Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 11 - Aleksandr

I stood looking through the window at the fountains and part of the front yard I could see from my office. I was still battling to wrap my mind around the fact that I had backed off. I could have had sex with Mila last night.

She was ready, of that I felt sure. But I wanted all of her, not only sex. I needed to win over her heart. I desired her love, to be everything she could want. It wouldn’t be easy, but I felt confident that I would be able to turn her in time.

Picking up my briefcase, I headed out of my office. Pulling the door shut, I listened for the lock. As I walked towards the stairs, my mind played with the idea of Mila being with someone else. “No,” I said, stomping my foot. My blood felt like it was boiling. I couldn’t allow that to ever happen. She was mine.

I walked to the bedroom door and peeked in, Mila still sleeping. I had to use everything I had to ensure she fell in love with me. I had to be the one to fill her precious heart. Winning her was the most important thing in my life.

Checking my watch, I noticed it was almost time for the meeting. Quietly, I closed the door and headed out. Mila would be furious if she knew I was meeting with her siblings and didn’t take her along. I knew she longed to see them.

But, for now, I wanted her for myself. As I walked out the front door, I turned to my butler. “If my wife asks, tell her I had a work meeting to attend. I am not sure what time I’ll be back, though.”

He simply nodded and closed the door behind me. Entering the garage, I decided to take my Ferrari out. It has been a while since I drove the red lightning. Pulling out, I put my foot down heavily. Feeling the wind through my hair was exhilarating.

I noticed the building coming into view and realized I was traveling a tad too fast. Slamming on the brakes, I pulled into the parking area with the loud, screaming of brakes. There were a couple of people standing around.

Switching off the engine and jumping out, I didn’t bother to look at them. I knew all eyes were on me. We had agreed to meet at one of my restaurants. This way, I could show them my worth and control the situation.

Entering the restaurant, one of my waiters approached. “Mr. DeLuca,” he said, holding out his hand. “Your guests have arrived.”

Shaking his hand briefly, I spoke. “You set them up in the back room?”

“Yes, sir. Everything is as you requested.”

“Thank you. Please bring us warm coffee and the platters I ordered.” He nodded and moved towards the kitchen. Passing the cocktail bar, the barman smiled and greeted in a cheery tone.

I returned his smile and focused on getting to the back room. As I entered the room, I noticed everyone was there except for two of the wives. They rose from their seats, smiling. Yet, their smiles faded rapidly as they realized Mila had not accompanied me.

Dahlia was there, and I was pleased to see her. After giving her a quick kiss, I motioned for them to sit down. “Thank you for coming,” I said, watching them take their places on one side of the table. I knew they would ask about Mila and was ready to address them.

When Piotr contacted me yesterday and asked for a meeting. He mentioned it was about a job they had but gave no specifics. I had arranged for a whiteboard to be brought in should they need one. Glancing at the board before the window, I noticed someone had scribbled on it.

At first glance, it appeared to be a list of sorts. The door opened, and the waiter entered with fresh coffee and the platters I had asked for. We silently stared at each other as he moved in and out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Konstantin spoke. “Where’s our sister?”

Holding up my hand, I replied in a neutral tone. “In time.” Glancing at Piotr, I continued. “You called a meeting about a job, not my wife. So, let’s get down to business.”

I could see by the reaction on their faces, they were less than pleased with my response. But Mila was mine. For now, I didn’t want her mixing with them.

Piotr leaned forward as he spoke. “We have a job to do that requires Mila’s skills. This is why I wanted to meet. You spoke of an alliance which we agreed to. We are all busy, but you aren’t keeping up your end.”

Leaning back in my chair, I felt annoyed. I was distracted by trying to figure out how to win Mila’s heart. Dahlia suddenly rose. “Please excuse me,” she mumbled, glancing at her watch. “I have something to do.”

We all rose with her. I waited as she kissed Konstantin before coming to me. I hugged her tightly as I whispered. “Are you okay?”

Dahlia looked up, smiled, and nodded. We waited for her to leave before taking our seats again. Still distracted, I spoke impatiently. “Yes, we still have a lot to talk about. Our families have very different ways of dealing with things.”

Grinning at the three men, I continued at a slightly slower pace. “I want to prevent conflict. Things that could make life difficult for both Dahlia and Mila. But Mila is my wife now…”

Before I could continue, Leon rose. I noticed his tone was harsh as he responded. “So, you just want to set boundaries and put us in our place, is that it? Do I understand you correctly?”

Raising my brows, I tried to wrap my mind around his words. I was frustrated and annoyed but couldn’t show it. “In a way, yes,” I responded. “For the moment, I feel we should just find common ground. I know there isn’t a lot of trust between us. But…”

Again, I was interrupted. As Piotr spoke, I felt my anger flaring. “You aren’t wrong. None of us trust you with our sister. Why are you keeping her away from us? We have a right to see her.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging fire burning inside. I knew I had to stay calm. Yet, I was battling and hated the fact that they could rub me up so quickly. Where Mila was concerned, I somehow managed to lose my grip on my emotions. She drove me insane; my mind went blank just thinking about her.

Glancing at the board, I kept my tone even as I spoke. “What is the job you need her for?”

“We need to get information from a politician and, well, she has ways to get it,” Piotr replied.

“I’m sorry,” I said, looking back at them. “For the time being, Mila will not be working with you. We need time to bond and grow our relationship. I’m sure you all understand that.”

They didn’t look pleased. Konstantin was about to say something when Piotr grabbed his hand. They exchanged a look, which was clearly a form of authority from Piotr. I watched as Piotr pulled on his tie before responding. “She is a key part of our operations. Critical in fact, and we would like to hear from her about her involvement.”

I wanted to straight out deny them, chase them away. But I knew that would just complicate the situation more. I had to select my words with care. “That might not be a good idea,” I said. I was struggling to keep my tone neutral. “She is now tied to me, and doing such jobs could place her in danger.”

“Danger?” Konstantin spat. I knew he wouldn’t be able to contain his contempt for me.

Raising my hand, I spoke. I could hear an elevation in my voice but couldn’t keep it down anymore. “I’m sorry, but I’m not placing her in a risky situation.”

Konstantin rose from his chair. His aggressiveness was undoubtedly visible. “You can’t hide her from us. Mila is our sister, and we insist on seeing her.”

Piotr also rose. Taking Konstantin by the shoulder, he spoke calmly. “Sit down, this is not helping.”

Konstantin glanced at him but continued to speak as they sat back down. “If you don’t allow us to see her, we will assume she is unwell, or something is wrong. We will not let it stand. Do you understand me?” I could see his siblings agreed with him. I had to disarm the situation.

I knew I had caused a rife that wasn’t good. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep her from the world forever. In a perfect world, I would be able to pull out my guns and make them disappear. But we didn’t live in a perfect world.

Sighing, I rose from the table. I lifted my hands up, palms facing them as I spoke. “Please, bear with me. I will make another appointment. Soon, I will get back to you with a time and place where we can all get together.”

Piotr rose from his chair, speaking in a calmer tone than the others. “You know you have no right to keep her from us. Please make it sooner than later, if you wait,” he paused, rubbed his chin, and continued. “You may lose her.”

I nodded and left before they could continue arguing. I didn’t want to lose her. But I couldn’t allow them to interfere, and I was sure they would.