Page 8 of Secret Baby for the Bratva Boss

Yuri gives me a cold, shadowed look. Ash falls off the burning end of his cigarette as he watches me, closely. “Use her and yourself as bait. That is risky, Aleks. Even for you.”

“But it would work.”

“As a last resort, maybe. If you have to. Don’t go out the gate with a move like that, unless you really do want to get that girl killed.” He takes another drag, still watching me as smoke flows out of his nostrils. “She’s got a kid, Aleks. And James is your friend, even if you haven’t been close these last years. Stay in tomorrow. Let us bring the family to you. And let us take care of this.”

“It’s my fight.”

“Konstantin is, yeah, maybe.” Yuri turns to look at me head-on. “Do you remember, in Prague? What happened that night, in that warehouse?”

I look away.

“You saved my life,” Yuri says, his voice hard, almost shot through with anger. “You took a bullet for me that night, don’tthink that I’ve forgotten. You’re a stubborn bastard, Aleks, you always have been. And you’re a damn good fighter, too. But that doesn’t mean you need to fight every fight on your own. We’re here for a reason.”

I grit my teeth. I know he has a point. I know it’d be more prudent to let my men take care of this for me, and deliver Konstantin at my feet. It’s my pride standing in the way, I know it is. And yet…I can’t seem to get it to stand down.

“I’ll consider it,” I say, giving the only inch I can manage. “Stay dry out here tonight.” And with that, I go inside.

***

“Did you…” Her voice trails off, and I look up. I’m sitting at the kitchen table, eating. Maybe it was forward of me, but I rifled through her surprisingly well-stocked fridge. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the eggs were in the pan.

“Did I what?” I ask, as brusquely as I can manage when I’m sitting at her table, eating her food. As much as I want to soften at the sight of her—mussed hair, sleepy eyes, wrinkled hoodie and shorts—I know better than to give her, or me, even a glimpse of hope.

She shakes her head, looking perplexed, and moves toward the stove. Without a word, she shovels eggs, bacon, and toast onto her plate. I may not be able to be kind to her, but I’m not an animal, so I let myself at least get up and pour her a cup of coffee.

It’s not until she’s sitting across from me, rubbing her eyes and yawning, that she finally completes her question. “Did you sleep outside my door?”

Damn. I thought I was more discreet than that.“Yes.”

She looks at me strangely. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I can’t think of anything cutting to say, so I simply move on. “I want to move you to a more secure location. You, or your family.I believe it would be easier just to move you, but I wanted to at least consider your input.”

She stares at me, her fork halfway to her mouth. “I’m not leaving. I’m not being separated from my family.”

“You are the target,” I remind her, drinking my coffee and proceeding to eat. It’s still dark out, an autumn dawn just barely beginning to break. Rain streaks the window, and the light has the wet world beyond already glittering darkly. “Where you move, the enemy follows. If you remain near your family…”

“I understand that,” she says sharply. I look up at her, surprised to find her face hard and eyes bright. “But I can’t just…no. I can’t do that. I don’t…” She looks away from me. “Even last night, when I called my mom to look after Adam—look, I don’t expect you to understand. You’re not in my life. You’re not a part of my life. But my son and I…we belong together. He needs me. I…I need him.” Her voice softens, and the light that fills her eyes is so pure, and soft, that it takes my breath away.

But it’s not up to me. This is simply the circumstance. “Konstantin wants you dead. Do you really want your son exposed to that?”

“No,” she snaps. “ButIdidn’t bring this on myself. You did. So, fix it.Withoutmoving me or my family away.”

I narrow my eyes, chagrined. I knew this would be her reaction. “I can give you a day. Two, maybe. And if, in that time, I haven’t killed Konstantin and removed his men from town, I’m moving you. With or without your consent or participation.”

She brings her fist down on the table, so hard and suddenly that even I have to draw up straight. She’s not looking at me, but at her plate, her brows pulled together like curtains and her mouth quivering. Slowly, her grip on the fork softens, and she lays it down, sitting back in her chair. And finally, she looks at me again.

“Three days,” she says, raising her voice slightly when I begin to protest. “Three days, and I’ll…” She bites her lip, her eyes bright—with tears. “And I’ll let Adam stay with my mother. OK? I’ll stay away from him. Hell, I’ll stay here. Put. Right here. And if you haven’t sorted it out by then, we can reevaluate.”

I sigh, annoyed, and sit back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest and studying her thoughtfully. It might be more dangerous this way, but it’s my preference too. I can keep my men posted to look after her family. And anyway, like Yuri pointed out, they’re not the target. Their deaths, in Konstantin’s mind, can’t mean nearly as much as Kat’s to me. My ex-lover. In truth, the best way to keep her safe…is to keep her close.

I consider negotiating, just to prove I am prepared to be commanding and immovable. But three days should be more than enough to coax Konstantin out of the woodwork. It’s a small town, after all. There aren’t too many places to hide, and there won’t be too many opportunities for Konstantin to get his hands on Kat. Or even, really, to get close to her.

“I’ll be staying here,” I say instead, firmly, locking eyes with her. “And my men will keep watch. You can’t leave. Not at all.”

“My family will wonder about it. And work—”

“Will have to wait. I can see about escorting you to see your mother and son, once, to make a believable excuse for your need to stay away. Maybe,” I add, watching her expression brighten just a little bit. “But it’s all going to depend on how today goes.”

---