Page 26 of Brutal Reign (Bratva Kings #3)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

HOPE

We climb the stairs in silence, the sound of our footsteps softened by the thick runner that covers the marble treads. The hem of my dress drags behind me, torn and stained. Ruined, like everything else today.

I glance at Pavel from the corner of my eye. He looks forward, no outward sign of emotion on his face. He’s been cold like this, distant, since I told him about Kin.

We reach his bedroom door, and I pause, my fingers curling around the handle.

“I need to talk to him first,” I say without turning around. “Let him know there’s been a… a change of plans.”

“Hurry up. I’ll be out waiting right here.”

I take a breath, about to push open the door, but I stop and turn around to face him again when I realize I’m not prepared for this conversation with Kin. How can I explain what lies ahead for us when I have no idea myself?

“What should I tell my son? What are you going to do with us?”

“You’re going to live with me in my home in Moscow.” He arches a brow. “You’re my wife, after all.”

Moscow. We’re going straight into the den of wolves. The heart of the Syndicate that stole everything from me. Will we be prisoners there? Locked away, kept as trophies of their victory over the Black Company?

But like so many things in life, I have no choice. The only choice I have is to stay strong and search for a way out.

With that, I push open the door to Kin’s room. It’s warm and quiet in here, the curtains drawn.

I cross to the closet and knock gently—two times fast, then one time slow—our agreed-upon signal.

A moment later, the door cracks open and Mei peeks out, her expression one of instant relief.

She doesn’t speak right away, but her eyes take in my disheveled state and torn dress.

We exchange a look heavy with silent understanding.

I’m okay , I mouth to her.

She nods and steps back so I can join her inside.

A single flashlight, balanced on a stack of pillows, lights up the dark walk-in closet. Blankets hang from the shelves, creating a fort, with a stuffed dinosaur propped near the corner.

“Mama!” Kin’s head pops out of the makeshift fort, his face lit with joy. “Look what we made!”

My knees nearly buckle with relief at seeing him happy and safe.

“That’s so cool. Come here, baby.” I crouch down, arms wide. He runs to me and throws his arms around my neck, his little body warm and solid. I bury my face into his shoulder, trying not to get emotional. I close my eyes for a second and breathe him in.

When he pulls back, his face is glowing. “Did you see the fireworks? We didn’t, but they were so loud .”

It takes me a second to register what he means. The explosions, courtesy of the Syndicate attacking.

I glance at Mei, whose face is carefully neutral. “I did, love. But listen, we need to talk.” I brush his hair back from his face. “There’s been a change of plan.”

Kin frowns. “What kind of plan?” He tilts his head to the side and gives me a once-over. “Were you playing outside? You got really dirty.”

I give him a sad smile. “I was,” I say gently. “Let’s put on some comfy clothes, and I’ll tell you all about our new plans.”

Fifteen minutes later, I’ve changed into yoga pants and a soft sweatshirt and dressed Kin in his dinosaur pajamas. Our bags are packed with the little we brought: clothes, toiletries, Kin’s favorite books, a few toys, and the stuffed dinosaur he never sleeps without.

As I do a final check of our belongings, a knot forms in my stomach. I only have a few more doses of both my thyroid medication and birth control pills.

The thyroid medication is non-negotiable.

After Kin was born, I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid that leaves me tired and foggy if untreated.

I can go for a few weeks without it, but I’ll have to tell Pavel eventually, assuming he cares enough to let me see a doctor.

As for the birth control, I’ve been taking it in secret to stop Simon from forcing a baby on me.

I really hope Pavel doesn’t have the same expectations about our so-called marriage.

The one thing I won’t take with me is the phone I’ve kept hidden in the lining of my suitcase. The phone I use to communicate with Uncle Chen. I’m sure Pavel will search me for any communication devices, which means this is my last chance to contact him.

“I’m stepping into the bathroom for a second,” I tell Mei.

She looks worried, though she hasn’t pressed for more details beyond the heavily edited version I’ve given her.

I close and lock the bathroom door, then turn on the shower so no one overhears.

Uncle Chen is retired now, living a quiet life in Hong Kong with his wife of twenty-six years. Their kids are grown and long out of the house, so I doubt he’ll hear about the Syndicate raid. He’s never had ties to the triad anyhow.

I don’t have time to type him a message, so even though there’s a risk, I call.

His phone rings once, then twice, before going to voicemail.

My voice starts steady but cracks as the reality of my situation hits me.

“Uncle Chen, I don’t know when you’ll hear this, but…

things didn’t go as planned. The Syndicate attacked before the wedding.

Simon got away, but I didn’t.” This part is harder to say, and my throat closes up for a moment.

“Pavel Fedorov—one of the leaders of the Russian Belov Syndicate—h-he forced me to marry him. He’s taking both Kin and me back to Moscow.

I don’t know what this means.” I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye before it can fall.

“I’ll reach out as soon as I can, if I can.

I’m not giving up, and please don’t give up on me either.

I still need your help. It won’t be easy, but if there’s a way to get me the trust money, maybe I can escape.

But… please don’t worry. I’ll find a way out of this. ”

I hang up and press my back against the wall, trying to calm my racing heart. Warm tears slip down my cheeks, and I give myself a few minutes to break down, because honestly, how much more can a girl take?

When I finally pull myself together, I brush away the tears and splash cold water on my face. I have to stay strong for Kin.

I take one last look at the phone, then wrap it in a towel and smash it hard against the edge of the sink until the screen shatters and the device is dead. I stomp on it for good measure, muffling the noise under layers of terrycloth, all evidence of my last phone call destroyed.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I crouch in front of Kin. He’s perched on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs and talking to his stuffed dinosaur. I place my hand over his and wait until his big eyes turn to mine.

“I didn’t marry Simon today. I married someone else. His name is Pavel. He’s… an old friend of mine.”

Kin doesn’t blink. He just nods up at me.

“We’re going to go back to his country with him and live there for a while.” I say it like it’s a good thing, like we’re going on an adventure, but it’s definitely not the kind I was looking for.

Kin tilts his head. “Is he nice?”

Nice is the last word I’d use to describe Pavel, but I hope he’s at least decent. What if he sees Kin as a threat? What if he has a cruel streak? Anything is possible, and that scares me so damn much.

“Sure, he’s nice.” I force a smile.

He seems to accept this, nodding slowly. “Can Mei come?”

Mei stands by the closet, folding the blanket she used for the fort. We lock eyes, and I give a slight shake of my head. I don’t want to drag her into this.

“No, sweetheart. Mei lives in Hong Kong, and we’re going to a city called Moscow. It’s very far away. But I’m sure she can visit us one day.”

“Okay, Mama.”

After a quick goodbye to Mei and instructions to leave with the priest, I lift our bag with one hand, grasp Kin’s with the other, and open the door to find Pavel waiting across the hall.

He’s leaning against the wall, one foot braced behind him, phone pressed to his ear as he speaks in Russian—his words are quiet but intense. His eyes lift when he sees me, and for a second, they drag over me, assessing everything—my clothes, the tension in my face, the hand I’m holding.

Then they drop to Kin.

He doesn’t say anything right away, but his body straightens and his gaze softens.

I study Pavel, my heart thudding hard, waiting for something to register. But there’s no flash of realization. Nothing but a flicker of curiosity.

Pavel mutters a final word into the phone and slips it into his pocket. “You ready?”

I nod, but his eyes stay glued to Kin.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your son?”

I crouch beside Kin. “This is Pavel,” I say gently. “The man I married today.”

Kin blinks up at him with curious, wide eyes. “Whoa. You’re huge.”

Pavel’s lips twitch. “So I’ve been told.”

“I’m going to be strong too. ’Cause my dad was. That’s what Mama said.”

My heart jerks when Pavel’s eyes dart to me. I hold my breath, wondering if he’s reading into what Kin said, but if he is, he doesn’t show it.

He nods down at Kin. “I don’t doubt that you will be. I can tell just by looking at you.”

Something in my chest loosens when Kin grins back at him. “Are we going to your house now?”

“We are,” Pavel says. “Are you ready to go?”

Kin scrunches his nose. “What about all my stuff at home? Can we go get it?”

“I have an even better idea,” Pavel offers. “How about your mom takes you shopping once you’re settled and buys you all new stuff?”

“Can I buy another dinosaur?” Kin asks, holding up the raggedy stuffy in his hand.

“If your mother allows,” he says, glancing at me, more warmth in his eyes than I’d seen since we were together in London.

I swallow hard and look straight ahead before my expression can give anything away. This is Kin’s first time meeting his father, and he doesn’t know it. Neither of them does.

“We’ll see, sweetheart. We’re still figuring everything out.”

Kin nods and steps a little closer to me, eyes flicking back to Pavel like he’s still trying to size him up. He must look like a giant to my little guy.

“I’ll need your phone,” Pavel says to me, holding out his hand.

I fish the destroyed burner from my purse and hand it to him. He takes it, expressionless, and slips it into his pocket.

Without a word, he lifts the bag from my shoulder and begins to walk.

I curl my fingers tighter around Kin’s small hand and fall in line behind him, down the hall toward the chopper that’s waiting to carry us to whatever future Pavel has planned.