Page 53 of King’s Promise

His lips cover mine at long last. I kiss him back, letting him know all is forgiven about this morning. My lips become bruised and swollen under the force of him marking his territory. By the time he pulls away, my panties are damp.

“Good night,” I murmur as I make my way to my room. I’m sure his brothers are aware of our sleeping arrangement, and it wouldn’t be remiss for us to have separate rooms before the wedding.

I undress, take a shower, and throw on a tank top and short bottoms before climbing into bed. It’s a tall bed like those found in luxury hotels with fluffy pillows and a duvet. I chuckle as I contemplate getting a head start with a jog just to spring into it every night.

I lay in the darkness, my windows open, their vibrant voices below float to my window from the patio below. After an hour, their voices fade as they wander into the back yard to smoke cigars and swill more vodka. The distant murmurs of their voices lulls me to sleep.

* * *

I’mup early as the house is alive with Nikolay and his brothers. It brings to mind children we might have one day and how they will fill this mansion with laughter. It has over twelve rooms counting bathrooms, so it’s not an issue putting his family up for a few nights if they choose to stay over. I hope they do because I secretly want to learn more about Nikolay, and his brothers are the perfect source.

I enjoy the noise because growing up with my sister we didn’t have other siblings to fight with or laugh with. We stuck together out of loving neglect, but it was always just the two of us as Mum wasn’t the type to play games with us. I swear her TV was her world.

* * *

“There she is,”Dmitry announces my arrival into the dining room. Hazel has a full spread of sausage, eggs, and biscuits on the table. I take a seat next to Nikolay.

“Good morning. I trust you all slept well.” I take in Roman as he’s perfectly as ease. He’s the type who sticks out in a crowd, he’s so serious and his natural stature is more militant than it is civilian.

“As well as can be expected without a woman under me,” Roman teases.

“So, you’re the wild one,” I tease.

“Some say that. I guess we all take our turn. What about you?”

“I’m boring.” I pour my tea and add a touch of cream as Hazel makes a plate for me.

“We heard about you being drugged at the bar, that is not boring my dear sister,” Roman reminds me.

He called me sister and it touches my heart. I’m beginning to feel like I belong with this Bratva family, and after years of being an outsider, it’s comforting. I warn myself to not get attached; if Nikolay leaves me, I’ll lose them all.

“It was a weird event, for sure.”

“You need to be careful. You two have a target on your back, and we’re still hoping to find the bitch who did that to you.”

Shivers run up my spine as I have a picture in my head of what they might have done to me. Russians are ruthless when it comes to torture. They are known to be animals, or worse, to get what they want. Failure means death.

“Any word on finding who was behind it?” I haven’t had an update in some time.

“I’m tracking her banking transactions in the hopes of finding something. I’m the resident hacker and can navigate the dark web. If she’s left a digital footprint, I’ll find it.” Dmitry nods and convinces me he’s dedicated to my safety and making sure Darci never sees the light of day.

I feel for her, maybe she didn’t want to harm me. She might have been coerced into it. I had no way of knowing she wasn’t from a famous father. Now, I wonder if her father might be a relative in another mafia family.

“You know, she said her father was famous in rock music. What if he was famous in the criminal world? Could she be a daughter or granddaughter of one of our rivals? They say when you lie, don’t stray far from the truth.”

“That’s a good point.” Nikolay studies me with respect. “We know someone was going to exploit our fathers’ deaths. What mafia family has the most to gain? Konstantin mentioned the Irish are encroaching on the horse track, one Brigadier is light on collections, but it could be skimmed. We’re having him and his men watched. Darci could be an Irish name, she doesn’t even have to be related, she could have been duped in a number of ways, it makes the entire situation more chaotic.” Nikolay scoots forward in his chair and places his hands on the table, interlacing his fingers as he speaks.

“Good point,” Roman agrees. “Maybe I should follow Konstantin around and check out the docks, kick in some doors. Whoever is behind this might be responsible for Papa’s death as well.”

“I have my men on it,” Nikolay adds matter-of-factly.

“Both murders could be a coincidence. I did find Igor was in a controversial meeting at the oil company. Papa probably helped him launder funds through offshore accounts belonging to larger oligarchs,” Dmitry adds. “There is a hierarchy, and everyone is guilty until proven innocent.”

I’m trying to comprehend the resources this family has at their fingertips. It’s a bird’s eye view of how Papa’s world was intricately layered, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Dmitry doesn’t know what I had for dinner last week. I also wonder if my computer and phone have trackers on them. Do I have any freedom at all? Or is it only an illusion for not only me, but the world? CCTV captures a person’s image on average 300 times a day; I researched it. Hearing about the resources sitting at the table, finding Papa’s killer isn’t as impossible as the police would have us believe.

“I think my fiancée has heard enough, we’ll talk later,” Nikolay interjects.

“Ready for the big day?” Dmitry inquires to change the subject but he’s sincere, and even though he’s a criminal, I’m touched he cares about our wedding plans. He, too, has sensitive dark eyes like Nikolay, but I don’t know if my future husband will embrace our union with time, or keep his heart in a vault. After Paris, I thought our sleeping arrangements might change, and the disappointment cut like a knife when he kept to the status quo.

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