Page 50 of The Pakhan’s Hidden Heir

“How can a child grow up like this?” Raina’s hands fly up in the air and she shakes her head in anger.

“Lower your voice.”

“No,” she snips, pushing me, but I barely move. “No nanny, and no bars.” She glares at Demid and Akim, who now have paused the work of building the crib, and Ingrid’s head is hanging like normal every time a confrontation happens in front of her. “Take the bars off the windows. Remove the camera. I will not put my son in a room with bars and cameras.”

Demid’s chest puffs out, and he glances at me. I hold up a hand to settle him, but he looks ruffled. Both of my men do. And Ingrid looks like she’s bracing for the explosion now.

“That’ll be all, Raina. You may leave now.” I am not budging on this. Raina has no clue that these are as much safety measures for the little one as they are security for my home. My enemies will slaughter my boy if I let them. I have to do this for his protection.

“I won’t stand for this,” she says, but I hear the tremor of anger in her tone because she knows I’m doing what I want and she can’t stop me.

“I said, you may go.” I narrow my eyes on her and she stomps out. I hear her feet slapping the floor all the way to the bedroom where the door slams.

It’s frustrating how I have to handle her now, all because she doesn’t understand the world I live in.

If I were able to pull her in and explain things, be soft with her and kind, the way I was with my late wife, she would come around.

I would show her how this is for her benefit, not to control her or our son, or anything else. But I can’t.

My enemies already want to kill her.

She doesn’t even realize it.

How would I function if they succeeded?

The better question is, how will I function when it’s time for her to go? That will be hard enough. I can’t mourn another woman again. I can’t let them get into this home and at her or the baby.

“Sir,” I hear, and I turn to see Akim standing beside me where I come out of the haze of my inner war.

“What?” I snip, noticing Ingrid and Demid stooped over the crib now. She seems to be helping him while Akim pulls me aside. Yet again, I’m going to have to defend my choices, and I’m getting really sick of this.

“She’s trouble, sir. Are you really sure you’re going to let her stay after this baby is born?” Akim has been hitting the nail on the head for the past nine full months, and I have been ignoring him because my dick liked that woman a little too much. It dragged my mind with it, and my heart, and now I’m living with regret the size of the Kremlin.

“She will stay according to the contract, Akim. Let’s finish this work.”

“But, sir,” he grumbles, now scowling at me again. “We don’t need her anymore. That’s what they make bottles for, and Ingrid has a few great nanny choices. We vetted them⁠—”

“She stays,” I spit, loud enough that Ingrid jolts and looks up at me. “End of story,” I say calmly, flicking my eyes at him. “Get back to work.”

Raina is a handful.

He’s right about that.

But my son will need his mother’s touch, especially for the first few months of life.

I did say she could stay afterward, perhaps nine months or a year. If she chooses, we could work something out for longer.

I just have to show her that my orders are not to be questioned.

If she could just rein her mouth in and follow my instructions we’d get along much better.

Though, I blame myself for that too. I haven’t been the most hospitable with her. If I had been, maybe she would be more open to hearing my side of things.

Regardless, this constant fighting and the war between my right-hand man and the woman I very obviously love has to stop.

If I allow myself to want her and keep her here, this can’t continue. And I won’t even bring it up to Akim until I decide how I can have what I want without it becoming the same risk it was with Agnya.

And without Raina feeling like she’s being locked up, all so I can protect her.