Chapter Six

Natalia

“It’s about time you drag yourself home,”

my brother growls when I walk into his office.

I collapse on the sofa, throwing my arms over my head, shielding my eyes. My head is pounding. It’s ten in the morning. I got excited when they agreed to let me work last night, not holding the week I missed against me—well, not too much. I will be jumping through hoops. I get the graveyard shift for at least the next month. I’m also scheduled alongside the grouchiest trauma surgeon around. No one wants to work with him. Still, they didn’t kick me to the curb, so I’ll deal.

“I worked all night. Cut me some slack.”

“I know. Tayko told me.”

“Tayko’s going to be pissed at you for putting him on me. He spent all night at the nurses’ station bored out of his mind.”

“I pay him very well. He’ll live,”

Daniel dismisses. I’m glad I have my head covered so he can’t see me rolling my eyes.

“That wasn’t my point.”

He exhales. Even though I can’t see, I feel the weight of Daniel’s stare. I force my tired body to sit up. He’s pinching the bridge of his nose as he stares at me. I’m clearly annoying him. I do it often, so I recognize the look.

“You were kidnapped, Isabel. It’s my job to protect you. For some unknown reason, I love you.”

I can’t help but giggle. “I love you, too,”

I reply. My brother is the only member of my family who has ever shown me warmth, acceptance, and care. Daniel has been everything to me. He’s the complete opposite of my father, and I am very thankful for that.

“Is that why you’re always giving me headaches?” he asks.

“That’s just an added bonus,”

I joke. “I don’t see why I need a guard. I don’t believe Ivan or Sam would be sloppy enough to let any of my captors live.”

“You’re right, but there are others. They just took care of the belly of the snake—not the head.”

“Are you trying to tell me, brother dear, that you’re not already dealing with the snake?”

“You’re annoying, you know that?”

“It’s a family trait. You are taking care of them, correct?”

He curses under his breath, while leaning back in his chair. “I sent Ferry after them. It’ll be done by nightfall.”

I scrunch my nose at the mention of Ferry. His name is actually Ferrin. He’s an assassin for hire. I’ve never met him. I don’t want to. My job is to save lives, his is not. In fact, that’s why my brother calls him Ferry. It’s short for Ferryman—the Greek figure who delivered people to hell. Just the mention of him gives me the creeps. There are rumors he used to actually be a priest or something. Then, after his son was murdered, he took matters into his own hands, became a vigilante, hunted down the killer, and ended his life. Now he’s basically a murder-for-hire kind of guy.

“So, I’m all good. You should let Tayko have time off to pull wings off butterflies or something.”

“You’re not all good. I just received a very irritated phone call from Samuel Levkin.”

I ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I hear that name. If Natalie screwed this up, I may just hire the Ferryman to come get her. “What does that have to do with me? Samuel was more than glad to say goodbye to me yesterday.”

“Oh, I figured that out on your phone call yesterday.”

I don’t bother to hide my chuckle. “Thanks for holding your tongue, by the way.”

“You realize if he finds out that you’re his actual wife, we’re going to have an irate lead of the Bratva on our doorstep?”

“Hm … I don’t think so. He doesn’t like me. This is really a win-win. What did he call about?”

I ask innocently.

“He wants to talk to me about maintaining our alliance but annulling your marriage to him.”

“Shut up! Are you serious?”

“You’re such a kid sometime. I should ship you to Italy to complete your training in the hospitals there,”

Daniel complains.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time. I love Italy. In fact, I’ll even agree to take Tayko with me if you do that.”

“Never going to happen. You terrify Tayko and he’s never afraid. He once took down a black bear with no other weapon than his hands.”

“Pfft … I didn’t do anything.”

“Except warn him that if he didn’t back off, you were going to sedate him when he least expected it.”

I shrug. “Some men would look forward to the rest I was offering.”

“Then, you proceeded to tell him how you knew the quickest way to slice him open, wrap your hand around numerous vital organs and give him so much pain that it would either kill him or make him pass out after praying for death.”

“I was just sharing some of my medical knowledge. He overreacted,”

I lie, while sniffing as if Tayko is just a big wimp.

“I don’t suppose you plan on attending my meeting with Samuel Levkin on Wednesday?”

“Nope! I’m going to be working doubles at the hospital. I’ll pack up tomorrow and spend Wednesday night working, then crash on an ER cot Thursday morning.”

“I’m not stupid Izzy. When the truth comes out, Levkin will be out for blood. We’ve led the man to believe you are that whore you insist on hanging around with.”

“Now, brother, you’ve probably had as many lovers as she’s had,”

I point out helpfully.

“Doubtful. In any case, I can confirm that I’ve never had more than two lovers at one time. I believe Natalie’s record is eight.”

My hands slap over my ears in response. “I don’t want to hear that!”

I screech. “Damn it, Daniel! I do not need the mental picture of my brother getting it on with two women at once.”

“Who said it was two women? There are many ways to have threesomes, Izzy,”

he replies with a lazy smile.

My eyes go wide as I look at my brother. “But you’re not into men.”

“No, but I’m into pleasing my partner in whatever way she enjoys. Some women like a little more attention.”

“Whatever you say, Daniel. You shouldn’t slut-shame Natalie then. Threesomes aren’t that far away from an eightsome. Actually, I guess you could call it an octa-some.”

“The word you’re looking for, dear sister, is orgy. There’s no intimacy or tenderness needed. It’s just fucking.”

“Well, anyway, let Samuel believe he’s calling off the wedding to Natalie. Get him to sign the appropriate paperwork and I’ll do the same. This whole marriage can be behind me. I’ll finally begin living my life without having a black cloud hanging over my head.”

“What happens when he figures out that you are his wife, and he was lied to?”

“How could he? He doesn’t know you are aware he’s been talking to Natalie thinking she’s me. If anything, he may get mad at me, but it will be done. The worst that can happen is he’ll forfeit the alliance. He’s not going to declare war on the Navarro family. Since you’ve taken over, your support has doubled. You have just as many allies—if not more—than he does, Daniel.”

“You’re playing with fire, Izzy, and it is going to get you burned.”

“I’m a doctor. I can deal with burns. Just get me out of this horrible marriage I’m in. I’ll make sure I’m gone Wednesday.”

“What happens if he brings Natalie and tries to make her sign the documents?”

“Shit. I didn’t think of that.”

Daniel shakes his head. His facial expression leaves little doubt that he thinks I’m insane. If I am, being married to a stranger made me that way. “I’ll call Natalie. She’ll play along if for no other reason than she wants Samuel single so she can sink her hooks into him.”

“Did I tell you that you’re playing with fire?”

Daniel asks, exasperated.

“You did, but look at the bright side, brother.”

“What would that be?”

“She’ll finally leave you alone,”

I giggle. This time Daniel joins in with my laughter. I really love my brother. He has always hated the fact that our father bartered me out to the Levkins. He’s only agreeing to all of this because he wants me to live the life that I’ve always dreamed of. It also helps that he doesn’t want me living in Russia. My brother wants me close by. Truthfully, I feel the same. It has always been the two of us against the world.

I never want to give that up.