Page 36 of Prince of Control (Bratva Heirs #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lara

Baron squeezes me so tight I can’t breathe, kissing my hair, my temple, my forehead.

“I’m so sorry,” he rasps.

I cling to him, my legs not holding me yet. I don’t mean to, but my gaze returns to Abrasha. If I were a better person, I would be horrified about what I just witnessed. My husband shooting then brutally beating a man to death. But I drank in every second of it.

I soaked up Baron, covered in bruises but looking every inch the bad ass. Dripping competency porn.

I never once doubted he would win the battle.

“He’s dead,” Baron says.

Shouts and gunfire sound from inside the house.

“Your dad is here.” Baron whips his t-shirt off his head and pulls it down over mine. I shove my arms through the holes, and he hustles me into his bulletproof vest.

“Come on,” he says. “We have to go.” He takes my hand and leads me to the door. “Stay behind me.”

“But you’re not wearing Kevlar.”

He turns, emotion blazing in his eyes, and kisses me fiercely.

I gasp when we come apart. What was that? A goodbye kiss in case he doesn’t make it?

“You care,” he murmurs.

My heart pinches painfully. Of course, I care. I never stopped caring. Baron’s mine. I’m his. We belong together. I’ve never felt so certain of anything in my life.

I’m pissed at him, but my heart started to heal the moment Baron walked through the door. Even when I’d walked away, I didn’t want us to be over. I was hurt and mad, but I hoped he’d follow. Hoped he’d figure out how to fix us.

We still have a huge problem to work out, but he’s here. Sexy as hell with his muscled torso bare and the cargo pants with guns strapped to each leg.

He hands me one of the guns, and I slip off the safety. Baron nods when he sees I know my way around a gun and pushes my torso down, so we’re moving at a crouch. We leave the bedroom, stepping over the body of a dead guard. Baron keeps his body angled protectively in front of mine.

Gunshots sound from multiple directions.

I saw dozens of guards when we drove in.

I pray my dad brought an army because this place was defended like a fortress.

We get to the bottom of the stairs where another guard’s body lies.

I step square on his chest with my bare foot.

I’m in nothing but Baron’s t-shirt, Kevlar, and my panties, but I have a gun, and I’m with the most powerful man I know.

And I don’t mean my father.

Every bit of fear Brash invoked in me has now turned to power. I raise the gun, ready to fire. I plan to protect Baron while he protects me.

He’s my husband. We were made for each other.

I fell in love with you the moment you walked off that plane, malyshka.

He knew it from the start. I didn’t know it until I thought we were over. Sometimes it takes the worst to bring things into crystal clear focus.

We round the corner, and Baron jerks back. Machine gun bullets hit the floor exactly where we were standing a moment before.

Baron presses me up against the wall, smashing his body in front of mine with his gun poised to shoot.

When the machine gun fire stops, two shots ring out, and I hear the sound of a body falling to the ground.

“Clear,” my father shouts in Russian.

Baron releases me, and we both round the corner.

Two men lie dead at my father’s feet. He beckons us forward, and we jog down the hall.

He wraps me in a quick one-armed embrace and lifts his chin in Baron’s direction. “Get her out of here.”

“Come on.” Baron takes my hand and tugs me out a door into the orchard. I hear gunfire come from inside the house. Two guards lie dead in the garden.

We run out a gate, along a hedge, and out a larger gate where we leave the property.

Baron keeps running, leading me to a white van.

I recognize the driver who gets out as one of my father’s men.

Baron pulls open the back door, and we climb inside. “Lara is secure,” he says, and I realize he’s wearing a comms device in his ear.

“Get her out of there,” I hear my father’s voice come back through.

“ Da ” The driver slams the door shut.

Gripping my hips, Baron directs me into a seat and crouches in front of me, his worried gaze traveling faster than his fingertips as he inspects me, grimacing at the bruises on my face and neck. “Did he…” The hardset line of his mouth and the danger in his eyes speak murder.

“No. I told him he couldn’t because I have my period.”

I watch something crack apart in Baron before his face returns to that of the hardened knight.

The van takes off, but Baron easily balances on the balls of his feet. He pulls the comm device out of his ear and flicks a tiny button. The light on it goes off.

“Anatoli Rostov–Brash’s father–called your dad after you started dating and proposed a union of your two families.” Baron launches into the story without preamble. Like he’s had time to think about all the things he should have told me, and he wants to make it right immediately.

He’s still crouched in front of me, his hands lightly resting on my hips, his eyes locked on mine.

“Your dad feared for your safety and told him it was impossible because your marriage had been arranged since birth to me. Rostov figured your dad would not be as equipped to fight against my father and the American Bratva with just your father’s cell.”

I blink, taking in the rush of information. Reassembling the puzzle pieces with this new context.

“Your dad immediately called my father and asked if I’d be willing to marry you and bring you to the United States for your protection. I said of course .”

I fight the sudden urge to weep. Of course, Baron agreed. He always puts the protection of the weaker as his first priority over his own needs.

“I knew Brash from prep school.” Baron’s face darkens to thunder clouds again. “I’ve seen his psychopathic tendencies. I got kicked out for avenging one of them.

“Your father was worried about his family, but I was concerned about Brash and what he would do to you if he had control of your life.”

Tears stab my eyes. Why didn’t my dad just tell me?

“I thought you knew it was a farce, but when you arrived pissed off and thinking I was the enemy, I realized he hadn’t told you the truth.”

Oh God. Baron was the hero all along. And I’d treated him like the enemy. And he had taken it. All my anger and acting out. He had taken it without defending himself. Without acting wounded. He just accepted my lack of gratitude with complete stoicism. With total grace.

“I figured your dad hasn’t told you for a reason. You’re very transparent with your emotions. I don’t know how good you are at lying, but I’m guessing not great.”

As angry as I am at my dad, Baron is probably right. I’m a terrible liar, and I can’t hide my feelings.

“He didn’t want the Rostovs to figure out it was a farce. But they did. Rash sent a spy to Thornecroft–Denis.

I gape at him, my eyes widening. Denis? Gospodi ! No wonder Baron didn’t want him near me.

“He was a part of the attack on Melinda. He was at the hospital when she was brought in, and I think he must’ve spoken with her while she was drugged.

I had told her we had an arranged marriage.

I also said something I shouldn’t have–that the timeline on our marriage had been moved up because you had interest from another party.

That was all Brash needed to realize your departure was about him and to believe he had a chance to convince you to leave with him. “

I have a dozen questions and certainly things I should care more about, but my brain snagged on Melinda, and the fact that he told her about us.

My lips tremble when I ask, “were you with Melinda?” I need to know. While he’s here being so honest and telling me everything, I need to know if she’s his girlfriend. Or if she was . I need to know what she meant to him.

Love storms Baron’s expression. His eyes go soft.

He grips my hips tighter, in a more possessive hold.

“ Malyshka , no. Melinda is a masochist who uses pain to help her cope with the stress of her type A personality. I used to deliver that pain. When she showed up asking for it this year, I told her I was married, and she was no longer welcome because of the scrutiny her father’s elevated political position would bring to our house.

Plus, I knew Anders had a thing for her. ”

I nod but my eyes swim with tears. Baron deceived me about something so huge. I guess I need to know what is real. If we are real.

“I’m sorry I hurt you. I never meant to do that. I will never lie to you again. I promise. I told you before that I fell in love with you the moment you walked off that plane. It’s true. I agreed to marry you out of duty, but the moment I met you everything changed.”

I stare at him. I want to believe. I want to believe so much. But I’m not sure.

“I had thought we would have a marriage in name only. For appearances only. We’d have separate bedrooms. I’d let you do your thing, and you’d let me do mine.

But meeting you felt like destiny. And then I didn’t care what method fate used to bring us together, I wasn’t going to walk away from a gift like you. “

Tears spill down my cheeks, and I suck in a sobbed breath. I clap a hand over my mouth to hold it in.

“I’m so fucking sorry I hurt you, Lara. Please forgive me.“

There’s a question in his gaze, but before I can answer, he says, “Brash is dead, but I’m not giving you up.” A fierce expression settles on the hard lines of his face.

“I don’t want you to give me up,” I choke.

“Oh, baby. Malyshka .” He rises a little to cup my face. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, Baron.” I throw my arms around him, knocking him down to the floor of the van. He takes me with him, pulling my body over his, so he can wrap his arms around me.

“Marry me, Lara,” he murmurs.

I smile. “We’re already married. Or was that a lie, too?”

Baron rolls us to our sides, so we’re nose to nose. “Not a lie. We’re married. You're mine. But I want a do-over. Call me a modern guy, but I want my bride willing. Consensual weddings are all the rage now.”

“You want the wedding with the white dress?” I tease him, remembering what he said to me the day we married.

We’ll have a do-over later. You get to have the ring you want. And the dress you pick out. Flowers. All your friends and family there to celebrate.

He kisses the bridge of my nose. “I want it all with you. A proper courtship. A wedding. Mad love. I want to know all your secrets. To be your best friend.” He swallows. “To be the father of your children.”

“You want kids?” I’m suddenly catapulted out into space. No earth is under my feet. No gravity. Just stars winking from every direction.

He nods, searching my face. Looking like he’s holding his breath.

I see it–a future with Benjamin Baranov.

The future I never imagined. A real marriage with true love and children.

The kind of love my parents have. Ben would make an incredible father.

He’d move mountains to make sure his children had everything they could ever need.

He’d sacrifice his life to keep them safe and happy. Just like I know he’d do for me.

“Yes,” I whisper.

A boyish grin splits Baron’s face. “Yeah?”

I laugh. “Did you think I’d say no?”

Pain clouds his eyes. “I wasn’t sure. I was afraid I’d lost you forever.

” His brows slam together. “Not to Brash–I wasn’t going to ever let that man have you.

But after I got you free…” He exhales. “I didn’t know if you’d forgive me.

You got jacked around hard by your dad and me. That’s a lot to forgive and forget.”

A tight band closes around my throat.

“Not to mention the fact that you had a life in Paris. If you want to go back to it, I will–” He swallows, and I can practically see the quick calculations taking place in that brilliant brain of his.

“I will figure it out. I’ll move there to be with you. Leo can run Baranov House. You’re what matters.”

My chest gets tight. He would give everything up for me. Everything he’s built–an entire kingdom. People he feels responsible to protect. His business enterprises.

“I don’t want to leave Baranov House.”

I realize it’s true. Even when I ran from Baron, I knew I’d be back. Knew that was where I belonged. Baranov House with its lively occupants is home for me now.

I needed space in that moment, but I wanted him to fight for me. To make it right. To convince me to come back and rule by his side.

I love this man. In a miniscule amount of time, he’s become my everything. My present and, yes, I can see it now–my future.

Joy ignites in Baron’s expression, and he kisses me hard. “I love you, Lara.”

His lips feel different.

When he breaks the kiss I touch them lightly with my fingertips. His lower lip is split and swollen. “How did you get this?”

Baron shakes his head dismissively, like he doesn’t want me to worry about it. “Brash’s men. After you left.”

Anger thrusts up my throat. While Brash was whisking me to the airport, he left his men to beat my husband. I wish I could’ve killed him myself. Brash was pure evil. How did I not see it?

Baron sees my distress and strikes my hair back from my face. “It’s over now.”

“ He’s over,” I say. “We’re just beginning.”