Page 32 of Bossed Around by the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #20)

Pulling up to the Chernykh mansion, my heart felt heavy. Our honeymoon hadn’t been long enough. If it were up to me, we would never have come back. But we had a business to run, so running away wasn’t an option.

I sighed, staring at the mansion. Zhenya laughed softly as she lightly tapped my shoulder. “Come on,” she said. “Get out of the car. This whole party is being held for us. The least we can do is attend.”

“Okay,” I replied, grinning at her. “I’ll go, but please don’t make me stay too long.” I knew this wasn’t entirely an option as it was the alliance party as well, and not just for us.

Glancing over at Zhenya, my wife, I knew what she was going to say even before the words came out. She shook her head, her silky locks flowing over her shoulders. “No,” she said. “We will stay as long as needed and then go home.” Her tone was stern but filled with a tenderness that drove me wild.

Nodding, I jumped out and headed around to open her door. She sat staring at me, her brows raised. I knew she wanted confirmation that I had heard her. She wanted me to put her at ease. “Yes, I will stay as long as you want,” I said, giving her a slight bow.

Zhenya laughed and took my hand as I offered it. We headed inside. I was surprised to find everyone there already. Iosif, Avgust, Anton, and Alexsandr were all there to welcome us home.

As I shook Alexandr’s hand, I pulled him closer. “Are we late?” I inquired.

“No, we’re all early for a change,” he replied.

Looking at Iosif, I could see he wasn’t as pleased to see me.

But I couldn’t blame him after everything.

I wasn’t pleased to see him either. But for the sake of the alliance, we would keep it civil.

We nodded at each other and then walked through to the back of the house, where everyone else was gathered.

Vadik and Tasha were the first to greet us out of the crowd of people.

It was a quick greeting, as many people wanted to talk to us.

Her sister Misha waved at us from the side.

Zhenya took my hand and headed in her direction.

I nodded and swiftly greeted those we passed.

Before we could get to Misha, Anton grabbed my arm and pulled us into the bar.

“So,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Tell me all about your honeymoon and the white beaches, was the island as they advertise?”

Joyce, his wife, smacked him lightly, and we all laughed. “Why so eager, brother?” I asked, grinning.

He glanced at Joyce as he replied. “I was just curious.”

“There are many people who want to know. We’ll catch up later, okay?” I said, tapping his shoulder. We haven’t even greeted everyone.”

Stepping out of the bar, we walked into Abram and his wife. After quick greetings, we moved towards Misha again. I felt exhausted, and we hadn’t even greeted everyone. I leaned against a table, listening as Zhenya spoke to her sister. Then, Elisse also joined them.

Turning, I gazed at the people gathered here. I met Iosif’s cold stare. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was still angry at me for Zhenya, or everything else. This also made me wonder how long he would hold a grudge. What kind of leader was he?

Looking back, I saw Zhenya was still being held captive by her sisters. It was the perfect opportunity for me to slip away and get some fresh air. I hugged her from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek, whispering into her ear. “I’ll just be to the side if you need me.”

She glanced at me, smiling. This was her it’s fine smile. I moved to the side, walking out of the clusters of family, when I noticed Tasha approaching me. I smiled and spoke in a hushed tone as she came closer. “Hi there, little sis. How are you doing?”

Tasha shook her head as she bumped into me softly. “Little sister?” she asked with a hint of teasing in her tone. “No, I wanted to check and see how my little brother was doing.”

“Oh, I am no longer the little one,” I shot back, laughing as I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. Glancing at Zhenya, I spoke with sincerity and pride. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Her smile stretched across her face as she replied. “I’m so happy for you. I knew one day you would find your lid.”

“Thanks,” I said, glancing at the floor. Lifting my head and looking at Alexandr, I continued. “So, how are the businesses going?”

“Well, Alexandr scheduled a meeting for Monday morning to catch you up. But I can say the estate building restorations have been done. It looks better than new. The Morozovs have added security, and what happened will never happen again.”

“I am overjoyed to hear that. Thank you,” I huffed, noticing Zhenya coming closer. We had a drink, ate something light, and mingled for about an hour or so. As we were walking toward Timofey, Zhenya squeezed my hand. “After this, we can go,” she whispered.

“Finally,” I whispered, breathing out. She lightly hit my shoulder with her tiny fist, smiling at me.

“Sorry about everything,” Timofey said as we shook hands. “I’m just glad everything worked out.”

“Thank you,” I replied with sincerity. He was clearly a bigger man than his brothers.

We quickly made our way around, greeting everyone and thanking them for being there for us.

Iosif walked with us to the door. Shaking my hand, I could feel him squeezing harder than needed.

He smirked as he greeted me. I knew he still had hard feelings.

But I wasn’t going to allow him to intimidate me or spoil my evening.

“Thank you for the hospitality,” I said as we stepped out.

Once in the truck, Zhenya put on some music and started singing along. I loved seeing her so happy. We stopped at her condo to collect the last of her boxes and headed home. My house was where we were going to stay, as it held the potential to be a family home.

She had already started planning for extra rooms and other modifications. I wanted her to do it so she would also feel it was hers. I was confident that once she was done, it would be the perfect home for raising kids.

Once we got home, I placed her boxes in the garage. And we took a long shower. She lay on the bed watching her favorite show while I ordered a pizza. I caught up on my emails and confirmed the appointment with Aleksandr before returning to our room.

Zhenya was half asleep by the time I entered. Putting off the television, I snuggled in next to her. She shifted back into my arms and fell asleep instantly.

The weekend just flew past in a breeze, and Monday morning came quicker than I wanted.

I still felt tired. I loved holding her with our limbs entangled.

Her chest rose and fell as she breathed.

I could still smell the sweetness of the island soap on her.

She insisted on buying a whole box to bring home.

I lay still until I felt her stirring. Leaning over, I kissed her cheek. “Morning, beautiful,” I whispered. “We have a lot to do today.”

She turned onto her back, smiled at me, and nodded. She caressed my cheek before getting out and heading to the bathroom. Stretching out, I smiled at the ceiling. Life was good.

Once I washed and dressed, I headed downstairs to make breakfast. Zhenya was still in the bathroom as her morning routine took a bit longer.

I smiled as I heard Zhenya speaking behind me. “Darling, baby, that smells divine. The entire house has caught it, and I had to rush to come see what you’re making.” She wrapped her arms around me and tried to peek over my shoulder.

I loved feeling her body against mine. She hugged me tightly as I tried to reply. My voice was slightly shaky as my body reacted to her touch. “It’s only cheese waffles with bacon and egg. But I’m glad you love the smell.”

She hugged me tighter. It felt like she was trying to squeeze my life out of me. Then she stepped back and set the table. As I dished up, she made me coffee and poured a glass of juice for herself.

We ate in silence, staring and smiling at each other. My mind was still on the island, and I felt sure hers was too. Once we were done, she rinsed the plates, and we headed to work. I dropped her at the office before heading to Aleksandr’s office.

Aleksandr caught me up on all the things that happened and the plans ahead. The meeting was shorter than I thought. I was glad to get back to my office with Zhenya waiting. We were now equal partners in the business, and she had her own office next to mine.

She was fantastic at her job and kept me on my toes. I learned a lot from her and loved it when she showed me new ways to look at things. Being equals made every day special, not only at work but at home as well. We were like two peas in a pod, like Yin and Yang. We belonged together.

Sitting in my office, checking the calendar, I was astounded as I realized another week had passed. Then, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. Zhenya had invited Tasha and Vadik over for supper. Looking out the window, I noticed it was getting dark out.

I quickly packed up my work and shut off the computer. Getting up, I knew she wasn’t going to be happy to leave. The new project that came in, along with the house modifications, had been keeping her busy. She wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.

I walked to her office door and stood for a moment watching her. I loved how her forehead crinkled when she was busy. Ahd, the way she sucked in her bottom lip, playing with it. I could watch her for hours. Snapping out of my head as I heard her swearing at the computer, I walked in.

It had died on her. It took all my restraint not to laugh as I knew she had forgotten to charge it once again. She was rummaging through her drawers. “Where is it?” she huffed. “Where is the fucking charging cable?”

Walking around her desk, I placed my hand on her shoulder as I spoke. Hey, beautiful, it’s time to go home.” She glared at me, her frustration showing clearly. “Hey, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”

She shook her head as she replied. “It’s almost as if you and my laptop conspired against me!”