Unbounded Love

Chapter Four

Meeting was too casual of a word to describe the scene in front of me. Maybe try the word blackmailing. It was no secret that the Bratva ran the streets of Russia - especially. Even the head of the Moscow police sitting in front of us knew it. Probably why he was shaking in his seat - though he tried to hide it - dressed in only a nightgown. Or maybe it was the gun propped and angled towards him in the middle of the table between us. I guess the poor man hadn't been expecting a visit from the head of the Bratva so early in the morning.

"And what brings you here today?" The head of police's voice came out confident but his trembling fingers as he picked up his glass of bourbon gave away his fear.

"I think you know what we're here for." I replied as I cracked my knuckles, watching as Nikita rounded the table to stand behind him before flicking out a knife and holding it to his throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His throat bobbed with a swallow, his Adam's apple touching the edge of the knife.

The chief of the politsiya was a well built man. Even in his late forties, he had a well groomed mustache, his hair cropped short in a military-like buzz cut. A man of his build could easily take us on - but his fear of the Bratva was stopping him. He was a coward. And that was precisely the reason why he'd had our support when he'd been a potential candidate to lead the Moscow police. A little nudge in the right direction and filling the right pockets had led to the man in front of us taking over. So far, he'd done well, being on our payroll and making sure nothing led back to the Bratva. Except this time.

"Is that so?" I flicked off the imaginary lint on my suit jacket that I had put on again when we'd exited the car. "Let me remind you then, glavnyy. It seems like one of my men has been put behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. And the Bratva is being framed falsely for it. Care to explain why?"

"I-I.." He gulped the liquid as he swiped a hand across his clammy forehead. "I don't -

"I suggest you answer that question as soon as possible, chief. Well, at least in the next few seconds." Sofia threatened from beside me as she spun the gun in a circle. "You see, I'm in a mood to kill today." She shot a not so subtle dirty look at Nikita behind him.

I felt a sense of relief at her statement for some reason. I knew it wasn't any of my business to dig into Sofia's personal life, and especially not her sex life. It shouldn't anger me that she had slept with men before - my men. I knew that she was a grown woman now and that it was her choice to do whatever she wanted with her body. But even then, I felt satisfied at the fact that there wouldn't be a repeat of whatever happened before between Nikita and Sofia. Just thinking about them together had me seeing red.

"I don't know, Pakhan. I swear I just found out this morning before you came!"

The man's high pitched, panicked voice grated at my nerves as I suppressed the urge to shoot him on the spot. No, he was too useful to me. Maybe later, when he turned out to be not so useful.

"One more chance. If my man is not out by tomorrow morning, I'll be coming after you. Is that clear?"

"Da."

I pulled up Sofia by her hand as we left the house, Nikita in tow behind us. My arm was wrapped around her waist as I pulled her closer to me and away from Nikita's eyes that shamelessly roamed her body.

"Pakhan -

"Go back to the warehouse, Nikita. I'll call you if I need anything."

"But we need you to check the goods that have come in."

"I'll come later. It's not that urgent."

"What about her?" He asked as he pointed at Sofia.

"We're going home. Together." I emphasised the word as I shot him a glare. "And I better not see you or any of the men near her, or even thinking about her. Now, go." Those two words had him scrambling away to his car as he drove off. I don't know what had come over me, but the need to protect Sofia from him and all the other nasty men around us was at an all time high right now.

I started the engine of my own car, feeling Sofia's eyes on me the entire time.

"What was that about?" She asked, her hands on her lap as she looked at me.

"What was what about?"

"Stop playing dumb, Alexei." She scoffed. "It doesn't suit you."

My nostrils flared as I tried to think of an answer. I knew what she was talking about. About that little display where I'd held her hand and all but dragged her outside. I had never initiated physical contact between us. Not until now. And I honestly didn't even know why I had done it. Just that I'd let my body take over my mind for that brief moment.

"You need to stop doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Jesus fuck, Alexei! You know what I'm talking about." Sofia's voice was full of frustration.

She was right to be mad. I didn't even know why I was doing all this. Why I had the sudden urge to claim her as mine. No, that wouldn't do.

"I'm so fucking sick and tired of your games."

"What? I -

"No, let me finish, Alexei." She put up a hand to stop me as I clenched my jaw tightly, my focus on the snow covered road in front of me. "I'm fucking done with your hot and cold behavior. One minute you're so good to me, teasing me like we're best buddies and the next you're this cold hearted bastard all of a sudden."

"Milaya." I started. "I don't mean to -

"I'm not some toy you can dispose of once you're bored, Alexei. I'm a human. A human with real fucking feelings." She said sadly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want a repeat of what happened all those years ago, Alexei. I just wish we could go back to what we were before that."

Before I could reply to her last statement, we were parked in front of the mansion. I watched with a heavy heart as Sofia practically sprinted inside, as if being me for even a second longer would cause her physical pain. But she was right. I was an asshole. I had no right to her. No right to tell her what to do. I'd managed it for so long. So why the change in feelings all of a sudden? Maybe I didn't want to answer that question. Because the possibility that I was developing feelings for my milaya after breaking her heart when she was 18 was too hard to accept. I couldn't let my demons destroy her as well. No, I'd do anything to keep them away from her. Even if it meant staying the fuck away from her.

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