Page 98 of The Lazarov Bratva

“Love you too.” Kristof chuckles, and he presses a kiss to Alyona’s wrinkled cheek.

It’s the first time I’ve heard him say love. And the first time I’ve seen him so soft with someone. It’s like the shroud of anger and danger has melted away, and I’m getting a glimpse of the man underneath. The man who grew up too fast as a child and took care of an estate and his siblings, all before he hit puberty.

It shifts my perspective a little.

“Get off,” Alyona scolds, and she begins to hurry away, only pausing beside me. “You sure you want someone like him? Trust me, I know twenty with a better hairline.”

“Alyona!” Kristof barks.

Alyona cackles and hurries away, followed by Ivan and Nastja.

“She’s… quite the character.” I chuckle. Kristof taps my nose as he passes me by.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“About the suitors or the hairline?”

“Both.”

Taking my hand, he leads me up the grand staircase.

The ceiling above is painted in extravagant art that rivals even what I had back home. The banister is gold, and as we reach the top landing, more hallways and rooms stretch out before us. Kristof leads me up another set of stairs, pausing to introduce me to a couple of the servants as we pass.

Seeing them makes my heart ache for Katja. I miss her dearly. When I get a chance, I’ll ask Kristof to send her a message.

The bedroom we walk into brings me to a stop, and my lips part. It’s not a bedroom, it’s like a hotel room. The immediate room contains luxury sofas and a cream carpet that make me too scared to step further in case my footsteps disturb the crisp whiteness. The walls are a warm pink, keeping the area bright. To the left is a massive TV built into the wall and surrounded by couches. To the right, a blazing fireplace warms the air from behind protective glass that gradually changes color. At the far end, an archway leads through to a glimpse of a massive bed clad in black sheets.

Kristof strides right in, stepping over the carpets and rugs without a care as he shrugs off his shirt.

“I need to take a shower,” he grumbles. Discarding his shirt, he starts on his jeans but pauses when he sees me watching him. All that rippling muscle makes my mouth water, and even here, in the soft light of the room, the way the shadows of the flames dance across his torso makes my core clench.

“What are the rules here?” I ask as my knees knock gently together. “What are your rules?”

“This is your home,” he says. “This is my home. You are free to go wherever you please. My only request is that you be escorted by a guard when walking the grounds and you don’t leave the house without telling me. I will assign someone to you.”

My lips part further. Is he serious? He looks serious, and he sounds serious. No rule to stay by his side, to be naked and crawl. No threats of a cage. I’m allowed to go where I like without consequence. A smile pulls across my face, and I walk slowly toward him.

“Which guard?” I ask.

“I’d prefer a female one, but I’ll see what I can do,” he states pointedly.

I chuckle. “Understood. Is this… is this the room you grew up in?”

“God, no,” Kristof scoffs. “We grew up in the East Wing of the house. This is the North Wing. No one goes to the East.”

“Why not?” I tilt my head.

Kristof’s hands pause, and his shoulders rise sharply. “My parents’ things are there.”

“Oh.” There’s a tightness in his voice that urges me closer. I want to comfort him, pull him close, and thank him for being so honest with me from the moment I started asking questions, but just as the words form, a knock on the door makes us both turn.

A tall man with golden skin stands there with our suitcases under his arm. His sun-kissed blonde hair is gelled and slicked back, and he’s dressed in a black shirt and matching slacks. White suspenders stretch over his shoulders, and a leather back holster clearly shows his gun.

“Sir.”

“Andrev!” Kristof brushes past me with an affectionate touch to my arm and greets the man with a short, sharp hug where they slap each other briefly on the back.

“Good flight?” Andrev asks, moving past Kristof and settling the cases down on the floor.

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