Page 73 of Brooklyn Bratva

I knew it had to be killing Ivan to stand there and take it, but he was, even though I knew he could do more damage with one fist than Dad could even comprehend.

“Becca, get your things!”

“But Dad-”

“Now, Becca!”

Beside me, Ivan bristled. “She’s not going anywhere.” I felt him step away from me, letting his arm drop away from my waist. The temperature plummeted to a dangerous chill.

“Joe. We need to talk before you say something you’re going to regret.”

“We damn will not and believe me I am not going to regret a thing. I trusted you, and you’ve been, what? Trying to get into my little girl’s pants this whole time? Did you plan this? Offer her a place to stay so you could swoop in and take advantage of her? She’s half your age for Christ sake!”

“It’s not like that.”

“Dad – I’m the one who started it! And he’s not twice my age -”

“Oh it’s damn well close enough.”

The anger on Dad’s face was dark enough to make me worry he was going to do something stupid. I wasn’t afraid for Ivan, but I was afraid my father would try to do something he couldn’t follow through on.

His whole jaw rippled and his arm had more tension than I’d ever seen in his whole body as he pointed towards Ivan like he wanted to strangle him. His hand shook with the pent up energy.

“You’ve crossed a line, Ivan. I thought you were a decent guy. This whole time. It’s all an act. You’re nothing but a two-bit gangster working for whoever pays you the most back in Moscow. You make me sick, trying to drag my daughter into all of this.”

Ivan’s eyes stayed determinedly steady on my father. Beneath his calm lay the coiled readiness of a large predator, and I knew Ivan could take the man out with a single, well timed blow.

“You know nothing.”

“Nothing, huh? I think I know a fair bit about my own daughter! And a fair bit about you. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never had a girlfriend, but you’re always at those Russian clubs, and I’m supposed to believe you’re suddenly chucking the bachelor life just like that?”

My father’s voice pitched higher and I flinched when he shoved at Ivan’s folded arms. He’d clearly expected Ivan to stumble back, but I knew my man’s solid frame and he wasn’t moving an inch.

I saw the twitch in his arm as he held my dads fist, ready to crush my dad’s hand in his fist and break every single bone in his hand.

“Ivan – don’t!”

The growl he let out rumbled between us, almost too low to properly hear, but I felt it, and I knew what Ivan was capable of. I could picture a tide of my father’s blood washing over the floor, and having to wash it out of Ivan’s shirt.

The thought made me sick, but I knew with a wave of cold certainty, that I would side with Ivan over my father if it did come to that, every single time. I was the only one who could stop it though, and it was a reality I’d rather avoid.

I shot a look at Ivan, shaking my head. He’d crossed a line I never thought he would, and my heart ached because I never thought I’d ever be afraid of him. But seeing him threaten my father, it felt like I didn’t know him at all.

Ivan stepped back and I felt my shoulders relax as he let Dad go.

Even trying not to tremble, Dad’s anger was still there. But now he looked scared, and I hated to see that look on his face, even as much as I understood it.

“You come with me, Becca or I call the cops on him and his buddy, right now. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m pretty damn sure his Captain would be interested in it.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No, Dad. You can’t swoop in here like this and start ordering me around. I’m twenty-two for crying out loud! I have a job. I can’t just up and leave because you say so. And even if I could, I wouldn’t! I’m in love with him, Dad. Listen to me. I love Ivan, and he loves me. Please don’t try to ruin that. I’d never forgive you.”

I knew Ivan hadn’t lived the life my dad thought he had. I trusted him when he told me that I was the only one he’d ever really wanted. The man I knew was too serious to be distracted from the things he thought were important. I counted myself lucky every day that he saw me as more than one of the girls my dad was talking about.

Ivan seemed to grow taller beside me.

“Your daughter is the only woman I will ever look at again for the rest of my life.” I could physically see the self control it took for him to calm himself enough to manage a level speaking voice and visibly unclench his jaw.

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