Page 53 of Bratva Queen

At certain points over the past five years, I’d gone covert during my “off-duty” time. I drove through the night to stand across the street and watch Isabel come and go with her little boys. She looked happy with them.

“Well…” he sighed, “you’ve set up a good team there. I think they could keep things running without you sitting there, right?”

“Why?” I repeated. I knew Stepan. There was more to this.

“I need you back here. Things are getting a little… out of hand. I need someone I can trust back in the house.”

“In the house?” I knew there was a catch to this. After all these years of running my own goddamn bratva ring, to call me back to be a bodyguard, there had to be. Butfuck, being in the house meant that I could see Isabel again, even speak with her from time to time.

“Yes. Isabel stole my sons.”

“What?” I stood up.

“Don’t worry. I got them back. Her included. But the house staff are clearly not to be trusted, and I have business to deal with. I can’t fucking babysit everyone!”

“So you need me to be your glorified babysitter again?”

“I need you to head up my security team.”That’ll do. “Get them back in shape. Get me guys I can trust and make sure my fucking wife stays in her goddamn room.”

Shit. What the fuck is going on there?

“I’ll be there tomorrow.”

I put down the phone, not even interested in his reply because my rage was boiling over. I speedily punched Lev’s cell number into the landline.

“Lev, what the fuck is going on?”

He cleared his throat and spoke in hushed tones. “Alek! Hi… Ah, well, I guess you’ve heard…”

“Isabel left? She took the boys, and she left?”

“Yes.”

“Did you help her?”

A moment passed, and his voice came out like the squeak of a mouse. “Yes.”

I sighed, rubbing my fingers along my forehead. “Not well enough, clearly. You should have sent her here.”

“She was adamant that she would be okay! She had money, she just needed a safe way to get out of the city—”

“I am that safe way, Lev.Me. You should have called. We’d have made a plan. There’s a reason I put you there. Now fucking stay put, keep an eye on her, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

I droveup the driveway of the Koslov Moscow mansion, feeling a mixture of anger and trepidation, but excitement too—to see Isabel again. God, it had been so long, and we hadn’t spoken because… well, we’d gotten too close and that was essentially why I was sent away in the first place.

But now Stepan needed my help to watch over her, which was fantastic news, but at the same time, I dreaded what I might find inside the house. If things had gotten bad enough for her to run away, then things must have been extremely bad. I knew my girl. She wouldn’t run for no reason. She was strong. I knew it was why she didn’t call me for help. She always thought she could handle things on her own.

When I walked into Stepan’s office he smiled. “Well that was fast. Eager to get out of that city?”

“Eager to get away from my brother.” I shrugged. Stepan laughed and rounded his desk, giving me a hug and a hard smack on the shoulder before slowly heading back to his seat.

“I’m glad you’re back. I’ve got Isabel and the boys separated. She won’t take them away from me again.” He turned back to lock eyes with me. “You hear me? Those are my sons. My future. The Koslov future.”

“I understand,” I said, pulling my back straight, getting back into the bodyguard stance.

“I don’t know what to do with her… I honestly don’t.” He fell back into his seat with a sigh. “I only need her around for my image, because she’s this fucking Koslov queen, respected by all the wives,” he rolled his eyes, “and wanted by all the men.” His voice deepened at the end, and he flexed his jaw angrily. “Except me. I’m fucking done with that bitch. But if she disappears, there will be a lot of questions. And I’m not ready for that right now.”

---