I’m such an idiot.
Of course, his uncle wouldn’t forget about him. Senya Ruskov never forgot an insult. And Alexei – his protegee, his number one man, his nephew – to abandon the Bratva and go straight? Well, that was the biggest insult of all.
It was naïve thinking that had gotten him shot and traumatized Amelia. The little girl had been in shock. Her therapist had told them that she’d need time and certain activities that could help her recovery. She was getting better though. Talking more. She was even back to playing bubble kingdom and watching The Princess and the Toad.
The first time she’d visited him in the hospital after he woke up, she didn’t stop crying. She climbed onto the bed and just laid there in his arms. The nurse had tried to pry her off, arguing that she might hurt him, but he shooed her away. Tears welled up in his eyes too. He was so relieved that she was unhurt. That bastard, Aaric, had left before he saw her.
Kaelyn was there, watching both of them with barely suppressed tears as well. He couldn’t imagine how she’d felt walking in on both of them lying on the floor, covered in blood. But she was strong. She was holding them all together, and during those six months of searching and planning a way to take down their uncle, she was the one thing that had kept him sane.
Alexei sighed and got up from his seat. There were still three hours left till they arrived in Moscow, and he was getting more and more anxious by the minute. He went looking for Stone, finding him in the small private room at the head of the plane.
Knocking on the open door, Alexei asked, “Can I come in?”
Stone looked up from the plans he was so engrossed in.
“Uh, yeah, of course. What’s up?”
“‘What’s up?’” Alexei snorted as he closed the door behind him. “We’re about to go kill our uncle.”
Stone let out a chuckle. “Right. Forgot about that.”
Alexei took the seat in front of Stone’s desk. He tapped his fingers against the armrest.
“Did you want to talk?” Stone looked at him inquisitively.
Alexei took a deep breath. “What if we’re wrong? What if he’s not in that bunker?”
“Then we’ll keep looking. And we’ll find him in whatever rat hole he’s hiding out in and kill him.”
Alexei didn’t say anything to that. He just looked at the floor and continued tapping his fingers.
“Alexei.”
He didn’t look up.
“Alex, look at me.”
He finally did. Stone wasn’t smiling, but his face looked soft and reassuring.
“I know you’re worried this might be a trap. But we’ve taken precautions. We’ll have people outside, getaway vehicles ready, everything. This is going to work.”
“I don’t mean to burst your bubble, Stone. But I know our uncle. There is a chance he might come out of this still breathing, and knowing the odds, it’s a smaller chance of us doing the same. Maybe we should just call this off.”
“Alexei.” Stone’s face changed He looked determined, and downright pissed. “He tried to fucking kill you. You were shot.”
“So were you. We didn’t do anything then, why do anything now?”
“You got shot like two months after me! There wasn’t time!”
“I know, but-”
“This is personal, Alex, we both know that. I thought you’d be the first person to want to put a bullet through his heart.”
“I am, but-”
“Then, why are you trying to call this off?”
“I won’t lose you, damn it!”
There was no sound in the small room. They could hear the muffled noises of the people outside, but it felt like they were coming from miles away. The air in the room was still.
Stone’s face was frozen in shock. After what felt like a lifetime, he spoke only one word.
“What?”
“You were shot, Stone. You didn’t sign up for this life. I shouldn’t have dragged you in. This was never your fight.”
“Excuse me?” Stone looked pissed again. “This was always my fight. You’re my brother. I don’t care if the entire fucking universe was trying to kill you. I’d stand with you and take every single bullet they throw at us.”
Alexei didn’t know how to respond to that. He didn’t need to, though, because Stone kept going.
“I’m going in that bunker with you. I’m going to be there when you look at our piece of shit uncle in the eye as you kill him. I’m going to dig the bullet deep into his heart and out the other end myself, if that’s what it takes to make sure he's dead. You don’t have to do this alone, Alex.”
Alexei had to take a deep breath to keep himself from crying and hugging his older brother like a little kid. He opened and closed his mouth, but couldn’t figure out what to say that would express to Stone just what his support meant. Thankfully, Stone was able to read it on his face.
“It’s okay, Alex. I know what you want to say. You should try to get some sleep before we arrive. You’ll need all your strength.”
Alexei smiled at his brother, hoping that little thing conveyed everything he wanted to say, and went to find an empty bunk to crash on.
He woke up as the plane was descending. The next several hours were a blur. They went to an obscure hotel to regroup. Everyone was running around, double checking the guns and ammo. They went over the plan almost twenty times, before Alexei thought they were ready.
When he walked into the ammo room and started gearing up, he felt a strange, almost nostalgic feeling, in his chest. It had been a long time since he was gearing up for a mission. The bullet-proof vest on his chest, the guns strapped to his hips, the ammo clips across his chest, the knife strapped to his thigh – it was all unfortunately familiar to him. He stood in front of a mirror in the room and almost backed out.
He knew the man who looked back at him as Testova, Senya’s gun who executed his will. He looked too much like his past, like a bratva man about to go on a job. His thought process was interrupted when Stone came in, dressed in the same gear and told him it was time.
Alexei was not in the bratva anymore. He was a free man.
And he was going to kill Senya Ruskov.
The ride to the bunker was tense. He was in a van with Stone and ten members of his security team. Nobody spoke a single word until the bunker came into view.
It was time.
It was nestled somewhere in the woods, surrounded by trees. They parked the vans in some underbrush a mile away to hide them and poured out. There were about a hundred people there, and the other hundred were on the other side of the bunker. Just a few feet in front of them, among the trees, the bratva’s patrol would be standing.
Stone and Alexei stayed back while a couple of the others went to dispose of the patrols. Everyone had silencers on their guns to ensure nobody saw them coming. It only took a few minutes before they gave the ‘all clear’.
Alexei gestured to the rest and they all fell in line behind him as they made their way to the bunker.
The woods were silent. The only sounds were the low, imperceptible scuffle of their shoes and the lonely hoot of an owl. The moon was bright in the sky and while that didn’t give them any coverage, it helped them see the way in front of them. The night air was still, as if it was holding its breath, waiting to see what this night would bring.
They came upon the bunker. The door was unlocked and they could hear raucous laughter inside.
Good. We haven’t been caught out yet.
Before they went in, a voice on the intercom asked,
“Boss, if we have a clear shot at Ruskov, do we take it?”
Stone answered, “No. Leave him to us.”
With that, the men popped the windows as silently as they could, and went in. Stone and Alexei barely heard a thing as the recruits cleared the place in twenty seconds flat. They made their way inside.
Alexei surveyed the sea of bodies arrayed in front of him. He didn’t feel guilt or remorse. These were murderers, thugs
, spies. All of them would have gladly seen his head on a spike. He felt a flash of satisfaction seeing Aaric sprawled on the floor, a bullet in his chest.
Senya wasn’t there. But Alexei knew where he was. He never sat with his men unless necessary. There was a locked door at the end of the room and they made their way for it. Standing there, Alexei could almost feel his uncle breathing in the other room. Stone and Alexei exchanged a glance and, together, kicked it down.
Their uncle was waiting for them.
He shot at them, almost before the door was all the way open. Stone quickly pulled the door in front of his body, using it as a shield.
Alexei didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
He stood square in that doorway, looked the man who raised him dead in the eye and fired one clean shot into his forehead.
Senya Ruskov was dead.
Alexei couldn’t believe the sight in front of him.
He chuckled. “One clean blow. Just how he liked it. Seems almost poetic.”
Stone peeked out from behind the door. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”
This time, Alexei let out a full-blown laugh and clapped his brother on the back.
“Come on. It’s time to get back home to our ladies. We have some celebrating to do.”
Finally, after everything they’d been through, the nightmare was over, and they could rest easy.
10
Kaelyn
“You are absolutely stunning.”
Kaelyn stood behind Saylor as she placed on her sister’s head the final piece of the ensemble – the veil. Saylor looked to the ground and blushed.
“Thank you! You look gorgeous too!”
“I know. But I had to tone it down a bit. Wouldn’t want to overshadow the bride.”
Saylor jokingly pushed her and turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a floor-length A-line ivory dress with a princess cut neckline. The bodice was covered in lace flowers that faded into the skirt. Everything about her screamed ‘beautiful’ and Kaelyn held her hands to her chest as she admired her on her wedding day.
Saylor gave a happy little sigh and turned to Kaelyn.
“I still can’t believe this is happening. This all just feels like a dream!”
Kaelyn put her hand on her shoulder.
“It really is happening, Say. You guys deserve this and so much more. Especially after everything you’ve been through.”
Saylor nodded solemnly. It has only been a year since Stone and Alexei had gone after their uncle and succeeded in killing him. While it was a year of peace, it took everyone a couple of months to relax and truly accept that the danger had passed. Alexei’s connections informed him that the bratva had scattered, confusion and chaos spreading in the wake of their power vacuum. There were fights and conspiracies as people tried to rise up as the new leaders. It effectively destroyed itself.
Then, as though he had only been waiting for everything to calm down, Stone had immediately gotten down on one knee and proposed to Saylor. Kaelyn had probably been the most excited. She accepted her maid of honor duties with passion and tried to make everything perfect for her sister.
Alexei had also been excited. No one but he was surprised when Stone asked him to be his best man. He almost teared up. This year had made the brothers that much closer to each other.
They were all close now. One giant, albeit a little messed up, family. Saylor had quickly forgiven Kaelyn for keeping her relationship with Alexei a secret, and welcomed him with open arms.
Kaelyn had also finally found a job. It was at the kindergarten where they’d enrolled Amelia. She was worried at first that her daughter wouldn’t want her to work at her school, but Amelia was extremely excited. She was so much better now, considering everything she had been through. She rarely woke up with nightmares, and even when she did, there would be no problems with her crawling into their bed and snuggling up against Alexei.
Kaelyn had even heard her referring to him as her ‘dad’ to one of her friends at school.
Amelia was now running around the bridal suite they were staying at. She was absolutely in love with her junior bridesmaid dress. Saylor had decided, as a gift to Amelia, to make her bridesmaid dresses light green, in honor of Amelia’s favorite princess.
“Mia, sweetie. Come here. Let Mommy do your hair.”
She quickly came and stood in front of her mother. Kaelyn stared at both of them in the mirror. They were wearing identical, off-shoulder, light green dresses, the only difference being Amelia’s puffier skirt. Kaelyn brushed her hair into a side ponytail that matched her own and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Mommy, why can’t I wear a veil like Aunty Saylor?”
They both laughed and Kaelyn hugged her daughter from behind.
“That’s because Aunty Saylor is the bride. One day, you’re going to be the bride and marry someone you love so much, and who’ll love you too. Then, you’ll be the one to wear a veil.”
Amelia nodded in understanding, then asked excitedly, “When will you wear a veil, Mommy?”
Kaelyn’s eyes widened and she turned to Saylor who was looking at her with a smirk.
“Yeah ‘Mommy’. When are you going to wear a veil?”
Kaelyn just laughed and picked up her daughter.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The ceremony started, and Kaelyn watched as Amelia made her way down the aisle before her. The people awed at how adorable she looked. When she was about halfway down, Kaelyn felt someone loop her arm in his.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t she?” Alexei whispered in her ear.
She smiled and leaned against his shoulder.
“She is. And she’s our little princess.”
They made their way, arm in arm, down the aisle, only separating when they reached the altar. Then, the music changed and everyone stood up and turned to the doorway to see the bride glide down the aisle.
Kaelyn was standing close enough to Stone to hear his breath catch in his throat. Or perhaps he had just been that loud and didn’t care. Her face felt like it would tear in two as she smiled widely, looking at her sister extend her hand towards the love of her life.
Without bothering to whisper, Stone told her, “You are exquisite.”
“And you’re not too bad yourself, billionaire.”
He chuckled and turned to the minister. He started the ceremony.
“Family, friends…We are gathered here today to celebrate the eternal love that Stone Testova and Saylor Owens have for each other. I believe the couple has prepared their own vows?”
They both nodded and Saylor began.
“Stone, ever since that day I took that IT job at your company, my life has been…well, a wreck.”
Everyone let out a brief laugh.
“But I can’t begin to imagine what my life would have been like had I not taken that job. I can’t imagine what never meeting you would be like. You made my life the most exhilarating adventure I could ever hope for. Because every day is an adventure with you. I am so grateful for everything that brought us together and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my best friend, my soulmate, my love.”
Kaelyn had tears in her eyes. She looked over at Alexei and imagined them standing at an altar, maybe sometime in the near future, announcing their love for one another. She imagined herself telling him everything that was in her heart and watching his eyes, like Stone’s, fill up with tears and love.
Stone looked like he was ready to break down, but pulled himself together enough to say his vows.
“If anyone had told me two years ago that I would be marrying the most stubborn, intelligent, and beautiful woman I have ever met, I would have told them that they were describing a fantasy. But here we are. You are my fantasy, Saylor. The dream I never knew I was running after all my life. I could have the entire world on a silver platter and I wouldn’t give a single damn, if you weren’t right there by m
y side. I love you, Saylor. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much.”
“The rings, please.”
Kaelyn and Alexei both leaned over to the bride and groom and handed them their rings. But they weren’t looking at them. They were looking at each other, gazing into each other’s eyes. Kaelyn saw in them the same thoughts she’d been having, the same hopes, the same desires. All that love she felt was reflected in his eyes.
Stone cleared his throat.
“We’re the ones getting married here, guys. Wait your turn.”
Everyone laughed and Kaelyn and Alexei went back to their places. Kaelyn could see a teasing glint in Saylor’s eyes, and knew she would never hear the end of it. They placed the rings on each other’s fingers.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
The minister hadn’t finished his sentence, before Stone swept her up and kissed her. The entire hall filled with family and friends cheered.
Kaelyn was probably cheering the loudest. She couldn’t picture any other couple who was more perfect for each other. She was filled with elation that they had found each other and now would be able to spend every day for the rest of their lives together.
The thought of devoting every minute to someone you love so damn much was absolutely thrilling for her. She wanted to be with Alexei forever, and knew that that was very likely. She gave him and would keep giving him every shred of love in her heart. And she got the love right back. Nothing would be able to stand in their way now.
Alexei had taken longer than the rest to come to terms with his uncle’s death. Not that he felt any remorse over killing him. He just couldn’t believe it. Kaelyn remembered every night he would stay awake, lying next to her, unable to sleep because he believed that Senya would still be after them. She would reassure him, comfort him, hold him, until he calmed down enough to drift off.
She never wanted him to feel that way again.
After the ceremony, she gave Saylor and Stone an enormous hug and wished them all the happiness in the years to come. She took Stone off to one side and whispered to him,
Love Affair with the Billionaire’s Brother Page 6
