Page 16 of Bratva Bride
Before I can question him further, the SUV engine roars to life down the street, tires screeching as it accelerates toward us, forcing me to react immediately and abandon my hold.
I release my grip, rolling swiftly aside as the SUV barrels down the street, aiming straight for us. Gravel and dust kick up in its wake. Nadya reacts instantly, pulling Mila from beneath the table and shielding her body behind a parked car.
The SUV screeches to a stop beside us, doors swinging open. Before I can react, the driver leans out, weapon drawn, covering the street as the injured men stagger to their feet and quickly climb inside. The doors slam shut again, and the vehicle speeds away down the street, vanishing into traffic.
Around us, silence settles back in slowly. Pedestrians linger, frozen in shock, eyes wide as whispers ripple through the crowd. Nadya holds Mila close against her chest, shielding her face from the chaos around us. I stand, fists clenched at my sides,breathing through the rush of adrenaline still surging through me.
Nadya turns toward me, eyes dark and troubled. “Who do you think sent them?”
I shake my head slowly, eyes still fixed on the empty street. “I don’t know. But one of them had a tattoo on his arm. Something distinctive—I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.”
“What did it look like?”
“A serpent wrapped around a dagger,” I say quietly. “Nothing from our circle. Whoever these people are, they’re new—or they’re from outside the city.”
I scan the street one last time, making sure the SUV is gone for good, then look at Nadya. “We need to get off the road,” I say, voice quiet but certain. “If anyone’s still watching, I’d rather lose them before we head home.”
She nods in agreement, tucking Mila’s hair behind her ear. “Let’s go somewhere crowded. Somewhere we can disappear.”
Mila is still shaken but follows as I guide them quickly down the sidewalk, keeping one eye on the street, the other on the shifting faces around us. A few blocks away, we slip through the doors of a busy mall, letting the noise and foot traffic swallow us up. Nadya keeps a protective arm around Mila, steering her gently toward a bench near the escalators, half-hidden by a planter overflowing with green leaves.
I pause, watching the entrance for a few long moments, studying every unfamiliar face. Nadya sits with Mila in her lap, rocking her gently and murmuring soft reassurances. The air inside isbright and cool, the murmur of voices and distant music a welcome cover for the tension running through my body.
“We’ll stay here for a while,” I say, lowering my voice as I sit beside them. “If anyone’s following, they’ll lose us in the crowd.”
Nadya nods, her fingers tracing soothing circles on Mila’s back. “Do you think we’re safe now?”
“For the moment,” I answer.
I settle beside Nadya on the bench, the polished tile floor and background hum of the mall both oddly soothing and unfamiliar. Mila dozes, her small body pressed into Nadya’s side, her thumb curled tight around her rabbit’s ear. I watch the flow of strangers moving between shop windows, people who have no idea what just happened outside.
Nadya glances at a group of teenagers spilling out of a game store, bags swinging from their wrists, laughter bouncing off the glass storefronts. She smiles faintly, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I don’t remember the last time I was in a mall,” she says. “Feels like another life.”
I shrug, watching the crowd with a little envy. “It’s been years for me too. Maybe longer. I’d forgotten how easy it is to disappear in a place like this.”
She leans into me, just enough for our shoulders to touch, and for a moment the rest of the world slips away. I reach up, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger a second longer than necessary. Nadya closes her eyes, breathing in, and for a heartbeat, things almost feel normal—like we could be any family taking refuge from the summer heat, our biggest worry just a forgotten shoe or a dropped cone.
That moment vanishes in an instant as a bright, familiar voice cuts through the noise beside us. “Konstantin?”
I look up, caught off guard. Anya stands just a few feet away, dressed in a crisp sundress, a Zara bag looped casually over her arm. She gives me a sly grin, eyes flicking briefly to Nadya and Mila before landing on me.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, tilting her head with a kind of practiced innocence.
I arch a brow, matching her tone. “This doesn’t seem like your usual scene either.”
Anya laughs, lifting her bag as if that explains everything. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for Zara’s summer collection.”
Nadya sits up a little straighter, eyeing the two of us. “How do you know each other?” There’s a note of suspicion in her voice, subtle but sharp enough that I know I can’t afford to get this wrong.
Before I can answer, Anya jumps in, flashing her best easy smile. “Oh, we met at the children’s hospital last month. I volunteer on weekends, run little art workshops. Konstantin was there handling some paperwork for Mila, I think. Isn’t that right?”
I nod, keeping my expression mild, grateful for the lie and the ease with which she offers it. The last thing I want is to explain why I was at Viktor’s casino. Not now, not here.
“That’s right,” I say, letting the story settle between us.
Nadya’s gaze lingers on Anya for a moment, then softens just enough. She nods, relaxing her grip on Mila. I let out a breath, keeping my focus on the crowd.
Anya glances at Mila, offers her a gentle smile, then turns her attention back to Nadya and me. I can feel Nadya’s curiosity simmering beside me, but she lets it drop for now, stroking Mila’s hair as if to reassure herself this is still just a normal outing.
