Guarded Rebellion (The Baranov Legacy)

29. Lev

29

LEV

H aving Kelly move in with us seemed like the best decision all around. Even though I hated to give up the privacy that I could share with Eva, it seemed like the wisest choice.

This beautiful woman who was sneaking deep under my skin had a bleeding heart. She was as tough and strong to tolerate violence with a level head as much as she was a softie deep down who worried about her friend.

Kelly couldn’t return to her dorm anyway because I’d trashed it fighting that man sent to get Eva.

Over the next couple of days, Kelly and Eva stayed in the apartment without being asked. They didn’t seem inclined to leave at all. Recovering and resting was their gameplan. I doubted any schoolwork was even on their minds at all.

Their friendship solidified, and I wouldn’t argue against giving Eva what she wanted in this regard. The more I came to know her, the more I realized how lonely she’d been all her life.

“Has anyone reported any news on the Petrovs?” Oleg asked me as I paced in my room two days after I’d damn near lost my life. Bruises darkened my skin. The cuts itched as scabs formed over them. I looked worse for wear, but aside from the slight twinges of pain in a select few muscle groups, I felt as good as new.

“No.” He was aware that I’d asked for more soldiers on campus. Half were disguised as students to infiltrate and get closer to where we suspected Irina or the soldiers assigned to her might be. Other Baranov men were suited and recognizable as an increase of the Baranov force.

“What the fuck?” the Boss mumbled in reply.

I knew him well enough to take that as a rhetorical response, not an actual question for me to answer.

“And no sightings of that man you killed when you took out Yusuf?” he asked.

I couldn’t help a gruff laugh. “No. He was dead, sir.”

A deep sigh came from his end. “I know. But… fuck. I don’t know what I know anymore.”

“I am heading out to patrol and check on the men. Irina is still on campus. She’s been spotted at classes with the one or two men guarding her. But other than that… Nothing has changed.”

“Something will change, though. I assigned you to Eva because I know you won’t fail me.”

Define that, please. I felt like I had failed already in so many ways. I let her get too close to that fucker who fought me in that dorm room. I wasn’t there to stop that Ilyin man from almost raping her. And I had fucked her, helping myself to her in the closest way possible when I took her virginity that was intended for someone else.

“And I’ve been wondering about the rumors of the Petrovs and Ilyins distributing drugs on campus there. It’s a breach in our agreements. It’s neutral ground,” he reminded me unnecessarily.

The college Eva had chosen to attend was near the city but not designated as any family’s territory. Not the gangs or Cartel, either.

“Maybe that’s what changed,” I told him. “Maybe one of the families has bought off someone high up for the college and those boundaries are changed.”

“That’s what I’m testing by letting Eva be there.”

“She’s bait?” I asked, furious and not caring that he could hear it in my voice.

“No. She’s not participating. She doesn’t use drugs. Doesn’t buy them, doesn’t sell them, doesn’t look for them.”

I nodded at the truths he spoke.

“But she is a Baranov. And her presence there would be a catalyst if someone has taken over the college as part of their turf.”

It was never about letting her come here because she wanted to. I disliked how she’d been… used.

“That’s why I wanted you to go with her. To spy. To see what happens.”

“Gambling on her life, you mean.”

“Did you just say what I think you said?” he asked.

Fuck. I wasn’t trying to be combative with the man who’d taken me in.

“I apologize for my tone,” I said.

“But not your words?”

“No.” I wouldn’t lie about that. “I dislike the notion that anyone could gamble on her life.”

“Because you’ve been tasked with keeping her safe?”

Fuck! He was on to me. I didn’t like the idea of the Boss gambling on his niece’s life because I was falling in love with her. Because I didn’t want to lose her.

“Lev?” He sighed. “That is my job. I gamble on all of your lives. My family. My men. Soldiers, leaders, spies, and guards. Every Baranov’s safety depends on a gamble in one way or another.”

But I’m not a Baranov. I was Lev Kvashnin, a bastard child and orphan he’d given a purpose to.

“I gambled when I tasked you with taking out Yusuf Ilyin,” he reminded me. “The same as I gamble on your commitment to keeping my niece as safe as possible.”

“It’s not a gamble,” I replied. “I will guard Eva with my life. No matter what.”

“Hmm.” He cleared his throat. “Good to hear it.”

I furrowed my brow, unclear of what his remark meant. Was he glad that I was a dutiful soldier and guarding her? Or was he… proud that I’d be this dedicated to keeping Eva safe?

“I will report in after my patrol,” I told him before we ended the call.

Eva and Kelly were napping, too tired after lunch, and instead of waking the woman of my dreams, I texted her to let her know I would return after checking on the men. She’d get the text and know that the guard posted in the hallway would see to her safety until my return.

The closer I got to Eva, the less I cared for this dual job. To be her bodyguard, but also to be a spy in the field. I tried to resist the dream and vision of just doing one—being a soldier like usual and spying for the Boss with her in my life. As my woman.

When I arrived on campus, I acknowledged Rurik but didn’t join him. At this stage of the mission, it seemed best to spread out instead of pairing up. He kept in touch frequently anyway, so even though we were working together out here, we remained apart.

Just like I confirmed to Oleg, there was nothing new to notice about the Petrov forces here. More of them lingered at the dorm building where Irina resided. But they seemed idle and bored. Not expectant and as though they were waiting for something or someone like that night Rurik and I had tailed them.

This is pointless. They were hiding somewhere else, and there were far too many buildings all over the campus to have adequate surveillance everywhere. This was only one thing the Boss had to deal with. Countless other missions, dangers, threats, and deals had to have his attention too. The Baranov organization was large and powerful, but the enemies we accrued were many.

I turned to check the rear doors to the biggest library before I gave up and returned to Eva at the apartment. This building was the oldest here, and with countless additions, several areas were sheltered and not so easily watched. The last time I was here was when Eva had that study group, where she kissed that punk to get a rise out of me.

Speak of the devil…

I spotted the scrawny asshole just ahead. He turned from taking cash from someone in a suit just yards ahead, near a corner that led to another outdoor corridor.

“Fuck.” He moved his head just enough to spot me approaching. His eyes opened wide. Frantically shoving the money into his back pocket, he scrambled to run. He tripped. Moving so quickly that he lost his footing, he gave me a head start on him.

Before I could reach him, though, curious what he was being paid off for, I filed away the observation of his fear. He had reasons to loathe me for the times I’d forced him away from Eva. Right now, though, he looked at me like he’d piss his pants, terrified of my getting ahold of him when Eva wasn’t anywhere near here.

“Stop,” I warned, running after him.

He regained his footing though, darting off.

I dug in, running faster, but others turned on me. The suited man paying him off faced me. He was an Ilyin soldier I recalled from staking out Yusuf.

“What the—” I deflected the first hit from another Ilyin charging close.

Three of them surrounded me, and still recovering from my other fight at the dorm, I knew I’d be outnumbered and overpowered. If not for Marcus and another soldier noticing the commotion and rushing in to assist me, I would’ve been killed.

Like the cowards they were, though, they retreated when an SUV sped up and drove off. I got a couple of shots off at the car, but it didn’t stop them.

“What…” Marcus panted, bending over with his hands on his knees. He strained to catch his breath, just as I did after the fight. Any second now, security would come to investigate the shots that were fired.

“What the fuck was that about?” He stood, wincing at me as he licked blood at the corner of his mouth.

“I don’t know. I saw them paying off that fucker and?—”

“No.” He shook his head. “Not that they fought you at all. Why the fuck wouldn’t they shoot at us?” He narrowed his eyes, studying me. “Why wouldn’t they shoot you ?”

They hadn’t. We’d tried to use our guns on them, but they’d deflected us, preferring hand-to-hand combat.

I huffed. “Fuck if I know, man.” I glared in the direction of where they’d sped off.

“I was told to look out for the fucking Petrovs,” the other soldier said as he tucked his gun away.

I nodded.

“Yeah. Me too,” Marcus said. “Gotta look out for them all, but I thought this shit going on here was because of the Petrov girl being here.”

I shook my head. “The Ilyins have been present too. One got close to Eva at that party.”

“Shit.” Marcus shook his head at me. “You got your hands full.”

I did. And I had no clear direction of who was behind all these incidents.

The Petrovs?

Ilyins?

After talking to the Boss, I was leaning more on the assumption that the Petrovs were the ones causing trouble here. But now…

I headed back to the apartment, unsure who the hell the number-one enemy was anymore.