TURMOIL: Bratva Fury (book 2)

by Alexi Ferreira

  “What’s wrong?” I ask in Russian as he disconnects the call. I place my hand on Raven’s upper arm and hold her back before she can make her way outside.

  “While we’ve been here, one of our men has seen the same car drive past twice. I’m going to get the car, and you will get in just outside the door.” If it weren’t for Raven and Luke, I would have argued and gone with him instead of sitting here in safety, but now with my family, I must think of them first.

  “Wait,” I tell Raven as she tries to loosen my hold and follow Vlad. “Don’t even try to fight me when it comes to this. You can argue and scream as much as you want when we get home, but for now, listen to me.” She tenses but takes a step back next to me and stands calmly. A few minutes later, Vlad and Boris are at the door. “Let’s go,” I say as I guide her out and towards the car.

  When we are both sitting in the back seat and heading home, I relax a little. Boris is driving, and Vlad is sitting in the passenger seat. “We caught one of them,” Vlad says conversationally in Russian so that Raven won’t understand.

  “I want him,” I state.

  “He’s yours.”

  Our conversation ends when we are about two blocks away from home and someone takes a shot at the car. Luckily Alexey insists on our cars being bulletproof, and the bullet simply ricochets, but it’s enough to make Raven scream in fright and wake up Luke with the noise. He starts to cry, which fuels my anger. How dare they frighten my family? I know that was a warning shot to let us know that they are watching and that they can get to us at any moment.

  “Nik?” Raven asks with frightened eyes as she looks up at me.

  “Don’t worry, angel, you are both safe now.” I will not let anyone hurt them. Men fear me because of what I do to traitors and people who come against the Bratva. They have no idea what I can do when it comes to my woman and my son.

  “It’s okay, Luke, don’t be scared. Daddy’s got you.” At Raven’s words, my heart races in pain. Knowing that she trusts me to keep our son safe humbles me.

  “Daddy,” Luke whispers as he looks up at me with his big tearful eyes. The trust that I see in my son’s eyes and the fact that he just called me daddy for the very first time has a tightness around my heart like nothing I have ever felt before. I see a tear slip down Raven’s beautiful cheek. Raising my thumb to her cheek, I wipe it away before I kiss her forehead.

  “Everything will be fine,” I promise, and hope that I’m not making promises I can’t keep. When Boris finally parks the car in the basement of our building, I guide Raven to my apartment, agreeing with Vlad that I will meet with him and Alexey in the morning.

  When we finally make it inside the apartment, I carry a now-sleeping Luke to my bedroom. Tomorrow I will have his cot delivered, but for now, we will all sleep in my king-sized bed. Raven stops at the door to the bedroom and frowns when she sees me pulling the covers back and placing Luke in the middle of the bed.

  “Where are you sleeping?” she asks.

  “It’s a big bed, Raven, and I’m tired,” I answer as I step back after covering Luke.

  Her shoulders tense as she looks at the bed and then back at me. “Not big enough.”

  “Are you scared?” I ask with a raised brow.

  “Stop playing with me,” she says angrily.

  “Angel, you will know when I play with you. This . . .”—I point towards the bed—“isn’t playing. It will be sleeping.”

  She nods, but then she approaches until she’s standing a couple feet away from me. “What is going on, Nik?”

  I don’t want to worry her, but I will also not lie to her. “There is a man who wants to hurt me. Knowing I have a son is the perfect way.”

  “Is Luke in danger?”

  “This is why I left last time, Raven. Being around me is always dangerous, but I will keep both of you safe.”

  “Why does this man want to hurt you?” she asks.

  “That is Bratva business. I can’t tell you.”

  Her features tense again. “Is that what you’re going to do, hide things from me?” she says angrily.

  “There are certain things that are better that you don’t know, things that will place you in even more danger if you know them. Trust me, I will share with you everything I can, but there are certain things I will not be able to discuss. Not just because of me but because of the other men in the Bratva.” She looks at me seriously for a minute before she nods. I know by her nod that she has accepted my explanation, but I also know that she hasn’t completely accepted me yet.

  RAVEN 8

  When I woke up this morning, Nik was already gone. I dress and prepare Luke before I make my way to the kitchen. The house is in total silence, but I’m glad that he isn’t here, as I’m not ready to see him just yet.

  Sleeping close to him again has messed with my mind. His deodorant that I remember so well surrounded me. The knowledge that he was close had me awake for most of the night once again. When I finally fell asleep, I felt protected, because even though we had to leave our home, knowing that Nik is next to me makes me feel safe. All the years that I have stayed in my apartment, I have always worried that someone would break in. To be here with Nik, knowing that there is a ton of security around us, has calmed that worry, and even though I may be silly to think this because we were shot at yesterday, I can’t help the way he makes me feel.

  I’m cleaning Luke’s mouth and hands after his breakfast when there is a knock on the door. “Who is that?” I ask Luke playfully when he jumps up from the floor and rushes towards the door.

  “Hello,” he calls through the door, which makes me smile as I reach for the door. Opening, I see Jade and an elderly lady standing on the other side.

  “Hello,” Jade says with a smile as she looks down at Luke.

  “Hi, you must be Raven,” the older lady says as she steps in and wraps her arms around me. “I’m Sylvia, and I have been waiting for this day for a long time now. Must be honest, didn’t expect Nik to have a kid already, but I’m so happy for him.” I’m surprised at her openness and friendliness, but her hug feels so natural and kind that I can’t help returning the hug.

  We all start to laugh when Luke joins in and hugs our legs. “You want a hug, too, young man?” Sylvia says as she leans down and picks up Luke and then hugs him. “Oh, you are such a handsome little boy, aren’t you? Just like your daddy.”

  “Daddy,” Luke murmurs, which makes Jade and Sylvia burst out laughing.

  “We’re sorry to barge in, but when Vlad told us this morning that Nik had brought you home, I couldn’t stay away any longer. Therefore, when the men were busy in the office, I slipped away with Sylvia, and we came to see you.” She lifts her hand, and I see that she has brought a covered plate with her that I hadn’t noticed before.

  “I brought freshly baked biscuits,” Jade says happily, which makes me smile. I think I will like Jade. She seems friendly and honest.

  “Luke want biscuit,” Luke says happily as he holds up his hand to Jade, making her laugh.

  “Are you sure you’re Nik’s son and not Vlad’s?” Sylvia teases as she looks down at Luke and then up at me. “We always tease Vlad because he can’t resist any of Jade’s cooking.” Even though I met Vlad yesterday, I wasn’t properly introduced to him.

  “Are you with Vlad, Jade?” At their laugh, I guess I’m wrong.

  “Vlad is Alexey’s brother. Jade is Alexey’s woman,” Sylvia explains. “Alexey is the Bratva boss here in South Africa, and Vlad is his righthand man.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about what Nik does.” I see Jade and Sylvia exchange a look, but then they both smile at me.

  “I’m sure he will explain everything to you in due time,” Jade says with a kind smile. “What I can tell you is that Nik is special to me. He has been by my side through difficult times, and I have the greatest respect for him.”

  “Oh, where are my manners?” I state suddenly as I realize that I haven’t invited them in. “Please co
me in. I will make us some coffee or tea with the biscuits.”

  “I will be very surprised if Nik has tea at home,” Sylvia says with a laugh, which makes me smile in return. I remember Nik’s dislike for tea when we were together before. I also doubt he has tea.

  “Would you like coffee?” I ask.

  “Black coffee, no sugar for me, please. If you have juice, Jade will have that instead.”

  Jade glare at Sylvia before she walks to the couch and sits down. “One cup of coffee wouldn’t kill me.”

  “It wouldn’t kill you, but Alexey might kill me if he knows that I let you have one,” Sylvia quips as she moves to sit next to Jade and pats her leg.

  “He would kill you for that?” I ask with a gasp. At my question, both women burst out laughing.

  “No, sweetheart, it’s just a way of talking. Alexey is a tad protective of Jade, especially now that she’s carrying his son.”

  At her explanation, I can feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I will be right back with the coffee and juice.” When I return, I find Luke sitting on Sylvia’s lap, chatting away happily, which reminds me of Dory. I must give her a call and explain what happened. How could I have forgotten? The poor woman must be so worried.

  “Raven, if you ever need anyone to look after Luke, just let me know,” Sylvia says as I sit.

  “I actually have Dory, a neighbour of mine who looks after him. I was just thinking that I need to give her a call, because she must be so worried that I didn’t take him to her today,” I say, and see Jade frown and then look at Sylvia.

  “Is Luke going to be safe there?” Jade asks, which makes me tense, as I hadn’t thought about the danger involved in taking Luke back to Dory.

  “She really needs the money I give her for taking care of him. She’s practically all alone, and her health is failing,” I confess. “I know it might be dangerous, but I can’t just stop taking him. She’s depending on that money.”

  “Maybe you can continue paying her for a few more months, seeing as you don’t have to pay rent anymore, and leave Luke here,” Sylvia suggests.

  “She wouldn’t accept the money like that,” I say, and explain Dory’s condition and her son. “That’s why I feel a sense of responsibility to help her; she doesn’t really have anyone else.”

  “What if you were able to get her into an old age home?” Jade asks.

  “I won’t be able to afford an old age home,” I confess. That would be the ideal option, but without her son’s help, I won’t be able to help her.

  “Sweetheart, you do know that your man has a lot of money, don’t you?” Sylvia asks with a raised brow.

  “I’m not using Nik’s money. This has nothing to do with him,” I state. There is no way I’m going to let Nik help Dory. I see Jade and Sylvia share a look before Sylvia nods.

  “Biscuit,” Luke says, interrupting us, which makes Jade and Sylvia laugh in amusement. I pick up another biscuit and hand it to him, cleaning away the crumbs from his first one. I hear the door. Looking over my shoulder, I see Nik, Vlad, and another man enter.

  “Daddy,” Luke suddenly says as he starts to wave his biscuit around. I see a smile light up Nik’s face as he looks at his son. Luke starts to struggle to be let down off Sylvia’s lap, and then he is hurrying to Nik. When he is close by, Nik picks him up and tosses him into the air, which makes me gasp in fright. Luke bursts out laughing. “Again,” he says as Nik holds him to his chest.

  “Later,” Nik says. Luke just nods, which surprises me. It is surprising how quickly Luke adapted to Nik, but I guess blood does have an influence even if we don’t think so. “Raven, I would like you to meet Alexey.” Nik inclines his head towards the man standing next to him. When looking at Alexey and Vlad, I can see a resemblance. We can tell that these two are brothers, but Alexey has a harder look to him.

  “Nice to meet you,” I say as Alexey approaches Jade. I see the smile on her face as she looks at him.

  “Welcome to the family,” Alexey says as he stands next to where Jade is sitting. The family? Is this what they are, Nik’s family?

  “Biscuits?” Vlad says as he walks towards where the plate with the biscuits are. “And no one invited me?” He leans down to pick one up. I see from the corner of my eye as Luke offers Nik a bite of his biscuit.

  “I left a plate with biscuits in the office,” Jade says with a frown.

  “They finished,” Vlad says with a grin. “Nik ate them all.”

  “That’s a lie. Nik doesn’t like biscuits,” Jade quips as she raises her brows at Vlad. I look over at Nik and see him chewing on the piece of biscuit Luke offered him. Luke is stuffing the rest of the biscuit into his mouth as he leans against Nik’s chest. Lucky kid. I wouldn’t mind being against Nik’s chest either. Our eyes meet, and he raises a brow in question when he sees my look. I quickly glance away so that he doesn’t catch my blush.

  “Would anyone like coffee?” I ask as Nik’s phone starts to ring.

  “Niet, thank you,” Alexey says just as Nik says something in Russian. Looking over at him, I see him still on the phone, but his features are tense. I notice that Vlad has now stopped talking to Jade and is also listening to Nik’s conversation. As he disconnects the call, he looks at Alexey and says something, and Alexey nods.

  Nik walks over to my side. Lowering his head, he kisses Luke’s forehead before he hands him over to me, and then he also kisses my forehead. “I will see you later,” he murmurs.

  As sudden as the men arrived, they also left. Looking at the women, I raise a brow. “I wish I knew Russian,” I grumble as I place Luke on the floor to walk around.

  “You’re not the only one,” Jade replies with a frown. “They are always doing that.”

  “Nik said something about he is downstairs,” Sylvia says.

  “You know Russian?” I ask.

  “Oh no, just words I have picked up here and there,” Sylvia reveals with a shrug. “Sometimes I think they don’t want us to know Russian.”

  “Why don’t we get ourselves a tutor?” Jade asks with an excited smile.

  “I don’t know when I will be able to attend, with work and everything. Maybe if it’s on a weekend,” I suggest. That’s if I still have a job. This morning, I sent a text to say I wouldn’t be in to work, and I was told not to even think of missing tomorrow or I would be fired.

  “Sure, we can do it on a weekend. I will start looking for a tutor immediately,” Jade says as she stands, making me smile, as I remember also having difficulty getting off soft seats when I was pregnant with Luke.

  “Are you going to tell Alexey?” Sylvia asks as she also stands.

  “Do you really think he won’t know? I’m sure by the time I finish calling the tutor, he will already have been informed.”

  I gasp at her words; how can she be so at ease with being controlled like that? “Are you serious?” I ask, and see both women look curiously at me.

  “It’s for our protection. You know what they do. If they don’t take all the precautions necessary, someone might get hurt,” Jade says as she places her hand on my arm. “Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

  I don’t say anything as they say their goodbyes to myself and Luke, but I will have to speak to Nik about this. There is no way I will be fine with being under a microscope for the rest of my life. How can anyone be okay with having their life constantly under surveillance?

  Picking up my phone, I turn it around in my hands, wondering if somehow, they have bugged my phone, but then I shake my head. It has always been with me. There is no way that anyone could have done anything to it. Dialling Dory’s number, I wait for her to reply.

  “Hi, sweetheart. Is anything wrong?” she asks as she answers the phone, making me feel guilty for worrying her.

  “Hi, Dory. No, everything is fine. I’m sorry for not letting you know sooner, but this was unexpected, as I will be away for a few days,” I reveal, and she exhales in relief.

  “As l
ong as nothing is wrong, dear,” she says.

  “I will still pay you for the days that Luke won’t be there.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” she grumbles.

  “I insist, Dory, and once I come past with the money, I will explain everything to you,” I promise. We talk for a little longer, and then I disconnect. Jade and Sylvia were right; I will have to talk to Nik and see if he thinks it will be dangerous to keep Luke with Dory. If he does, then I will have to get a way of arranging for her to go to an old age home. If I don’t need to pay for rent any longer, then I will maybe be able to pay a portion, and her son will have to kick in the rest.

  I will need to sit down with Nik and talk about our relationship, if that’s what I should call it. I need to know what he expects from me.

  NIK 9

  On our way down to the basement, my anger starts to simmer. The call was to tell me they caught the guy who shot at us when we picked up Raven and Luke. The things that I want to do to him are barbaric, but the thought that that bullet could have killed either Raven or my son makes me see red.

  I know that I live a violent life, but we have a code between us. We don’t hurt women or children. When I killed Bjorn’s son, he was already twenty-seven and an adult with a long rap sheet of hurting women. In a way, it was a blessing to get rid of him. I have always known that Bjorn would come after me as soon as he found out where I was, but to go after my woman and child is something else altogether.

  I will make an example of the son of a bitch who took a shot at us. Everyone will know not to mess with the Bratva Fury ever again.

  “Hold it together,” Alexey says as the doors to the lift open in the basement and we step out. Everyone has always known me for the cold and collected asshole that I can be, but when it comes to the two people upstairs, there is no way I can hold back. The thought of anything happening to them drives my fury.

  I nod to let Alexey know that I heard him and continue making my way to the door where the guy has been placed. Two of our men stand outside. When we approach, they incline their heads in respect and then move away.