Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 19 - Aleksandr

Leaning against the window and staring at the movement of the trees, my mind wandered back to my conversation with Mila last night. We discussed our pasts but also our skills. Mila was an impressive woman.

I loved listening to her talk about her work. Her voice was filled with passion and excitement. I learned that hacking was her main skill, but she possessed so much more. Tasha was just straight out a hacker, but Mila. Well, she was also a seductress.

Think about it now; I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. If she only used it on me, I guess it would be a fine skill to have. Grinning at my reflection in the window, I was sure she would disagree.

It was hard to ignore the things that made her happy. I didn’t want her stepping into any dangerous situation. In fact, I didn’t want her involved in any of this period. But I had to fight my possessive instincts if I wanted to make this marriage work.

I softly slammed my fist against the wall. I was going crazy even though I hadn’t even allowed her to work yet. Hearing the door open, I flung around. My butler peeked around the door. “Good morning, sir,” he said, bowing his head as he stepped inside.

He closed the door behind him before continuing. “Sir, your brother came over last night. He asked that I not bother you with it. He went up to his old room and crashed there for the night.”

Raising my brows, I wondered why one of my brothers would come here for a night. None of them have stayed in this house for over a year. Before I could ask, my butler, who knew me well, continued. “It’s Akim, sir. One of the guards brought him. He was in no state to drive. I hope I have done the right thing.”

Letting out a deep sigh, I nodded. “Thank you,” I said, turning my attention to the bookshelf. I waited to hear the door close before turning. I was frustrated but strangely wasn’t angry as usual. I felt sure this change had to do with having Mila in my life.

It has been a while since Akim had gone off the rails. I had forgotten that I had told the men to bring him here in such a situation. As I headed to the kitchen, I wondered what had happened to bring this on.

Sister Maldine turned and smiled as she saw me entering. She was an old Puerto Rican woman and had worked here for as long as I could remember. Growing up, she ensured we always had biscuits and treats. Her gray ailing hair barely covered her head these days, but her smiles were always filled with warmth.

“Sir,” she uttered cheerily. “What can I do you for?”

“Maldine,” I replied, shaking her fragile hand gently. “Can I have a cup of your magic hangover cure?”

She lightly tapped my hand as she replied. “Of course. Did you have more than one bottle, sir?”

Shaking my head, I laughed softly. “No, Maldine. It’s for Akim.” I was glad I didn’t need it. I knew it worked but the taste and smell were enough to prevent you from taking another drink. I didn’t know what was in it and frankly didn’t care.

I waited as Maldine entered the pantry and returned with a glass of her famous orange-blackish sludge. “Thank you kindly,” I said, taking the glass from her.

“No probs, sir,” she replied as I left the kitchen. With a cure in hand, I headed to Akim’s old room.

Standing in front of the door, I decided to pull an Anton on myself. Turning the doorknob, I swung it open with force. The door connected to the wall quickly. The room filled with a loud ‘bang.’

Akim sprung up; he looked disheveled. Glancing at me, I could see his anger growing as the situation dawned on him. “Before you go lecturing me,” Akim huffed as he sat down. “You were also young, and all of you had partied at my age.”

Stepping closer, I held out the glass to him. “Akim,” I replied calmly. “Since the meeting last week, you have been acting differently. What’s going on? Talk to me.”

Akim took the glass and shook his head. Lowering his eyes to the floor, he mumbled something. But it was unclear. I sat next to him and continued to prod. “Akim, I won’t force you to talk to me. But if this gets worse, I will have to step in. I know you don’t like how I handle things, so give me another option. If I have to, I will, you know that, right?”

He nodded, looked out the window, then stared into the glass. “What’s this?” he asked hesitantly.

Chuckling, I grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly. “I have no idea, but believe me, it works. Now, drink up so we can talk.”

I stood up and walked to the door. Turning back, I saw Akim swallowing the contents of the glass. He gasped a little, but the expression on his face. It was almost worth the stress I felt. “I’ll be in my office once you’ve washed up,” I said. Akim nodded and I left.

He didn’t leave me waiting too long. I had barely sat down when he entered. “Sit, let’s talk,” I said, pointing to the chair before my desk.

Akim Pulled the chair out. He pushed one hand through his hair as he sat down. He let out a deep sigh. “Someone has been snooping, and I know trouble is coming. I just can’t get a handle on things,” he breathed out.

I felt the anger I had been trying to control ignite within me. I stood so quickly that my chair flipped over. “Akim,” I huffed before realizing I was about to go off.

He glanced up at me, and I could see fear and shame on his face. Taking a deep breath, I slowed the bubbling volcano within. “Why did you not come to me earlier?” I asked. I tried to steady my tone by clenching my fists and breathing in deeply.

“I wanted something concrete before I came to you, but last night…,” Akim looked at the window as his words trailed off.

“Last night what, Akim?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I was followed to the shipyard. I only realized once the three cars pulled in and parked on the side of the warehouse next to ours in the dark,” he mumbled.

“That one’s empty,” I replied.

“Yes, that’s why I knew they were following me.”

“So, you went out and got drunk instead?” I asked in disbelief.

Akim glared at me as he continued. “No, that’s the last thing I remember!”

This wasn’t right. It had to be the enemy Bratva. I had to do something before we lost men and possibly one of our operations. “I will handle this, lay low for now. Stay here,” I said, moving around the desk exiting my office.

My blood was boiling. It had been a long time since the last time I felt so furious. I decided I would ask Mila to assist. But we had to move quickly. We needed to gather intel on the rival companies. We had to know what we were up against.

Walking through the house briskly, I searched for Mila. I couldn’t find her inside so headed outside. I was about halfway through the Maze of Roses when I spotted her. She was lying on the grass reading. She appeared so peaceful, I stood for a tad, not wanting to disturb her.

I was not merely smiling as I approached her. I was beaming. She was still a vision to me. She looked like a fallen angel surrounded by green grass and colorful roses. Kneeling by her feet, I tenderly. “Is it a good book, dear?”

Mila tried to scramble backward, dropping the book on her face as she moved. She let out a small yelp and I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” I always had a knack for being silent. My intention wasn’t to scare her, but I did.

She gave me a playful glare shaking her head. Seeing that was worth the scolding that followed. “How dare you sneak up on me?”

“My dear, I didn’t intend on scaring you. I am sorry,” I added, sitting down at her feet.

Mila lifted her head and looked away as she replied. “I’m fine, thank you. What brings you out to spy on me? I thought you went to work.”

I chuckled, moving closer to her. “Mila, believe it or not, that is why I am here.”

My wife focused all her attention on me. Her look was filled with confusion and doubt. It hurt that she still didn’t trust me fully. But I knew I was on the right track at making us work. I wanted to build an empire with her, which meant including her.

As I spoke, I felt my possessive instinct kicking in. I fought it down, not wanting anything to cause a rift between us. “Dear, I need your help.”

Mila looked at me up and down, her eyes filled with disbelief. “Okay,” she said hesitantly.

“We need to gather intel on the rival Mafia group that’s been following us,” I added, taking her hand. “But only if you want to.”

“Are you kidding?” Mila replied, hugging me. “I would love to help. Just tell me where you need me and what I must do.” Pulling back, she kissed my cheek warmly as she continued. “When do I start?”

Smiling at her, I wanted to pick her up and carry her to our room. My mind was suddenly invaded with thoughts of having her back in bed. Her passion was evident every time she spoke of working. Taking her face in my hands, I leaned closer. She didn’t pull away as our lips met.

I felt her energy sparking through me, and then I pulled back. My breathing was turning rugged. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to control my hunger for her. Clearing my throat, I spoke as calmly as I could. “You will be joining Tasha and our other two hackers at the office for the day.”

Mila beamed as she jumped up, “So, what are we waiting for, an invitation?”

Rising to my feet, I felt my heart swelling. Seeing her so happy was more than satisfying. I followed her in as she skipped all the way back to the house. “Do I need to change or take something?” she huffed, turning in the entrance hall.

“No, my dear, we can go if you are ready?” I responded.

Mila headed out the door and straight to the car. As I followed, I realized I hadn’t seen her this excited before. It was heartwarming witnessing this side of her. The drive to the office was quiet. Mila sat staring out the window, smiling broadly at the world.

Every now and then, she shifted. She wasn’t able to sit still for long and I assumed it was due to the excitement. We stopped at our main office building, and I recalled our first fight there after the wedding. “Mila,” I said, taking her hand before we got out. “I’m sorry we started out so rocky.”

Mila smiled, leaned over, and kissed my cheek. Her lips were warm and her touch tender. “It’s fine, Aleksandr. Let’s get working, okay?” Her voice was filled with compassion. I knew our bond had changed.

We got out and entered the building. It was one of the legal companies, a law firm. We also used it to run some of the subsidiary companies. It was doing well and worked to hide our other companies well.

Entering the elevator, I felt Mila’s grip on my arm tightening. She was battling to contain her excitement. Entering my code, we headed to the software and security level of the building.

Exciting the elevator, we headed past the guards and down a short corridor. There were two doors on either side. These lead to a security room, one on each side. Inside were monitors linked to cameras for all our operations. One of the others was a break room, and the last one held our operating systems.

At the end of the corridor were double glass doors. These led to the hacking room as Tasha called it. There used to be only three tables inside. One for each of the hackers. Tasha’s was the largest system, as she did most of the digging.

Knowing that Mila was also a hacker and that someday it would come to this. I had Tasha set up a system for her as well. Mila gasped as we stepped inside. Tasha jumped up from her computer and pulled Mila into a tight hug. “I’m ecstatic that you are joining us,” she huffed.

“So am I,” Mila responded as Tasha dragged her to her desk.

“This system is yours,” Tasha added, pulling out the chair.

Mila glanced at me, and I nodded. She sat down, started up the computer, and then looked at me. “Jason is the leader of the Galabia Family,” I said.

“We have tried hacking their data but haven’t gotten very far,” Tasha added.

Before we could say anything else, Mila was already slamming away at the keyboard. Tasha stood behind her, watching as Mila pulled a file here and another there. She pushed them over to Tasha’s computer with a swipe of her fingers.

Tasha took her seat, and I watched them as they typed, shared, and glanced at each other. Most of the information they came up with was things we knew. There were tidbits of new intel, but nothing groundbreaking.

It was amazing to watch Mila work. The more the system blocked her, the harder she fought. She was grinning, laughing, swearing, and slamming the table now and then. I could see she was in her own heaven as she worked.

Standing in the doorway watching her, I drifted off into a daydream. Mila and I were walking on the beach happy as can be. I was ripped from my mind as Mila cursed and slammed the table hard.

Standing straight, I was about to ask her what happened when Tasha beat me to it. Tasha was standing behind Mila, watching her screen. They were having a conversation I didn’t understand. The language sounded alien to me as they shared dots, commas, and random letters.

Listening, I tried to understand. After a while, I realized Mila had hacked their system but couldn’t get in deeper. Tasha leaned over her shoulder, typing away. But after a bit, she stood back, pushing her hands through her hair. The look on her face told me that they couldn’t get in.

They shared a couple more ideas in their alien language. Watching them, I was glad that they were getting along. Their ideas and methods appeared to be working in sync. I hoped we would gain access with the two of them working as one.

My good mood didn’t last long, though. I partially understood what they were discussing as they glared at Mila’s monitor. They were talking of a manual hack or an override. I felt my heart rate increase as the direction of their idea sunk in. I didn’t like where it was heading.

“No,” I spat, stepping closer. “There is no way I am allowing either of you near that place. It’s too dangerous. We do not condone reckless behavior.”

Mila stood and came to stand before me. Taking my face in her soft hands, she spoke tenderly. “I know it sounds dangerous. This is the type of work I do, Aleksandr. You trust me, don’t you?”

“Mila,” I replied, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I cannot let you go into an unstable situation.”

“If you trust me, Aleksandr, you will let me do this. Allow me to prove my worth to you.” Her words were like knives stabbing into my heart. I was struggling to accept that this could be our only option.

I wanted to keep her safe but to do so, I had to eliminate the enemy. If I didn’t allow her to do this, not only would the enemy still be around. But it would also destroy our relationship.

Reluctantly, I nodded, pulling her into a tight hug. “Mila, you need to be careful,” I whispered over her shoulder.

“Tomorrow night,” she replied, moving back. “They will be attending a banquet, and the office will be left with minimal guards.”

“Okay, now let’s go home.”

Mila and Tasha hugged each other, and we headed out. The rest of the day we spent shopping, swimming, and getting to know each other some more.