Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“And you lied to me, Stefan.” My father bows his head and nods.
Marissa weaves her fingers through mine and squeezes.
“But I understand why you did what you did. And the truth is, there is an element of truth in what you did. I inducted Aleks, not Nicolai. And I cannot blame a father for supporting his son. And none of what you did directly impacted my brothers.” He shrugs. “But we have rules here that you’re both aware of.”
I wait, as he seems to be thinking this through. “In the end, I’m short a member of my brotherhood, shot by Myron.” He gives me a sad smile. “And I have one new recruit rather than two.”
He stands, walking with his hands behind his back. “But rules are meant to be broken,” he continues. “And we must evolve with the times.” He turns to face me. “Would you consider dual membership?”
I blink. He’s offering me a place in his brotherhood as well as my father’s? I look to my father. He nods to me, granting his approval.
“I would,” I tell him. “Would you keep me here as Nicolai?”
Tomas leans his massive body on the edge of his desk and crosses his arms on his chest. “You gave up everything for the woman you loved, and a woman of Bratva lineage. You fought your way back from the dead. You defended her against all odds and swallowed your pride. It would be a shame to lose a man of your integrity and fortitude, but I believe a man’s place is by the side of his father. And I believe in that loyalty.”
To my surprise, Marissa speaks up. “And Yvonne is here.”
Tomas raises a brow. “Yvonne?”
“Yakov’s woman,” I tell him. “The girls were together in captivity.”
I think about what Tomas is asking, and weigh my response before I speak. “With my father’s permission, I would like to agree to dual membership, but under one condition.”
Tomas waits patiently. I hold Marissa’s hand gripped firmly in my own. “You no longer demand tributes from the auction from your new members.”
Tomas smiles. “Done. It was outdated anyway.”
My father laughs. He likes Tomas.
“I will help you find new recruits, brother,” I say to Tomas. “Vet them myself.”
Tomas nods. “I would like that.” He gets to his feet. “Go home, Nicolai. Get your woman situated. You have many things to settle. Call me when the time is right.”
He reaches his hand out and shakes my hand. I don’t know how to respond, except to shake his hand in return. It doesn’t seem possible that after all we’ve been through, we can walk free.
We can go home. Home to Rafael and Laina, and the rest of my brotherhood in Atlanta. My throat is tight and I can’t speak, but hope Tomas hears the thanks in my handshake. He has a loyal brother in me until the day I die.
Chapter 23
Marissa
Stefan has a private jet we take home.
Home.
I can’t believe we’re heading back to Atlanta. It doesn’t seem real, that I’m here with Nicolai. That we are on our way back to the Bratva we both call home. I’m stunned, unable to process where we’re going or how we got to where we are. There’s a heaviness in my chest knowing that my father is dead, and what he did, but I can hardly process any of this.
I’m with Nicolai. We are free, and that’s all that matters.
We’re in a car heading to the compound when Nicolai hands me his phone. “There is someone who wants to talk to you.”
I answer the phone. “Hello?”
“Marissa?” It’s Laina. My eyes fill with tears and my throat feels tight.
“Laina?” Nicolai puts his arms around my shoulder and pulls me to him as Laina sobs on the other line. I swipe at my eyes.
“I can’t wait to see you,” I tell her.
“Tell me everything,” she says. I will. I look at Nicolai. Well, almost everything. He is her brother after all.
“I can’t wait to see you,” I whisper. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I never thought I’d see you again.”
I’m crying freely now, when Nicolai takes the phone from me. Though he doesn’t cry, his eyes are shiny and I see him swallow before he speaks. “Enough making my woman cry,” he says to Laina. “We’ve been through hell and back. All we want is some quiet. Can you arrange that?”
They talk, and Stefan smiles at me. He looks so much like his son, with the same bright blue eyes, though he’s got gray around his temples and beard. He was young when he fell in love with Nicolai’s mother. He’s older than Tomas, but still just under fifty years old. Young to be pakhan, but he has a natural paternal air about him that makes him a natural-born leader.
“We are happy to have you home,” he says. “Though I am sorry about your father.”