Page 48 of Bratva Prisoner
“They’re just people, Alyssa. Family people who happen to be very good at what they do.”
“What they do being organized crime.”
“They also offer protection, loyalty, and take care of their own.”
The front door opens before we even reach the steps, and I’m greeted by the sight of Aleksei’s imposing shoulders filling the doorway. Behind him, voices and laughter spill out, contradicting everything I’ve ever learned about gangsters..
“Maksim, Alyssa.” He nods to each of us in turn. “Welcome.”
The formality in his tone makes me want to curtsy, but before I can make a fool of myself, a woman appears beside him. “Ignore him,” she insists with a smile that transforms her entire face. “Aleksei thinks he’s intimidating, but we all know I’m the one who really runs things around here. I’m Bianca.”
“Alyssa.” I accept her offered hand.
“Finally. Maksim’s been keeping you all to himself, and we were starting to think you were imaginary.”
I giggle and respond, “Some days I wonder about that myself.”
She laughs, a rich sound that immediately puts me at ease. “Oh, I like you already. Come on, everyone’s dying to meet you.”
“Alyssa!” A petite woman with honey-brow hair rushes toward us as soon as we step inside. Her face is bright with authentic excitement. “I’m Cecily, Dmitri’s wife. We’ve heard so much about you.”
“All good things, I hope.”
“Mostly,” another woman interjects with a grin as she joins our little circle. “I’m Seraphina, Grigor’s better half and Cecily’s sister. And this troublemaker is Diane, Aleksei’s cousin.”
Diane waves with paint-stained fingers. “Sorry, I was working in the studio. Couldn’t miss meeting the woman who’s got Maksim walking into walls.”
“I don’t walk into walls,” Maksim protests from behind me.
“You walked into a door frame the other day,” Akim calls out as he approaches with drinks. “I saw it happen.”
“That door frame came out of nowhere.”
The easy banter between them catches me off guard. I expected formality, maybe some veiled threats disguised as pleasantries. Instead, I’m witnessing the kind of family dynamic I’ve only seen in movies—teasing and laughter and real affection.
“Don’t let them fool you,” Bianca whispers. “They’re all terrified you’re going to break his heart.”
“Why would I break his heart?” I ask, scrunching my nose.
“Because you’re the first woman he’s ever brought home who wasn’t paid to be here.”
The crude joke should offend me, but instead, it makes me bust out laughing. These women have accepted me with a warmth I haven’t experienced since college, and I realize how much I’ve missed having female friends.
“Dinner won’t be ready for another hour,” Cecily announces. “Want the grand tour?”
The next sixty minutes pass in a blur of rooms and stories and laughter as the women—my temporary guides—share embarrassing stories about their husbands. I learn that Grigor once got so drunk he serenaded a lamp post, that Dmitri collects vintage postcards, and that Aleksei has a secret weakness for reality television.
“What about Maksim?” I ask as we pause in a sunroom overlooking perfectly manicured gardens.
“Maksim’s the mysterious one,” Seraphina muses. “Always has been. He observes everything, says little, but when he cares about something…”
“He becomes absolutely ruthless about protecting it,” Diane finishes. “In the best possible way.”
“Is that supposed to be reassuring?”
“Honey,” Bianca begins, “in our world, having someone willing to be ruthless for you is the highest form of love.”
The comment should disturb me, but instead, it sends warmth spreading through my chest. I think about Maksim jumping into that pool when he thought I was drowning and how he tackled me to the ground when the shooting started.
