Bratva Boss’ Baby by Winter Sloane

Chapter Eighteen

Ava didn’t say anything for a few minutes as they returned to the car. That was understandable. Viktor shook with silent fury. How dare that fucker approach him in public like that? Goran seldom appeared at public events, simply because he’d never been invited. Goran Mogilevich was a true thug at heart. Goran deemed making connections with prominent members of the city a useless endeavor. Why bother shaking hands and making small talk with folks he could intimidate and blackmail?

Viktor nursed a headache. What was taking Jake so long? A thump landed on side of Ava’s window. Viktor snapped out of his train of thoughts. His first instinct was to protect her. Ava screamed and Viktor flung himself at her. He wrapped his arms around her, about to tug her down the seats. Viktor saw the smear of blood on the glass. Jake’s body had made the sound. It looked like someone had blasted his face off with a well-aimed bullet.

Anger swelled in the pit of his stomach. A figure ran toward Jake and started searching his body. Viktor didn’t know what happened to Pavel and the others. Maybe more of Goran’s men kept them busy. Whatever it was, Viktor and Ava were on their own. The looter found what he was looking for. The key to the car.

Viktor gently released Ava. The looter yanked open the car door. Ava shot him a panicked look. It might be regrettable, but sooner or later, Ava would need to see his true self. Viktor had played the gentleman card throughout the weeks they’d been dating. Spending time with Ava made him believe goodness still existed in him, but it wouldn’t, couldn’t last. Ava’s eyes went wide as he calmly pulled out the gun in his coat.

He lunged for the bastard who thought he could simply kill Jake and drive away with Viktor Kotov and his date. Viktor wrapped an arm around the bastard’s throat before he could put the key into the ignition. The man gasped, eyes bulging as Viktor pressed the barrel of his gun against the side of his head. Good thing Viktor put on a silencer. That would eliminate some of the noise his gun would make.

“Did you really think this pathetic plan of yours would work?” Viktor asked in a cold voice.

To his irritation, the fucker had the audacity to laugh. Bloodshot eyes met his.

“You were never the real target. I’m just the disposable pawn.”

Viktor pulled the trigger. Ava let out a little gasp. Blood and skull fragments sprayed against his face and suit. Viktor looked out the windows, wanting to know what the hell this dead bastard was muttering about. He finally understood what the junkie meant. Viktor caught a glimpse of Pavel, kicking and screaming as two men shoved him in the back of a black unmarked van. His heart plummeted. Viktor couldn’t leave Ava alone, and it would be too late to run out. He’d never be able to stop Pavel’s kidnappers in time. Viktor had to try.

His relationship with his brother had already been fucked-up, thanks to their father. Viktor truly regretted sending Pavel to the hospital.

“Wait here,” he told Ava. “Don’t open the doors to anyone. This car’s bulletproof. You’ll be safe here.”

“Viktor, don’t go out there,” she whispered. Ava looked tiny, trembling on the floor of the car and staring at him with huge and terrified eyes. Her hair and makeup were a mess. Viktor ignored her warning.

“Lock the doors.” Viktor threw the car door open and pointed his gun at the van. He fired at the back window. It shattered. He ran at the van, but it started to move, faster and faster until Viktor could no longer catch up. His gun clicked empty. He let out a stream of angry expletives in Russian.

“Boss, you’re okay. Thank God,” said a voice.

Viktor whirled. He didn’t know what expression he wore, but it made Motya take a hesitant step back. Motya gripped his left hand with his right. Blood blossomed from a spot on his shoulder. He looked all bruised up. Viktor looked for his other men. Only Jake was down. Igor had been shot, too, but despite the wound in his leg, Igor leaned against his car. Viktor told his men if something did happen, their first priority was guaranteeing Ava’s safety.

Katya had shared her doubts about bringing Ava to tonight’s events. Viktor didn’t listen. He’d been too overconfident, too secure in the knowledge that no one would touch him. No one would dare. No time for regrets. Viktor couldn’t change the past, or mend his fractured relationship with his brother, but it wasn’t too late. Pavel wasn’t dead. Viktor wasn’t worried about his brother talking. Pavel might be rash and prone to violence, but he’d die loyal.

“What do we do next, boss?” Motya asked.

“Take care of Jake’s body. Make sure his family is generously compensated. We’ll figure out how to get my brother back once we get home.”

“Understood.” Motya then pulled out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket. “Here, boss.”

Viktor looked at him quizzically.

“You won’t want Ava to see you all splattered in blood, don’t you?”

Scowling, Viktor wiped his face. Then he called for more reinforcements. They’d arrive faster than the cops. Viktor stationed his men in every corner of the city. He didn’t care about the gawkers on the sidewalk who witnessed everything. What a headache.

Fuck Goran. This was all his fault. Going after him in some backwater alley or side street was fine, but doing shit like this out in the open? There would be severe repercussions. The authorities and police tolerated and happily took the bribes from the crime families in the city as long as they conducted their affairs in the shadows. By doing this, Goran broke all the rules.

Viktor would need to have a chat with the mayor, the chief of police, and God knew who else. He’d do that later, though. Viktor returned to the car, almost half expecting Ava to be gone. She was there where he’d left her, cowering on the floor and shaking. He didn’t blame her. She just witnessed a man dying right outside her car window and in the front seat. That must come as a shock to her.

“Ava, it’s over. We’re safe,” he said.

Viktor held out a hand to her. She looked at it, uncomprehending. She said nothing for a few seconds. Viktor’s patience had a limit. There was so much to do and plan for, but this was Ava. Minutes ago, everything had seemed fine. Then her entire world had spun out of axis. Viktor had a plane. He was going to slowly integrate her into his world. Then again, plans had a way of going off track.

“Are we?” Ava seemed to finally snap out of her shock. She pulled herself up to the seat. She touched the glass, at the spot of blood Jake had left behind. “Nothing about tonight makes any sense. Who was Goran? Why was Jake killed? And you … you just whipped out your gun and shot that guy without a second thought.”

“If I hadn’t, he would’ve taken us captive along with Pavel. Goran would’ve won, and believe me, he wouldn’t kill us immediately. No, that would be a mercy. He’d keep us all alive for as long as he could just to wring out more screams.”

Viktor exaggerated. A junkie would’ve never bested him, but he needed Ava to understand the real threat wasn’t him. She was safe with him. He’d never let any of those bastards touch a single hair on her beautiful head.

“Why would he do that? Just who the hell are you people?” she whispered. The car door opened, revealing Mikhail. Reinforcements had arrived. Mikhail pulled the body still in the driver’s seat. Shit. Viktor just realized he’d left Ava here with a corpse, but what was he supposed to do?

After wiping the blood off the seat, Mikhail got behind the seat.

“Home, boss?” Mikhail asked.

“That’s right.”

“Drop me back at my apartment. Now.” Ava stared him down or at the very least, tried her best.

“Unfortunately, that’s no longer an option.”

She must’ve realized he was dead serious because she starting beating at his chest. Viktor hardy felt her blows. He closed his fingers around her wrists and set her hands down. What the hell? Viktor wasn’t in the mood for an argument. He could tell her to shut up and sit tight, but that would mean he’d have another fight in the foreseeable future. Viktor needed to handle his woman better, more diplomatically.

“It’s no longer safe for you, now that Goran’s seen your face. He probably knows who you are and where you live.”

Ava stopped struggling against him. “How?”

“Goran has connections. He’s the Pakhan of the Mogilevich Bratva after all.”

“The what?”

“A moment ago, you asked me who we were. We’re the Bratva. Goran’s group and mine are enemies. He wants a piece of me after I stole his biggest supplier.”

“The Bratva?” She swallowed.

“Come on, Ava. I know you’re a smart girl. Don’t pretend to be surprised. Surely, you’ve had your suspicions.”

“God, I’m so stupid.” Ava yanked her hands from his.

Viktor released her. She wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter. Viktor was taking her back to his home, his stronghold. No one would be able to touch her there. His defenses were impenetrable. Viktor spent a large fortune turning the old Kotov Bratva home into a fortress. It wasn’t just Pavel and him living there. Some of his men took up residence there. They also conducted important meetings there.

It was the heart of his operation. Hell, some of their most expensive merchandise was even kept in the basement. That was why Viktor was careful not to bring Ava to his house. She immediately would know he wasn’t a normal business owner, like he initially claimed. Now, the time for playing charades was over. Viktor had to admit he’d enjoyed the chase, the pretension. For the past few weeks, Ava had shown him what it was like to be normal. Viktor enjoyed the holiday, but it was time to get back to business.

“What am I then, your prisoner?” she demanded.

“This is for your own good, Ava. I’ll take care of everything,” he promised. “No harm will come to you or those who care about.”

Ava widened her eyes at the implications of his words. “What do Gina and my mother have to do with this?”

“Goran’s known for being relentless. If he realizes he can’t come for you directly, he’ll go after those you love.”

Viktor would do the same in Goran’s shoes. In fact, he’d done it before with traitors to the Kotov Bratva. He didn’t just end their miserable lives, he eradicated their friends and family. Ava didn’t need to know the extent of his ruthlessness just yet. Right now, she needed to believe that Goran was the big bad wolf and that Viktor was her white knight. Winning her trust was critical. A compliant prisoner was so much easier to deal with than a cornered rat who made rash decisions.

“So, what’s going to happen to Gina and my mom?” Ava finally asked.

Viktor had already thought this through. “I’ll have my men take them to a somewhere safe. They’ll have to take a forced vacation, to a place Goran won’t be able to track them. Meanwhile, I’ll have someone transfer the belongings from your apartment to my home.”

Ava stared at him like it was the first time she was truly seeing him. “Is Goran so dangerous?”

“You have no idea.”

She said nothing for the rest of the drive. Ava needed time to process. To think. Fine with him. Viktor pulled out his phone and called Aleksander, another of his lieutenants. He was right under Pavel in terms of the Kotov Bratva hierarchy. Aleksander immediately answered.

“I’m sorry about what happened tonight,” Aleksander said. Word had already reached most of his men. Good. Viktor didn’t have to waste time explaining the severity of the situation. True, he cared about Pavel’s safety, but if word got out Viktor lost his own brother in the crossfire, the Kotov Bratva’s reputation would go down. The other crime families in the city might consider it a weakness and decide to take action against them.

“I’m calling for a meeting tomorrow morning. Gather all the lieutenants. Tell Katya to cancel all my meetings.”

“Done. Are we going to war, boss?” He could hear the anticipation in Aleksander’s voice. If Pavel wasn’t his brother, he would’ve probably picked Aleksander as his second-in-command. Aleksander loved a good fight, but he thought before he acted first.

“I won’t call it that just yet. I need time to think tonight.” Viktor ended the call and noticed Ava watching him intently.

“You call the shots, huh?”

“That’s a redundant question.”

“I guess it is.” Ava wrapped her arms around herself. Viktor took off his jacket. She shook her head at him, but he draped it over her like a blanket anyway. She gripped the collar of the jacket, not quite meeting his eyes.

“I understand you’re doing all this to keep me safe,” she finally said. “But Viktor, we shouldn’t have gone to that gala. Just one question. Was I bait?”

“Bait? No,” Viktor answered in a harsh voice. Did she really think that? “I made a mistake. I was too wrapped up in my arrogance and assumed I was untouchable. I wanted to show you off. It was also just bad timing. I never expected Goran to show up at the gala.”

“You’re not lying, aren’t you?” She ran a frustrated hand through her tangled hair. Viktor knew she and Katya spent a long time getting ready, and now, her hair and makeup were all ruined.

Viktor tipped her chin, using his two fingers. “Starting now, I’ll make you a promise, Ava. I’ll never lie to you again.”

She didn’t draw away, which Viktor took as a positive sign.

“No, I can’t blame you for everything. Weeks ago, you were about to tell me the truth, weren’t you? I said I wasn’t ready. All the warning signs were there, but still, I didn’t bolt. Now, I’ve dragged Gina and my mother into this mess.”

“You’re formidable. That’s why you’re perfect. Why you’re my woman.”

“Am I?” Ava asked. “Don’t I get a choice in the matter?”

Viktor smiled. “Even if you’re thinking of leaving in the future, you’ll come crawling back to me, mark my words.”

She had nowhere to go, after all. Running wouldn’t help her. Goran and his enemies would know she was important to him. That made her a target all the time. They’d have no qualms about using her to get to him. Ava had no powerful allies on her side. All she had was Gina, her mother, and Viktor. Yes, that logic might be twisted, but that was her penance for choosing to stay with a man like him.

Ava slapped his hand away. “You cocky bastard. Don’t talk like you know me.”

“But I do. I know everything about you, Ava. Your history. Your quirks. Your trust might be hard to win, but once you pick a person, you stick with them all the way, don’t you?”

Ava lifted his jacket higher, covering her upper body. She looked like she wanted to disappear right there and there, staring out the windows. She pressed her palm against the glass again and furrowed her brow.

“Where the hell are we? Are we still in the city?”

“The outskirts,” he confirmed. Trees bordered either side of the car. Few vehicles passed by this road. “We’ll be reaching the house soon.”