Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 7 - Aleksandr

Coming down for breakfast, I was pleasantly surprised to find Mila already having breakfast. Taking my seat across from her, I smiled. “Good morning, hun.”

She nodded but didn’t respond. “So, then, how about we continue our discussion?” I inquired. Mila looked at me curiously. “I’ll start then,” I added, grinning. I had obviously caught her off guard, but she wasn’t opposing the idea. So, I continued. “Do you think we owe each other something as human beings?” I asked.

Mila tilted her head to one side. “I don’t,” she replied. “Each of us makes our own choices and whatever that leads to is each one's own doing. So, no, we don’t.”

I found her answer informative and felt sure she had suffered something bad in her past. She took ownership of her mistakes but didn’t want assistance. It made me wonder if this was what gave her the fire she possessed.

Clearing her throat, she asked the next question. “What do you treasure most in life, more than anything else?”

“Oh, my dear,” I breathed out. “I would have thought this was obvious to you?” Mila grinned and shook her head. “Well, if I have to spell it out, I will.”

I took a deep breath and lowered my tone to a whisper as I replied. “My family is my everything, Mila. I would give my life willingly for any of them as I am sure you would for yours.”

She sat for a moment eyeing me. It felt like she was trying to see into my soul as if she doubted my answer. Checking my watch, I noted that I was about to be late for a meeting. “Anything else you would like to ask as I have to run?”

“No, it’s fine, we’ll talk again, enjoy your day,” Mila said as she stood and walked out. Grinning, I got up and left. My day was filled with meetings and cargo checks.

The day had passed quicker than I expected. Glancing at the clock staring at me from across the room, I noticed it was almost four. I had set up a meeting with my siblings to catch up on our day-to-day operations.

I heard Anton coming down the hall to my office at the mansion. He was seemingly arguing with Abram. He was loud and clearly upset. I couldn’t be sure if their argument was important. But I knew Anton would inform me if it was.

Standing as they entered, I gestured for them to take a seat on the couch. Anton, Abram, and Tasha sat down. “Where’s the little one?” I asked lightly.

“Stumbling along as usual,” Anton replied.

Walking towards the door, I heard his tapping footsteps coming closer. Akim entered the office in his upbeat, dancing walk. He had his EarPods in, and his jazzy music was on full blast. We could hear it word for word. I was always surprised that he had not gone deaf yet. As he passed, he glanced up and grinned.

Tapping him lightly on the back of the head brought Akim to a full stop. He stopped his music, took out the pods, and glared at me. “Akim,” I huffed. “It’s a meeting, not a club.” Gesturing to the couch, I continued to speak. “Please sit so we can get started.”

Taking my place behind the desk, I looked at them. This meeting with my siblings was to catch up on our operations. Yet, I noticed the atmosphere between us felt slightly different than usual.

“It’s good to see you. Let’s get the business out of the way, and then we can talk. I can see something is going on, and we will get it sorted, okay?”

They all nodded, but I noticed a sideways glance between Anton and Abram. Looking Anton in the eyes, I nodded as I gestured for him to start. He was a lot like me except for the short temper he had. When it came to business, though, his head was screwed on correctly.

He didn’t hesitate and started. “Both our shipments have arrived safely. The transfers have been completed to the selected warehouses. Just as you requested, brother.” I could hear his arrogance clearly coming through in the harshness of his tone.

Something was up, but I would get to that. There were other business dealings I needed to know about. “That’s great to hear, Anton. Thanks, brother,” I replied. Anton nodded and sat back.

Turning my attention to Abram, I could see angst on his face. “Well, Abram,” I said. “Spit it out.”

He moved forward on the couch. He was sitting in the middle between Anton and Tasha. “We had a small distribution problem with one of our products. But I handled it; it won’t come back to us.” Abram said, wiping his brow. He looked nervous.

“I am trusting you on this,” I replied, trying to calm him. I wasn’t sure if his worries were connected to Anton or the distribution. But if he said he handled it, I knew he did. “Right. Is there anything else you two have to add?” I asked, looking from Abram to Anton.

Both shook their heads, indicating there was nothing more. Turning my focus on Tasha, I smiled and spoke in a softer tone. “Tasha, any developments on your side we should know about?”

Tasha smiled, her face lit up when she did, and it was contagious. Smiling back at her, I waited for her to speak. “I found a troll yesterday, but he was taken care of. Other than that, there’s nothing of interest.” Her soft, smooth voice filled the room with a sense of calmness. She had been the glue between us after our mother passed.

I noticed my brothers also felt it as their shoulders relaxed while listening to her. Tasha had the voice of an angel. She could turn a room upside down just by speaking. But she also had a soft heart, and that scared me sometimes. If any of us were to be the weakest link, it would most likely be her.

Turning my attention to Akim, the youngest. He spoke even before I had time to say anything. “Before you ask. Everything is running as it should. No hold-ups, no problems, no nothing to worry about.”

I was about to grind him for speaking out of turn and not giving a full record of events. But before I could, Anton stood abruptly. He spoke in a light tone, saving our baby brother from scrutiny. “So, look at our forever bachelor now!”

Glancing up at his smug grin, I knew what was coming. It was my turn to get grilled. “Big brother got married. Who would have ever thought of seeing that?” Anton added, looking at the others.

Abram chipped in. His voice filled with amusement. “He didn’t even wait for us to get married first. The bachelor was first to go!”

“Spoken like a jealous man,” Akim huffed from his corner.

“Guys, please. It would have had to happen sometime or another, didn’t it?” I replied, half guarded.

“You swore to bachelorhood as long as anyone could remember. Did she put a spell on you?” Abram said, chuckling.

Looking at Tasha, I noticed apprehension on her face. “Tasha, is everything okay?” I asked as I stood up and walked to her side.

I knew she had concerns as she looked into my eyes, even though she smiled. She spoke softly, glancing at our brothers. “Why did you get into this arranged marriage if you never wanted to get tied down?”

Sighing, I pushed Anton to the side and sat down next to her. Taking her hands in mine, I squeezed them. “Tasha, my dearest sister.” I didn’t expect them to understand. But I knew at least one of my reasons was valid. This was the one I used to satisfy their curiosity. “I did it to strengthen our relationship with the Smirnov family. It needed to be done for Dahlia’s sake.”

The room was quiet. Looking at Anton, Abram, and Akim, they nodded. Anton didn’t like Dahlia much, but there was respect, and blood was everything to us all. Dahlia was family, and we would protect her as we would each other.

Tasha squeezed my hand as she replied. “I can agree…”

Before she could finish, Abram interrupted. “Did it have to be marriage, though, and why you? We usually discuss such things. But this time, you just jumped out before the wagon.”

Looking at my brothers, I understood their confusion. But I wasn’t ready to tell them everything. I wasn’t sure what happened; I just knew I had to have Mila. “I would never force any of you into such a thing. There was no other option, though.” I could only hope this would satisfy their curiosity and concerns.

Before anyone could say more, the door slowly opened. Mila peeked around it before stepping inside. She spoke in a soft tone. To me, it was like honey being poured down my ears. “Hi, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but I noticed you were all here.”

Anton stepped back, shaking his head slightly. He lowered his gaze to the floor. I noticed his jaw clenching. Did he not approve? I wondered but said nothing.

“We didn’t really get to know each other at the wedding.. I hoped get to know you a little?” She looked straight at me as she finished. At the wedding, it was only quick introductions before we left. I didn’t want her or my family to interfere. But I knew at some point she would have to get to know them.

“I’m Akim, the youngest,” Akim said, rising from his chair. He held out his hand, and they shook.

“Pleased to meet you, Akim,” Mila said, smiling.

Stepping closer, she looked at Abram and Anton. As Anton spoke, I heard some irritation in his voice. “Anton, second in charge.” He shook her hand a tad reluctantly as she held it out.

Interrupting again and almost shoving Anton aside, Abram pushed his hand out and took her. “I’m Abram,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Abram,” Mila said. Pulling her hand from his, she glanced at Anton as she continued. “Nice to meet you as well.”

Tasha let go of my hands as she rose. “I’m Tasha,” she said, hugging Mila. “I was the only sister for years,” she added, glancing at me. “That was until we learned about Dahlia. Welcome to our family.”

Mila’s smile widened as she glanced at all three of my siblings. “It’s great to finally put names to the faces. And an honor to meet you all.”

As I sat looking at the scene unfolding before me, I couldn’t help but wonder what Mila was up to. She appeared overly friendly with them. But with me, she was dry and isolated.

“Would you all like to join us for dinner tonight? We can get to know each other a little better.” Mila suddenly uttered.

Anton gave me a sideways glance and a grin. He usually did this when something was up. I wondered what was happening in his mind. What was he planning?

“We would love to. Thank you, Mila,” he said smoothly, taking her hand. He pulled it to his lips and kissed her fingers lightly.

Mila smiled warmly. She swayed from side to side with her dress in her hands as she continued. “Great, I’ll see you downstairs then.” She gave a small wave and left.

I had never seen this side of her and was very intrigued. I couldn’t wait to observe her interaction with my family some more. “At least she’s good-looking and seems sweet,” Abram whispered.

Anton scoffed at his remark, which earned him a smack on the shoulder from Tasha. “Don’t be nasty. Get to know her before assuming,” she said, glaring at him.

“Okay, okay,” Anton replied, raising his hands as if she had a gun trained on him. “I’ll behave. But it doesn’t mean I approve.”

“Just give her a fair shake, right Tasha?” Akim added.

Tasha nodded, and we headed downstairs.

As we descended Mila came out of the hallway leading to the dining room. “Dinner is served,” she said, smiling. She turned and walked back with all of us in tow. Mila sat down in her place, and I took mine as it should be.

Maybe this was what was bothering my brother, I thought as Anton sat on my right. Mila was younger than him, yet she was now part of the heads. Abram took his place on my left. To my surprise, Tasha and Akim joined Mila, each sitting to one side of her.

The maids came out with our dinner. After opening the bottle of wine and tasting it, they poured some for all of us. Dinner started with an awkward silence.

After a bite or two, Anton cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “What do you do at the organization, Mila?” he inquired, looking towards her.

Mila smiled, whipped her mouth, and responded in a plain yet friendly tone. “I realized you are all interested to learn more about me and my family. I am also eager to get to know all of you. I gather information.”

She sat back, sipping at her wine before continuing. “Our operations, I am sure, are very similar to yours. We mainly retrieve information and offer specific services where needed.”

“Sorry for asking,” Akim added. “But I was wondering. None of you look alike. How are you related?”

Mila laughed softly. “Yes, we are not related. Good observation, Akim. You should come to work for us.”

“Hey, slow down there,” Anton interrupted abruptly.

“I’m just joking,” Mila replied slightly defensively.

Raising my voice, I spoke in an authoritative tone. “Calm down now; it’s just a conversation.”

Mile nodded at me as she turned her attention back to Akim. “We were in the same orphanage. As we grew, so did our bond. We are as close to each other as you all are, even if we aren’t related by blood. I can’t think of them in any other way than my brothers.”

I could see Akim and Tasha were both moved by her answer, if their looks were anything to go by. She kept amazing me with each step of this journey. Yet, I still wondered what she was planning.

Tasha reached out and touched her arm, drawing Mila’s attention promptly. “You’re a hacker, right?” she asked softly.

Mila returned her eager smile as she nodded.

“What type of systems do you love using most?” Tasha added.

It was like seeing a light being turned on as it dawned on Mila, who Tasha was. Her entire body seemed to be energized as she replied. “You’re the other hacker?” Mila’s eyebrows raised as she spoke in amazement.

There was an instant click between the two of them, which made me a little uncomfortable. Mila was mine, how dare Tasha connect with her before I could? I felt my jealousy igniting as I watched them whispering to each other. There were smiles, grins, and even laughter in between. I wanted to be the one to share her laughter, to make her smile.

I couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but I didn’t like being excluded. Maybe a friendship with Tasha was what she needed though. Anton speaking to me pulled my attention off them. “Will you be at the meeting next week?” he asked quietly.

Looking at him, I shook my head, hoping to clear the invading thoughts. Mila and Tasha looked like long-lost friends. “Yes, it’s vital to secure that deal,” I mumbled, half-distracted.

“You were always better at negotiations than any of us. I just had to make sure.” I heard him saying. Looking down at my plate, I realized I had barely touched my food. It was cold at this point, but I no longer felt hungry.

As the maids cleared the table, I wanted my siblings to leave. I wanted to be alone with Mila. But as she stood and spoke, I realized that wasn’t going to happen. “You want a goodnight drink?”

Tasha and Akim agreed eagerly. Anton and Abram looked at me before responding. I nodded as I could not chase them out. Tasha and Mila walked out ahead to the entertainment room, chatting up a storm. Akim and Abram were on their heels while Anton walked with me behind them.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm the storm starting up inside. By the time we entered the entertainment room, all my siblings except for Anton were hanging on Mila’s every word.

I was glad she was settling in. But her friendliness and openness with them just made me more upset. Standing at the bar with Anton, I tried listening to his ramblings. But my attention wasn’t on him.

Mila and my other siblings were talking and laughing. They were sharing funny stories about their youth. This was a side of Mila I had not known existed. After a couple of drinks, I decided I had seen enough.

Coughing, I drew everyone’s attention. “This was a lovely evening,” I stated. “But tomorrow is a workday, and I think it’s time to head home, don’t you?”

Tasha and Abram checked their watches before rising. “Yeah, I guess,” Tasha said, turning to Mila who was standing behind her. “We will chat again,” she added, hugging Mila.

I watched as Abram and Akim also bid her goodnight before we headed out of the room. Anton just nodded as he passed her. Mila smiled. “Goodnight, drive safe,” I heard her add as we headed to the staircase.

After seeing off my siblings and ensuring their cars had all pulled out, I headed back up to find her. Mila was in the bathroom as I entered the bedroom. Standing next to the closed door, I tried to formulate my questions.

I had to know why she was treating me differently than them. “Mila,” I said, banging a tad too hard on the door.

The door swung open, and Mila stood looking at me. “Yes,” she said coldly.

“Why the hell were you so nice to my family? That’s not you.”

I noticed a twitching at the corner of her lips as she responded. “I can be nice to them. They aren’t the ones forcing me into this awful marriage, are they?”

The storm inside whirled as her words sank in. It was turning into a hurricane I wouldn’t be able to contain much longer. “What?” I spat, suddenly overcome with guilt.

Mila breezed past me and got into bed. Turning in the doorway of the bathroom, I stood staring at her. I tried to comprehend what I had just heard. I wanted her to be happy. I had never intended to hurt her in any way.

As my guilt overtook my anger, I sank down to the couch. Looking at her just lying there, not moving, I vowed to fix this. I would make it up to her. She didn’t understand. Hell, I wasn’t sure I did. All I knew was that I had to have her.

Placing my head in my hands, I swallowed hard at the rock pushing up into my throat. My anger had vanished and was replaced with remorse. I was going to dedicate the next couple of days to fixing this.

I would show her the real me, I vowed, laying back on the couch. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to figure out how to show her who I really was.