Page 21 of Brutal Loyalty

Just as Roman opened his mouth to speak, Alexandra slipped into the room and plopped down on the couch next to Elena. She was carrying a stack of magazines. The two of them began talking, and Roman got the distinct feeling he was about to interrupt something. With a shake of his head, he disappeared into the garage solo.

A few hours later, after Roman had finished with the maintenance checks, he ducked back into the house. He passed the dining room on his way to the kitchen and noticed Elena seated at the large wooden table.

Perhaps now would be a better time to catch her.

Yet, when he poked his head in, he realized that she was in the middle of lunch with Viktor and Alexandra. He lingered for only a moment and left before he was noticed. He had no idea what she’d shared with Alexandra, and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing in front of his pakhan.

After last night, his uncertainty about her allegiance was fading. So far, her story checked out. Could it be he had been wrong about her? He wanted to believe that. Her reaction to finding out about her mother had clearly been completely genuine and he had a hard time believing that she would still have any sort of loyalty to her father given what he’d done to her mother.

And if shewasbeing honest about her allegiance, then maybe there was a chance for them. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he found her attractive. More than that. When he’d first met her, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Until she opened her mouth. But then, little by little, she had begun to grow on him. When he’d spanked her outside the Lion’s Den, his cock had been so hard, he’d thought he’d die if he didn’t get inside her. It had been heaven sinking his cock into her. The way she rode him, chasing her own pleasure, had been amazing.

Then, when he’d thought it couldn’t get any better, last night happened. He closed his eyes as the memories slammed back into him. At this rate, he’d need a cold shower. Maybe two. She’d been so incredible, so tempting. He hadn’t been able to resist her—even if he probably should have, for her sake. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d taken advantage of her after she’d received shocking news.

The look of horror and betrayal in her eyes when she had learned her mother was still alive had eaten at him. How could he have let her go down on him like that when she was clearly in shock?

No, he should have kept his dick in check and waited. Whether she viewed it in that light or not, he felt that he had taken advantage of her—and he needed to apologize, assuming he could catch her alone.

Roman took his lunch at the front guard post near the foyer. He sat and munched on a sandwich while reviewing the security footage and visitor notes from the past few days. It felt like meaningless busywork, and probably was, but it was better than moping around the mansion with puppy dog eyes for Elena.

When all that remained of his lunch was an empty plate and he was certain nothing was out of place in the guest logs, he made his way back down the hall toward the kitchen. On the way, he saw Elena. Alone.

Now was his chance.

As Elena walked by, he nodded politely at her.

“How are you doing today?” He asked the question softly, so that only she would hear. The notes of his tone bore significance. He hoped she’d understand what he meant.

“I’m, uh, I’m okay.” Elena pointed down the hall, but the tension in her posture and the look in her eyes betrayed her statement. She wasn’t okay. “I need to go meet Alexandra upstairs, though. We’re doing a thing.”

“A thing?” Roman studied her, looking for a way to get through to her. He understood that she likely didn’t want to talk about what he’d discovered, or what had happened last night, but it bothered him that she was trying to act normally while hurting so badly on the inside. Was she afraid of being considered weak?

He didn’t think that.

“Yeah, all day today we’ve been talking about going shopping, but before we do, she has a bunch of clothes to go through. Last season, this season…y’know, girl stuff.” Elena chuckled, but it was strained. “She went up ahead of me to get started while I finish eating, but I’m a slow eater. Like a turtle.”

Elena continued down the hall. Then she turned to speak over her shoulder at him. There was a hint of regret in her eyes, like she wanted to stay and talk but couldn’t. He longed to catch her by the wrist and ask her to forgive him for taking advantage of her last night…even if it had been one of the best moments of his life. He started to stop her. Grab her by the hand and pull her into an empty room. To talk. Except he knew they wouldn’t simply talk. He was starting to feel like a moth to her flame. “Catch you later, chaufferone!”

She’d tried to sound nonchalant, but he’d heard the catch in her voice. Roman stood in place and did his best to figure out what he could do for her. She was hurting, and she needed help. From the sounds of it, she hadn’t confided in Alexandra or Viktor, at least, not yet. This wasn’t something she could keep to herself. If she wouldn’t share with Alexandra, then he would try to get her to talk to him. He’d—

A familiar hand slapped him on the back. Viktor was right behind him. Roman felt his pulse rise in anticipation and waited for his pakhan to reprimand him, but instead he heard a deep chuckle.

“And here, all this time, I thought you were a monk!” Viktor joked after Elena had turned the corner and was out of earshot. Roman spun to face him. He felt sheepish for reasons he couldn’t understand, but he offered a tight-lipped smile to Viktor in an attempt to play off his awkwardness.

“You’ve teased me for years about being a monk, Viktor, and I’ve told you repeatedly that I am married to my work. No vow of chastity, just a vow to do my duties unhindered,” Roman said coolly.

“Your eyes don’t lie, friend. I saw the way you were looking at Elena’s ass, and all I can say is congratulations for being a hot-blooded male like the rest of us.” Viktor’s smile widened. “Did you find anything of interest when you went through the files Niko pulled together?”

Roman debated how to answer him. If Elena hadn’t told Alexandra about her mother being alive, was it his place to share the information? His loyalty was to his pakhan, but this information wasn’t a threat to Viktor or Alexandra’s safety. Decision made, he told him, “Nothing leaped out at me that Niko didn’t already point out. My only concerns are the locations of some of his real estate holdings. They’re in countries that will make it difficult to retrieve him from if Popov is hiding out there.”

“There are enough people wanting to get their hands on him, so no matter where he goes, he’ll be continually looking over his shoulder,” Viktor told him. Roman gave him a nod in agreement even if he wasn’t quite sure. Viktor immediately picked up on his hesitation. “You disagree?”

“I—”Didhe disagree? “I’m concerned.”

“About?”

Roman rubbed the side of his head. “I’m assuming he knows Elena has left Moscow and is here in Boston. He doesn’t strike me as someone who would willingly allow his daughter to defect over to you.”

“True enough. We already increased security after my father’s death, and Daniil has added some additional security measures more recently. Alexandra has been told that she’s not to leave the mansion without her security detail, and I will extend that same protection to Elena when she chooses to go out. We will make every effort to keep her safe without making her feel that she’s a prisoner.”

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