Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 9 - Aleksandr

I intended on sweeping Mila off her feet to show her who I was. I would take her to see our operations. Before we left, I made sure to let everyone know what was happening. As the maids collected our plates, I rose. “Ready to go?” I asked, holding out my hand.

Mila nodded, taking my hand. Her skin was so soft. Her touch reached inside me and warmed my heart. As we entered the house, she stopped. Turning to face her, I raised my eyebrows. “Have you changed your mind?” I asked, confused at the sudden stop.

She laughed softly as she spoke. “No, I just need to get something, if you don’t mind?”

Nodding, I let go of her hand and watched as she headed up the staircase. I waited at the door for her to return. After a while, I couldn’t help wondering why she was taking so long. But before I could move towards the stairs, Mila came gliding down.

I noticed the bottom of the dress first. As my gaze followed the red fabric up, I felt my breath catching. My eyes wandered up and down her perfect body. I suddenly felt grateful that I laid my claim on her when I did. I knew that the feeling of relief wasn’t right, but I couldn’t help myself.

Stepping back to the door, I opened it as she approached. I was speechless. Never in my life had I seen such a beauty, and she was mine. Grinning, I sprinted past her and shoved the valet out of the way, holding the car door open. I watched her intently as she moved. We were only going to see our operations, but she was surely a perfect match for me.

She was the queen of these Bratva operations, and it showed. Her movements were graceful, and her smile was perfect. She was astonishing. As she slid into the car, Mila gave me a slight glare.

I felt inspired and knew today would make a difference in how she saw me. I planned on starting at the factory. Then, moving to our shipping operations and ending with one of our gambling houses. By the time we got to the gambling house, I knew it would be later.

This would be the perfect time at the casino before it got busy. But it would also be lit up for the evening. Mila sat quietly, looking out the window as I drove. I wondered what she was thinking. Deciding not to upset her in any way, I didn’t ask.

Pulling into the parking area, I spoke softly. “This is our factory operations; here, we sort and pack orders for shipment to clients.”

Mila nodded and gave me a small smile as we got out. We entered the large building through the receiving doors. Mila greeted everyone we passed. Anton and Abram met us in the office. Abram greeted Mila eagerly. “Hi, how are you?”

“Good, thanks, and you?” Mila responded as he pulled her into a light hug.

Anton nodded, grumbling under his breath. Mila ignored his abruptness towards her and greeted him in a friendly tone. “Hi, Anton.”

Walking around the desk, I went to his side to check on the papers he was holding up. “These just require a signature,” he mumbled.

Abram stood with Mila at the large window. They were looking down on the factory floor. They were chatting about what was done and where. I signed the papers and returned to her side quickly. “Want to have a walk-through?” I inquired as I placed my hand around her middle.

Mila nodded as she stepped out of my arms, and out the door. Abram walked with us, explaining the operations as we went. The workers greeted us cheerily as we moved through. I stopped twice to talk to two workers who were having personal issues. I noticed her watching me intently as we went.

There were guards at the three entrance doors. Mila stopped at one of the doors to speak to them. I was intrigued to see her interact with most of the people. She greeted them openly as she spoke. “Hi guys, how are you doing? You enjoy the job?”

They smiled back at her and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” the one said, holding out his hand. After they shook, we returned to the floor.

The area we moved through had long tables. Some had guns spread out with large crates on the ends. The workers were checking the weapons for flaws. They were removing and replacing parts as needed.

I wasn’t sure how much I actually wanted to share with her. Yet, I hoped that the more she learned about me, the easier things would become. I had to show her that I trusted her fully.

A couple of meters ahead, the tables were fitted with scales. The men and women working here were making up baggies for distribution. To the side sat an elderly lady with a clipboard. She was keeping control of the amounts packed and shipped.

On the other side, a woman was seated at a small table. She was reading through a file. Mila strolled over and sat down across from her. “Hi, there,” she said.

The woman looked at her, smiling. “Good afternoon, miss,” she said before glancing at me. I nodded and returned her smile.

Mila caught this interaction and glared at me before talking to the woman again. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, miss,” the woman replied in a friendly manner. “Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering. I noticed you sitting here alone.”

“I am just resting a bit, miss; the boss doesn’t care if we do. He encourages us to rest regularly. He cares well for us. Some days are harder, and others more fun.”

I noticed Mila considering her words. She reached across the table and squeezed the worker’s hands before getting up. “Nice to meet you,” Mila said before walking on.

As we headed to the last section, I wondered what was going on. She appeared more interested in the workers than the operations.

From there, we headed out to the warehouse at the docks. We ran our shipments from there. Abram also met us there as it was part of his responsibilities. Once we were done there, night had started settling in.

As we pulled out to the docks, Mila spoke softly. “Where does Tasha work?”

“She operates from the casino we are heading to.” Glancing at Mila, I was glad she and Tasha seemed to have made friends.

Soon, I could see the casino coming into view. We owned a couple, but this one was our main casino. “Akim also works from here,” I added as we pulled into the parking area. The place was lit up as I had anticipated. Looking at Mila, I could see she was surprised. “It’s our pride this one,” I said, getting out.

We stood for a moment as I allowed her to take it all in. We headed up the half-round stairs that led to the main entrance. To each side was a fountain surrounded by rainbow flowerbeds. The lighting lit up the entire parking area and everything around it.

I watched Mila as we entered the casino. Stepping through the doors, Tasha and Akim were there to meet us. After a friendly greeting, we could move on. On both sides lay slots and tables. Before us was the reception area, and on both sides of the desk were stairs leading to the upper floors.

Mila’s face was expressionless as we walked through each side first. At the back of the machines and tables was a bar on each side. There were also a couple of tables with seating for patrons. We greeted the servers, barmen, and women as we passed.

Before heading upstairs, I ordered drinks for us, which we took with us. Mila still appeared unimpressed as we went up to the second floor. This floor had six corridors leading to all sides.

“This floor is for guests who want to stay over,” Tasha said as we started down one of the corridors. Opening one of the doors, Tasha stepped inside, and Mila followed. “This is our basic suite,” she said.

One of our cleaning staff was inside. He was vacuuming and humming to himself. It looked more like he was dancing with the machine than cleaning, but seeing Mila smile, I knew this was the key.

He stopped abruptly as he noticed us. Putting off the vacuum, he removed his earpieces and gave a soft bow. “Great work, Fabiano,” I said, walking closer and shaking his hand. To me, this was a normal occurrence. I liked seeing the employees happy.

Fabiano nodded and waited until we left to continue cleaning. Tasha took us through two more rooms. Each was more luxurious than the previous one. As we returned to the stairs, Tasha spoke, “Well, this is where I leave you. Akim will take you the rest of the way. I have work to do.”

I watched as the two hugged and said goodbye. We headed up to the next floor, which held a variety of entertainment. There was the cinema, the restaurants, and the swimming area.

We quickly glanced at the theater, which was only open at specific times. There wasn’t much to see. It held a large screen at the front and rows of seating.

“Let’s head to the pool,” I said to Akim as he locked the cinema. “We’ll do the restaurant last.”

Akim nodded and led the way outside. The swimming area took up half of the roof. There were three different pools. The largest was a cold-water pool; the medium held hot water. Then there was the smaller one, which consisted of three hot tubs. Between these was a bar area with seats and tables.

Two barmen and one woman were getting ready for the evening rush. There were three pool area cleaners. One was making sure the pumps, lights, and other electrical items were all in working order. The other two were cleaning up. The music was blaring, and the workers seemed to be swaying and singing along as they moved.

As we neared the bar, the barmen and waiters smiled widely. They came out from behind the bars and greeted us cheerily. I noticed a look of shock crossing Mila’s face as I spoke to them.

It all became clear to me at that moment. I felt sure she assumed I was a horrible boss. Thinking back to her interaction with the workers, I knew it had to be. She had seen me as a brute, someone who barked orders and didn’t care about others. Yet today, she saw something else.

Feeling confident about my assumptions, I continued as usual but kept a closer eye on her. “It’s good to see you, boss,” the eldest of the three said, holding out his hand. “Is there anything we can get you? It’s been a while since we last had the honor of seeing you.”

Shaking his hand, I smiled at them as I spoke. “No thanks, John. I’m showing my wife around.” Turning to her, I placed a hand on her shoulder as I continued. “This is Mila.”

Pointing at each of them, I introduced her to them. “Mila, this is John.”

He shook her hand and smiled broadly as he replied. “Nice to meet you, my lady.”

Mila nodded, but before she could reply, I moved on. “This is Shanty. She’s been with us from the start. Don’t let her young look fool you.” Shanty laughed as she shook Mila’s hand.

“Lastly, but not to be missed, is our young Mic. He’s new here but quite a barman, I must say.”

Mila also shook his hand as Shanty and Mic relayed their pleasure to meet her. “Please call me Mila,” she added, smiling at them.

“Noted,” Shanty said as she ushered the men back to their places. “If you need anything, just let one of us know,” Shanty added as she went to the middle bar.

Mila suddenly appeared more relaxed than before. She didn’t pull out of my embrace as I put my arm around her waist. This time, we walked to the restaurant area. The area was lit in a soft amber glow from the hanging chandeliers. The tables were ready for the dinner clients.

I noticed Mila looking around the room with a newfound interest. The walls held top-to-bottom mirrors between panels of gold and burgundy. The tables and chairs varied in size and color. Some were round, some square, and others oval-shaped. Half was gold, and the other half burgundy. On each sat candles and flowers.

There were servers at the door and others standing at the back where the kitchen was. Soft music was playing in the background. We greeted the waiters and moved through to the kitchen. The more people we interacted with, the more her softer side appeared to be coming out. I found this side of her alluring.

With me, I had only seen the defensive Mila; with my siblings, a more civil side popped out. But this was something completely different. She seemed more interested in the workers, their state of mind, and comfort than any of the operations.

The kitchen smelled divine. We moved slowly, greeting the staff, the cooks, and the main chef. I stood watching as she spoke to each. She fitted right in with everyone she met. I felt my need to hold her and protect her grow as I watched her. As she came to stand by my side, I took her hand and squeezed it lightly. Mila glanced up, smiling.

For a moment, we just stood and watched as the kitchen staff cooked, joked, and danced around. They appeared to be in sync with each other and were having fun. I pulled out the chef’s chair at the table in the kitchen corner as I spoke. “Have a seat, dear.”

Mila sat down with me. The chef brought over samples of the meals they were preparing. I was astonished at her softness. It was a vast difference from the annoyed attitude I had lived with.

I had heard many stories through the grapevine. These all spoke of her cruel and destructive ways when it came to work. Seeing her in this light made my heart yearn for her love even more.

Leaning over the table, I took her hand as I spoke softly. “Impressed yet?”

Grinning, Mila replied, glancing away. “No, not at all. Not in the slightest.”

Sitting back, I felt a calmness entering me. I knew she was lying, but I would allow her to come around in her own time. After saying goodbye to Tasha and Akim, we headed home. The drive back was also spent in silence.

At home, I went to my office to check my emails while Mila got ready for bed. She was standing by the window as I entered our room. “Everything okay?” I asked.

Mila turned, smiled at me, and sat down on the bed. “Yes,” she replied. “Thank you. Today was nice.”

“Pleasure, my dear,” I added as I lay back. I wished I could have removed the red dress from her. She looked so delicious, and I wanted more. But I would wait until she was ready. I lay staring up at the ceiling, listening until she was asleep before closing my eyes.