Page 2 of Knocked-up Bratva Bride
Egor Yezhov never made a direct phone call unless there were urgent matters at hand, and so far, the Russian faction’s operations were moving smoothly. There were no unnecessary headaches in Moscow, at least none that I was aware of. Nothing significant had happened, worthy of grabbing his attention.
So, the pregnant silence that followed from the other end of the line was unsettling.
“Damien.”
I straightened, blocking out the noise from the background, and pressed the phone closer.“Da, Pahkan.”
There was a brief rustle before the deep, imposing timbre of his baritone came through the speaker.
“I take it that you’re up to speed on the ongoing expansion structures I authorized for setup here in the United States, soI’ll head to the point. I want my strongest men at the forefront, heading the new factions in the States. I wantyouhere.”
My throat tightened, and I curled my fingers inside my pocket.
“But I have—”
“Damien, this arrangement is not up for discussion,” he breathed out calmly and proceeded in a rapid roll of Russian. “Every other thing you were currently handling is now secondary. Your primary assignment is what I have given you. Work out the logistics with Fedor. You start in Los Angeles on Friday.”
I allowed the air to flow slowly through my lungs and, although he couldn’t see, I nodded curtly. “Da, Pahkan.”
The line went dead, but the flicker of annoyance radiating through my nerves kept my hand wrapped around the phone pressed to my ear.
The door creaked open, and I turned in time to meet the hulk-sized man strutting in.
“Judging by that scowl on your face, I’m guessing you’ve already heard,” Fedor murmured in Russian.
A glimpse of light caught on his shaved head as his boots thudded toward my desk, and his thick eyebrows creased curiously at the sight of Roman and Benjamin in the corner while he pulled a chair and lowered his huge frame into it.
“Is that the accountant? Benjamin Hudson?”
Cautiously, I dropped the phone, signaling Roman to stop.
“Yes.”
Fedor shrugged. “Shame, he’s barely recognizable. What did he do?”
I looked over my shoulder, giving him a once-over. Gasping and groaning between a stream of tears and blood,Benjamin hunched forward on the chair, in worse shape than I’d left him.
The scene irritated me even more.
“Take him out,” I barked, and the blond man willingly dragged a semiconscious Benjamin out of the office.
When the door closed behind them, I gripped the edge of the desk while Fedor leaned back, crossing his muscular arms over his chest, brow arched.
“Whathedid is going to remain an unfinished business to take care of, unfortunately. ThePahkanwants me in LA on Friday.”
“I know. I mean, that’s obviously why I’m here,” he said, slouching farther back into his chair and wiggling a finger at my face. “What I’m trying to understand is why you still have that frown.”
I ignored his question and raised an inquisitive brow instead. “Should I be concerned that he reached out to you first before I received the news?”
Fedor only moved his shoulder. “Word travels fast around these parts; you already know that. And no. He did not contact me directly. Just a cryptic message from Anatoly that said, ‘Travel light. Touchdown in LA on Friday.’I got the hint and came over here, only to confirm that it’s more serious than ‘traveling light’ because of that adorable pout on your face. So, we’re back towhy?”
“You know why, Fedor.” Huffing an exasperated sigh, I combed my fingers through my hair.
My respect and loyalty to thePahkanwere unmatched. For twenty-six years, I served under him diligently, but maybe not patiently enough. When it came to the job, my least favorite part about it was the random plucking and uprooting. There was no organized roster of the sort, like a schedule to know who wasnext. No soft landing accompanied thePahkan’sorder. When he said move, you moved.
I rubbed my shoulder. “Moscow is home.”
“It is home.” Fedor’s voice reeled me back, and when I looked at him, he stroked his chin. “But we barely have three days to eat blinis and cuddle, so what now?”
