Page 68 of Caught By the Bratva Boss

Ignoring her show, I read a few of the emails, making sure everything is still running smoothly, and respond to the ones that are urgent. Jinx has a file for me that is apparently full of all sorts of incriminating evidence on the mayor. I don’t bother opening it. Instead, I forward it to Artyom and ask him to give me the highlights. He’ll pick out the juiciest bits I can hold over the mayor’s head anytime he tries to step out of line. I’m guessing that won’t be for a while though. I think threatening to skin him alive did the trick, but you never can be too sure. It’s always good to have ammunition when you need it.

When I’ve dealt with the most pressing matters, I set the iPad aside and turn to Charlie. “I love you immensely, sweetheart, but your taste in movies sucks.”

“I’m a sucker for a period romance,” she admits.

“You like a man in tights, huh?”

“They’re not all like that.” She gives a soft laugh and reaches up to cup my face. “You’ve almost got an actual beard, Misha.”

“I’ve been lazy the last few mornings.” I scrub a hand over my face. “Too much?”

“No, you always look sexy no matter what. Just don’t go full bushy beard on me.”

“That would drive me crazy, I think. This is already pushing my limits of what I can tolerate. I’ll probably trim it tomorrow.”

She runs her thumb over my cheek again. “I wish I could kiss you. I can’t believe that bastard punched me in the mouth.”

“There are a lot of nasty people in the world,zaichik, and I hate that you had to meet one of them. It will never happen again. I hope you trust me on that. I realize I don’t deserve it. I let you down, and I failed you, but I never make a mistake twice. I can’t afford to,” I say with a harsh laugh.

“I trust you,” she whispers. “I’ll always trust you.”

I turn my face and kiss the palm of her hand. “I don’t deserve you. If I was a better man I’d let you go, keep you from this dangerous life, but I can’t do it.” Just the thought of losing her has my heart speeding up and my throat tightening.

“I do have a say in this,” she says, making me smile at the tone of her voice. “I’m not going anywhere, and the safest place I can be is right next to you. If I was a better person, I guess I’d leave for moral reasons or whatever, but I’m not about to do that. I love you, and I’m not leaving, and I’m not letting you push me away. You’re my future, Misha, and you’re the only future I want, and I sure as hell didn’t go through all this just to have you toss me aside.”

“Don’t say that, sweetheart. I could never do that. You’re my life.Zhizn moya, remember?”

“Yes,” she whispers, remembering the day I told her that, when I’d proposed without a ring.

“And we’re going to get married and start a family, and we’re going to have the cutest, most stubborn kids on the planet.”

She smiles at the idea of our kids, and I swear my heart swells inside my chest as a longing unlike anything I’ve ever known sweeps over me.

“I love you so much, baby.”

“I love you too, Misha.”

Laying down beside her, she cuddles into me, finding a position that’s comfortable for her, and I hold her as we watch her beloved period romances, and I can’t even bring myself to hate them because I enjoy every damn thing I do with her. We spend the day resting in bed, napping occasionally and icing her ribs every few hours. Everything else can wait. The only thing that matters is getting Charlie healed and feeling better.

Chapter19

Charlotte

It’s been two weeks, and Mikhail is still hovering over me like he’s afraid someone’s going to nab me away again. It’s sweet and infuriating all at the same time. When the doorbell rings, I’m actually excited to see who it is because not being allowed to do anything is really starting to get boring. Not even my historical romance movies are cutting it anymore. Mikhail follows me to the door, and when I open it and see Mayor Stephens standing on the doorstep, I let out a soft gasp as Mikhail quickly steps in between us, crossing his arms over his powerful chest and looking down at the mayor who’s looking more nervous and scared by the second.

“What do you want?” Mikhail asks, the hard bite in his tone impossible to miss.

I scoot up next to him, and he immediately loosens his arms so he can wrap one gently around me. The mayor looks at my face and goes a bit paler.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Charlotte,” he says. When he brings a hand up to wipe away the sweat that’s beading on his forehead, his shirt lifts up and I see a thick, white bandage around his wrist.

He reaches his hand out like he’s going to attempt to shake mine, and Mikhail roughly swats it away. “You don’t get to touch her, asshole.”

The mayor nods and brings both hands to the folder he’s holding, gripping it so tightly his knuckles are white.

“What do you want?” Mikhail repeats.

“I brought you some paperwork, the forms you wanted.” He hands the folder to Mikhail who takes it but doesn’t bother looking at it.

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