Page 31 of Cruel Russian Monster
“You need to talk to Marten and the others; they’re driving me insane. The club gets hit just like the Hearth, but Pyotr and Avit still get to run around Philly? I asked to go shopping, with freaking guards, and they said no!”
She huffed dramatically. “You have sixty seconds. Either someone comes with me, or I’m going AWOL.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Honestly, I understood her frustration. She and Mariya had been staying home more lately, only going out with extra security; they’d been doing their part. But I also got where my brothers were coming from. They just wanted to keep our sisters safe. Because if anything happened to them, we'd break every fucking Bratva law and put those responsible six feet in the ground for what they had done.
Still, I knew Ninel. If she got frustrated enough, she'd absolutely find a way to slip out without guards. She was the youngest of us, only twenty-two, fresh out of college, andsuddenly saddled with more free time than she knew what to do with. She was used to coming and going as she pleased. But locking her down completely wasn't in anyone's best interest.
“Ninel, I'm on my way. Tell the guards to get ready.”
“Thank you!” I heard the smile in her voice. “That’s why you’re the best big brother ever.”
“I’m not spending money on you, Ninel. So you’d better walk with your credit card.”
“We’ll see about that. See you soon!”
She hung up, and I let Tomas know about the detour.
Still, Ninel was right. Somehow, she always managed to twist our arms, gracefully, at that, and get us to spend money on her. Every single time.
Forty minutes later, Mariya and I sat outside the changing room as Ninel tried on what had to be her hundredth outfit. As always, the manager cleared the store once we arrived, and security had taken up posts inside and out.
I leaned back slightly, trying to get comfortable, but even that felt like a chore. The painkillers the doctor prescribed were the good stuff, strong enough to numb the pain, but they came at a price. My head was slightly foggy, like my thoughts were moving through molasses. My energy was close to empty, and I felt on edge.
This wasn’t how I wanted to spend my morning. My plan had been simple: stay at the office, let the boys do the scouting, and go over logistics with Lev. My mind would've been active. But instead, I’d made the calls, issued the orders, and now I was sitting here in a goddamn boutique, slouched in a velvet chair under soft lighting, trying not to nod off or snap at someone.
“What’s wrong?” Mariya asked. “You’ve been fidgeting and on edge since we got here. Do you think we’re in danger?”
I hated that she even had to ask that question. Being born into the Bratva meant danger was always a given, lingering in the background. But before, it had been manageable, unlike now.
“You’re not in danger. I’d never let anything happen to you or Ninel.”
“Does it have anything to do with why you’ve been MIA the past two days?” she lifted a brow.
I shook my head with a faint smirk. “You’re too smart for your own good, you know that?”
“And if you think answering my question with another question is going to distract me, you’re wrong.” She gave me a cocky smile.
I chuckled. “Maybe. But it’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”
Mariya gave a small nod, though her eyes told me she didn’t believe a damn word of it. She knew me well enough to understand that if I didn’t want to talk, I wouldn’t. So she let it go, for now.
After thirty more minutes, Ninel was finally ready to leave. Somehow, I’d not only been swindled into paying for both her and Mariya’s purchases but also roped into taking them to brunch and footing that bill, too.
Once we returned to the family mansion, I helped my sisters inside with their bags, then turned to face them.
“I know things have been rough lately.” They both nodded. “We’ve all had to make adjustments. Some of ushave faced more danger, while others have been more closely guarded.”
I looked directly at Ninel. “I don’t want you thinking that every time you call me ranting about wanting to go out after being told no, that I’m going to come running.”
She lowered her gaze.
“Nins, look at me.”
She did.
“Avit, Pyotr, and Marten are just trying to keep you and Mariya safe. It’s not about control.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
