Page 24 of Scarlet Sins (Yegorov Bratva #2)

Chapter Twenty

DEMYAN

The hospital doesn’t look any different, but it feels different. Or maybe it’s just me.

Ilya’s finally being discharged.

And I’m happy to not see this place again for a long time.

I go to his floor and his room where he’s in his wheelchair, one I got for him. He gives me an irritated look as he hands a tablet back to the member of hospital staff there.

“You’re released,” she says and taps the manila folder on the pile of things on his lap. “Behave or else you’ll be back in here.”

“This place is like a prison.”

“You bet your ass. You have early release due to good healing, but screw it up and parole’s canceled.” She laughs and heads out, giving me the once-over. “Take care of him.”

“Come on, let’s get your lazy ass home,” I tell him in Russian.

He puts on a disgusted expression. “Do I need to be in this idiotic thing?”

“According to the hospital, it’s a nonnegotiable part of the deal of you leaving. Wheelchair for the next few weeks to allow the stomach wounds to fully heal.”

“How am I going to shoot fools in this thing?”

I laugh and I push from behind just to annoy him as I got him a state-of-the-art, top-line chair. He can go manual or automatic with it and it even has a little desk attachment at the mansion. I’m betting by the end of his time in it, he’ll be using it to work from.

That or Sasha will wreak havoc on the household.

And I grin at that.

“You can’t,” I say as we get in the elevator. “Shoot people.”

The person in here with us clearly doesn’t speak Russian.

“I have a lot of pent-up frustrations.”

“Sorry, my friend.” I rest a hand on his shoulder. “You’re under strict orders to rest. And I’ve hired a team of nurses to look after you.”

“Old woman,” he spits, trying not to laugh. “I don’t need help.”

“Around the clock care, Ilya. And it’s nonnegotiable, too.”

He snorts, clearly thinking he’ll get out of it, but he won’t. I mean it. Ilya’s my best friend and he almost lost his life protecting the woman I love. I’ll give him an army if he needs it. Anything at all. I owe him.

“Are these nurses at least female and cute?” Ilya wryly asks.

I laugh and shake my head as we reach the ground floor and cross the foyer to the outside. Pavel is there with the car, waiting. He helps the annoyed Ilya out of the wheelchair and to the car while one of my other men folds the chair and put it in the back. I get in next to him.

“Well, Boss?” he asks. “Are they super cute, stacked, and in a very short and tight uniforms?”

“They’re blonde.”

“Good start. ”

“And according to those in the know, hot.”

He grins. “And the uniforms?”

“Fitted.”

“What about stacked?”

“Hmm, they’re all tall, muscular Swedish men, so if you mean well hung, I didn’t inspect them. You can do that.”

He narrows his eyes. “I’m glad you’ve still got a sense of humor. I know you got at least one female.”

He’s right. But I chose the medical staff on their credentials and references, not on anything else.

Ilya taps his fingers on the armrest as he sits opposite me. “I’ve got some leads, but nothing concrete to move on at the moment. I’m hoping that’ll change,” he says. “How are things going with you and the unwanted bride to be?”

“Stefina? I haven’t seen her since I got back.” I rub a hand over the back of my neck. “I’m planning on telling Sergio today the wedding’s off.”

“Demyan. Don’t play dangerous games. Are you sure it’s a good idea?

As I said, I’ve got leads and one in particular…

I wasn’t going to say anything until I found out more, but it feels good.

I’m waiting on confirmation on whether to pursue it from one of my men.

Give me a day or two and you might have a legitimate reason to end the agreement.

One that doesn’t come with the risk of war. ”

“Everything comes with the risk of war,” I say. “And it can’t wait.”

He studies me. “Erin.”

“Erin.” I sigh. “She’s not taking it well, and I need to prove to her my loyalty’s to her.”

“I thought you did that on the weekend. Did you?—”

“She’s pregnant.” I cut him off. “She’s hormonal, pregnant, and feeling like she needs me to show her in no uncertain terms how I feel.”

There’s surprise all over his face. “We aren’t normal people. There are rules, Demyan. We need to observe them or we can lose everything. And everything includes lives.”

“I’m aware.”

He nods and taps his hand some more. “Pregnant? Not that far along as she’s always too skinny, but… how do you feel about that?”

I grit my teeth. “At first, I was angry, so fucking angry.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t rush into ending the agreement with Sergio.”

“No, not at the fact she’s carrying my child, but… It was a reminder of how much I missed of Sasha’s life and she didn’t tell me right away this time.”

He looks out the window, then at me. “That isn’t her fault.

It isn’t yours. It just is, Demyan. Let that anger go.

No one knew she would get pregnant and you left a fake name.

Being told you were dangerous, a bad man or someone not to get mixed up with, I might not seek you out, either.

If I was her. And if you switch places, you’d feel the same. Not to mention the guilt eats her up.”

“Maybe.”

The anger is still there, deep, stubborn strands I know I need to let go of.

“Plus, you punished her to the point of cruelty. The fact she loves you? That’s special. You want that, not old anger.”

“Hospital made you soft.”

“Hospital let me think. And being shot and nearly dying let me figure I should say what I think.”

“Since when don’t you?”

“I have some control.”

I snort. “I am determined to put the past in the past, Ilya. I want to focus on the future. But I can’t do that until this thing with Stefina is over.”

“Because Erin isn’t of our world, she doesn’t get it.”

“No. ”

He studies me. “Would you? Marry Stefina if Erin was of our world?”

“No.” I don’t even have to think about it.

And Ilya smiles and closes his eyes. “Good.”

The good vibes last right up until we pull up at the gate.

There’s a car waiting and I know who it belongs to. Ilya and I exchange a look, but I wind my window down to motion them in.

Stefina shouldn’t be happy at being made to wait for me outside the mansion gates, but there’s a sweet smile on her face, sweet like Stevia, that horrible overly sweet-tasting natural sugar substitute, as she bounces out of the car and waits on the steps as we set Ilya up.

Alina must have said no to letting her in.

Or Erin.

But while Erin’s got backbone, I can’t quite see her pulling that mafia queen move. Alina? Oh yeah.

She has an oversized tote with her.

“Did you hear from Daddy?” she asks me. “It’s such great news and aren’t you glad I went hardcore on picking things out? The wedding’s next week. Daddy said to choose between Friday and Saturday, I’m thinking Saturday.”

She’s conveniently forgetting how she told me the reason she was going hardcore was to secure the right people in time for our far-off wedding. But since I’m not marrying her, I let it slide.

“What do you think, Demi?”

Dem—Ilya makes a choking noise and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Stefina, you’ve been misinformed. There’s not going to be a wedding.”

“What? ”

“You deserve a man who loves you and I don’t.”

She splutters and narrows her eyes. “Is this about love? And you’ll learn. Daddy said?—”

“Stefina, I’m in love with Erin. The mother of my child. In fact, she’s pregnant with our second child and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

“So dump the suka . Christ, you’re young and hot, not a dad kinda guy. Let her bring those shits up.”

Ilya grabs my wrist before I can move and squeezes hard.

“You should be careful. You’re talking about my children. Their mother. You don’t want to be with a man in love with someone else and you sure as fuck don’t want to be a stepmom. Do you?”

“Two words. Boarding school. And the suka can go work the streets. She’s not worth more than that. Isn’t that where you got her from? Probably got knocked up on purpose.”

“Demyan.”

Ilya’s warning rolls off me and I shake off his hand. I stalk up to her. “You keep insulting them. That’s more than enough for me to cancel the wedding. I’d rather marry a viper than a classless piece like you.”

“Bastard!” She hisses at me. Actually hisses. “No one speaks to me like that, no one. You’ll be hearing from my father.”

With that, she flounces off, getting in her car and roaring out at breakneck speed.

“That went well,” Ilya says.

I open the door. “I’ll show you to your big burly nurse and to your room.”

Ilya’s fussed over by Olga, Magda, Alina, Erin, and Sasha.

In fact, Sasha has to be held back because he doesn’t understand he can’t climb on and walk on Ilya.

I know he wants to show his love for the man, but one hand that lands dangerously close to his healing injuries and his pained wince is enough for me to pluck Sasha off.

The little boy wiggles to go back. “No, Daddy. Bad! Uncle Ilya needs me.”

Erin laughs and groans and Ilya looks super touched and I… I melt.

This kid’s big-hearted and kind. He’s two, so he has his share of acting out, but he’s got a sunny disposition and his kindness comes directly from his mama.

Fuck, maybe if I’d known about him, she should have kept me from him. Even though I hate I lost that time, he’s old enough that he’s teaching me to be softer in some ways, to open up.

Well, him and Erin both.

I slide an arm around her as the nurse comes out, a middle-aged woman who looks like she could wrestle Ilya and win. He throws me a look that’s accusing, but hey, I didn’t hire anyone for looks, just for their skills. I just shrug at him but his smile that he tries to hide says he doesn’t mind.

“You should rest,” the nurse says.

He waves her away. “I need to work.”

“Quietly.”

“Fine by me. Do you mind, Boss?”

I sigh at his deliberate use of boss in that way, but I know we need to get on this Sergio thing and fast.

It’s maybe thirty minutes later that I get the call from the gate.

I go and find him. “Sergio’s here.”

“Want me out there?”

“No.”

He grimaces.

“Not because of the chair. I don’t want him to know you’re back or what’s going on. I don’t even want Pavel in the room.”

I head for my study, making sure that Erin and my sister and Sasha are tucked away, too.

One of my men leads him in. “Vodka?”

“How dare you upset my Stefina.”

“Please. You don’t care enough about her happiness or you’d find her someone she loves and someone who adores her, wouldn’t you?”

I hit a nerve because he flinches. It’s subtle, but I clock it. “Stefina knows the game, this world. The wedding is?—”

“Not happening. She insulted my woman, my children. That’s not okay, Sergio. I won’t even enter into a marriage of convenience with someone so disrespectful. There are others, find one. Vodka?”

“No.” He looks me up and down as I lean back in my chair. “You really want to make an enemy of me?” Sergio asks.

I shrug, getting up and showing him to the door. “You know what, Sergio? I’m willing to risk it.”