Page 17 of Baby for the Bratva

But it’s not Yuri standing outside my room with a lopsided grin on his face and a gift in his hands. It’s someone else entirely, a shorter man with thinning hair and a nose so crooked I wonder how he can breathe with his mouth closed.

“Miss Stella,” he says, his words rolled up in a thick Russian accent.

Just like Yuri…

“Yes, that’s me,” I reply, closing the door a little. I trust this guy less than I trust Yuri, and I don’t trust Yuri at all.

“Yuri sent me to check on you. Said you might not feel safe with the killer on the loose.”

“Excuse me, what?” I ask, leaning forward and blinking in disbelief. “Who even are you?”

“Chekhov.”

I laugh. “Yeah, okay, but are you with Yuri?”

He nods eagerly. “Oh yes, I’m his… brother.”

There’s no fucking way this guy is Yuri’s brother. Unless Chekhov was robbed of every decent strand of DNA by Yuri at birth, the chance of them being related is thinner than Chekhov’s hair.

I raise an eyebrow at Chekhov, sincerely doubting his entire story. “Who says you’re not the killer?”

He looks taken aback. “Ma’am, I have come to provide protection. We don’t know who the killer is, but until he is found, it’s better that you’re not put in unnecessary danger.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t need protection, and I’m not in danger. Please, stay away from me, and when you see Yuri, tell him that I’m done with his shit. I don’t want him sending people to my room again.”

I close the door on Chekhov, feeling a little glimmer of empathy for the poor guy. It’s not his fault that Yuri is such a psycho, but he should know better than to listen to him, even if they are really brothers.

My towel drops to the floor as I walk back to my bed. I was sleepy before, but I’m awake again. I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep until the ship starts moving again. Not knowing what’s going on with the shooting is driving me crazy with anxiety.

Why haven’t the police done anything? Surely, it was all on camera.

I lie back on my bed, staring up at the low ceiling and wondering how long it will take for life to return to normal. The drama of the cruise is making me forget about Tyler faster, but once I’m back on dry land, I’m sure he’ll want to talk to me. I can’t forget that he found out that I was on a cruise, so that means he’s capable of coming after me once we reach our final port back in the United States.

I sigh so long and deep that I expel all the stale air from my lungs. I want to keep going, to feel their full collapse, but my body forces me to inhale.

I’m already bored. Five minutes without a screen in front of me or a man harassing me, and my life has lost all meaning.

I close my eyes, trying to feel the alluring pull of sleepiness again, but it doesn’t come. I’m trapped in a loop of boredom and thoughts of Tyler and Yuri. Yuri and Tyler. Some weird combination of the two until I open my eyes again.

I check my phone, which has no signal or messages, but tells me the time.

It’s only ten in the evening. Normally, I don’t sleep until midnight, and I’m so on edge that I predict it’ll take much longer.

Another knock on my door makes my heart leap into my throat. I’m dying for a break from the monotony of staring at the ceiling, so I jump to my feet immediately, wrapping myself in a bathrobe this time before answering the door.

I’m disappointed to see Chekhov again, but it’s almost comical how apologetic he looks. He’s so different from Yuri, who probably isn’t even capable of feeling truly sorry for anything. I bet women let him get away with murder because he’s so physically attractive.

I was right to be annoyed with him. My first instinct never lies.

“I came to give you an update about the situation at hand,” Chekov says, speaking to me in a manner that’s better suited for addressing the CEO of a company going through a crisis. It’s so odd.

I think he works for Yuri. He can’t be his brother, though. He’s too… professional.

“By the situation at hand, I’m assuming you’re referring to the shooting, and not Yuri.”

“The shooting of Yuri, yes.”

I groan. “Not the same Yuri, though, right? Isn’t that a weird coincidence?”

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