Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 26 - Mila

After driving around for about an hour, I came to a stop. I needed to clear my mind. Glancing around, I thought of a spot I used to go to when things at home were heavy. It was always quiet and didn’t have any traffic.

I took to the road again and headed to my secret spot. Turning off the engine, I leaned on the handlebars, taking a few deep breaths. Pushing out the stand, I got off and walked towards the fallen tree stump. Sitting down, I felt a sense of peace. It was a small clearing not far into a field of trees.

But the peace didn’t last long as I tried to sort through my feelings. Could I be in love with Aleksandr, I wondered. He was the man I vowed to get revenge over. My mind was fighting to make sense of my emotions. Could Dahlia be right?

Why was I feeling so strange? I have learned he is not an evil man. He treats his staff with respect and provides for their needs. His family comes first and always will. This also includes me now. Standing up, I walked over to one of the surrounding trees.

Hugging the tree, I felt conflicted. He was honest, caring, strong, and reliable. These were exceptional traits for a man like him. Smiling at the tree, I thought about his muscular build, gentle smile, and his sparkling golden eyes. He was an attractive man, and it didn’t end there. He had so much to offer.

How could Dahlia say that I was in love with Aleksandr? Love wasn’t the same thing as liking someone. I knew I liked him a lot, but did I love him? Loving someone implies you giving everything you have, your mind, body, and soul, to that person. It was a union of two different souls becoming one.

Looking down at my feet, I lightly kicked at the base of the tree. My head was filled with uncertainty. Could I be ready for such a melding, I wondered. Was Dahlia seeing something I haven’t even realized yet?

Kicking harder at the tree, I felt a tingling sensation run up my leg. Was I ready to give my heart and risk losing all control? Considering all the aspects, I thought about our time together. He cares, and I think he loves me. I knew he would protect me, and he was supporting me even in my work.

Lifting my head, I looked up at the branches, the leaves, and the sky peeking through. I was surprised to find myself answering yes to all of it. I beamed as I knew not only could I do this, but I wanted it.

Filling with a desire to tell him and be with him, I got on my bike. I had to get home and tell Aleksandr that I loved him. I wanted to let him know I was ready to give all I had to this marriage. He was the one for me.

I was so excited that I didn’t notice the car following me. I was about halfway home when I spotted the tail. I increased my speed and took a couple of wild turns, trying to shake them. I had to slam on the brakes as I took another turn with them still behind me. The road was blocked off by two other cars and a truck.

“What the hell,” I screamed at the vehicles before me. Turning, I knew I was in trouble. I had been ambushed. Two more vehicles pulled in behind me and boxed me in. I drove into their trap. The doors opened, and men started peeling out. I knew I had to get out; I couldn’t be caught.

As they started circling me, I knew I had to run. My bike wouldn’t pass through any of the available openings, but I had to get off the open road. Sprinting, I headed into the fields, hoping to get to the cover of the trees in the distance. As I moved, I looked back and then felt my foot hooking on something.

Pushing out my hands, I blocked my fall. As I scrambled to my feet, I felt something grab my arm. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw him. It was the boss of the rival Bratva family. As he dragged me back towards the cars, he was screaming at his men.

“You are a bunch of useless people!” He picked me up into the air as he stopped in the circle. “She is such a lightweight. Why was capturing her taking so long?”

One of his men came closer, and I could see he was about to speak, but he was interrupted by the boss. Shoving me towards the man, he continued to scream at them. “Take her back to the office. We have a business dealing to take care of.”

The man tied my hands and put tape over my mouth before shoving me into the back of one of the cars. I had to get out. No one knew where I was. Looking around as we drove, I recognized some of the buildings we passed. Tasha and I had studied these buildings; they all belonged to the rival Bratva family.

The car stopped, and two men pulled me out. I tried to fight them, but they were big and strong. Entering the warehouse, they shoved me to the floor. I landed on my knees. Had it not been for the tape over my mouth, I would have yelled as the pain shot through my legs.

Looking up, I saw the boss man coming closer. He ripped the tape off and grinned at me. “So, you’re the precious wife,” he spat.

“Please, please let me go,” I begged in a soft tone. “I can offer you information.”

He turned his head as he studied my face. Waving his hand, one of the men brought a chair and assisted me in getting onto it. “I will shoot if you try to run, understand?” He spat at me.

I nodded, rubbing my knees. “Now tell me. What could you possibly offer that would be useful to me? Aren’t you married to Aleksandr, which makes you loyal to him?”

Shaking my head, I held back the flood of tears as I explained. “I was forced to marry him. I have spent my days gathering information on him and his family. I know everything there is to know about them. I can give you what you need to bring them down.” I swallowed hard as in my heart; I knew that was no longer the truth. I hoped the man standing before me couldn’t see through my lies.

Noticing a movement, I looked past the boss man. Out of the shadows, Aleksandr appeared. I wondered how much of my revelation, my lies to this man, he had heard. He was accompanied by his family, his men, and my siblings.

I slid off the chair as bullets started flying. In seconds, the warehouse filled with chaos. Men were screaming and running all over the place. There were loud ‘bang’ noises as guns went off. Glancing around, I saw men falling left and right. Blood flowed like rivers on either side of me.

Keeping low, I tried to stay out of harm’s way. Then I saw him walking through the mess as if he was bulletproof. Aleksandr came up to me and lifted me into his arms. “I’ve got you, dear,” he spoke in an even tone.

As he turned and walked out of the warehouse, I saw my siblings and his men rounding up the last of the enemy. I was saved, but my last words still haunted my mind. Outside, Aleksandr lowered me next to his car. He carefully removed the bounds from my hands and feet.

He opened the door and assisted me to get in. Getting in on the driver’s side, he gave me a warm smile but said nothing. As we drove, I wondered how much he had heard. I must have hurt him badly. He caught me snooping but didn’t know how long I’d been doing it. If he heard what I said, how would he feel about me now?

My heart felt heavy and my throat tight. My mind was still whirling from all the revelations, emotions, and events of the day.

Aleksandr stopped the car close to the front door. As we got out, I saw my siblings pulling up as well. I was relieved that it wouldn’t only be me and Aleksandr. Piotr, Leon, and Konstantin came running towards me. They pulled me into a big family hug.

Feeling their love surrounding me, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I allowed my tears to flow. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Let’s go inside,” I heard Aleksandr speak behind me. Turning, he pulled me into his warm embrace. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he added softly. He held me around my waist as we went into the house. Maybe he didn’t hear, I thought.

We headed through to the lounge area. “Please have a seat,” Aleksandr said. He sat down on one of the single couches and pulled me onto his lap. Having him hold me made me feel loved, and I laid my head on his shoulder.

“Mila,” he said once everyone was settled. Looking at him, I saw that familiar sparkle in his golden eyes. “I have to say, your idea about having so much intel on us to distract them was fantastic. You really thought on your feet during this catastrophe. It was brilliant.”

He kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly. “I’m so relieved that we got to you in time, that you are now safe where you belong.”

I was stunned at his words. He truly believed I made it all up. He wasn’t mad. He appeared to be happy. Feeling my tears building up again, I knew I had to come clean. Glancing at the others, I had hoped to do this in privacy, but I couldn’t keep it in. They were all looking at us expectantly, and I had to say something.

As I spoke, the tears started flowing again. My heart ached. I have never felt so sick inside as I did in that moment. “Aleksandr,” I breathed out slowly.

He shifted, taking my face in his hands. “No, dear, why are you crying? It’s over; you’re safe. Are you hurt?” he asked tenderly.

My throat felt like a clogged nozzle. I battled to get any words out. He started wiping at my tears and kissing my forehead. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. “I’m so sorry, I feel so bad for lying to you.”

“No, no, why? You did nothing wrong,” Aleksandr added, kissing my forehead. He was so calm, and his tone warm, it made me feel like screaming.

Taking a couple of jagged breaths, I calmed the worst of my crying. Swiping at the tears on my cheeks, I looked into his amazing eyes as I spoke. “Aleksandr, I have been gathering information on you and the family even before our forced marriage. I dug into your life before you caught me. I wanted to use it against you.”

Aleksandr pulled me into his arms. I felt him breathing hard before letting out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his chest, feeling the ocean of tears building again.

Pulling back, Aleksandr lifted my face and stared deep into my eyes. “I love you,” I managed to get out as the next wave started coming.

He searched my face, wiping gently at the tears. “I love you, Aleksandr Dubow. I no longer want to hide my feelings for you. I want to be your wife in every sense of the word. I give you my heart fully. I am sorry for any trouble I may have caused…”

Before I could continue, Aleksandr kissed me passionately. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I didn’t care who saw or what they thought anymore. Pulling back for air, Aleksandr spoke. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear those words. I love you, Mila. I always have and always will. Nothing you do could ever change that.”

Glancing at the family gathered around us, I noticed them all smiling. “Please tell you brothers there’s no need to kill me anymore,” Aleksandr said jokingly.

Everyone burst out laughing. “This was not what we expected,” Piotr said, standing up. My other two brothers also rose. They held out their hands as they came closer. Aleksandr moved me up a little as he shook hands with them.

I could feel all the eyes in the room on us. “I’m so happy for you,” Dahlia added as she came closer.

Getting up, I hugged her. “Thank you for helping me open my eyes,” I replied.

Tasha and all the others also rose, and the room filled with warm hugs and speeches of congratulations.

I could see everyone was finally at peace with each other. My siblings had completely welcomed Aleksandr into the family. Seeing the two families chatting and visiting without any frowns or angry words filled my heart with warmth.