Hunted By The Bratva Beast: A Bratva Stalker/Captive Romance - Jagger Cole (the ebook reader .TXT) 📗

will protect her with my life, always.”

His eyes narrow. “She told me about Moscow.” He breathes slowly. “Was that really you, who took out her foster father?”

I nod. “Yes. And she’s the reason I didn’t die that day.”

His nostrils flare as he breathes deeply. “Why did you do that, that day? I mean what made you go to their apartment and kill him? Some kind of beef you had with him?”

“I did it for her.”

Viktor’s eyes narrow.

“Not for the same reasons I would protect her now, Viktor,” I growl. “She was a child. I wasn’t in love with her, if that’s the dark road you’re headed down in your head. I did that that day because I knew I was going away, probably forever. And in the dark hell of the world I lived in back then, she was the one speck of goodness. The one bright light that took the edge off the shadows.”

I wince as I sit up straighter in the bed.

“I lived in the apartment block across the courtyard from her. We never spoke or met. But she would smile at me sometimes, and it felt like for a second, there was hope left in this world.”

Viktor’s brow furrows.

“I killed that man that day, because I’d watched the abuse for too long. I know what it is to be tread on daily. I know what it feels like to be under a heel, every fucking day. And I snapped that day. I’d seen him try and cover up that one bright spot of goodness in my world one too many times. I had nothing left to lose, and I knew if I was going out, I’d go out doing one good thing in this world—making sure he never touched her again.”

I look down at my hands.

“That’s all I wanted to leave behind when I went away forever. One good thing. One good deed, in a life of bad.”

The three men are silent. But suddenly, a voice croaks from the doorway.

“Good enough for me.”

My head snaps up, and I grin widely. I try and slide from the bed when my eyes land on her, but the pain is almost overwhelming.

“Nina,” I groan.

The three others whirl, and Viktor swears as he rushes to her. She’s leaning against the doorway, but she waves him off.

“I’m fine.”

“You should be in bed—”

“I should be here,” she says softly. “With Kostya.” She turns her gaze to me. Her smile erases all the pain I’m feeling. And suddenly, the world is bright again.

Viktor frowns. He glances back at me, then back to his sister.

“Nina—”

“I love you, Viktor,” she whispers. “And I love you for all that you’ve done for me, and given me, and continue to do for me, and give to me. But…” She smiles weakly at him. “I’m not a child, Vik. And I know what I want.”

“Him,” her brother grunts.

She nods. “Yes.”

He glowers, breathing slowly.

“Lev—”

“We’re gone.”

Lev elbows Nikolai. The two of them glance at me, and then quietly leave the room. Viktor looks up at me.

“This will not be an easy road. I want you to understand that. My trust is not easily given. I love my sister, and for that, I’m stepping back from this. But if you want my trust—and you do, believe me—it will need to be earned, over time. I’m trusting you with her, because you’ve proven what you’d do to protect her.”

His eyes level on me.

“My trust, and the trust of the rest of this organization, will not come so easily.”

“I don’t expect them to.”

The room is quiet again. Nina clears her throat. “Vik, you did steal Fiona as a bargaining—”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” he grunts.

She grins at him. “Just saying.”

He frowns, but then he slowly smiles. He glances back at me. “For what it’s worth, you have my gratitude. For saving her. Several times over.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that.”

“For now, I’ll thank you by not killing you.”

I shrug. “I can work with that.”

Viktor smiles and shakes his head. He turns and gently hugs his sister.

“You should be in bed.”

“Well, I’m trying to get there, except someone’s blocking the way.”

Viktor grunts and rolls his eyes. “Fine.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t looking for your permission, Vik.”

He chuckles. “Whenever I have any doubts that we’re related…”

“Happy to remind you,” she smiles.

He glances back at me once more. “Kostya,” he grunts.

“Viktor.”

He nods, and then he’s gone from the room. Nina looks up at me from the doorway and grins.

“Hi.”

My brow furrows as my eyes sweep over the bandages on her arms, her legs, and on the side of her bruised head.

“Fuck, Nina…”

She half runs, half falls towards my bed. I surge from it, trying to stand, but the pain in my chest takes my breath away. But it’s no matter, because in seconds, she’s sobbing as she collapses into me. I ignore the pain. Or maybe the feel of her in my arms takes it away.

Her mouth finds mine, and I groan as I cup her face and kiss her deeply. I kiss her with all that I am, and all that I have.

Because she has all of me.

“You’re alive,” she breathes into my lips.

“I’m tough to kill,” I smirk.

“Yeah, apparently.” She grins up into my eyes. “Kostya—”

“I love you, Nina,” I growl, gripping her tightly. My heart races, and I realize it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever actually said those words.

Her face blooms red. Her teeth drag across her bottom lip as she starts to grin.

“I love you too,” she whispers. She slinks against me. I hiss once when her elbow grazes one of my sutures. She winces and pulls back.

“Oh my God, I’m so—”

“Nina,” I grin. “I’m fine. I’ve had worse.”

“You’ve had worse than being shot in the chest and falling thirty feet onto concrete?”

I shrug. “Well, either way.”

She rolls her eyes and kisses me softly. “Mr. tough guy over here. Well, what do you need?”

My pulse thuds. “A tender, loving nurse?”

She grins. “Oh really.”

“Very much,” I growl, feeling my desire for her