Page 25 of Bratva Queen

“There was also the fact that…” I paused, sighing.

“Yeah?” Maxim urged me on.

“Something else happened that day.”

* * *

A few hours later,I was serving drinks—getting more hours in without giving actual lap dances—when Boris opened his office door and called me in.

“Blyad’,” I cursed under my breath. Was he going to ask me about Stepan? I really hoped he wouldn’t make a big deal of this. As I walked in and closed the door behind me, I started, “Boris, please, can we not—”

“There’s a phone call for you,” he said, looking extremely subdued, possibly worried. “It’s your mother, she says it’s urgent.”

I frowned and approached his desk. He held the phone out for me, then left the office.

“Mama?”

“Isa…” she was sobbing. “It’s Oleg!”

My heart sunk down into my stomach. “What happened to Oleg?”

“The military called…” she hiccupped. “He… he’s gone,meelaya! He was killed in combat.He’s gone!”

My whole world shrunk. Nothing else mattered anymore. Nothing but my family. How could this happen? How could everything have gone so wrong within the span of a year? How could the military allow an 18-year-old to die? A child, for God’s sake! I was supposed to be the one to save my family! But what was I doing? Shaking my fucking ass for a bunch of horny pigs!

Stepan was right. Aleksei was right. Mama was right. Everyone who had ever told me that what I was doing was self-serving and whorish was right.

My heart felt like it had been wrenched from my body. I heaved with sobs in the chair at the desk, my face buried in my hands. I could see the black streaks of mascara in my palms, but I didn’t care. How could I? Oleg was gone. My sweet, innocent, loyal, responsible little brother!Why him? Why not me?

The door opened slowly, and I heard Aleksei’s deep, soothing voice. “Isabel? What’s going on?”

I looked up at him, my eyes blurred with tears. My breath faltered, and I was unable to talk.

The look on Aleksei’s face was that of absolute panic. Something I’d never seen on him before. He stepped inside and I threw myself at him, sobbing loudly against his thick and warm chest, drenching his shirt. His arms immediately wrapped around me tightly, so safe, so comforting, and he pressed his lips against the top of my head without hesitation.

“What is it, Isa? What happened?” With one arm still firmly around my waist, holding me protectively, he pulled away and wiped his thumb across my cheek. His eyes searched mine, filled with such concern and affection that I’d never thought him capable of. “Breathe, Isa, breathe. Tell me,” he said desperately.

My breath rushed out in a long, surging sigh. “Oleg…” my voice trembled. “Oleg is gone.”

* * *

“Oh,malyshka,”Stepan said softly, running his hand over my hair. We were at his rental house. I was in his arms on the plush couch, and Aleksei stood in the corner of the room, never letting his eyes leave me.

“I am so sorry,” Stepan continued comfortingly. “If only I could make it right… If only there was someone to blame…” His voice grew angry. “I would—”

“There’s no one, Stepan,” I said, my voice filled with depression and my eyes void of any more emotion. “It’s life. It’s war. It’s Russia.”

He tipped my head to look up at him. “My love, this is what I mean when I say it’s a cold world out there. Let me protect you. Let me protect your family.”

I looked between his eyes. “Yes… You’re right, Stepan… I’ll quit the club. Tomorrow.”

He smiled sadly, pouting his bottom lip, and hugged me to his chest. “That’s my girl.”

* * *

When the dayof the funeral came, my mother and I waited for Stepan to drive us to the burial grounds where everything had already been arranged by the military. The few family members we had, as well as Oleg’s friends and military comrades, would be there as well, ready to mourn him and join in the wake held after the burial ceremony.

A knock sounded on the door, and we picked up our bags and coats. When I opened the door, it was not Stepan, but Aleksei awaiting us with a somber expression.

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