Page 14 of BRATVA'S Killer Bride
The laptop pings.
“It’s a message from Maksim,” I say, pulling it onto my knee and running it through the decryption software. “Ah, it says that Andrey’s body was found at the end of last week, authorities had enough evidence to pin the women’s deaths on him after taking DNA, but they aren’t pursuing a murder case as there is ‘insufficient evidence’ around his death. They wanted to speak to you, but Maksim smoothed things over.”
It pings again.
“Life insurance will be another fifty mill.” I shake my head in disbelief. That man was definitely worth more dead than alive.
“I’ll send a bouquet and donation to whoever decided not to pursue his murder,” Sienna says, taking a sip of her coffee. “Does this mean we can go home?”
“It means it’s time for you to make a new home,” I clarify. Because it isn’t like she can go back to her father.
“What about your apartment?” she asks, colour rising in her cheeks.
I think for a moment. “I think I know of somewhere better.”
Sienna
I sleep for most of the drive. After carrying the weight of the last few weeks, the not knowing what was happening, the worry that someone would find me and kill me in retribution for killing Andrey, exhaustion took me under.
“Wake up, Sienna,” Daniil’s voice is soft. “We’re here.”
I open my eyes and it’s light out. The clock on the dash reads just before three in the afternoon. We were driving for hours.
He gets out of the car as I adjust myself in the seat, unbuckling just as he opens my door.
“Where are we?” I ask, looking through the windscreen and seeing a beautiful old house standing amongst tall trees.
“It’s my family home.” He takes my hand as I climb out of the car. “No one has lived here for the last ten years, so it will need some work. But it’s ours, if you want.”
The windows glitter in the afternoon sunshine and as I look around, my entire future plays like an old movie. Picnics in the garden. Fairly lights hanging from the trees. Family parties and children running around. Love and laughter.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, awe tightening my throat.
We walk up to the huge door and Daniil takes an old key from his wallet. The door creaks with disuse as it opens and when we step in, I’m struck by the beauty of it.
“You can decorate however you like, just say the word and we’ll get people in. We can hire a small staff too, whatever you want.”
I turn to him, awe-struck. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I don’t have a job, or a way to pay my way—” I trail off, embarrassment threatening to choke me, hoping he understands my lack of willingness to use Andrey’s money.
“I have more than enough for both of us,” he says, stroking a thumb over my bottom lip. “I just want you to be happy, whatever that looks like. Get a job, don’t get a job, start a business. Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.”
An idea begins to form in my mind.
He looks around. “I’ll get a trailer brought in so we can stay in there while the renovations are undertaken.” He pulls me further into the house.
Light filters through the tall windows, turning the motes in the air to flecks of silver. Daniil’s footsteps echo off the floorboards as he moves ahead of me, pushing open doors, glancing into rooms that have been asleep for years.
I follow him up the stairs, trailing my fingers along the banister. “It feels like the house is holding its breath,” I say softly.
He glances back over his shoulder, smiling faintly. “Maybe it’s waiting for us to wake it up.”
Something in my chest twists. Something fragile and bright. This house… it feels like it’s been waiting for someone to love it again.
We step into what must once have been the master suite. The fireplace dominates one wall, its stone mantle cracked but still strong. I can almost see it restored, warm and glowing, with a huge bed and a soft rug underfoot.
Daniil looks around, then back at me. “You’re seeing it already, aren’t you?”
I nod, smiling.
