Page 58 of Nanny for the Bratva Daddies

“No, I didn’t fucking know.”

“Shit.” My brow lifts. “It’s not a secret, although it was ten years ago, and I only knew because my father moved closely with the mayor so it’s probably not even common knowledge now.”

“Henricks,” Daniil mutters, his head tilting toward Fyodor. Fyodor eyes him with a frown, and a silent conversation passes between them until Daniil leans back and falls silent.

“I saw him once. When I was still doing shit for my father. He sat all pretty in the mayor’s office. Protected by money, he said.” Connecting the dots, it’s still hard to believe that Daniil is the one responsible for what happened to the Avlinskys.

And now he works for Fyodor.

Interesting.

I drain my glass and set it aside, then stand. Bed calls. Just as I turn to leave, I catch myself and turn back to Fyodor.

“Since Ivan was a bust, I remembered something about being in captivity, but I don’t know if it means anything.”

Fyodor’s brow flickers. “Tell me.”

“I heard you mentioned. I don’t know the context, but I know it was important and I think that’s what spurred me to come here. I don’t know if there was any other reason, or if I thought I was going to die or what, but it’s the last clear thing I remember. A last thought kinda thing.”

Fyodor’s face tightens and his entire posture stiffens.

“Me? What the hell do I have to do with your captors?”

22

NAOMI

“We have someone that shops for us.” Fyodor looks up from his desk, pausing the scrawl across the papers before him. “You don’t need to go.”

“I want to.” I bring my hands together at my waist, my fingers knotted together. “Please. I’ve been cooped up here for a week since…” Since Vladimir tried to have Daniil and me killed. “I just need to go out and do something normal. Plus, I want to meet my mother for lunch. Please?”

Taking a trip into the city and shopping like a normal person is my last attempt to put distance between myself and what happened in the bar. Plagued with nightmares for the two nights after, it’s taken some time for me to process seeing those dead bodies. Thankfully it’s getting easier.

It’d be even easier if I could do something normal instead of being cooped up here because Fyodor is too scared to take his eyes off of me.

He watches me silently, so I relax my fingers together, searching for another way to persuade him. Throwing in the request about my mother is half correct; we’re supposed to meet today, but I haven’t confirmed it with her because I don’t know if I can face her.

“Okay.” Fyodor drops his pen and stands, then he walks around his desk in long, slow steps. Curling one finger, he invites me closer. I obey, stopping only when his hand lands lightly on the side of my neck.

“But Daniil goes with you. No question. And when he tells you it’s time to come back, you come back.”

“Of course.” I nod, staring up into those gorgeous hazel eyes. “I won’t be long.”

“I’ll count on that.” Fyodor leans forward and presses his lips to my forehead in a dry kiss. He lingers and I close my eyes, soaking up the contact. Then he releases me and with a dip of my head, I hurry from the office.

I need this.

I need to get away from these walls just for a little while to pretend I’m a regular person. To remind myself that there’s a world out there not swathed in death and murder.

Not a word has been spoken about the death of Vladimir’s men and no one else seems affected. Maybe someone would talk to me about it if I asked, but they all took it in stride. Each night I ask myself if it really happened, and then I close my eyes and it floods back as if I never left that night.

But one thing, one important thing sticks with me above all else.

Fyodor chose me.

Sure, maybe it was mostly a way for him to stick it to his father, but he chose to save me and Daniil. That has to mean something.

What…I’m not sure yet, but that choice was an eye-opener for me.

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