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After a moment of brief silence, Mikhail heaved a sigh and crossed one leg over the other. “I think that is a good plan. Do with Cillian whatever you will; I will step in if and when you need me to.”
Lev’s chest swelled with immense satisfaction. He’d always looked up to Mikhail, always sought his approval. When Mikhail stepped back and let him take the lead of the Bratva, his biggest fear had been to let his brother down. And now that he had Mikhail supporting him, he would do everything not to ruin it. Even if it meant doing the one thing he disliked to do most—being in charge.
“There won’t be a need for you to step in. Just remain here and do whatever it is you’re doing,” he said. “I’ll make sure your enemies are taken care of before your return.”
Mikhail chucked. “I am taking care of my family, Man. You’ll understand it soon enough now that you’re married. If that girl is on our side, you’ll come to love her more than anything else.”
Lev winced at the mention of the wordlove.“That is never going to happen, Man. I’d rather spend the rest of my life celibate than do what it is you’re doing now.”
“You can’t be too sure,” Mikhail said with a smug smile. “And you won’t know until it hits you. That is how love is.”
“Did you put a hold on your role asPakhanto become a poet?” Lev asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. How was it that his brother, who enjoyed the company of different women after his heartbreak, his brother who would rather hunt his enemies at night than sleep in, would change so much in a span of years?
No, it didn’t even take years. It happened in the mere weeks he met Mira. Slowly, gradually, until he was fully caught in the web of love.
It was a struggle for Lev to decide if he wanted that for himself or not. Despite the dark circles under his brother’s eyes, he looked happier than Lev had ever seen him all their lives.
At one thought, Lev always dismissed the idea of falling in love. But when he glanced at his brother and remembered Zia, a tiny part of him wanted that, too—the comfort of loving and being loved and the dangerous vulnerability that came with it.
“You should bring her over for dinner,” Mikhail said. “After you’re certain she is not a spy. Mira and I would love to meet her.”
“I will bring her someday.” But Lev would only take his wife to meet his brother and sister-in-law when she was ready to meet them. He’d already taken so much away from her by forcing her into marrying him. Whatever she would do now would be on her terms, as long as she didn’t make choices that would jeopardize her safety.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at Mikhail, who nodded for him to take the call.
Lev took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. It was Konstantin calling him. He wondered if something was wrong since they should’ve been back from shopping already, but there was no time to think as he swiped the green icon and raised the phone to his ear.
“Chief, there’s a problem,” Konstantin said. He was panting the way he usually did when he was angry.
Air stilled in Lev’s lungs. Only one thing—person—mattered to him. “Where is my wife?”
“She’s here with me.”
Lev was finally able to inhale, relived that Zia was safe. “What is it?”
“I took her to the Airbnb, and we ran into someone, her ex-boyfriend. He attacked her.” Konstantin paused fora heartbeat. Lev absolutely hated the suspense. “She’s quite shaken up from it, but she’s not hurt.”
Rage, like never before, flared in Lev’s chest. His jaw clenched, his teeth gritting. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded himself to remain calm.
His older brother had taught him that. He was prone to making grievous mistakes if he made decisions when his mind was clouded with rage. “Where is the bastard?” he asked, his voice thicker than he wanted it.
“Knocked out. He’ll wake up in an hour or two.”
“Good. Take Zia home, and I’ll be on my way.”
There was a moment of silence on the line, and then Konstantin asked, “Should I kill the bastard? I can make it painful enough.”
“No.” Lev stretched his fingers, thinking of all the ways he would torture the bastard who not only dared to touch what was his but also managed to scare her like that. “I’ll hunt him myself.”
“Yes, Chief.” Konstantin hung up.
It was only after Lev took the phone away from his ear that he noticed Mikhail’s intense glare at him. His brother’s face was creased with worry. “Is everything alright?”
Rising to his feet, Lev shook his head. “I have something to take care of. I’ll visit you again when next I come.”
Before Mikhail could say anything in reply, Lev had already strode out of the door and to the parking lot where he’d left his car.
He got in the car, turned on the engine, and drove out of Mikhail’s mansion. His mind was heavy with worry for Zia.Konstantin had said she was okay, but he wouldn’t believe it until he saw for himself that she was.
