Page 96 of Between Us

Alessandra gave him a weak smile. She looked tired, her brown eyes glassy from the lack of sleep. “Do you want another coffee?”

“No, baby, I'm good.” He kissed the top of her head, his fingers tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You want to go home and lie down? Vladik is downstairs in the parking lot with the other men.”

She shook her head. “I want to stay here with you.”

“Alright,” he said, pulling her a little closer. Shesmelled and felt so good, and he took a moment to bask in the comfort she brought him whenever she was near. When he glanced up, he noticed that Oleg was watching their interaction with disapproving eyes.

Roman kept his gaze, his irritation with the old man returning tenfold.

He had half a mind to get up and ask him what his problem was when a surgeon dressed in dark-blue scrubs entered the room. The air changed instantly. Everyone stood, and when the doctor's tired gaze landed on him, Roman knew the news weren't good.

“Mr. Leskov's family?”

“Yes,” Roman answered with a sense of trepidation, getting to his feet. “I'm his son.”

The man got straight to the point. “Your father survived surgery, but his condition isn't ideal. He's had severe internal trauma induced by the gunshot wound to his head.” He paused and let out a soft sigh. “It's a rare occurrence that a person with this type of brain injury even makes it to the hospital, and the post-op statistics aren't very optimistic either. If he makes it through the next twelve hours, there is a fifty percent chance he will recover. Even so, the recovery could take years, and he might never be the same.”

“I understand,” Roman said, trying to keep his heartbeats level despite the cry of despair coming from Tatyana. “Is my sister allowed to see him? She's having a hard time with all of this.”

The doctor seemed to hesitate as he threw a glance at Tatyana. “Just her, and only for a few minutes. She will be supervised by a nurse.”

“Thank you; for everything.”

The doctor left, and Roman turned to his sister whotrembled like a leaf in Alek’s arms. “You heard him. A nurse will come for you.”

She shook her head, hot tears running down her cheeks. “I don't know if I can.”

“You can. We'll be right here when you come back.”

“God, Roman. Why? First Mom and now him?”

Roman had no answer to that. It was the way life worked, he supposed. He'd been devastated when he'd lost his mother, but now... now he just felt tired.

It was only the beginning, he realized. Their lives were about to take a very different turn. His more so than his siblings' because everything rested on his shoulders. Willing or not, with Vitaly incapacitated, he had officially become the head of the family.

His family was one thing, but the Bratva was a much more delicate matter.

As soon as Tatyana left with a nurse, Roman took the opportunity to head outside to the men waiting in the parking lot. Oleg followed him quietly. The moment the elevator doors closed behind them, his father's right-hand turned to him with an icy look.

“Unfortunate event, Roman. We willfind out who was behind the attack and get our revenge.”

Roman was done putting up with his hypocritical act. “Just say whatever it is that you want to say to me, Oleg.”

The man’s eyes darkened dangerously as all pretense of civility vanished from his face. “I know you are a very capable young man, but the position is mine. It always has been. Everyone knows this.”

“If everyone knows it, why are you telling me this?”

“You seem to believe otherwise.”

“I believe what I've been told my whole life. I am thesuccessor to my father's Bratva. Whatever you might think of that is irrelevant to me.”

Oleg’s thin lips twisted into a sneer. “Careful, boy. Your temper will do you no good this time.”

Roman stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor, and Oleg did the same. “My temper should be the least of your concerns right now. If I were you, I'd choose my words more carefully. The moment I take over asPakhan, you will be removed from your position. How everything else goes after that is up to you.”

Oleg's face turned red. “Are you threatening me?”

Roman kept the man's gaze, his blue eyes hard as steel. “Yes, Oleg; I fucking am.”

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