Chapter 43

Yaroslav

April 19 th , Orlando, Florida

A fter finalizing the shipment with Thomas, we went on a wild night out that helped me forget my problems, albeit only briefly. Much to my surprise, I found myself warming to Thomas. He’s not the man I originally had him pegged for. It was his idea for David and me to come to Orlando to view the house Marta left me in her will.

I’m glad I let him persuade me. The sea air and change of scenery have worked wonders for David, he’s still quiet and withdrawn, but he seems calmer, more peaceful. If I’m honest, it’s helped me too. Marta couldn’t have picked a more perfect home for me. I was also surprised to find that Marta had kitted the place out with plenty of hidden secrets, similar to my home in Atlanta. It seems despite having left the Bratva life behind many moons ago, Marta remained a Volkov wolf in spirit.

I’m standing on the veranda, looking out at the ocean. The waves gently lap at the shore and there’s no sound other than the waves and crying of gulls. In the distance, I can see David walking back toward the house having taken his now routine daily walk. There’s no other soul on the beach.

I can’t help but imagine bringing Kim here, pregnant and walking barefoot on the sand, her beautiful face glowing with serenity. I picture our child growing up happily playing on the beach and living a carefree childhood filled with love and laughter. This could be the perfect home for us. If only things were different.

I still don’t know if I made the right decision not to go back to Charleston after we received a call from the cops that Kim had been found. According to them, Kim was in a shipping container filled with women being trafficked. Kim supposedly does not know who kidnapped her or where she’s been this whole time. Just the thought of what might have happened to her, what she’s been through, makes my blood boil. But then something about the story doesn’t sit right.

Especially the fact that she was found at Charleston Port, the very same port we’d originally planned to do the exchange with Gillihan and where we captured Roman Sharkozi. The fact that it was there of all places seems like it has to be a message of some kind. Is Bogdan Sharkozi simply offering an exchange? Kim for his father? But why give her over before it’s agreed?

Even if by some unlikely chance Kim truly doesn’t know who took her or where she’s been, we know that she was with Sharkozi. If Sharkozi knows she’s pregnant with my child, then there’s no way he’d be foolish enough to sell her off as a whore. Which means that he had ulterior motives for doing so. I can only assume she was meant to be found. That he wants her back with me for some reason. The timing is too convenient, that she’s been found so soon after we captured Roman. So, I ignore my first instinct to go to her and listen to Artem’s advice to stay here, while he and Vova go to get her and bring her here to try to find out the truth before I see her.

Now she’s been found, Innokentiy’s changed his tune. He agrees that, of course, I should be wary, but that I should see this as the blessing it is. “You should be with her, she is carrying your heir, the future of this family. If I were you, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight for a second,” he said.

In all honesty, I don’t know what I will do once she gets here. I don’t know how I will feel. Will I still feel the same about her? Will she still be my Kim? Or will the person who arrives be a stranger to me?

The sound of David coming in from outside pulls me from my reverie.

“Morning, did you have a nice walk?” I ask, trying to sound jovial.

Joviality isn’t my style and David knows it, he shoots me a strange sideward glance but doesn’t respond, simply shrugs and heads upstairs toward his room. I let out a sigh. Nothing I seem to do gets through to David these days. I know he blames me for Marta’s death, for making his fear of losing her as soon as he got her back become a reality. He also believes I haven’t been doing enough to find Kim. He’s remained staunchly on her side this whole time, refusing to believe she could betray us.

Perhaps news of her imminent arrival will cheer him up.

I follow him upstairs, finding him in his bedroom, sitting on the floor with his back to me. In front of him is a box he’s pulled out from under the bed.

“What have you got there?” I ask.

He jumps at the sound of my voice and immediately shoves the box away. “Nothing.”

“Well, if it’s nothing, then you won’t mind me taking a look then, will you,” I reply reasonably, crouching down on the floor beside him.

I can tell he wants to argue with me, but he reluctantly moves aside so I can see the contents of the box. It’s filled to the brim with Kim-related things—photos of her with him, a small clay pot, a figurine of a wolf, several drawings, done by both her and him, and an assortment of trash or other items I can’t place but that must have value or special meaning to him.

Deeper inside the box, there are also mementos of Marta and various other knickknacks from our childhood. School projects, childhood photos, and items that once belonged to our mother and father. David’s whole life and significant moments are all here inside this one, small box. My heart breaks for my poor damaged brother, for the boy he was and the man he could have been.

I’m all he has left now. Well, and Kim. It’s clear she means even more to him than I had realized. That only makes the situation more complicated. If she isn’t who she said she was and if she’s betrayed us and has been playing us this whole time, working with Sharkozi, it will destroy him. I think again of Roman Sharkozi, locked away being interrogated and tortured by my men but not giving away a thing. If only we could break him, he could clear up this whole mess and I’d know one way or another what Kim’s intentions are. I can’t bear to see David in any more pain, he’s already suffered so much.

“Thank you, for sharing this with me,” I say to him softly, knowing full well how hard it is to be vulnerable, even with those closest to us.

He nods but doesn’t say anything, he simply begins to repack the box, handling each item delicately.

“I miss them too, it’s hard to lose people we care about,” I say, trying to bring him out of his shell.

“They’re not lost. They’re dead. Except for Kim. And we’re doing nothing about it. She would never abandon us like this,” David replies, his voice getting more agitated as he speaks.

“Well, actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We’ve found Kim,” I reply, pleased to be the bearer of good news for a change.

His eyes light up and I see him smile for the first time since Marta died. “Really? Where is she? What are we waiting for? We have to go rescue her now!” he says, jumping to his feet.

“Calm down, she’s already been rescued. Artem and Vova are bringing her here as we speak. Kim is safe,” I assure him.

An expression of relief mingled with confusion flits across his face. “Why didn’t you go and get her?”

I shrug, searching for the words, how do I explain it to David when I’m not really sure of the answer myself?

“It’s complicated…” I say noncommittally.

David isn’t buying it. “No. it’s not. You love her. She loves you. You’re going to have a baby together. That’s all that matters,” he says plainly.

I’m thrown off guard. “How did you know Kim’s pregnant?” I hadn’t told him for fear of it causing him distress with her still missing.

He shrugs, “I overheard Uncle Innokentiy talking.”

I look at my brother closely. Often, David is ignored or overlooked due to his mental health issues. Sometimes, he needs to be kept out of the loop to ensure that he doesn’t accidentally let information slip to the wrong person. But just because he isn’t always privy to important information, doesn’t mean he’s stupid or that he doesn’t pick up on things. Innokentiy always treats David as though he’s simple-minded, not someone with a mental health issue that simply makes him erratic but doesn’t impact his cognitive functioning. I’m suddenly curious to know what Innokentiy has let slip around David.

“What did he say?”

Another shrug. “I didn’t hear much, he saw me listening and shut the door, telling me to piss off,” he says grumpily—there’s no love lost between my brother and our uncle—before continuing, “But he was on the phone with someone and mentioned that unless you and Kim get married, the baby won’t be legitimately more valid to inherit, than his kids,” he finishes.

Interesting.

Innokentiy has a point, certainly, the Bratva is backward in its thinking still and it is hard for children to be recognized as heirs without marriage—it’s also still unlikely that a daughter would be picked to lead over sons—but why wouldn’t Innokentiy raise his concerns with me? Perhaps it is still his distrust of Kim that holds him back. A niggling doubt springs to mind. I know how Innokentiy’s mind works. If he thinks Kim will be a problem for this family, he’ll have no issue taking care of her. I wouldn’t put it past him to force a wedding on her then if she proves to be an unworthy wife, he’d simply kill her once the child is born.

Undoubtedly, he’d have liked to do that to his wife and replace her with his mistress. Luckily for his wife and not so lucky for him, Innokentiy’s significant other is Zinaida Petrova. The Petrov family is one of the most powerful in Russia. They’re an arrogant, easily offended family led, somewhat unusually by the matriarch, Zinaida’s grandmother, Olga Petrova. Despite her advanced age and the fact she’s a woman, she’s a formidable and ruthless leader. Innokentiy wouldn’t dare cross her.

David pulls me from my musings. “Are you going to marry Kim?” he asks, looking at me hopefully. I know he’d love for Kim to be part of this family.

It’s a question I’m not ready to answer yet. Kim clouds my judgment and I can’t even consider marriage yet. Not while I still have so many unanswered questions about Kim.

“It’s a bit early to think about that,” I reply noncommittally. “Kim will be here soon, why don’t we get ready for her?” I add.

Kim’s imminent arrival will distract David enough to avoid talking more about this. David’s face lights up again as he eagerly nods his head and begins frantically working on tidying his room. I wish I could feel the same enthusiasm about seeing her and have the unshakeable faith in Kim that he does.

One way or another, I know Kim will change me forever. She already has.