Page 26 of Brutal Loyalty

When he’d first met Elena Popov, he’d found her to be a spoiled brat. Admittedly, he still found her to be a bit of a brat, but she’d grown on him in the time they’d spent together. While he could never imagine what it was she was going through, he did feel for her in a way that was very new to him. He toyed with the idea of having a relationship with her beyond sex. As someone who was brought up around the bratva, Elena would be better equipped to accept when there were things he couldn’t talk about or share with her.

He stepped into his en suite to get cleaned up. While he waited for the water from the taps to run hot, his mind ran, as well.

For so long, he had kept himself at a distance from others for the sake of his job. Being a trusted confidant for Viktor Sokolov required his constant time and focus. It wasn’t just a job to him, however; it was his purpose. His place in the world.

Originally, he had thought his place was in the Russian Army, as had been the case for his father, and his father’s father. But after his superior officer had made a poor decision that had gotten most of his team killed, and Roman had responded by losing his temper and attacking his superior officer, a dishonorable discharge had left him nowhere else to go. He’d fled Russia and ended up homeless in Boston.

That was when Viktor had found him. Viktor, his best friend from childhood, when they’d both been growing up in Russia—by luck, he’d happened to pass him on the streets one day. Roman had been filthy and begging for scraps. Viktor, meanwhile, had looked much…fancier. Their happenstance reunion had led to conversation. Conversation had led to Viktor learning of Roman’s time in the army. Immediately, Viktor had hired Roman on, and ever since that fateful day, Roman had dedicated himself to the Sokolovs.

His purpose seemed to be changing now, though. Seeing Elena’s anguish over her mother had sparked something in him, and he felt an overwhelming need to take care of her.

Elena. Roman held her image in his mind as he showered. The heat of the water was soothing against his body as he considered her.

Had he already gotten too close? Initially, he’d just wanted to keep an eye on her. But the more time they spent together, the more Roman found himself growing to like her. Now that they’d shared a full and very intimate night together, he was contemplating what moving forward would look like. Her pain and vulnerability tugged at Roman’s heart in a way he’d never experienced before.

He would drive her to see her mother and keep an eye on her as best he could. Even though he was placing his trust in her now, Roman still feared the potential for his growing feelings for Elena interfering with his ability to perform his duties for Viktor.

Only time would tell, he decided as he stepped out of the shower. For now, he would tend to her. And if a problem arose, he would take care of it, just as he always had.

CHAPTER20

Elena

Anticipation twisted in Elena’s gut as they pulled up to Croft Estates. From the outside, the assisted living facility looked almost lavish. A large ornate water fountain splashed in oscillating patterns just beyond the front gate, and the building itself reminded Elena of a large white manor house. Perhaps her mother had been living in comfort despite the unfortunate circumstances, Elena thought to herself as Roman parked.

“You’re sure you’re going to be okay?” He looked over at her.

Elena paused for a moment to find words. What could she say? No, she wasn’t sure she was going to be okay, because even though this place looked promising, she didn’t know how things were going to go. Excitement and dread both danced in her stomach and made her palms sweat.

“I’ll be fine,” she said at last, giving him a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you again for driving me, and thank you again for letting me do this on my own terms.”

“You’re welcome. Just…just know that you aren’t alone, okay? Whatever happens, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you, Roman.” She gave him a peck on the cheek, then exited the car.

The walk from the parking lot to the front entrance made her feel like she’d come to the end of a marathon. Elena’s legs were trembling, her knees wobbly, and she clutched her purse to her chest almost protectively. While her body might not have been moving all that quickly, her mind raced, questioning what she would say, how she would react, what she might ask... Half of her expected to find a scene of horror, with her mother sitting neglected in a dark, suffocating space, while the other half of her foresaw a clean, pleasant facility where her mother was well cared for and truly happy.

Did her father visit? Elena wondered if he had simply dumped her mother here to rot alone, or if he slipped in from time to time to check up on her. She sincerely hoped he visited, so that her mom would know she hadn’t been forgotten completely, but her gut told her otherwise.

Her father was a man driven by the concepts of utility and usefulness. Once something was no longer of use to him, he discarded it without mercy. Elena recalled him chastising her for wasting her time readingGoosebumpsbooks as a child instead of “learning something useful.” He’d been furious with her when he found out she was taking dance classes in college. Elena had hoped that if she only took one each term, mixed in with the other classes he’d insisted she take so that she could hold a conversation without embarrassing him, he wouldn’t notice. But he’d noticed immediately and made her drop the class. Her instructor had been disappointed when she withdrew and offered to let her continue to come to class off the books, without getting college credit for it on her transcript, but she’d been forced to decline. It wasn’t long after that that her college career had come to an end entirely.

Her mother had been a member of the esteemed Mariinsky Theatre and had even danced in the lead role in bothSleeping BeautyandGisellebefore she started showing symptoms of MS, which cut her career short. It had never squashed her love for dance, even when her ability to dance at all ebbed away. Right around the time her mother had supposedly died, Elena recalled her being unable to get out of bed or deal with everyday activities without help, unable to walk without a walker. Her father’s disdain for her helplessness had been tangible, and she wasn’t holding out hope that her father had done more than push her aside, now that she knew her mother was alive.

It was too easy to fall into ruminating on her father, on all the reasons why she blamed him, letting the hurt fester instead of heal, so Elena forced her thoughts back to the present. She was here for a reason, and she would see it through.

The staff buzzed her through the front doors. She signed in at the front desk and asked about her mother.

“Raisa Popov? Yes, she’s here. To be honest, I’m a little surprised to see someone visiting her.”

Elena’s heart sank, despite her mental preparations.

“She doesn’t have many guests?” Elena asked even though she already knew the answer.

“Not a single one. We get the charities, the churches, and even the occasional school field trip down to put on shows or do something to brighten the day for our residents, of course, but you’re the first one who’s signed in specifically for Mrs. Popov.”

Elena forced down a lungful of stale air and willed herself not to let dread show on her face. No matter what the circumstances, she had to stay strong. Her mother deserved that much from her after such a long time spent apart.

“Well, I’m here now,” she said with a laugh she hoped didn’t come across as uneasy. “Do I need to wait for someone to, um, escort me, or can I just…go find her myself?”

---