23. ISABELLA

Chapter 23

ISABELLA

The dining room seems too big with just my brother and me in it. But Pavel is sorting out Donald, and Davey is eating with the men as he'd taken to doing lately. He wants to join the Zhukov Special Forces, and Konstantin is having him trained. He'd told Davey they could always use good analysts and engineers, but everyone has to be trained.

Stacy and Lev are eating dinner in her room. They have two years of catching up to do. Now that Stacy has snapped out of the funk she'd fallen into upon seeing Lev again, when they came through to get their dinner, I could see how much they love each other.

Konstantin had managed to get Donald to talk some more. He found out that Harry discovered where we were because the vet who had seen Hera's skin rash had scanned her chip. A silly mistake that had now compromised our position at the ranch.

"I'm not getting rid of my dogs!" My brother and I sit, having a glaring match.

I've had these before with James, but it was never the same as James would usually back down. But Konstantin has a darker scowl than mine, and he's a bit scarier than James.

"I'm not suggesting we abandon them." Konstantin's voice is eerily composed as he gazes at me with his piercing eyes. "We need to remove their chips. That's how Stacy's parents tracked us down."

"What if they get lost?"

"We won't let them get lost," Konstantin says. "My men are fond of them. They're always commenting on how intelligent and well-trained they are."

"Davey's been teaching the men their commands," I tell him. Biting the side of my mouth while pondering the situation, I ask, "Does this mean we have to leave here?"

"I'm afraid so." Konstantin nods. "It's only a matter of time before Andrey brings the cavalry, and while Lev wanted to come for Stacy, he would rather his brother and father think he is dead."

"Why?"

"Because either our father or Ivan sent someone to kill Lev that night they were all attacked." Konstantin's eyes flash.

"How did you end up being there?" My brows crease, looking at him curiously.

"I was passing by," Konstantin hedges.

"Right at that exact moment in time, you were passing by." My one eyebrow raises, and I stare at him in disbelief. "Will you at least tell me how Lev is alive?"

"I got there in the nick of time!" Konstantin says.

"You use nick of time ?" I look at him with raised brows.

"I grew up in Europe. It's a thing there," he tells me.

"Why don't you have a Russian accent?" I bite my lip, looking at him. "You don't really have an accent at all. It's sort of a bit of everything."

"I move around a lot."

"Are you ever just going to give me straight answers or tell me how you're alive, what really happened to our mother, why I'm the key?" I see his shoulders stiffen, but ignore him and carry on. "Or why our father had me living like I was in The Truman Show?"

"The what show?" Konstantin's brows furrow in confusion.

"You know the movie The Truman Show?" He shakes his head. "It's about this man who had this idyllic life, but it turns out he's lived his entire life on a reality television show."

"And he didn't realize he was living on a television set?" Konstantin's brows draw together. "That's stupid."

"Do you think I'm stupid, too, then?" My eyes narrow. "I lived my whole life up until now not knowing my father was a mafia boss or that I was living on top of the dark criminal underworld!"

"That's because your father designed it that way." Konstantin's voice softens, and his eyes fill with regret.

" Our father!"

"He's not my father!" Konstantins' eyes harden, and his jaw sets. "But I do see your point about that show. I can understand why you'd liken yourself to it. You grew up not knowing anything differently with a whole other world going on in the background."

"Exactly!" I gesture with my hand. "One afternoon, the walls around my carefully crafted existence started to crumble, and then they completely fell away. Now here I am learning I'm a mafia princess married to a Bratva Pakhan and about to have his twin babies."

"Twin babies?" Konstantin's eyes widen. "When did you find that out? I didn't authorize any doctor's appointments."

"I don't know. It's just this feeling." The last half of his conversation registers with me. "Since when do I have to have my doctors appointments authorized by you?"

"Don't get upset, little sister." Konstantin holds up his hands. "By authorize, I mean to ensure you have a security detail to take you there and the best doctor."

"Nice catch!" I fold my arms over my chest and glare at him. "I think I'm going to take Lev up on his offer to live in Italy with them."

"Good choice." He nods. "You and the babies will be safe."

A grin splits my face. "You said babies."

He grins back, and I'm nearly bowled over. It's the first genuine smile I've seen. It softens the lines of his stern features, and the gold flecks in his eyes sparkle. "When you mentioned twins, it just felt right."

"I wonder if they can tell at eight weeks?"

"I thought the doctor said you should get your first scan at ten weeks?" Konstantin says.

"We're leaving. I'm going to have to find a new doctor," I point out.

"Already on it," Konstantin assures me. "We've also already fixed the dogs' chips."

I look at him in disbelief. "So you weren't really asking my permission to disable the chips?"

"I was." Konstantin grins. "I was just sure of the outcome."

"Bastard!" I pick up a napkin and throw it at him.

"Ow!" Konstantin mocks. "That hurts."

"Funny." I pull a face. "Where are we going?"

"Winnipeg," Konstantin replies.

"As in Winnipeg, Canada?"

"That's it." He nods. "I have another compound in Headingley."

"Awesome." While part of me is relieved as we're getting out of America, another part of me wants to run back to Boston. It's just the hormones. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as our transport arrives," Konstantin answers.

"Will that be tonight or tomorrow?" I ask. "I need to get packed."

"It's all already been done," he informs me.

"Jesus, Konstantin." The anger hits me once again out of nowhere. "This is why I was leaving Father in the first place. I'm fucking sick to death of having people dictate my life to me."

"I'm not." He watches me. "Izzy-B, you're still in danger, and until we've figured out why and the rest of the shit that needs figuring out, I have to look after you. I know that doesn't sit well with you, but please, let me do this for you. For eighteen years, I've not been able to look out for you, but now I can."

My heart lurches as I see the love and regret shining in his eyes, and my anger dissolves. It is pretty nice to have a big brother looking out for me, and I'd often wondered what my life would've been like if Konstantin and my mother had been in it.

"Fine!" I grumble. "I guess I also have the babies to look after."

"Exactly, and they are just as important as you are, little sister." He reaches over the table and squeezes my hand as the sound of helicopter rotor blades is heard. "Ah, our transport has arrived."

"A helicopter?"

He nods and smiles.

"But what about my dogs?" I glare at him. "Did you lie to me about having to get rid of them?"

"No." He shakes his head. "They'll ride with Davey and the men. They have to double back and ditch the cars and then go separate ways before joining us in Canada."

"Just to ensure no one follows us!" I guess.

"Yup." Konstantin stands. "Are you finished eating?"

"I am." I nod. "I hope you've got barf bags in that thing?"

"Already thought of everything," Konstantin assures me. "I'll go call Lev and Stacy."

"Do I have time to say goodbye to my dogs?"

"Twenty minutes." Konstantin turns and walks off.

"Well, that was another enlightening conversation with my older brother!"

Turning, I walk through the kitchen and out the back door. I'm surprised to see the men loading up the horses.

"Why are you taking the horses?" I ask Boris, another of my brother's top soldiers.

"They belong to Konstantin," Boris tells me.

"Aren't horses a problem if you have to leave in a hurry?" My brow creases curiously.

"All our horses are exceptionally well trained," Boris explains. "In such a case, the men who are solely for the horses will escape on them and then meet up at the designated rendezvous points."

"That's all well thought out!"

"Konstantin will never go anywhere without having scoped it out and have numerous plans of escape," Boris tells me. "Especially if we are what he likes to call safe housing people."

"Does he do that a lot?"

"More than you'd think." Boris smiles. "Your brother's not all bloodshed and mayhem kind of guy. He honors your mother's wishes and dreams for helping people in need to balance out what we do."

"My mother's wishes and dreams?" I sigh. "It seems everyone knows what they were except for me."

"Your mother wanted to protect you, Isabella." Something flashes in Borises eyes. "My mother knew your mother. She was your mother's assistant. We called them ladies maids, but your mother would never use that title. She called my mother her friend and assistant."

"Really?" My eyes widen, and I know I'm looking at him like a kid on Christmas morning.

This is the first time anyone has told me anything about her other than that she loved me and would've been so proud or flipped through photos of her telling me stories of the day they were taken. Boris just gave me some insight into the person Karina Moretti was.

"Did you know her?" I know he needs to be doing things, but maybe I can get him to talk to me again when we're settled in Canada.

"No, sadly not. But I would've liked to." Boris is one of the men who has a heavy Russian accent. Someone calls him. "Excuse me, Isabella."

"Sure." I wave him off, stopping myself from asking if I can tag along and question him as he works.

He starts to walk away, stops, and turns to me. "When we're settled, we'll talk more and I'll tell you what I know about your mother."

"I'd like that." My heart lurches—finally, someone who will talk to me about my mother. Maybe I can get Boris to tell me about Konstantin as well. "Boris, do you know where my dogs are?"

"Chasing rabbits in the big paddock," Boris tells me. "Don't go too far if you're going to see them. Konstantin wants to be in the air in fifteen."

I nod, turn, and walk off. My mind is filled with what Boris has told me, and I'm excited to see him in Winnipeg. I'm very fond of Pavel. He's mine and Stacy's faithful shadow, but the man is also tight-lipped and answers my questions the way Konstantin does. Answers with just enough information to answer the question without going into detail. That really fucks me off.

"Hera!" I call for my dogs as I can't see them where Boris told me they were. "Zeus!"

I hear a whine. My ears prick, and I follow it to find Hera lying near a line of oak trees.

"Hera!" My heart pounds as I take off in a sprint toward my dog. I get to her side, and she is lying all droopy. "Shit, shit, shit." My eyes scan her, looking for a bite. "Fuck. Please don't have been bitten by a snake. Are there even venomous snakes in Maine?"

I run my hand over her coat and stop when my fingers touched a small metal object on the side she was lying on. I gently push her legs up and find a dart. At first, it doesn't register what I'm looking at, and before it can sink in, Hera gives a weak growl. I hear a twig snap, but before I can turn, a hand covers my mouth. An arm latches around my waist and yanks me to my feet, dragging me into the tree line.

The distinct scent of Oud Wood cologne teases my senses, and I know who it is before I hear his deep voice in my ear.

"Hello, Isabella. Remember me?"

I mumble against his hand and start to wiggle.

"What was that?" He moves his head forward. "Oh, sorry, I can't hear you, but if you promise not to scream, I'll take my hand away. If you do scream, I'll kill your dog. Nod if you agree not to scream."

I nod, and my heart is now pounding so hard in my chest that I swear it's echoing through the woods. Slowly, he lifts his hand from my mouth and slackens his grip on my waist enough for me to spin around in his arms, then go in for the attack, pounding against his solid chest.

"You fucking bastard! What did you do to my dog?"

He grabs my hands, pinning them behind my back. "Your dog is going to be okay. It's just a sedative. I knew your hell hounds were going to be with you, so I came prepared."

"What are you doing here, Andrey?" I hiss as a million emotions and sensations flood my system from being this close to him.

"I came to get my wife back," Andrey tells me. "And to kill your brother."

"You will do no such thing!" My eyes narrow angrily as my voice snaps out like a queen reprimanding someone.

"To which part of my statement?" He looks at me with raised brows.

"Both parts!"

"I'm sorry, princess, but he stole my wife from me, and marked my father and your father," Andrey tells me. "Oh, then he had the audacity to pretend to be me so he could get my mother out of the hospital."

"Your mother was in hospital?" I look at him worriedly.

"She had an accident," Andrey tells me.

"Was she harmed by my brother?" He has me pinned up against his body.

I feel my body begin to heat, and my clit gives a little pulse. Fuck. I need to get away from him. But oh, it feels so good to be pressed up against him. I can feel him start to harden as he presses into me. It takes everything I have not to start grinding my hips against him. Fuck, fuck, fuck… no, don't use that word right now.

I have been so damn horny lately, and nothing seems to satisfy this itch. Not masturbation or the shower head, and I don't think it would be appropriate to put a vibrator on the things I need from the store list. My eyes are drawn to his lips as they move, and images of them sliding over my body torment me.

"Isabella?" Andrey barks, jolting me out of my sex-starved thoughts.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

He looks at me strangely. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." I shake my head. "I had my first torture 101 lesson today."

"What?" Andrey snarls. "Who the fuck is teaching you how to torture someone?"

"No one." I shake my head. Why did I tell him that? "It was just some scumbag that raped Stacy."

"Stacy got raped?" His brows draw together. There's a noise, and his head shoots up. "You can tell me on the way."

"On the way where?"

Andrey releases his hold on me and grabs my hand. "Come on."

I pull back, trying to yank my hand from his. "No!" I start to struggle. "I'm not going back."

"Yes, you are!" Andrey turns, his eyes bore into me. "You have a lot to answer to. Do you even know what you did?"

"I escaped a life of servitude," I say.

"Servitude?" Andrey's eyes darken. "You are neither servant nor slave. You are my wife."

"What's the difference?" I hiss. "I'm under your dominance and control without any autonomy or personal freedom, expected to do your bidding— servitude! "

Andrey's presence looms large as he stands before me, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and hurt. I'm not sure if it's because my words hit a mark or if it's because I dared to defy him.

Guilt gnaws at me over the secret I'm keeping from him. I steel myself against his commanding presence. Deep down, a part of me still longs for him, yearns for his touch, but the defiance surges stronger.

What life is the one he's offering me for a child? Lev's invitation to live with him and Stacy runs through my mind. Life in a small fishing village where we don't have to worry about Bratva, mafia, or any other crime family is what I want for my kids—for me.

"You think you can just come here and take me?" My voice is shaky, but I force the words out, hands clenched into fists. "I won't go with you, and even if I did, you're not going to make it out of here. So run while you still can."

"Not a chance, princess." He steps closer, his presence overwhelming. "You have no choice, Isabella," he growls, his voice low and dangerous. "You belong to me and by my side."

"I don't belong to you!" I spit out the words, trying to push away from him, but his grip tightens possessively. "Don't you get it? I don't want to be with you or live in your world."

"Stop fighting," he demands, his voice cutting through the tension. "I have a car just beyond the woods waiting for us. Now move."

"No!" Tears well up in my eyes, frustration mixing with fear. "I won't!"

"Fine if you won't walk." Andrey bends down and scoops me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "If you try to escape, I'll tell James to kill your other hell hound."

"You have Zeus?" I'm starting to feel queasy, hanging over Andrey's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Wait! James is with you?"

"Yes, James is with me. And yes, he has Zeus, who is fine for now but won't be if you scream," Andrey threatens. "While you're thinking James won't kill the brute, it turns out your cousin's not as fond of the dog as you think he is."

I go quiet and watch as the path back to the ranch house gets further away. I see my freedom once again move toward the distant horizon as we get to the edge of the woods.

Andrey has managed to get the huge gate open, and just beyond it is a vehicle. I start to feel woozy from being upside down, and he slides me down his body righting me. I feel the familiar cold gray mist swirl around me before the world goes black.