Page 13 of The Pakhan

She’d won in the end, as women almost always did.

That was the power of feminine wiles.

As I took a gulp of the fine liquor, my thoughts drifted to the late afternoon on the day I’d been shot. I’d done what I could to put the incident out of my mind, especially since the event could have truly been tragic. My daughters had cancelled at the last minute. Thank God for that. I couldn’t imagine losing a child.

I’d endured the pain, the weeks of recovery including physical therapy with a smile on my face because of that alone. Meanwhile, rage had bubbled inside of me. Being forced to lead the most powerful Bratva in the country from a fucking hospital bed had damaged my reputation significantly.

And if I had to guess, I’d say Don Marino had been laughing the entire time. We were both men involved in the diamond exchange and after the events, his stock and sales had soared while mine had plummeted.

They were only starting to correct themselves now. But the loss of business had been the tip of the iceberg. Losing traction and respect had been much worse.

My father had nearly gone on a rampage after the shooting, which wouldn’t be good for the aging man. Maybe getting out in the wild, as Aleksander liked to say, would be good for me. However, now I had a guest to protect.

What in God’s name was I going to do with the lovely, feisty, and bratty Caroline Randall?

Kiss her.

Taste her.

Fuck her.

Own her.

My mind usually didn’t go to erotic, seductive places and I chastised myself for that being the case now, especially since my cock remained rock hard. I pulled out the jump drive, licking the rim of the glass as I sat down. Thinking of the woman as anything but my daughter’s best friend was blasphemous.

But impossible to ignore.

I’d need to keep an arm’s length in dealing with her.

As soon as I shoved the drive in, my phone rang. Expecting Sergei, I answered without looking. “What did you find at her place?”

“Dad?”

I immediately brightened hearing Sofiya’s voice. “Hey, baby. Sorry, I was expecting Sergei.”

“Another mission in the middle of the night?”

Her lilting laugh could always put me in a better mood no matter the circumstances. She was just like her mother, which was both amazing and gut-wrenching. “Something like that. How’s the shopping trip?” She’d wanted a big girl trip for her birthday with Daniella, their Italian destination making me cringe even today. I’d relented after both daughters had begged for two weeks, but only after making a series of rules.

That had included two of my men going with them.

They were my biggest, meanest soldiers, capable of breaking a large man’s neck with a single hand. Plus, I knew I could trust them with two sweet and innocent girls in a foreign country. They’d checked in regularly, which had given me comfort on their two plus week vacation.

“It’s not just shopping, Dad.” I heard Daniella giggling in the background. The two girls might not be biologically connected but that didn’t mean they weren’t at the hip. When you put Caroline with them, they were like peas in a pod. “It’s a cultural experience allowing your daughters to embrace history and art, nature and different people. But yes, the shopping has been grand.”

I burst into laughter. They both deserved the trip. They were my princesses but they’d both worked hard in school, making names for themselves. I was very proud of them. “Set to come home next week?”

“That’s why I’m calling. I guess there are some issues with the airline we’re on. I tried to change the tickets to another one but a no-go. Sadly, we’re leaving in a few hours.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, honey.” I didn’t want to tell them that right now I’d be happy to have them home where I could keep them safe.

Or so I liked to think.

I had a very bad feeling things were going to become just as dangerous as before.

“Uh-huh. I know you’re smiling,” Sofiya said.

“Maybe a tiny bit.”

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