Page 34 of Kaid's Empire

I let his words sink in for a moment. “That’s how you're famous and manage to have all these connections?”

He nods. “Yes. When my father married my mother, that brought together two of the world’s biggest crime organisations. Between the Russian and the Italian, there isn’t anything that could stop them. Now that both my parents are dead, that leaves me. My mother didn’t have any other children, only me, and her brother died at a young age.”

I get up from the bed and pace the room. “So hold up a minute… you're not only the pak… um… pak––”

“Pakhan,” he corrects.

“Right… the Pakhan of the Russian Mafia, but you're also the godfather of the Italian Mafia?” I screech.

“No,” he answers. “Not exactly.”

“Then you need to explain it to me.” I sigh.

“I am like a background investor when it comes to the Italian mafia, so my mum didn’t have any siblings, but she had a cousin, and when she died, I decided––and the family decided––it would be better for him to takeover.”

I nod. “So um, I've called you names, fought you, lashed out at you, trashed things, and this entire time you could have just shot me and had me killed?” I state, panicked.

“Kroschka, I told you, I would never hurt you, and I mean it. I like that you challenge me, I liked that you fought me, that I had to win you over. Do you know how many women just throw themselves at me because of who I am?” he states.

I stop pacing and look at him. “Oh, it’s such a hard life, you poor baby,” I snap.

He laughs and jumps out of bed to stand in front of me. “See? That right there is why I love you.”

I feel the floor wobble beneath me. “What did you just say?” I whisper, my mouth dry.

He smiles and shake his head. “That I love you. Come on, you must have known already? I've not hidden the fact that you are mine, and I have waited for you to see me for who I am. I do not expect your love in return right now, because you need to know what I am capable of. You need to know everything about me before you give your love to me.”

“Then tell me,” I whisper.

“I'm Pakhan, I rule Russia, and eighty percent of the money I make is illegal. The illegal businesses are anything from drugs and weapons to whores. I've killed people, I will continue to kill people. I have a duty, an honour to the Bratva, it is the way I have been raised. I was born into this life and bred to rule it. I can’t change who I am or what I've done. The only assurance I can give you is that you will never see that side of me, you are the only person to ever see this side of me. That is reserved for you. I can promise you a lifetime of protection, you would never want for anything, and you would be my queen. I would never let anyone hurt you,” he offloads.

I take a step back away from him and take a seat. He's killed people, he sells drugs, weapons and women. He isn’t telling me that he would change for me, that he would give that up for me. He is telling me that it would be my life too. “You would protect me from anyone?” I ask, my brain running a thousand miles a minute.

“Yes, of course, anyone,” he agrees.

“The guy I met on the beach, he was supposed to meet me for dinner, and he never showed. He said he was here on business as a lawyer. Was that you?” I ask. “Was he one of your lawyers?”

Kaid’s jaw grits tightly––he doesn’t have to say anything. “You killed him?” I screech. “Why? Because he asked me out on a date?”

“Nyet!” he barks. “No, not just for that reason. He was stealing from me, stealing money from the Bratva, and we can’t have that.”

“Then fire him! Fire him like a normal person would,” I snap.

“Our world isn’t like yours, Theia, we have to send a message or people will think we are weak, and they will take us down,” he snaps back.

I sigh. “Allegra and Aleck, they are Bratva too?” I ask, yet I already know the question.

“Allegra was my mother’s closest friend, Alleck was my father’s right-hand man. They're family,” he states.

“What happened to your mother and father?” I ask.

He sighs. “It was in the winter and they were driving home from dinner. A car pulled up beside them and shot my father while he was driving. He lost control of the car, ended up in the lake. My mother was in the passenger seat, she couldn’t get out of the car, and the freezing temperature put her body into shock.”

“I'm so sorry. How long ago was this?”

“I was nineteen,” he answers.

“So you had to grow up fast and take over the business. And did you ever find out who shot your father?” I ask.

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