Page 67 of Forced Bratva Hostage

“I imagined you were in hiding after what happened to Grigoriy, which I can understand—you didn’t know who you could trust. I wish you’d come to us. You and Grig were close. We would have kept you safe, Andrei.”

“I wasn’t specifically looking for safety,” I mutter.

Nico sighs heavily and turns to face me. His eyes pierce into me. His stare is intense, and it makes me want to shrink intomyself, wondering what he’s thinking.Say something, Andrei. Fix this. Make it okay. Tell him you’re sorry for what you’ve done.

“I’m really sorry about what happened to your brother,” I blurt out. “Grigoriy meant the world to me. I would have done anything for him. I wish I could have changed it. I wish I’d never introduced him to the Enzos. I wish I had never worked for them. I wish I could have been there to help him—Ishouldhave been there. If I knew he was in danger, I would have stuck to his side and kept him safe.” I swallow hard to fight the lump forming in my throat. Guilt is sitting on my shoulders, pushing me down, aching in my chest. I can’t say any more without my voice breaking as I fight tears of pain.

Nico shakes his head. “We don’t blame you for anything, Andrei. Grig made his own choices. They were bad ones, and we also wish they’d been different—but that’s not on you.”

I look up at him in surprise.

“But it is my fault, Nico. I got him involved with those people. Grig was a good person. He wouldn’t have trusted them if I hadn’t told him to.”

Nico shakes his head again and reaches out to touch my shoulder. There is a gentle smile on his face. In this moment, he feels like the older brother I never had. Responsible, calm and wise.

“Grig made his own choices. You know, when we were younger, I would always tell him not to do things—something as simple as not grabbing the poker right out of the fire because it would be hot—but he always had to learn for himself. He wouldn’t believe me until he burned his hand. That’s how Grig was. Even if you’ve had a chance to warn him, he wouldhave made his own choices, Andrei. That’s why you can’t carry responsibility for his death.”

My jaw clenches tightly. I disagree, but how do I explain that?

Nico notices my tension and keeps talking.

“I had an old motorbike. A vintage Honda Hawk. Man, I loved that thing. I spent hours polishing it, working on it. Fixing it up. But it wasn’t ready for the road—not by a long shot. Grig would sit watching me, asking me over and over again when he could ride it, and I would answer the same thing every time—it’s a death trap until I fix everything. But he would ask again. You know, the brakes didn’t even work on that thing. I could start it. It purred, but it wasn’t ready. Anyways, one night, Grig snuck into the garage and he wheeled it down the road so I wouldn’t hear it starting. He took it for a drive. It went okay for a while, and then things started going wrong—right up to the point he realized there were no brakes on the damn thing.”

Nico pauses to chuckle quietly, shaking his head at the memory.

“What happened?” I ask.

“He stopped by, driving into the neighbor’s pool.”

“The pool?” I say, shocked.

Nico starts laughing.

“The fucking pool. He drowned my bike. My pride and joy. He fucking drowned it because he refused to listen.”

“Actually, that sounds just like Grig,” I smirk.

“I was furious. I didn’t speak to him for a month. Maybe more. He got the bike back into the garage, but it was never the same. Look, Andrei, I’m just trying to help you understand thatGrig made his own choices. No one in my family blames you, and none of us wants you wasting your life chasing revenge. Grig wouldn’t want it, either.”

“I should have been there for him,” I say again with regret.

Nico’s voice becomes sterner.

“Andrei, the reason I came out here to talk to you is because I’m worriedyou’remaking bad choices now, just like Grig did back then. The only people who were at fault in this entire situation are the Enzos. They were unforgiving of Grig’s mistake, and they acted harshly in retaliation. It’s them that we blame. No one else. For Grig’s sake, because he would’vewantedme to stop you, I’m here to tell you not to ruin your life over this. Walk away. Let it go. Grig is gone. Whatever you have planned with the girl isn’t going to bring him back.”

“The girl?” I mutter, my heart beating faster.

Nico gestures towards the villa. “I know who she is,” he says.

I press my lips together and take a deep breath.

I didn’t want Tia brought into this conversation. I was hoping he didn’t know who she was. This makes things awkward.

“She’s just here as my guest,” I say.

Nico shakes his head. “Yourguestis causing havoc at home while the Enzos tear the city apart searching for her.” He tilts his head to the side and raises one brow at me. “There are rumors that you’ve married her.”

I huff loudly, pushing the air from my lungs to try and expel the anxiety building in me.

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