Jaded Jewels (Born Bratva Book 7)

by Suzanne Steele

  She walked over to her father and kissed his cheek, then sat in the chair across from his desk and hoped for the best.

  Glazov considered his daughter solemnly but said nothing. He wasn’t in a hurry and would choose his words carefully, for maximum effect, as he always did. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for his enemies who had ever been unfortunate enough to suffer through one of his infamous interrogations. If he could make his beloved daughter nervous, it must be agonizing for an enemy to suffer his retribution. Right now, it was her ass on the line; she just didn’t know why.

  After what seemed like forever he relaxed back into the chair and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “I should be in bed with my wife,” he said slowly. “But instead, my wife is in our bed alone. I am here with you because I have a question.”

  “Um, yes?”

  “Roksana, tell me. Why are there dogs barking in my house?”

  Her eyes widened. Shit. “Oh...”

  “Yes, oh. Go on.”

  “We rescued two of the pit bulls tonight.”

  “There are dogs in my house.”

  “Yes.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I will tell you what I know, you will let me know if I’ve missed anything. Bloody, battered creatures have appeared out of nowhere. One of my most trusted, dependable bodyguards has relocated several vehicles from my garage to set up the equivalent of a doggy daycare spa.” He gave her no time to answer as he continued, “Your task tonight was simple: stake out the dogfighting operation and blow up the building along with Escondido’s key cartel opposition.” He slowly shook his head and exhaled impatiently. “Only you could take a simple job and make it so damn complicated. You must get that from your mother’s side of the family. Trouble follows the woman everywhere she goes.”

  When she finally mustered the courage to answer, Roksana’s voice sounded weak in her own ears, like a child making amends after being reprimanded. “I made my case and the team agreed. I couldn’t get the dogs that had already left the premises, but the two remaining ones…I just couldn’t leave them. You know me, Father, you know how I am when it comes to animals.”

  The dynamic would never change between Roksana and Glazov. Regardless of age she would always be her father’s little girl. But right now, it was her mother she wanted, the woman whose impeccable wisdom and understanding always put things into perspective. Roksana stole a glance at the door leading to the master bedroom, her heart frantically racing. When she turned back to her father, the tick in his jaw was a sure sign she’d fucked up majorly in his eyes.

  “I love animals as much as you do, but Roksana…” He was leaning toward her, eyes blazing, and she half expected him to jump over the desk. Instead, Glazov closed his eyes briefly, breathing deeply before continuing, “You endangered five of our people – including yourself -- because of two dogs. Can you imagine what it would do to your mother and me if one of our children was killed, especially if it was over something like that? I do know you and your love of animals, Roksana, but you took this too far. When you’re a mother, maybe then you will understand.”

  Shit, now he’s going for the guilt trip. I hate it when he does that.

  “I’m sorry. I never want to add to your worries.” But she had to come clean, so she continued quickly before she changed her mind, “But I honestly don’t know how I could have done anything differently and been able to look at myself in the mirror.” There was no point in lying because he’d see right through it. And she would never, ever lie to her father.

  “So, if you had to do it over again you’d do the same thing.” She gave an almost imperceptible nod in reply. “You say the team agreed, but you know they are more likely to because of who you are. Just like your mother, you can be quite persuasive – even, it seems, with ludicrous, impulsive ideas that put people’s lives in danger.

  “The Sinaloans got what they deserved tonight. I have no regrets there. But I won’t have my employees and family members being put in harm’s way unnecessarily while you’re rescuing dogs.”

  “Understood. But we didn’t have to go in to get them.”

  “What do you mean? They were in the middle of a fight, correct?”

  “Yes, they were. I used a dog whistle to break up the fight. Then they just…came to me.” Her words were greeted by silence.

  “They came to you. Two oversized, enraged, brutalized animals just…came to you. Remarkable,” he said softly, a small smile touching his lips. “How did you manage to transport them?”

  “When they came running out, I was waiting for them. I got down on their level and, I don’t know, just looked at them. And they let me touch them. They looked at me like I was the only thing in their whole world.”

  Glazov thought about what she had described, and considered the promising implications of his daughter having the loyalty of two such brutal creatures. He was disappointed in her impulsive behavior, yes, but understood that her motivation to rescue the animals had come from the best of intentions. Despite his initial reservations, he was pleased with this new development. “Alright. Here’s what I’m going to do.”

  Oh, shit. She slumped in the chair, shrinking away from the inevitable.

  “Two things: First, you of all people know I believe women are fully capable of being on the front lines of our organization. Second, I’ve been tossing around an idea recently. You know that the Colombians started an exotic animal refuge so they could use spiders and snakes to kill their enemies. It’s a brilliant idea and has proven to be an effective resource for them. I have decided to start an animal refuge here.” At her delighted gasp, he raised a hand for silence. “That way, you can take in as many animals as you want and maybe it will sate your determination to always stick up for the underdog. It baffles me how you can be so cold blooded to people and yet so kind when it comes to the four-legged species, but that his neither here nor there. So, what will you do with the dogs?”

  “I’m keeping one and Bazarnik is keeping the other.”

  “So, he was in on it with you. Hmm, interesting.”

  “I don’t want him to get in trouble for what I did.”

  “Nobody’s in trouble. Nonetheless, you have disappointed me, Roksana. Your impulsive decision delayed the team’s departure. You’re lucky everyone got out of there safely, and without being noticed. You put five lives in danger tonight, including your own.”

  Roksana’s eyes burned with unshed tears. The statement stung like a hard slap across the face.

  “I’m so sorry, Papa.” Her use of the childhood endearment caused the chill in her father’s eyes to flicker for an instant before he cleared his throat and gestured toward the door.

  “Go. I have nothing more to say.”

  A single tear ran down her cheek as she left the room. Her father’s disappointment was a crushing blow. But he was right. She had indeed put five lives in danger. They were incredibly lucky they had all come home unscathed.

  Her footsteps sped up as she got closer to the suite of rooms she shared with her husband. She needed him. She knew her husband would put things into perspective, the way he always did.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Glazov listened to Roksana’s retreating footsteps with a heavy heart. His daughter was impulsive. Undisciplined. As much as Kathleen cautioned him not to push the idea, he looked forward to the day Roksana became a mother. Only then, with her baby pressed to her breast, would she have a deeper understanding of just how fragile life was and, he hoped, stop tempting fate.

  Her craving for adrenalin far surpassed that of the men who worked for him. When combined with her bloodlust and stubborn will, and it was a recipe for trouble.

  “That daughter of yours…” Glazov voiced his frustration to his wife upon entering their bedroom, his voice little more than an irritable growl. She looked up at the sound of his voice, frowning as she wondered what was causing his unease. This man would forever hold not just her life but her heart in his hands—hands stained with the blood of h
is enemies. She knew him better than anyone; there was no sense in trying to hide it. Maybe she could offer him some comfort and shed some light on how to deal with their daughter.

  “Why is it that I get the blame any time Roksana fucks up?” she asked, her voice amused.

  Glazov cut his eyes at his wife as she closed her laptop and took her reading glasses off, setting them on top of it. “Because she’s just like you,” he snarled in his defense.

  “I dare say she’s like both of us, for better or worse. That, in and of itself, is bad news for anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in her line of fire.” Kathleen patted the bed next to her but he ignored her, fuming as he removed his robe. The ominous glint in his eyes made it clear that talking didn’t interest him.

  She moved her laptop and glasses over to the nightstand and pressed back against the headboard, as if it could swallow her up and save her. But she wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else because she knew she was the antidote for her husband’s darkness. Though she had grown accustomed to his temperament over the years, there was still a part of her that feared him. Of course, that only added to his sex appeal. Go figure.

  He smirked at his wife’s obvious unease, feeding off her anxiety while all the while knowing that she felt the same anticipation that clawed at his veins. How could she know what he might do when he wasn’t certain himself? Not when it came to her. A consuming passion like theirs was experienced by only a lucky few. Neither of them ever took for granted how they remained in each other’s sexual thrall after so many years together.

  One side of his lip curled when he noted her squirming slightly, moving her hips as if she could ward off the inevitable – or perhaps thinking of the pleasure to come. Yes…they were made for each other. It was as if the Bratva gods had preordained their union, ensuring they married—even if it had been necessary for him to orchestrate the sequence of events that had gotten them there.

  He wondered sometimes what his path would have been had she not walked into his gambling house all those years ago. His heart could love no other, he knew that much. And the mere idea of her finding happiness with anyone else was untenable. No, he would have found his Ptichka one way or another, even if it had taken him to the last hour of the last day of a long, lonely life to do so.

  Kathleen’s eyes were glued to those broad shoulders and that massive chest that rippled with thick slabs of deliciously formed muscle. Her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip. She marveled at this man who still looked like he’d been hewn from God’s own granite.

  His robe discarded on the floor, he stood gloriously nude by the bed. His cock jutted straight out toward her, weeping glistening streams of pre-cum that made her mouth water.

  “I’m still as captivated by you as I was the first time I saw you.” He rested a knee on her side of the bed as he wrapped his big hand around her throat, his grip light, just enough for him to feel the lifeforce pumping through her jugular. She slid her hand between his legs, marveling that this powerful, autocratic man’s physical form was hers touch and kiss and claw for her pleasure. Despite his dominant nature, he gave his wife free rein to explore his body to the fullest, craving her touch as much as she craved his.

  She cradled his balls before wrapping her hand around his cock, slowly stroking and exploring the velvety steel. As she lost herself in his cruel blue eyes, she knew what she wanted to do. She moved back, stifling a smile at the imperious scowl that darkened his face at her withdrawal. With a look that could only be described as naughty, she twisted around on the bed until she was lying on her back, her head tilted back off the edge of the mattress. He stilled as she slowly bent her legs and slid them wide apart. Her tongue slid along her eagerly parted lips as she waited for him. Glazov moved forward and braced his hands on the mattress on either side of her, looming over her as she fluttered the tip of her tongue beneath the broad mushroom head of his shaft, tasting the precum that glistened there.

  The head of Glazov’s cock was so taut and swollen with need that she knew it wouldn’t take much to make him come. She scraped her nails along the backs of his thighs, eliciting a surprised hiss from her Russian lover. As she worked her lips and tongue over his cock, she caressed his balls, hefting their considerable weight in the palm of her hand, stroking the soft skin with her fingertips. As he murmured mindless words of praise, he fucked her mouth with a steady, forceful rhythm.

  Without warning, he sealed his mouth over her pussy, laughing softly at her muffled cry of pleasure. She was silky smooth beneath his tongue, and so sweet. Always so sweet.

  He gave a low growl of regret as he straightened and fisted her hair, pulling her suckling mouth off his cock with a distinct popping sound. When she pouted up at him, he slid his gaze over her curves and declared, “Oh, you’ll get yours, Ptichka. Now, on your knees.”

  He flipped her over onto her hands and knees, facing away from him. He yanked her hips back toward him and shoved her flimsy nightgown over her hips. At her lack of panties, he murmured his approval and swatted her ass. With his hand wrapped around his considerable girth, he slid the head of his cock up and down her slit. Then slowly, inexorably, he thrust deep inside her until he could go no further. Fully seated within her, he held the position for a long moment, sweat gathering on his forehead as he savored the sensation of her pussy yielding to him.

  “Ah, Ptichka, you set me free from this bloodthirsty world even as you hold my flesh captive. I love you to distraction.”

  He began to move, his thrusts quickly becoming more demanding as he took all that she had to offer. But it still wasn’t enough, would never be enough. He wanted to drive so deeply inside her that they would no longer be two people, but one. They had surely come close over the years; they knew each other’s minds, often finishing each other’s sentences, on occasion communicating effortlessly by simply making eye contact across a crowded room. For one to be without the other would be a soulless journey neither would survive.

  Kathleen’s fingers clutched at the duvet as she struggled to contain the rising fever in her veins when the orgasm overtook her. When he felt the unmistakable silken clenching around his cock, he threw his head back and released inside her with a roar of mindless pleasure. His arms were wrapped tight around her as he claimed her once more, his most precious possession.

  He rested his forehead between her shoulder blades, taking long, unsteady breaths as his hands roamed her curves, paying special attention to the parts of her that were known only to him. He pulled her close and told her all that was weighing on his mind.

  “She’s reckless. There is no more dangerous quality. I wonder at times if they don’t give in to her crazy ideas because she’s the Pakhan’s daughter. I’m certain it’s hard to say no to her when she holds that kind of power.” Kathleen’s chuckle confused him and he frowned as he looked down at her.

  “I’m sorry, Glazov, but I have to disagree.”

  “Disagree? With what?” he grumbled.

  “I think you’re underestimating Oleg. He’s not the kind of man to be led around by any woman, even if she is the Pakhan’s daughter.”

  “What’s your take on it?”

  “I think they’re young, wild, and free. You haven’t forgotten your youthful antics with Novak, have you?”

  “No. We were crazy, too.”

  “You’re both still crazy. Wisdom comes with age, eventually.”

  “And children. Once you’re responsible for a tiny life, you learn to pick and choose your battles.”

  “Agreed. I, for one, think our daughter is using wisdom by not getting pregnant right now. She’s looking out for you, you know. With Natasha pregnant, you would be short two workers -- two prolific workers.”

  “Well, I will give her that, she’s all about ‘family first’. But I don’t want her putting her life on hold because of me.”

  Kathleen turned in his arms to face him, draping herself across his chest with one leg over his thighs. She ran her hand over his chest and p
ressed a kiss over his heart. “Don’t underestimate our daughter, Glazov. Just when you think you have her figured out, she’ll throw you a curve ball.”

  The statement didn’t make him feel any better. If anything, it made him feel worse. Because he knew it was true.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Roksana lay on her side the next afternoon, listening to her husband. Her beautiful Russian blue pit bull was stretched out on the bed next to her, enjoying his first belly rub. She smiled as she scratched behind his ears. His gray fur was like velvet and he smelled yummy from the bath Pavel had given him in the garage.

  “Voin is a good name,” Oleg was saying. “Russian for ‘warrior’, of course—rhymes with ‘Gwen’. God knows the poor guy has seen his share of battles. So, what did your father have to say?”

  “You’re such a fucking brainiac with Russian language trivia. Thank you for agreeing to take him. He was meant to be mine, I think.” She laid her head on the pillow and gazed into the dog’s pale blue eyes. “Oh, you are a big, brave boy, aren’t you?” she cooed, scowling when she caught Oleg rolling his eyes. “What? As far as talking to Father, I’ll give you three guesses what he said.” She gave him no time to respond as she counted off the guesses on her fingers. “I’m reckless. I have no impulse control. Oh, and the clincher, I should get pregnant so I will understand how fragile life is.”

  “The Pakhan is a wise man.” He stood by the bed, watching her moon over the dog. It had been quite a night and he was reeling from all that had happened and the fact that they had a dog now. A big, muscular, hulking pit bull. But she was right, he was a big, beautiful boy, and incredibly gentle. And devoted to his mistress, it seemed.

  Although willing to fight to the death when trained to do so, the breed was known for being loyal and gentle outside the fight pit – if treated well, that is. For that reason, Oleg had allowed Voin a nice, long visit with Roksana. But he wanted her back now.