Bratva Boss' Baby (Kotov Bratva Book 1) Read online

“What problem?” she pressed.

  “Viktor needs to buy time until reinforcements arrive. I’m not sure how he’ll keep Goran talking, especially when Pavel and his life are both at stake.” Katya paused. “Viktor’s not known for being a patient man.”

  Ava had heard enough. Surely, Viktor didn’t think Ava would just wait here like a good girl? Waiting didn’t get anything done. She ran past Katya.

  “Ava, wait. Where are you going?” Katya demanded.

  Ava left the room and bolted down the staircase, two steps at a time. She’d never been a fast runner, but even her speed impressed her. Ava was slightly out of breath by the time she reached the driveway. Seeing the seat next to the driver’s was empty, she unthinkingly slid inside the car. Aleksander, who’d been sitting in the driver’s seat, turned to her with a frown. Ava mutely put her seat belt on.

  “What are you doing?” Aleksander demanded. “Exit the vehicle immediately. We are running on a tight schedule.”

  “I’m coming with you.” Ava crossed her arms and glared at Aleksander.

  “Are you out of your mind, woman?” Aleksander asked. “Where is Katya? She’s supposed to be watching you. Damn it.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Get that into your head,” she said. “Take me with you, or we can sit here and argue all morning.”

  They entered a short staring contest. Someone pounded against her window. Katya looked frazzled and panicked, so unlike her usual elegant and collected self. Ava instantly felt sorry for her, but she had to make sure Viktor would be all right.

  “Ava, get out of the car this instant!” Katya said. She tried the door, but Ava locked it. Aleksander groaned. He looked like he was nursing a headache. Well, he better get used to it because Ava intended to be a pain in his ass.

  Maybe Viktor had conveniently forgotten the fact he’d sort of proposed to her earlier. More like Viktor demanded they get married, but whatever. They were supposed to be partners. A relationship was a two-way street, not one. Viktor should’ve shared his ill-conceived plan with her. Once he returned, they were going to have a very serious talk. While she didn’t exactly want to know the exact details of his operations, she needed to be informed of major decisions and plans.

  “Fine,” Aleksander said. “But we can’t guarantee your safety.”

  Aleksander started the engine. Katya backed away. She looked more mad than worried now.

  “I have to do this,” she mouthed to the other woman.

  They sped away from the driveway.

  “You’re crazy, you know that? Viktor will have my head if he finds out we took you along,” Aleksander grumbled. “Not to mention Katya won’t ever forgive me for this.”

  The two men in the backseat chuckled. Aleksander said something curt in Russian and that shut them both up.

  “You only need to be concerned about protecting Viktor. I’ll explain to him that I insisted on coming,” Ava said firmly. “That this is all on me.”

  “How noble of you. I’m not sure what you think you’ll be able to accomplish. Do you even know how to use a gun?” Aleksander asked skeptically. He already looked like he regretted taking Ava along. She better change his mind quickly before he decided to bring her back to the house. Not the best move. Viktor’s and Pavel’s lives were hanging on a frayed thread. Didn’t Aleksander understand there wasn’t any time for silly debates?

  “I’m not an idiot. I won’t get in your way, but you’ll need a getaway driver, right? I’m assuming the three of you will go inside, guns blazing?” Ava asked.

  Aleksander stopped at a red traffic light and looked at her contemplatively. “Hmm. Perhaps there’s more to you than I initially assumed. Will you be able to keep a steady hand on the wheel? We don’t know what state we’ll find Viktor and Pavel.”

  “You can count on me,” Ava said.

  Aleksander entered a neighborhood Ava was unfamiliar with. The apartment buildings were old, falling apart. The people on the sidewalk gave them hostile stares as their car passed. An angry-looking teen even gave them a finger. “What’s with this place?”

  “This territory is controlled by the Mogilevich Bratva. The residents in this area know we’re outsiders,” Aleksander said.

  He entered a smaller street and stopped the car in an alleyway strewn with garbage. Ava peered at her surroundings. They parked in the back of an old factory. Ava didn’t see anyone in sight.

  “Take this,” Aleksander said, leaving one handgun with her. “Just in case. We won’t take long. Don’t lose your nerve now.”

  “Worry more about yourselves,” she said, accepting the gun.

  Ava was glad her hands didn’t shake and her voice remained even. Truth be told, she was a bundle of nerves. What had she been thinking? She was an accountant, for crying out loud. These men were well-trained and dangerous. They could handle themselves, but Ava? She wouldn’t be able to put much of a fight.

  She wasn’t just risking her own life but also her baby’s. Ava could be out having breakfast with Katya, but even if she did that, she’d be worried about Viktor and Pavel the entire time. Either way, it was too late now.

  “We’re good to go. Keep the engine running and don’t take your eye off your surroundings. Is your cell phone with you?” Aleksander asked.

  She nodded and gave him and the other men her personal number. They exited the car. Ava placed the gun on the dashboard for easy access. Her phone began to vibrate. Gina was calling, but Ava couldn’t afford any distractions, so she let it go to voicemail. She looked out the windows and saw Aleksander using a pin to break inside. A pin? Weren’t they running on a tight schedule? Then Ava remembered they couldn’t attract any unnecessary noise, at least not yet. She took deep breaths. She could do this. Her job was easy.

  Ava had never been religious, but she sent a silent prayer to the Big Guy above. Keep Aleksander and his guys safe.

  “Viktor, you better not be dead,” Ava whispered to the empty car. “I can’t raise this baby alone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Ignore what I said, don’t move,” Goran snapped to his men.

  Footsteps thudded on the concrete steps. His heartbeats sped up. Sweat trickled down his front and back. Goran flashed him an ugly smile. It felt like hours since Viktor held a knife to Goran’s throat. In reality? Only a few minutes had trickled by. Where the hell was Aleksander? Thank God Goran’s men had listened to him and hadn’t made any sudden moves.

  “Game over, Viktor. I win,” Goran said. His smug smile vanished as gunshots thundered from above. It was followed by a loud boom. Viktor smirked. Igor always did love his grenades.

  “Don’t be too sure of that,” he said.

  Two of Goran’s men appeared in the room, looking confused as they caught sight of Viktor and Goran on the ground and the entire room at a stalemate.

  “What the fuck are you idiots standing around for? Shoot him dead!” Goran shrieked.

  One of his men raised his gun, hand on the trigger. Fuck it all. Was this how Viktor was going down? Shot dead in the Mogilevich Bratva’s dirty torture basement? Viktor gritted his teeth. This wasn’t how his plan was supposed to go. He knew there were too many risks to his plan, but Pavel’s time was running out.

  Before Goran’s man could shoot, someone beat him to a punch. The goon toppled over, crimson staining the entirety of his back. His partner whipped his gun, but the shooter was faster. His corpse joined his fallen partner’s. Goran swore as Aleksander ran down the steps. At that moment, Goran’s men turned their guns to Aleksander.

  Viktor didn’t waste his chance. He slit Goran’s throat. Blood splattered his face and shirt. Adrenaline raced through his entire system.

  “Boss, no!” one of Goran’s men moaned.

  Then chaos erupted. Aleksander ducked as two of Goran’s men fired at him. Viktor heard a grunt. He looked up, saw Pavel thrashing in his bonds and disarming the goon standing next to him. The bastard must’ve thought Pavel no longer had any fight in him. The goon scre
amed obscenities. He pulled out a knife from his jacket, intending to stab Pavel with it. Viktor dove for his fallen weapon. Once his finger found the trigger, he shot the fucker dead in his tracks. The goon died, blood filling his mouth, his knife toppling to the floor.

  Aleksander managed to take out another of Goran’s men. A stray bullet found its way to his chest as Viktor struggled to his feet. He grunted at the impact, but the bulletproof vest he wore underneath did its work. Viktor landed on the floor again with a hard thump. He shot the gangster before he could fire his weapon again. Viktor looked around the room. Goran and his bodyguards lay dead on the ground.

  “You good, boss?” Aleksander asked.

  Viktor nodded. “I’ll be able to carry Pavel upstairs on my own.”

  “I’m heading back upstairs. Igor’s been distracting the guards, but he might need my help.” Viktor heard another boom upstairs. No time for distractions. He fired at the chains holding Pavel in place. Viktor grunted at the weight of Pavel’s body. His brother was no lightweight. Pavel managed to put his arm over Viktor’s shoulders. They slowly made their way upstairs.

  “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Pavel whispered.

  “Insult me later. Can’t you walk any faster?” he asked.

  Pavel snorted. “I was tortured. For hours. What do you expect?”

  It wasn’t easy guiding his brother up the stairs and watching for enemies at the same time. At the top of the stairs, an unfamiliar face appeared. Before the goon could fire at them, Viktor shot him dead.

  “Nice,” Pavel said. “Give me your gun and take his.”

  “Can you even hold a gun?” Viktor asked. He grunted as Pavel leaned his entire weight on him while Viktor swiped the dead man’s gun. He handed it to Pavel. Viktor finally caught sight of the factory floor. Goran’s workers had fled, but Igor and Aleksander were engaged in a shoot-out with Goran’s remaining men.

  “Move,” he hissed in his brother’s ear. “Before they catch sight of us.”

  They were halfway across the floor when Goran’s men finally took notice and started shooting at them. Good thing Aleksander and Igor covered them. Only a few feet left to the exit. Viktor could see the light beyond the door and the car parked there. A cry made him look over his shoulder. Igor fell at his feet. A lucky shot got him right in the skull. Viktor swore, but he kept moving. He couldn’t let Igor’s sacrifice go to waste. Aleksander grunted. He looked like he’d been shot in the left shoulder. Their situation wasn’t looking too good.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Viktor Kotov.” A large thug stood between Viktor and the door. Pavel got off a shot but missed the guy completely. Viktor raised his weapon and fired. Only a click sounded. Stumped, Viktor stared at his useless gun and threw it away in disgust. The goon smiled, showing Viktor his yellowing teeth, then raised his gun.

  “No, you don’t,” said a new voice. A feminine one.

  The thug gasped. Blood blossomed against his chest. Another shot made him topple to the ground. Viktor looked into Ava’s wide eyes. She lowered the gun she was holding. Viktor couldn’t even comprehend why she was here in the first place. His woman belonged at home, safe and sound.

  “Come on. I think I heard police sirens nearby,” she said.

  Viktor snapped out of his momentary paralysis. He kicked at the corpse barring their path and exited the factory with Pavel. Ava got inside the driver’s seat of the car. He looked behind him.

  “Aleksander, hurry,” he said.

  Aleksander tucked his gun away and opened the door for him. Together, Aleksander and he put Pavel in the backseat. Aleksander was to sit next to Ava, but Viktor touched his shoulder.

  “I’m sitting next to my woman,” he said.

  Aleksander nodded and joined Pavel in the back. Viktor slid inside the car. Before he could get a reprimanding word out, Ava started the engine and drove like a speed demon. What the hell? Viktor didn’t even know she could drive like this.

  Viktor had to put his seat belt on as Ava drove past two police squad cars. Viktor wasn’t worried about being seen. The cops were heading in the opposite direction, straight to Goran’s factory.

  “Viktor, your chest,” she whispered in fright. “Are you shot? I can’t see any blood.”

  “No, I’m wearing a vest underneath,” he said. Viktor had lucked out with a few scrapes and bruises. It was a bloody miracle.

  “Before you say anything to ruin the moment,” Ava began. She adjusted her speed as they entered the highway. She took a deep breath. “I’m glad you made it out alive. Wait. There’s only three of you? What happened to Igor?”

  Grief gripped Viktor’s heart. Igor’s loss would be deeply felt. He’d been a good and loyal soldier. “Gone,” he said with a shake of his head. “Just when we were nearly out the door.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “He wouldn’t want to go any other way,” Aleksander said from behind.

  “And Pavel?” she asked.

  “Alive. No critical injuries.” Viktor gave her a look. “You shouldn’t even be here. Aleksander, what the fuck?”

  “If I didn’t come along, you guys wouldn’t have made it out alive,” she pointed out. Ava looked so fierce, he remembered. His avenging angel of death. Viktor finally studied her more closely. Her knuckles turned white over the steering wheel. Ava’s gaze remained focused on the road ahead. She might appear calm and collected, but Viktor knew she was fighting off the shock of what just happened.

  Ava had made her first kill. She’d cleared a path for Viktor, Pavel, and Aleksander.

  “We’ll talk about this later,” he finally said. “You did good. Very good.”

  “Oh, we’re definitely going to sit down and have a very long chat.”

  Viktor groaned at her tone. Then again, he didn’t have the heart to remind her who exactly called the shots. She’d risked her own life, and the life of their child, to come to his aid. Viktor was still mad about her hasty decision to tag along.

  At the same time, he was also grateful. None of them would be here if it wasn’t for Ava’s quick-thinking actions. If Viktor died in that factory, the Kotov Bratva would be without a Pakhan. The organization would slowly crumble to dust. His enemies would move in, take his assets and territory. What would happen to Ava and his unborn baby then? To Katya and the rest of his men? Certainly nothing good.

  Well. He could rest easy. That version of the future would never come to past. It was a silent drive back to the mansion. Since Ava wasn’t exactly sure where it was, Viktor decided he’d drive instead. Ava texted on her phone the entire time.

  “Who are you messaging?” Viktor asked.

  “Gina and my mom. They know I’m expecting. Also, Katya. She’s relieved by the way,” she said. Ava tucked her phone away just as Viktor stopped the car in the driveway. Irene Kotov, his aunt and a renown surgeon, stood on the steps with two of his men. Viktor exited the car.

  Irene took one look at Pavel and said, “Take him to the clinic right away.”

  Irene paused to look Viktor over.

  “I don’t need medical attention,” he told his aunt.

  The two men with her helped carry Pavel to the clinic. Irene ran her own private practice. She was a busy woman. She’d been overseas when Viktor beat Pavel to a pulp, so they’d taken Pavel to a hospital instead. When she heard Pavel had been taken and about Viktor’s plans to retrieve him, she took time off work. Irene would take care of his brother to the best of her capabilities, Viktor knew.

  “Aleksander, have someone take that bullet out,” he told his third-in-command.

  That left only Ava and him in the driveway. He walked up to her and took her hands in his.

  “You did a very foolish but brave thing today,” he told her. He gave her hands a squeeze. “But it can’t ever happen again.”

  “I’m not weak and defenseless, Viktor,” she said with a scoff.

  “Your actions today have proven that,” he said drily.

  He was going ab
out this all wrong, and he considered his next choice of words carefully. Then he decided to simply tell her the truth. Viktor gathered her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him, holding his gaze steady. Fuck. Viktor had just escaped death and already, he was growing hard for his woman.

  “Ava, I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost you and the baby,” he whispered. It was an admission of weakness, one a Bratva boss couldn’t admit out loud, but she was going to be his wife. Viktor would keep no secrets from her.

  Her gaze softened. “I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t sit by and wait for you to come back,” she admitted. “Viktor, you really scared me. I can’t imagine a future where I have to raise our baby alone.”

  He pressed a kiss to her mouth, a soft and tender one. “I’m here now. We’re both alive.”

  “Yeah.” She wiped the tears sliding down her cheek.

  “Why are you crying?” he asked her.

  “These are tears of joy and relief,” she said. “Promise me, Viktor. If you decide to do anything that reckless again, you’ll tell me first. I love you so much. I don’t think I can bear to lose you either.”

  He took her mouth again, the kiss deep and passionate. When he pulled away, she blinked up at him. “I promise,” he told her. “I’m yours forever, Ava. I won’t die, not without your permission.”

  She rewarded him with a radiant smile. “Good. That’s all I want to hear.”

  Epilogue

  Two years later

  “Ivan, don’t disturb your dad while he’s working.” Ava gasped as her son waddled his way to Viktor. Ivan didn’t notice the shoe right in front of him. Viktor quickly set his cell phone down and caught their boy before Ivan could fall over.

  “Got you, you little daredevil,” Viktor said, holding Ivan up.

  Ivan giggled when Viktor kissed his tiny nose, then lifted his tiny shirt. Viktor blew a raspberry on his stomach. It always amused Ava to see her husband acting silly. Sofia, Ivan’s twin sister, yawned in Ava’s arms. Viktor walked over to where Ava stood. He leaned over and gave her a kiss that still managed to jolt her entire body awake.