Page 46 of Surprise Bratva Daddy

I hang up the phone, tucking it back into my pocket. My hand brushes on the other object there, the one I tucked into my pants secretly this morning. Now that Maksim is gone, the time has come to make this move. It's the one thing I feel like i have to do before returning home.

Monroe is smiling at me, the sunlight bringing out the golden hues in her eyes. It's an absolutely stunning view, but it pales in comparison to her smile. It's the brightest thing in the world, brighter than the sun. It's the kind of thing that makes you think of the good in life, the kind of thing that makes you feel hope.

"How do you feel?" she asks, tilting her head to the side.

"Great," I reply. "I'm ready to go home, and I'm glad that Maksim is dead. I feel like I can finally move on with my life. I'm also glad to be here with you, far away from the danger. I like it honestly, and that's not something I used to be able to say. I always lived for the danger because I had nothing else to live for, but now I do. I have you."

She blushes. "Always such a romantic."

"It's about to get more romantic," I reply, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the secret I've been keeping all day. I'm surprised it hasn't burned a hole in my pocket already.

Monroe gasps before I even drop to one knee. I told her this was coming, but I guess she didn't believe it would actually happen until now.

I look up at her, holding out a ring that could never possibly do justice to her beauty, and I say the words I've been longing to say. "Monroe, will you marry me?"

Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are filled with tears, but her smile is so big and bright that the moment doesn't feel quite as intimidating. I just know. And she knows too. We both know what our future looks like.

"Yes," she whispers, nodding her head.

I take her hand and slip the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly, and the giant diamond on top shines with rainbow hues like it just rained. To me, this is the rainbow after the storm, the beauty that follows the chaos, and the perfection that was promised since the beginning of the universe. And it fits Monroe perfectly.

31

Zane

It’s been ages since I saw Tema in person, but I think it’s appropriate that we meet to reflect on the completion of the insider trading mission and discuss future plans. Plus, I need to tell him to stop sending couriers and start having my guys pick things up from him instead. He doesn’t know it, but we almost lost billions of dollars from one simple mistake.

The address I’ve been given is for a bar on the other side of town where Tema operates. If it’s anything like the one I run for my organization, we’re not all that different. I’ve always suspected that Tema and I were two people cut from the same cloth. There are just so many similarities.

Hell, we might even be cousins, but neither of us would dare touch a DNA testing kit.

I go alone because I trust Tema. You have to have some trust when you’re playing a game this big. He trusted me by putting money in my hands, and I’ve trusted him by coming here without my usual security detail.

I don’t think Monroe liked that idea very much, but she still doesn’t understand how we do things around here a hundred percent. We have our own code or ethics, even if it’s more about bloodlines and ancient rules than anything an outsider would understand.

The security at the door to the bar steps aside when I walk up, already knowing who I am. I’m the man who made Tema rich, and together, I suspect we’re going to become unstoppable. I sense a partnership in the near future, more work that could unify our Bratvas into one.

Maybe I’m just a dreamer, but Monroe made me into a believer. Anything can happen, and I have proof of that now.

As I come into the room, my eyes are immediately drawn to the man standing in front of the bar. He’s immense, towering over everyone around him at six foot four, his broad shoulders and muscular frame dominating the space. His body is covered in tattoos, intricate designs that snake down his arms and up his neck. He’s a lot heavier inked than he was the last time we met.

His eyes catch mine and he smiles, but they’re a cold green, a stark contrast to the warmth of his skin. There's an unyielding hardness in them, the kind of gaze that makes you feel exposed, as if he can see right through you.

Definitely Bratva. Monroe has said the same thing about my eyes. I think it’s all the death you witness. You’re able to imagine what someone would look like as a corpse even before they’re dead.

Tema’s dark hair is kept short and neat, like he used to be in the military. I think he may have served at one point in Russia, but I don’t recall.

When he moves toward me, it’s with a purpose and a fluid grace that’s surprising for someone his size. Every step he takes is calculated, every gesture deliberate. He carries himself with a confidence that’s almost palpable, a confidence that tells everyone in the room that he’s important and dangerous.

But we both our, our power coming together and neutralizing in a way that would be impossible with anyone lesser. We’re two sides of the same coin, brothers in another lifetime. We both recognize and respect each other as equals.

When he speaks, his voice is deep with a slight Russian accent. It’s a voice that commands attention, that makes people listen. He doesn’t need to raise it over the noise of the bar. The quiet intensity of his words is enough to carry them over to me as I walk up to him. “Long time, no see.”

I smile, matching his friendly but serious demeanor. “We should get together more often. Celebrate more wins.”

He chuckles, handing me a glass of scotch. “Here, let’s drink to that.”

I take the glass and raise it in the air, and we toast to our continued alliance. It’s a great start to what should be an even better afternoon. It’s not often two men of this caliber are about to get together and talk business.

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