Page 50 of Possession of the Bratva

Grinning, I sipped my beer before replying. “Good timing then. So, what has everyone been up to in my absence?” I listened as each of my brothers took turns telling me about the work. They spoke of their children and the outings they have shared.

At that moment, I felt lonely. It wasn’t like I had been sitting around doing nothing. But it felt like I had missed a lot. It felt like I had been away for years.

“So, Mila. What have you been up to?” Piotr finally asked once they had all said their peace.

I did not want to go into detail, so I gave them a short relay of events. I assisted Dahlia and Alyssa with making lunch, which brought back many memories. As we sat down to eat, I noticed Leon, Piotr, and Konstantin nodding at each other. “Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Mila,” Leon started while moving his food around his plate. Looking up at me, I could see he was serious as he continued. “Why did you marry Aleksandr?”

I heard Dahlia gasping. “Sorry, Dahlia,” Leon added. “But you know we don’t like him. We’ve never hid our feelings about this.”

“This entire thing, the marriage, the alliance, it all feels wrong. Like it was his way of getting what he wanted. Like he didn’t care about anyone but himself.” Piotr added.

Konstantin took Dahlia’s hand and added his two cents. “We feel he is up to something. Almost as if he is trying to break our family apart.”

I could see the pain they were causing Dahlia. I felt my blood starting to boil. I had also thought of many things. But I have gotten to know him better. He might have had ulterior motives when he made the suggestion. But I knew things had changed.

“Stop this,” I spat at them. “You have no right to talk about him like that. He has done nothing wrong!” Not only did I feel outraged by their comments. But I also felt angry at Dahlia for not standing up and adding her voice. How could she just sit there and allow them to talk about her brother this way?

Rising, I crossed my arms over my chest as I continued. “When have you become a couple of judgmental fools?”

Dahlia rose and walked to my side. Taking my arms, she spoke softly as she pulled on it. “Mila, calm down. Come with me, please.”

I didn’t want to. I wasn’t done giving them a piece of my mind. They needed to hear what I had to say about all of this. But Dahlia was pulling harder now. Glancing at her, I saw a flicker of pain in her eyes. Reluctantly, I went outside with her for some fresh air.

We walked out to the side of the pool. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I looked out over the pool to the garden and tree line. My mind was racing. How could they say those things after all we had been through?

Feeling my temper calming somewhat, I turned to Dahlia. “I’ve missed my home, my family so much.” I breathed out. “It feels like I’ve been gone forever, and now this.”

Dahlia took my hands as she replied. “Mila, so battles aren’t worth fighting. Today, now back there. It wasn’t the right time.”

Looking into her eyes, I could see the pain and love she held. “I’m sorry, but it’s the first time I’m home, and all they can do is question my choices,” I uttered, squeezing Dahlia’s hands.

“I think you’re in love,” she whispered, grinning.

Frowning, I pulled back and turned to the pool again. “No, Dahlia, I’m not; you are seeing things that aren’t there,” I replied quietly, shaking my head.

“Mila, think about it,” she said, bumping me lightly. “You love him. You have to admit it to yourself.” She hugged me and headed back in.

Glancing back, I saw her disappear through the doors. Pushing my hands through my hair, I looked up at the sky and took another deep breath. She was wrong; I wasn’t in love with Aleksandr. Yes, my feelings for him have changed, sure, but love.

If I was honest with myself, I could admit we had a lot of fire. But that didn’t imply love in any way. I couldn’t be in love with a man like him, could I? My feelings for him had grown, and my desire to be with him was undeniable. This couldn’t be love. It had to be something else, right?

As I thought about it, my mind spun out of control, and my emotions wreaked havoc. I didn’t know the answer. Was my mind or my feelings controlling my heart?

Heading back inside, I knew I had to get out. I had to be alone. After greeting everyone, I got on my bike and hit theroad. I had no sure destination as Aleksandr had a meeting this afternoon and would only be home later. So, I just drove where the road led me.

Chapter 25 - Aleksandr

I pulled up and studied the building. Mila and Tasha had pulled the schematics, so I knew what to expect. It was one of their offices where they kept our intel. It appeared like a neutral meeting. The place was open and filled with people.

Neither of us trusted each other but I didn’t want them anywhere near our places of business. The idea was to cause a distraction so Anton and Abram could seek out the file room and destroy it. Thinking about our discussion, I was glad to have Mila on our side. Her plans were always filled with greatness, even if some were drastic.

Walking into the lounge on the bottom floor, I headed to the corner booth. It was reserved. Entering it, I noticed I was the first one to arrive. I sat down and ordered a drink. Before my drink arrived, the boss man entered with Jason at his side.

“I’m surprised the room isn’t filled with your lackeys,” Jason spat in a cocky tone.

Grinning at him, I spat back. “Unlike you, I don’t need my men to fight my battles. I’m more than able to take care of my own business.”

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