Brothers United

by K. J. Dahlen

  Roman chuckled out loud. “I love you, woman of mine.”

  “I love you too.” She snuggled into his arms. After a moment she asked, “So what’s going on? Why all this tension?”

  Roman held her for a moment then told her. “Do you remember when I told you about my brother? How I lost him that day?”

  Stevie nodded but didn’t break the silence.

  “I didn’t know it then but our father came to the apartment that day. He was looking for our mother and found Vlad instead. He left before I got back with the food. He didn’t know there was another child there and Vlad was too young to tell him about me.”

  Stevie was very still for a moment. “And your brother is here isn’t he?”

  Roman nodded. “Yes, he’s here. Yuri told me earlier. He was supposed to wait for Sergi to make contact but he told Yuri he couldn’t wait that long.”

  “So what are you going to do now?”

  Roman sighed. “He was once part of my life but that was a very long time ago. I have a family now in Yuri, Sazon, Barshan and Mikial. I also have you, the baby and Benny too. I told Yuri and I’m telling you again. I’m not going anywhere. Everything I ever wanted is right here surrounding me.” He hesitated then added, “I would like to meet him again and get the chance to know him, and my father, but that will be on my terms.”

  “What about the fact that they left you behind?” she asked, “That has to hurt.”

  Roman shrugged. “It was what it was. I was gone and Vlad couldn’t tell him about me. It was no one’s fault, so there’s no blame to be had by anyone. Well, the blame could be laid at our mother’s feet since she never told our father about either of us but I haven’t seen her since days before I lost Vlad and I have no idea if she’s still alive or not. If my father and brother want to know the man that I’ve become I would agree to that but they can’t change who I am or what I am.”

  “I hope not, because I happen to love who you are and the man you’ve become.”

  Roman nuzzled her neck. “That’s a good thing because you’re stuck with me in any form.”

  Stevie giggled. “I think we both need some sleep. Dawn will come early enough.”

  “And with the dawn comes a new beginning for all of us.

  It was barely six in the morning when the first knock on Yuri’s door was heard. Yuri glanced over at Raven.

  She rolled her eyes and reached for more cups. Pouring out the coffee, she greeted her father, grandfather and Nikoli as they all stormed into the suite followed by Yuri. Raven held up her hand to stop the protests. “Before you start bitching about Roman and his family, can we all just enjoy a cup of coffee first? I’m sure Roman and Stevie will be out here soon enough.”

  Sergi and Misha chuckled as Nikoli and Yuri just reached for the coffee. “Yes dear,” Sergi commented as he too reached for the coffee. He pressed a quick kiss on her forehead then looked around for the twins. “And where is that sweet boy and beautiful girl of yours?”

  At that moment, Benny walked out of the baby’s room with Dominic in his arms.

  Sergi stared at the young boy and frowned. “Who is this?”

  Roman and Stevie came out of the room they were sharing. Stevie stopped by long enough in the nursery to gather Caitlyn and bring her along to join them when Roman took a cup of coffee and told them, “This young man is Benny. He’s Stevie’s brother.”

  Sergi turned to observe the woman beside Roman. “So this is Stevie.”

  “This is Stevie,” Roman repeated. “She’s agreed to marry me and give our child my last name.”

  Sergi walked over to her and smiled gently. “Welcome to our family young lady. You must be a very special woman to capture Roman’s interest.” He looked around at Yuri and Roman. “Now all the men in this group have settled down. This is a good thing, a very good thing.”

  “I don’t know about being special but I’m so very glad I met this man. He’s changed my life in more than one way and I’m very happy to be with him,” she assured them.

  “But I understand there is a problem.” Sergi raised a brow.

  Stevie nodded. Passing Caitlyn to her father, she moved over to Roman and felt his arms wrap around her waist. “It seems there is someone out there that doesn’t want me to testify at a very important trial in Baton Rouge in a few days.”

  “We’ve found evidence that someone has hired a hitman to take her out before the trial begins, hoping to stop it from happening,” Yuri explained. “So far, he’s missed on two occasions. We aren’t letting him have a third try.”

  “Have you discovered who hired this man to kill Roman’s woman?” Nikoli asked.

  Yuri nodded. “We know who it is and Pappy’s group is trying to stop the hit but I don’t think they’re having much luck. Between his MC and the MC in Baton Rouge, they’re cleaning up the streets of that city and taking out the trash. This trial will finish the job.”

  “And Stevie?” Misha asked. “What steps are you taking to protect her while she’s here?”

  “We’re going to find this sniper and take him out. We’re throwing a net over the city and we will find him.” Yuri swore. “The net should be in place this morning and we’ve got more security around the hotel. He took a shot at her yesterday, so we know he’s close.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to have a sniper of our own on the roof,” Nikoli suggested. “That way, if he does take another shot at her, we can find him and take him out before he disappears again.”

  “Already on it,” Yuri told him. Checking his watch he announced, “The first set should be there by this time.”

  “The first set?” Stevie asked.

  “There is more than one side to this building,” Yuri explained. “We found the sniper’s nest after the shooting yesterday and the one he used when he took the first shot at you at Roman’s house but he’s moved again since then. We have to watch all sides of the building and be aware of everything around us. I’m not giving him another chance to kill you.”

  Benny handed the baby off to Misha, walked over to his sister and wrapped his arms around her. Stevie wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “We’re gonna be ok.”

  “I know,” Benny whispered. “They won’t let anything or anyone hurt us.”

  Stevie glanced at Roman and saw the truth in his eyes. She smiled and leaned into him. “I love you both so much.”

  “We have something else to discuss this morning,” Sergi informed them. “And I don’t imagine we have much time left for that either.”

  “Iosif and Timor Maxim are both here and waiting to meet with Roman,” Yuri informed them. “Iosif arrived yesterday and made his intentions known to me and Timor arrived after you did last night.”

  “Damn his ornery hide,” Sergi swore. “I told him to wait to make contact. I told him.”

  “You can’t really blame him grandfather,” Raven interrupted his tirade. “He didn’t know Roman existed until now. He probably feels the same way you and dad did when you found out about me. You didn’t want to wait to meet me either from what I remember.”

  Sergi nodded. “You’re right of course but I did tell him I would make first contact and see how Roman felt about suddenly being part of a family again.”

  Roman shook his head. “But I’ve been part of a family since I found my brothers. I mean I’m glad to know Vlad is ok and living the good life but my family is here and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll meet them both but I’m not going with them when they leave. I have a good life right here in New Orleans.”

  Sergi looked him in the eye. “Then let’s hope your father agrees or there will be hell to pay.”

  By seven thirty, breakfast was being delivered from the restaurant in the lobby. When the wait staff entered the suite, two men joined them. Sergi stood when he saw them and growled.

  Yuri swung around to glare at the newcomers as well. “You just don’t listen well do you?” He growled.

  “I didn’t know my father was going to join me here,” Iosi
f volunteered the information.

  “I think I have the right to be here,” Timor Maxim stated as he looked around the room. When he met Roman’s eyes, he paused and sucked in his breath. “You must be Roman. You look just like your grandfather.”

  Roman straightened his stance but didn’t move from where he was standing. He looked over the two men carefully, lingering on Iosif especially. He noted the blond hair and deep blue eyes of the younger man as well as the heavy build of his frame and the size of his hands. “Vlad, is that really you? After all these years?”

  Iosif smiled. “That’s a name I haven’t’ heard in many years.”

  Roman gave him a slight smile. “That was the name our mother gave you. Vladimir Stephen Salizar.”

  Iosif nodded. “I remember now. But I was only two when father found me and took me away. He gave me the name Iosif. That’s the name I grew up with. Iosif Maxim.” He studied Roman for a moment then called out his name, “Rommie.”

  Roman grinned briefly. “I remember you calling me that a very long time ago. You were just beginning to talk if I recall.” He turned to Timor. “You, I don’t know at all.”

  “I am your father. My name is Timor Maxim.”

  “So I understand.” Roman nodded. “How did you find out about us? I know you found Vlad when he was small but how did you find out about me? And why are you here now?”

  “I met your mother just over forty years ago and we were together for a short time. Then she disappeared and I didn’t see her again for about five years. When we met up again, we continued where we left off and again, she disappeared on me. I vowed I would find her the second time she left and I searched for her for three long years. Then I heard she was living in Moscow and I tracked her down to the apartment you had been living in. When I got there, she was gone and I found my son.” He motioned at Iosif. “I knew then what happened. I also knew he was my son.”

  “How did you know that?” Roman asked.

  Timor shrugged. “All the men in my family have the same birthmark. It’s a v shape on their left shoulder. You should have the same mark.”

  Roman thought for a moment then shook his head. “There is no such mark on my shoulder.”

  “But you do have a burn scar there.” Stevie mentioned.

  Timor frowned. “A burn scar? What happened?”

  Roman shrugged. “I’m not quite sure what happened. My mother told me when I was about two I pulled a hair curler off the sink in the bathroom and it burned deep into my shoulder. She said it got infected and when it healed, the injury left a scar. I didn’t remember it but I do remember the pain it caused.”

  “May I see the scar?” Timor asked.

  Roman shrugged and pushed his sleeve up all the way to his shoulder to show them his scar. Timor came closer and examined the old injury then pressed his lips together in anger.

  Taking a step back, he grunted. “That is not a scar from dropping a hair curler off a sink. She did that deliberately. She burned the birthmark off your arm by holding the curling iron down on your skin, so I would never know for sure.”

  Roman narrowed his eyes and stared at the other man. “Why would she do that?”

  “Because you are my firstborn son,” Timor explained. “As such you stand to inherit everything I have after I’m gone.” He shook his head. “We had a bad falling out when she left me the first time. I think for a while she hated me. When we got back together years later, we made up and I thought we had something good going. When she left me a second time, she was pregnant with Iosif. She must have wanted me to find him but not you. She was crazy that way.”

  Roman nodded. “There were times I remember she looked at me as if she hated me but she never hurt me.” He glanced at his arm again. “Well, maybe that isn’t true.” He looked at the man who claimed he was his father. “Did you ever find her again?”

  Timor nodded. “I did find her again maybe about four years ago. That’s when she told me about you. She also said you should have been in the apartment that day as well as Iosif. When I told her the baby was alone she just shrugged and said she had no idea where you were or what had become of you then.” Timor’s fingers curled into fists as he admitted. “I wanted to kill her for her attitude that day.”

  “Did you?” Roman asked.

  Timor shook his head. “No I didn’t. I did however throw her ass out the door. I told her I loved her once but now she meant nothing to me and never would again. Not if she could just abandon my children to fate and never try to find them again.” Shaking his head, he admitted, “I did hear she passed about two years ago. She’d been living in the streets and she got mixed up with drug pushers.”

  “So now what do you want?” Roman asked.

  “I want you to come home with your brother and I. I know you are Bratva and that will help you take your rightful place with me.”

  Roman shook his head. “I am Bratva but I belong here with my blood brothers.”

  “But you could be so much more at my side than you could ever be here,” Timor argued. “You and Iosif could rule Kazakhstan together.”

  Roman shook his head. “I have no desire to leave this country or the family I have right here. I have a good woman that I plan to take as my wife and soon, I’ll have a son or daughter of my own. My place is here.”

  “But you are my son,” Timor insisted.

  “Perhaps, perhaps not. We may never know that for sure and even if we are related, the two of you are still strangers to me.” Roman pointed out. “I may have known my brother at one time but that was a lifetime ago. My life went on after I lost him and so did his. He had you and I had four other boys the same age as I was back then. We grew up fast and hard and that was no one’s fault, it just was. We formed a solid family out of necessity back then and every day since then we’ve grown stronger.”

  “We share the same blood.” Timor held his ground.

  “If you want to get to know me as the man I am today that’s fine. I would even welcome the chance to know you and Iosif. But I’m not leaving this family behind. If you cannot accept that then this meeting is done. I’m no longer that lost little boy I was thirty four years ago. I’m a grown man and as such, I can say and do what I want. This is what I want. You have Iosif to take his rightful place in your empire. He is the son you raised to follow in your footsteps. He should be the one to take over for you when you’re gone, not me. He’s earned that right.”

  “But I want you both,” Timor admitted.

  “And I have what I want right here,” Roman pointed out.

  “I think we need to take a step back and evaluate this a little,” Iosif suggested. Turning to his father he said, “Why don’t we do as Roman said and get to know him first? When we get more comfortable with each other then we can make plans for the future. That’s fair.”

  “I suppose it is,” Timor admitted after a brief struggle with himself. He hated when he didn’t get his own way but he also knew he wasn’t done trying to convince Roman to come home with him. “You said you had a woman? Where is she?”

  Roman turned and motioned for Stevie to come forward. “This is Stevie.”

  Timor frowned.

  Stevie turned to the two men and smiled slightly. Timor’s frown grew deeper and she glanced at Roman.

  Timor shook his head. “This won’t do. This won’t do at all. She’s too young for you.”

  Roman’s expression hardened. “She is the woman I love very much and she’s carrying my child. I do not need or want your permission to keep her.”

  “Does this child know what you are and what you do?” He sneered. “She will run away from you as soon as she finds out. She’s just a child herself.”

  Roman wrapped his arm around Stevie as if to protect her. “She is my woman and she knows who I am and what I am.”

  “I think that’s enough.” Sergi shook his head. “You’ve bullied your way in here and now, you dare to criticize your son’s choices? This is outrageous. I think you need to go ho
me.”

  “Mr. Maxim,” Stevie spoke out. “I know I may seem young to you but my life hasn’t been a picnic. I know what kind of man Roman is and I know what he’s had to do for a living. I may not know everything he’s been through but I’ve been living a nightmare all my life. Together, we are the calm we both need to survive in this world. So before you say anything more to alienate him I suggest you get to know your son. Find something you both share and build on that. Don’t tear him down and try to rebuild him to fit in your world but accept him for the man he is today and go from there. He’s a fine man just as he is. I’m not going to run away from the best thing that’s happened to me, so I’m in for the long haul. You may not understand that but you don’t have to. I don’t have to like you and you don’t have to like me but know this, I love Roman with all my heart and he’s all I care about. You can suck it if you think I value your opinion.” She turned and strode out of the room.

  Roman smiled as he watched her go. Turning to the man who claimed he was his father, he raised a brow and waited.

  Timor growled. “What a brat,” he muttered under his breath.

  “That brat is my woman and she is carrying my child, your grandchild.” Roman glared at him now. “I think this meeting is over. I think it’s time for you to leave. Noka.”

  Timor pursed his lips together.

  Iosif looked embarrassed and nodded at them, “Noka…Umm, goodbye to you as well for now. We will go back to our suite now.” He grabbed his father’s arm and pulled him away.

  Roman watched as the door closed behind them and looked over at Sergi. “He’s a bastard isn’t he?” His eyes were cold and angry.

  Sergi agreed with him. “That he is but I don’t think he meant what he said today.”

  “Oh, I think he did.” Roman shook his head. “I think he thinks I’m still that lost little boy I was way back when. He thinks he can come in here, claim he’s my father and I’ll jump at the chance to let him mold me into another him.”