Page 27 of Impregnated By the Bratva

“Let’s start with one and see how it goes,” Tasha suggested.

We played some Scrabble first. But it didn’t go as planned. We had fun but ended up making our own words. We put away the other two games as they were much more time-consuming.

For lunch, we made summer cheese boards. The men joined us outside for the meal and went back to the office.

“It should be cool enough now for a swim without burning,” Nadia said as we cleaned up.

“Thanks for the update, Mom,” Tasha replied teasingly. Nadia turned from the kitchen counter as Tasha darted out of the kitchen. Nadia sprinted after her, but Tasha was already up the stairs.

I walked with Nadia up to get changed. Once changed, we headed out to the small pool in the back. Nadia stormed Tasha as she got closer to the pool and the two went flying through the air into the pool.

Placing my towel on one of the chairs, I couldn’t help but laugh at them. This was a mistake on my end. I ended up running for my life, but they caught up, and it was my turn to be thrown into the pool.

As I surfaced, I saw the men standing by the door. They had come to see what we were doing, running around screaming. They turned and went back inside. But they didn’t stay long. Before we knew it, everyone was in the pool.

We splashed around for about an hour. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun. It was nice to be around people who had no prejudice or expectations. We got out and headed back in. After changing into dry clothes, I made some coffee.

Looking out the window, I noticed that the sun had started its descent. “I think it’s time to start supper,” I said, turning to face Tasha and Nadia.

“We’ll assist,” Tasha replied as they joined me.

I opened the deep freezer, trying to decide what would be the quickest to cook. “Any preferences?” I asked, peeking around the door.

“Let’s just make sandwiches,” Tasha replied.

Nodding, I closed the door. Once I had collected cold meat, bread, butter, cheese, and sauces, we could start. As we made sandwiches, Tasha and Nadia told me more about their lives. It was nice getting to know them better.

“So,” Nadia said as we were finishing up the sandwiches. “What’s the story behind the story with you and my cousin?”

“I’m not sure myself anymore,” I replied softly. I could feel my cheeks heating up. “It’s just casual, I think.”

“So, no plans for the future then?” Tasha asked. I noticed she was grinning.

“Not unless you know something I don’t,” I replied.

“Nope, just thinking out loud,” she said, shaking her head.

We plated the bread, and Tasha went to call the men while Nadia and I took them outside. We placed glasses and jugs of fruit juice on the table so everyone could help themselves.

I sat next to Makari, Tasha with Vadik, and Pavel next to Nadia. “May I ask why your husband isn’t joining us?” I asked Nadia.

“He is out of town for a while with work,” she replied. “He went with his eldest brother to Miami.”

“Oh wow,” I breathed out. “That must be nice.”

Nadia laughed softly. “It’s okay, but I prefer the city. Less ocean,” she added.

“You don’t like the ocean, the fresh air, and the cool breeze?” Tasha enquired. I thought she sounded surprised.

“It’s not that, but yeah, maybe I don’t. The stickiness, the smell isn’t always fresh, and the sand! Don’t get me started on the sand.”

Everyone laughed as Nadia pulled her face into a knot and shook her head. It was nice being part of a big family.

After dinner, we moved to the lounge for evening cocktails before everyone parted ways. “Vadik,” I said once we had all settled. “Tasha mentioned earlier something about an alliance between her family and the Chernykhs. But apparently, they don’t want one. Isn’t it a good thing?”

Vadik glanced at Tasha and then cleared his throat before explaining. “In an alliance of this sort, the balance of power is vital. Power is one of the key components in any organization, and its distribution is what grows a business. However, a family’s strengths, weaknesses, and processes also have an impact. These things need to be looked at carefully when allying. Trust, openness, and honesty can make or break a family.”

“Yes, those are the most important factors,” Tasha added. “An alliance is where two or more companies, or families, share a specific goal. They then assist each other to reach it. But my family, the Dubows, have an alliance with the Morozovs. My marriage to Vadik has allied my family with the Vaselievs. Due to our other alliances, this has now placed doubt in the Chernykhs.”

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