The Bratva's Secret

Viktor

Growing up in the hell of my father’s making, I discovered early that the best way to defeat a nightmare is to show no fear, and happiness only invites torment. So I shut down, created an emotionless mask. My father couldn’t use against me what he couldn’t see. I’ve been called a robot, a void. But that’s not the real me; it’s only a facade. And the only person who has ever tempted me to drop it is Natalya Popov, the last woman I should want. She’s been in my periphery her entire life, but I only recently started to take notice. We share a half-brother, the result of my father’s affair, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting her. Catching glimpses of her at her floral shop has become something to look forward to. But I want more, so when I see my chance to get closer to Natalya, I take it. For the first time, I want someone to see me. To love me. But my life has never been without danger, and when it starts circling the woman I love, I have to reach for that darkness within, to become my own kind of nightmare.

Natalya

Growing up under my father’s cruel thumb, I never dared even dream of freedom. But now he’s gone, and my brother and I can finally have a life of peace, away from bratva politics and danger. Or so we thought. Our ties to the Balshovs aren’t so easily cut, not when they’re forged in blood. Still, things are better with the next generation finally in control, and I’d be lying if I said seeing the gorgeous Viktor Balshov in my floral shop is a hardship. I don’t want to be drawn back into that world, but the more time I spend getting to know Viktor, the further I feel myself slipping. Viktor’s life is one steeped in danger, and pretty soon I’m once again caught in the crossfire of a turf war. Only this time, the stakes are higher. Can I trust Viktor, a man who represents everything I hated about my father, to be the one I need? Can I trust him not only to keep me safe, but to protect my heart? Or have I simply escaped one cruel cage only to run straight into another?