Chapter 8

Nikolai

“Boris is dead.” I hear as soon as I pick up the phone from Dimitri. While I was grateful he had died I was rather surprised, he had looked very healthy yesterday.

Dimitri sighs and adds “Pavel killed him.”

Pavel, another one of the men I worked with, was not a very wise man to offend. Even I stayed out of his way most of the time.

“He must have died in a terrible way then.” Pavel had a reputation of killing people in the weirdest places or while they were doing the weirdest things.

While I was not happy Pavel beat me to it, I am grateful he was dead. I would simply have liked to be the one that killed any threat that stood in the way of the happiness of any member of Vera’s family. Their happiness would obviously have helped Vera to stay in high spirits.

“Of course, Pavel wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“How did he die?” I ask, suddenly very curious.

“Pavel blew his head off and left the rest of his body where he met it. On the top of the toilet, some say he was pooping when it happened.” Dimitri delivers this message with as much formality as he could manage. It was not much.

I laugh at that. Pavel had never been good with delaying the inevitable, he acted more like a trained assassin sometimes.

“Why did he kill him though?” I ask. Typically, Pavel only kills on order. For Pavel to have taken an interest in Boris long enough to kill him, he must have done something.

“Apparently, he and Boris go way back, he knows Bori’s wife too.” Dimitri starts his delivery in a movie like voice and I groan.

“Dimitri, I don’t need a dramatic speech right now just tell me what happened.” I respond. I did not have time for his games this morning. I would have very much liked to have followed my wife out of the room.

“He said she saved him once so it was only right that he does the same.” Katya had saved Pavel before? Things were getting interesting. “Did you know Boris hurts his wife?”

Nobody in the bratva tolerated men treating women like shit, especially women they knew.

“Yes, Vera told me about it last night.”

“Oh, and Pavel should be in your house soon. Katya kept crying and well you know Pavel.” Yes, Pavel was the most terrible person to handle any form of emotion, even happiness. “He said he was going to deliver Katya to you because either you or your wife would know what to do.”

“Deliver?”

“Oh, I am not spoiling that surprise.” Dimirti says and he ends the call.

I toss the phone on the bed making sure that I am wearing my mask before I head towards the kitchen to find Irena and Vera talking in hushed tones.Then Irena started laughing so hard, it did not seem like she would be stopping any time soon.

I settle in next to Vera at the kitchen table and glance at her face,or at least try to but she is looking away, probably still trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Did your wife tell you…” She takes her time finishing her sentence by laughing to her satisfaction. “That she thought I was your girlfriend?” Irena asks, still laughing.

“That wasn’t my fault, you look so young and you were quite close at the gallery.” Vera responds, finally turning her face back to my line of sight.

“I would take that as a compliment darling, it means somehow I still manage to look younger than my oldest child.”

“I am your only child, ma.”

“Not for long.” She says as she starts to leave the kitchen.

“I would leave you two love birds to it. Before you start making her blush again Nikolai, I suggest you let her eat, her stomach growled a time or two, plus I don’t think she ate at the party yesterday.” Then she leaves as quickly as she appears every morning.

My gaze settles back on Vera and her stomach grumbles again. I laugh as she lowers her face again before rising to serve our breakfast.

I drop her plates in front of her wondering how I am going to tell her that Boris was dead, but there is an awkward pause, so I hold back wondering if she has something to say too.

“Your mum and I want to go shopping today, and I was wondering if that is okay with you.”

That was it?

“That’s not a problem, your assigned bodyguards are right outside the door and they should be able to take you there.”

Her smile falls a bit but she nods slightly. “And you?”

My lips twists up in a smile knowing she wanted me to be the one to take them. “Oh I have a delivery to wait for. It’s for you actually, your surprise should be ready by the time you arrive.”

Her eyes twist in confusion, but I pretend I do not notice. Instead I stand to get my card and drop it in front of her.

“Use this.”

“I doubt that it is necessary. I have…”

I turn a stool around so she faces me cutting off the rest of her sentence. I pin her under my gaze. She definitely did not mean to say she intended to spend money under my roof while I was still alive. “ You are my wife now and I take care of what is mine.”

She nods her head slightly again. Satisfied, I spin her chair back and let her continue eating.

Vera and Irena leave shortly after that. Not more than thirty minutes after their departure Pavel arrives. While I was expecting him I was not expecting the sight in front of me.

Pavel does not under any circumstances endure any form of human contact on his skin. So, I am quite surprised when she shows up carrying Katya in his arms.

“I suppose I should thank you for protecting my wife’s cousin. The guest room has been set up for her.” I glance down at Katya and say to her “You are safe here. Vera went out with my mother and they should be back soon.”

Pavel starts towards the guest room but pauses right beside me “You did not have to thank me for saving my wife.”

My head turns sharply to face him. Did I just hear Pavel call Katya his wife?

He offers no further explanation and walks off.