Page 51 of Brutal Reign (Bratva Kings #3)
CHAPTER
FORTY
PAVEL
The mood on the terrace changes as soon as it’s just the five of us. The women are sufficiently out of earshot, gathered around the fire pit, and the kids have settled back inside to watch a movie.
Maxim pours five glasses of aged whiskey, while Roman strikes a match to light his cigar and then passes the flame around. Soon, we’re all wreathed in smoke, the outdoor heaters casting a warm glow as the temperature drops.
Tonight went better than I expected. Hope seemed to enjoy herself. I caught her laughing with the women, not just putting on a polite face. And Kin was vibrating with excitement, running around with Maxim’s kids like he’d known them his whole life.
But beneath tonight’s success lurks the threat I can’t ignore much longer.
“Alright,” Maxim says, settling back in his chair. “We all know why we’re here. Simon is still at large. The intelligence we have suggests he’s gone underground, probably hiding out in Hong Kong, but he won’t stay in the shadows forever.”
My brothers are updated on everything we’ve learned about Chen and his likely connections to Simon. The only thing they don’t know is what Dinara shared with me this morning.
“About that,” I say. “Chen messaged Hope last night, claiming his life is in danger, that he needs to go into hiding. But not before he comes to Moscow to give Hope her inheritance.”
Nikolai takes a puff from his cigar. “He’s painting himself as a real hero, willing to come all the way to Moscow and do whatever it takes to hand off her money.”
Maxim scoffs. “Simon must be getting desperate if they’re pulling a stunt this obvious.”
“He is,” I confirm, my voice grim. “Dinara heard rumors that Simon is in debt to the arms dealer Jean-Michel Duret, and time is running out to pay him back.”
Roman whistles. “Duret’s not known for his forgiving nature.”
“Why don’t we let Duret do our job and kill Simon for us when he can’t pay back the loan?” Vadim asks, swirling his whiskey.
“Fuck that,” I growl. “I’ll be the one to kill Simon. That pleasure belongs to me alone.”
Roman taps his fingers on the table. “Have you tried to track down this Chen guy? Why don’t we pay him a visit and persuade him to talk?”
I spin the lighter in my hand, the repetitive motion helping me think.
“Dinara tried to get a location on him, but he’s buried behind layers of encrypted proxies and untraceable IP addresses.
Whoever is running his security is no amateur, which speaks for itself because he’s supposed to be some retired lawyer. ”
Maxim watches the smoke swirl above his head before breaking the silence. “We need to use Hope as bait for Simon.”
Everything inside me goes cold as I turn in my chair to face him. “What the fuck are you suggesting?”
He holds up a hand. “Hope will never be in danger. We let the meeting proceed with full surveillance, then move in to capture Chen and his associates before anything can go wrong.”
“Would you risk Kira like that? You can’t guarantee that something won’t happen to Hope. We don’t know what they have planned,” I say through clenched teeth.
Roman sets down his cigar, his voice calm but firm. “Nothing in life is one hundred percent guaranteed, but we can control for risk. What if we arranged the meet at one of our locations? A restaurant or a club, somewhere we own the ground and control every variable?”
Tension knots between my shoulder blades, even though a tiny part of me acknowledges that this might be the best way forward.
“Listen, I get it. I would feel the same, but as long as Simon walks the earth, Hope and Kin will never be safe.” Maxim ashes his cigar, his gaze trained on me. “Simon won’t rest until he gets his prize back.”
“I don’t like this,” I say, because I’d be letting her walk into a trap. Even with full protection and backup, things can go wrong. But I also know they have a valid point. And this is our best chance of getting to Simon and ending this war once and for all.
I run my hands over my face. “There’s only one way this happens,” I say to my brothers. “If Hope is in on it. I tell her everything and let it be her decision.”
The table goes quiet, everyone considering my terms.
When I look up, Niko is staring at me intensely. “How sure are you about her loyalties?”
My spine goes rigid. I don’t like this line of questioning. I know Sofiya’s abduction is still fresh. He’s still torn up about what could have happened to the woman he loves, and I get that more than he knows.
Because I won’t take a chance with the woman I love either.
And fuck, I do love Hope. I haven’t told her yet, but there’s no doubt that what I feel for her is all-consuming, soul-deep love. The real thing.
“Completely sure.”
He nods slowly and sits back in his seat. “Then you have my support.”
My eyes travel around the table, meeting the gaze of each and every one of my brothers. When all of them nod, my shoulders drop a few inches.
From the far side of the terrace, I watch Hope throw her head back and laugh. She looks relaxed and happy. Her guard is dropping, and I can feel her starting to trust me. I just hope the revelation about the tablet and monitoring her communications doesn’t destroy everything we’ve built.
“Element opens in a little over a week,” Vadim notes, referring to one of our new downtown clubs. “If she agrees, a club’s the perfect place to arrange a meeting like that. It’s dark, crowded, and open to the public.”
Roman chuckles darkly when he catches my grim expression. Like he can read my mind, he says, “She’ll understand you did what was necessary.”
“Would Liza understand if you’d been monitoring her communications?”
“Maybe, maybe not. But she’d be alive to hate me, which is what matters.”
Niko slaps my back. “Welcome to marriage. Sometimes love equals nearly losing your balls.”
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I mutter darkly.
Maxim stands and squeezes my shoulder. “If she hates Simon as much as you say, she’ll want to do this. You’ll see.”
But will she want to stay and make a life with me? Or will this be the final straw that sends her running for good?
The path back to our house is lit by small lanterns every few feet, casting everything in a warm golden glow. Hope’s arm is threaded through mine, and she hums softly under her breath despite the late hour. Kin’s weight is solid against my chest; he’s completely knocked out from his big day.
We walk in comfortable silence. There’s a lightness to Hope that I haven’t seen before, like some invisible weight has been lifted from her shoulders.
When we reach the house, I carry Kin straight to his room. Hope follows, taking off his jacket while I work on untying his shoes. He’s so tired he doesn’t even stir.
She leans down and kisses his forehead. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
I do the same, ruffling his hair gently. “Sleep tight, buddy.”
The moment we step into the hallway, Hope’s hands are on my chest, pushing me backward until I hit the wall. Her face is flushed, eyes dark with want.
“Do you know what it does to me, watching you with Kin?” She pulls me down to her level, her mouth crushing against mine with desperate hunger.
The taste of tequila and something uniquely Hope floods my senses. Blood rushes to my cock, swelling against the zipper of my pants.
“The way you are with him,” she whispers against my lips. “Patient and caring. It’s the biggest turn-on I can think of.”
I grip her waist and lift her against the wall. Her legs instinctively wrap around my hips, and I line up our cores, grinding us together for the friction we both crave.
Her voice is rough with want. “I need you right now.” She squirms against me, a small frustrated sound escaping her throat as she fumbles with the button of my pants.
“I don’t know. You’re drunk, Mrs. Fedorova. I don’t want to take advantage of you,” I tease, my hands sliding down to cup her ass. She might be buzzed, but I know she’s perfectly aware of what she’s doing.
“I’m not drunk, I’ve been drinking. There’s a difference. And I want you to take advantage of me. Full advantage. I know exactly what I want, and it’s you.”
And that’s exactly what I’ll give her.