Page 88 of Baby for the Bratva

Doesn’t he know that Stella is in the emergency room?

I shoot a deadly look at him, clenching my jaw as I speak. “What is it?”

He leans back, looking me over like he’s seriously considering jumping up and leaving. The air in the waiting room grows still. There are a few other people in here, and they’re all looking at us right now.

Chekhov wipes the sweat from his forehead, forcing a nervous smile. “Sir, they hit the target in Brazil. It was clean, and the target is confirmed…” He looks around and lowers his voice. “The target is down.”

A weight lifts from my tired shoulders, but I still carry the burden of Stella’s current state. I’m not going to feel better until I know she’s okay, and even then, I’ll have to deal with the guilt of allowing her to experience so much danger.

I put my hand on Chekhov’s knee, nodding slightly. “That’s good news. Things are finally turning around.”

“All thanks to your efforts,” he assures me.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh, shaking my head. “That’s far from the case, but I’m glad you believe it. We need to keep up morale.”

“Come on,” he says, his voice rising in volume. “I’m not going to let you talk down about what you’ve achieved. We depend on you to steer this organization. Without you, there’s no business at all. We’d be broke and directionless.”

I sigh, slumping down a few inches in my chair. “Yeah, I guess I’ve had a bit to do with it, but I’m not happy with how this mission turned out.”

“And why is that?” Chekhov snaps. “You managed to offload all the cargo in record time, you eliminated the bounty, and you’re getting married to a very nice woman.”

He’s obviously trying to life my spirits, but I feel like it’s going to take more than words to recover the spark I once had. After everything, I wouldn’t care if I lost my Bratva entirely, just as long as I had Stella.

She’s the only thing that matters anymore, though I won’t admit it to Chekhov. He’s not going to want to take orders from someone who doesn’t prioritize our organization.

“You’re doing great. Everyone agrees,” Chekhov continues, trying to warm me up with another smile. “And I’m certain Stella will be okay. We all saw her when you took her from the van, and she didn’t have a scratch.”

“The injuries can be internal,” I mumble.

“Respectfully, Yuri, you’re most likely wrong. You’ll see,” he replies, patting me on the back. “Just take it easy, and I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. You can focus on her when she is released.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to put any more weight on your shoulders. You’ve been through enough already.”

He shrugs. “What’s a little more?”

I give him a doubtful look, but I see more energy in his eyes than I currently have. As my right-hand man, he knows enough about our operations to reorganize our forces and steer us back to safety. I would be able to focus on spending time with Stella is I chose to.

But should I let him take this burden? It feels selfish for me to pass it to him, but I’m so drained that it might be the safest thing to do. If I messed up again, I’d really start doubting myself, and that’d be no good for anyone.

I look up at Chekhov, offering him a thin smile. “I’ll consider it, but I want a full report on the hit in Brazil. If I don’t see blood with my own eyes, I’m not willing to accept the report.”

“Got it, sir. I’ll get that to you ASAP.”

“Thank you,” I say, feeling more tension slip off my shoulders. As long as Stella is okay, things are going to turn out fine. It was a perilous adventure, but it’s finally coming to a close.

Chekhov lingers in the waiting room for a few minutes, but it’s obvious he has things to do to ensure business continues as usual. For one, we caused a terrible scene in a very public place. Authorities need to be paid off quickly before they decide to take me away in handcuffs.

“Go ahead and make sure the mess gets cleaned up. I’ll remain here,” I tell Chekhov as he does another nervous lap around the waiting room. Honestly, I’d rather be alone right now so that I can process my thoughts.

Chekhov nods, thanks me, and then hurries out. People keep staring at me, having witnessed the entire ordeal like a soap opera, but I ignore them. I’m used to being noticed in public places. I’m about twice the size of a regular man and I ooze power and wealth.

I put my head back down in my hands, blocking out the world as time crawls by. The darkness is soothing compared to the burning Colombian sun outside. I swear I almost went blind in the hour that I was out rescuing Stella.

I laugh a bit to myself at how dramatic I’m being. Since when have I cared about being a little uncomfortable? I must be getting old.

“Yuri,” a small voice from the corner of the room says, breaking me out of my moody disposition.

I jump up from the seat, nearly sprinting toward the nurse as she stands in the doorway with a clipboard. Her expression doesn’t say much, but I feel like it’d be a bit more serious if anything bad had happened to Stella.

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