Page 7 of Bratva Knight

“I need to get a grip. All this crying isn’t going to do shit,” she chuckled humourlessly, trying to laugh it off. She was wanting a distraction. I was happy to oblige.

“How crazy is the whole ‘Aleksandr and the cartel woman thing’?”

It had been one hell of a shock for me, that was for damn sure. I’d seen Aleksandr with women, sure. That gold-digging bitch, Mila, for example. But I’d never seen him likethat.

That tiny woman had somehow managed to tame Aleksandr, the hard, control freak prince of the Bratva. I thought I’d die before I saw the day.

The subject change worked and Illayana smiled. “I know. So crazy. He told me about her before he left Arturo’s party.”

I gasped, hand flying to my chest in mock hurt. “And you didn’t tellme?”

Her smile widened a little bit more. “Likeyoutellmeeverything,” she said, rolling her eyes.

She was joking, just fucking around. But I laughed alongside her, pretending like I wasn’t the big, fat, fucking fraud I was. IllayanathoughtI told her everything, that I’d never hide anything from her. The truth of it was, though, that I’d hidden the most agonising and traumatic thing that’s ever happened to me. Guilt overcame me, like it always did whenever I thought about how much I was keeping from my best friend.

When things first started with Nikolai and I, I’d been afraid to tell her, afraid she would get mad at me for doing the nasty with her older brother. As more time passed, it got harder and harder to tell her.

Nikolai and I snuck around for over a year, fucking in those hidden rooms they had throughout that maze of a bloody house. It had been the most exciting and exhilarating time of my life. The thrill of getting caught. The way he’d fuck me up against the wall, his hand covering my mouth so no one could hear my screams of pleasure.

“Such a wet, tight little pussy you have, my Tati.”

“Can you feel how deep I am inside you? Fuck, you feel so good baby.”

“Mine. All fucking mine.”

He’d whisper the filthiest, dirtiest things in my ear while holding me pinned to the wall, his breath hot on my skin, and I’d absolutely crumble beneath him.

And then it all changed.

In the blink of an eye, our relationship came crashing down, spiralling out of control. No matter what I did or said, I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t—

I slammed the door shut on that train of thought instantly. The pain of what happened was too much to bear the first time around. I couldn’t let myself go down that road again. I couldn’t relive it. There’s no way I’d survive it.

“Aw, T. It’s okay. I know you’re worried about my father and what it means for the Bratva, but don’t worry. We’ll find him. And until then, Aleksandr has it covered,” Illayana said, patting my arm comfortingly.

She thought I was upset about the situation, that the look of sadness and despair in my eyes was about the attack. All the lives we’d lost. Not about—

NO!

“Thanks, girl. ButIshould be the one comfortingyou.”

Illayana smiled affectionately. “You did. Now it’s my turn. That’s what best friends do. We look out for each other.”

The guilt smothering my chest made it difficult to breathe. I ignored it, like I always did. I was getting pretty good at it, to be honest.

“I’m so excited for you to move to New York.” Illayana got to her feet and walked through the open door of her ensuite, going for the sink. She turned on the tap and splashed some water on her face before running her hands through her hair and tightening her ponytail. Her eyes locked onto mine through the mirror in front of her. “I’m sorry I won’t be there when you first get there. I can’t leave Vegas right now, not while my father is missing.”

I waved a hand through the air, getting up to join her. I leant against the doorframe. “Don’t even worry about it. I don’t leave for a few weeks anyway. Hopefully by then he’ll be found, and all this shit will be dealt with.”

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Hopefully.”

I could tell that she didn’t believe it, that she’d already accepted in her mind that she wouldn’t be seeing her father again. At least, not alive.

I’ll admit, the odds weren’t great. But if she couldn’t have faith that we’d find him alive, I would just have to have it for her.

“Remember that time Dimitri took out an entire gang when they tried to jump you guys when you were kids? Or the time he killed six men with a knife sticking out of his gut? Dimitri is tough. The toughest, scariest son of a bitch I know. If anyone can make it out alive, it’s him, Illayana. Believe in your father. Have faith in him. Trust him.”

Illayana exhaled heavily. “You’re right.”

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