.

  “Hello.”

  “Where have you been?” Robin says. I never missed class, and I told her I’d stay at Kevin’s and walk to class on Monday. I sit on the bed, crossed legged, and take a sip of my cold coffee.

  “I’m at Alek’s.”

  “Um...what? I thought you were staying at Kevin’s.”

  “Yeah me too until Alek showed up like he was coming to rescue me.”

  Robin laughed. “Rescue you from Kevin?”

  I hear her shifting, and I imagine her standing up from her spot next to the science building.

  “I
t was ridiculous. He nearly choked Kevin to death. I need to check on him.”

  “Holy shit! So what, you’re just staying at his place?”

  “I guess for now.”

  Robin lets out a sigh. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried when you didn’t show up for a smoke. I gotta get to class, but I’ll talk to you later because I need more details.”

  “See ya.”

  For the rest of the day, I stayed in the guest bedroom and scrolled through my phone. I texted Kevin, telling him how sorry I was for Alek’s behavior. Luckily he had a good attitude and told me not to worry about it. Kevin is as gay as they come, and Alek had no reason to act like that towards him. The construction crew left around two o’clock, and I ventured downstairs. Alek’s fridge and pantries are pretty much bare, but I manage to make a sandwich and find a bag of chips. After that, I decided to check out the house. Most of it’s unrecognizable, but the living room and the rest of the kitchen seem to be coming along. The front door opens and shuts. I hear his footsteps as he walks upstairs first. Then, he comes back down and walks into the living room where I’m standing with my hands on my hips, admiring the progress.

  His bright green eyes watch me as if waiting for me to yell at him like I had this morning. He scans my body, and I’m conscious of the fact that his clothes are practically falling off of me.

  “Hey,” I say quietly. He comes closer to me and looks around at the work that has been done today.

  “The living room and the kitchen should be done in the next few days. Then we can put up tarps to separate them from everything else.”

  I nod. “It will be beautiful.”

  I can see the regret that flashes across his face, but he quickly masks his emotions. He walks to the kitchen, and I follow behind him.

  “Did you talk to my dad?” I ask as he reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water.

  “Yes, I have to talk to the rest of the brotherhood tomorrow about you staying here.” He unscrews the cap and takes a drink.

  I lean against the island, which is just a piece of wood over cabinets.

  “Don’t take me back tonight. My dad knows I’m safe-”

  “Why don’t you want to go home?”

  “Because they sold me off like cattle! Do you think I want to sit around the dining room table with my parents right now?”

  His eyes pierce into me, and it’s like he can see every inch of my soul. Like he can truly see how much this has hurt me. Maybe because he’s hurting too, but I can’t tell.

  He takes another sip of the water before setting it down on the counter.

  “Put some shoes on.”

  “Where-”

  He takes a step closer to me, crowding me against the island. “If you’re going to stay here, I need you to listen and not argue about every damn thing I tell you. I’m not your parents, and I’m not your fiance. I don’t have to put up with your shit. Do you want independence? You can drive one of my cars to school, you can do whatever the hell you want to, but for god, sake stop acting like everyone is against you.”

  Anger starts to make its way to the surface. “I was just promised to another man. Everyone is against me.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not.” He turns his back to me, and I can’t help seeing how his muscles ripple as he moves. “Put some shoes on. We have to run some errands.”

  I want to say something else to him, but I hold back. Does this mean he feels the same way about this arrangement as I do? I walk past him up the stairs and pull on my Converse from last night. I pull my hair up into a ponytail, and even though I still look ridiculous in his clothes, but at least I look half-human now. I walk back down the steps, holding the side of his sweatpants, so they don’t slide down my legs. Alek smirks as he watches me from the bottom of the steps.

  I flip him the bird, and he lets out a laugh. He opens the door and waves me outside. The sun is still high in the sky, and it’s a little too hot for the sweatpants. I follow Alek out to his BMW and get into the passenger seat.

  “Where are we going?” I ask once he pulls out of the driveway.

  “To get you some clothes.”

  I look down at my Alek-inspired outfit. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  His lip twitches as if he wants to smile but keeps it under control.

  “So we’re stopping by my parents?”

  He shakes his head. “Your dad is pretty pissed off at you right now, if you can imagine that.”

  Great, so not only do I not want to go home, but my dad doesn’t want me there either. Fine.

  We don’t talk for the rest of the drive. I fiddle with the radio, but it’s mostly just a bunch of commercials. When we pull up to the department store, my eyes widen.

  “Whoa, I don’t need a new wardrobe,” I say. Even though my family has always had the money, I never found much fun in spending hours picking out clothes like my mother. My wardrobe is pretty limited because I choose to spend my free time with friends or try out new hobbies. Last year I got into painting, and that took up most of my time.

  “Come on, we’re already late for your appointment.”

  He gets out of the car, and I follow behind me, half-jogging to keep up with his long strides.

  “Appointment?”

  “Yes, you’re not just the daughter of a senator anymore. You play an important role in the brotherhood. You have to dress the part.”

  “Um...what?”

  He stops in his tracks, and my face nearly collides with his back.

  He turns to face me. “Did your mom not explain any of this to you?”

  “No, we don’t often talk about my doomsday.”

  He takes a deep breath as if looking for patience. “It’s an image thing. No one bothered to care about what you looked like before because you were just the daughter. Now you’re someone’s fiance. All eyes are going to be on you. You’re the buffer between the outside world and Ivan’s criminal activity.”

  I scrunch my nose up. “So basically, I’m supposed to be a pretty face to throw off any investigation from the FEDS?”

  He shrugs. “Basically.”

  “Lovely.”

  Alek

  A smile stays permanently on my face as I watch the Stylist I’ve hired hand Delaney clothing through the dressing room door. Each time she makes the sound of puking before handing it back. She’s stubborn and childish, but I expect nothing else. She’ll marry Ivan at the end of this, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to make it easy on anybody involved. Including me. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see Gavrill’s name flash across the screen. Fuck.

  “Hello?” I say, taking a step away from the dressing room so I’m out of earshot.

  “You have Delaney?” Gavrill asks. Denis must have told him. When I left this morning, me and Denis had a long talk. It didn’t go anywhere. It’s not like he has any real pull regarding who his daughter will marry, but it’s evident that he prefers me over Ivan. I don’t blame him.

  “Yes.”

  Silence for a moment as I imagine Gavrill trying to reel in his temper. He’s cool-headed, and it’s one of the things that makes him a good Pakhan, but that flip can switch if provoked.

  “Does Ivan know?” Gavrill settles on saying.

  I wander through the clothes rack, not paying much attention to anything in particular. “Not yet.”

  “Are you trying to start a fight?”

  I scoff. “Ivan doesn’t give a damn. I plan on talking to him after the meeting tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, do that, and Alek?”

  “Huh?”

  “If you try to pull something over on me, we’ll have problems. My decision is final; she’s marrying Ivan.” He hangs up, and I roughly shove my phone back into the pocket of my jeans. Gavrill and I usually get along. I think he can be more heavy-handed, but it’s rare that I genuinely disagreed with him on something, and in the past, when I have opposed, he’s usually been able to get me to see his si
de of things. But not this time. This time he’s wrong. The Miami brotherhood isn’t going to give a damn about Ivan’s marriage, and I hate the thought of Delaney being used as a pawn in all of this.

  I wander back to the dressing room area just as Delaney steps out. She’s wearing tight skinny jeans and a blouse that hugs the small curves of her petite body. It’s not something she’d normally wear, but it’s casual enough. Her dark hair is pulled up in a loose bun at the top of her head. The freckles that run across the bridge of her nose seem to be highlighted.

  “This is the best I’m going to be able to do. I have to sit in a classroom for at least four hours a day.”

  The Stylist looks at me as if asking permission. Delaney glares at him.

  I nod my head once.

  The man claps his hands together. “Perfect. Let me find some more options in a similar style, and we can work from there.”

  She rolls her eyes and retreats back to the dressing room, but not before I get a good look at her ass.

  By the time we’re finished, I’m holding two handfuls of bags. The cashier reads off the price, and I manage to maneuver my wallet out of my pocket. Delaney bites down on her lower lip as I pull out my card.

  “What?” I ask as I hand the card over.

  “Should you be buying all this shit for me? I mean shouldn’t-”

  “Bunny, I have enough money that I don’t know what to do with it. I think we’re fine.”

  We’re. The word slips out of my mouth before I can catch it.

  I cough. “It’s fine,” I say, trying to correct my mistake.

  The cashier hands the card back to me, and we walk out to the car. The ride home is silent, and I wonder if she’s thinking about my slip up the same way I am.

  *****

  “Rick’s made good on his word. He replaced all the money that was taken from the bank. I checked yesterday, and he’s looking into his employee’s,” Mikhail says from the barstools he’s sitting around. Nearly all the Vor’s in the Boston Brotherhood are gathered around the common area at the compound. The room is packed wall to wall. Some of the guys lean against the wall. Others have taken up the couch and chairs. Ivan sits next to Mikhail on one of the barstools. His eyes are bloodshot, probably from a night spent drinking. He is a good Vor, but he’d be a piss poor husband.