𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 • 06 || ❝𝐉𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬❞

>𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

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𝐌 𝐈 𝐋 𝐀 • 𝐎 𝐑 𝐋 𝐎 𝐕

It's finally Friday afternoon, yet my mind travels to the raise I got out of Kristian yesterday. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. Maybe I shouldn't have used his weakness against him, but it's nice to know he has one and I can use that to my advantage. But from his questions last night, I have no idea who knows about Nikita. But if they do, they sure will be after her soon.

I lean my head against the cobblestone wall, feeling the cold sensation travel from the back of my neck. My mind travels to the thought of someone capturing Nikita. Although my whole plan and the build-up hasn't gone well, I grown to be close to Nikita. There was something different about her that let my guard down, it allowed us to become friends. But if she ever found out I attempted to kill her brother, she'd never forgive me. Not that she even knows her brother exists. My thoughts become intrusive, I hadn't even noticed the basement door open and a little figure stand in front of me, dangling her keys until they start to rattle. The woman had short brown hair and chocolate for eyes.

"Good afternoon, Miss Orlov." She smiles and opens the door. "I've come to show you to the guest bathroom, if you could please follow me." It wasn't a question if I was wanting a shower, it was a demand. Most probably from Kristian.

I follow the woman and glance at all my surroundings, but I suddenly come to a stop when I notice my painting of St Petersburg in the foyer. The splash of colours I chose for that piece and the other paintings I have made that are stuck in the dorm. I enjoyed painting but it wasn't something I was majorly passionate about, unlike Nikita. "Are you coming Miss Orlov?" I nod and follow.

I'm left in the guest bathroom which is covered in white, the colour allows the small light from above to bounce off all the surfaces. I take my clothes off and get myself into the shower, letting the warm water travel down my spine, giving myself goosebumps in the process. There is a shampoo and conditioner hanging on the side along with a small bar of soap. I smother my body with bubbles and wash every piece of basement bacteria away. I cleanse and scrub my scalp until the dryness has disappeared and my hair is no longer in knots it would've been much easier if I had a brush, but beggars can't be choosers.

I wrap my body up with the white cotton towel and wash my face with the tap water in front. I observe the state of myself in the mirror and tr to wash the dirt and grime away, a faint knock approached the door not startling me in the slightest. "Miss Orlov? It's Polina, there are some clothes outside for you."

"Thank you." I wait until she walks away to open the door and pick up the clothes.

There is a simple bralette set, a tight T-shirt and some black simple leggings. I slide them up and over my skin and watch as the hairy surface of my legs are soon covered with a comfy fabric. Since I've been in the basement the past couple of days, I haven't had the chance to shower, shave or even wee for that matter. I mean, who wants to release their bladder into a metal toilet in a basement?

I shove my hair up into a messy bun and walk back down the stairs where Polina is waiting. "Come on child." She guides me down the stairs and to the kitchen where a mess has previously been made.

"Ignore the mess, Igor has been baking." She chuckles. "What would you like to eat?"

"Some scrambled egg on toast?" She asks while reading my questionable face. I nod and thank her, but suddenly wonder why she's helping me. "Why are you helping me?"

"Although Mr Petrov is my boss, I've known him his whole life, and he's only recently been angry since you've been around, so I assume you've been causing some problems." She sighs and I find myself tugging my bottom lip in between my teeth. "But I was given no orders regarding you, so I've taken the opportunity to get you cleaned up and I'm going to fatten you up." She chuckles.

"Polina, was there any other clothes around? Other than these stripper left-overs?" I hear her laugh but a grumble behind me.

I watch as Leonid takes up most of the space of the doorway. "Are these Kristian's strippers after clothes?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, "If we had stripper clothes, you would currently be wearing a harness. Which, no offense, isn't a sight I want to see." I feel the laugh want to ride up from my stomach, through my throat. But I contain it. I haven't heard Leonid speak much, let alone come up with jokes.

"See, you can be fun." I state but all I receive is an eye roll.

"Boss isn't going to be too pleased that you've been released from your little cage." His brown eyes are like daggers, they're going to cut through me any moment. I swallow my gulp and look to Polina who has her hands on her hips. "Leonid darling, why don't you go and take your bad mood elsewhere." She shoos him off with her hands. I don't mind Leonid's company, he's a mystery. He comes off as stubborn and reckless. But I reckon, under all those layers is probably a warm marshmallow. It happens to the worst of them.

He walks away with an emotionless face. "What's up with him?" I ask with the cup of tea in my hands, I bring the rim of the mug to my lips and inhale the herby ingredients, I didn't want to ask why Leonid was close by, it would only cause him to be angrier.

"Oh love, Leonid is a broken soul." She sighs, "I just hope there is something in this world for him, he seems so lost." She sighs. She's probably worked in this mafia for quite some time, she's probably so aware of the people in this family.

"You must not interfere with any of these men, do you understand?" She looks at me with raised eyebrows and a stubborn stern. "Mr Petrov included." I try and listen to her, but something about this family doesn't sit tight with me.

𝐊 𝐑 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓 𝐈 𝐀 𝐍 • 𝐏 𝐄 𝐓 𝐑 𝐎 𝐕

It's late and I'm staring out of the window, waiting patiently for a phone call from Jace. But what I didn't expect was to have Leonid's name light up my screen. "Leonid?"

"Boss, I should've let you know earlier, but Polina has let Mila out." You're joking me.

"She has, has she?" I groan. "What has she been up to?" I ask out of curiosity, because if she's been raiding my office I won't be pleased.

"In the kitchen with Polina and complaining all day, she needs sorting out."

It doesn't take me long until I'm walking to my car and turning the engine on, ready to drive back to the house.

I notice outside the front of the house Elias and Jace standing outside. "Any other problems?" I ask them, they both stare and shake their heads at the same time. I don't see Elias often he is still a part of this family. He's always out and about being our spy. He roams all around the country, I have almost forgotten where he's been, Mexico, America, and Ireland. He's probably been in places in between and fucked around. How he hasn't gotten caught yet I don't know.

"Yeah, just speaking to Elias about Nadia's appointment tomorrow." He chuckles. If it's anyone I look up to, it's Jace.

He's tried so hard to make sure his daughter has a mundane life. His ex-wife was never a part of the mafia world yet they still found love in one another. Nadia is their little blessing, and for her, Jace would do anything. Even if it means giving up his daily jobs in the Bratva.

"How is that little bundle of joy?" I enquire, it was only a few days ago I saw Nadia, but since Mila has been around, we don't think it's safe for her. Mila was nearly capable at killing me, what could she do with a child? I try and shake the negativity from my mind, but at the end of the day not all women have a nurturing personality.

"She's good." He grins, the whiteness of his teeth come into view from the moonlight, he speaks highly of his daughter.

We stand outside for a few moments more then I walk into the mansion to find Mila spread out across the sofa eating a bag of prawn and cocktail crisps. "Mila." I say which causes her body to jump in shock. "What are you doing out?"

"Oh, Mr Petrov, you're back!" Polina comes in before Mila could even answer. I sigh, I knew I couldn't trust Polina with the girl. Girls are Polina's weakness. I raise an eyebrow at Polina, "A word." I watch as she takes in a deep breath and begins to follow me to my office. I take a seat on the leather chair and watch as she comes in a few seconds later with a guilty look smeared on her face. She shuts the door and stares at me.

"I can explain." She begins, I lay back and decide not to jump down her throat but give her a chance to explain, but I already know her explanation won't be good enough. "She was refusing to eat Mr Petrov." She sighs running her sweaty palms down her grey dress.

"She is a threat to the Bratva Polina." I begin to stand; my knuckles whiten, cutting my blood circulation off. Russians are usually portrayed to kill women and children, but those rumours are nowhere near true, if it was a hundred years ago maybe. It's just a myth made to make people scared of us, not that I'm unhappy with that, it allows us to get on with what we need to do and not marry off our family members every five minutes, unlike the Americans. But I don't plan on killing or hurting Polina for that matter.

"I know, I know. But can't we give her a chance?" I huff at her comment, I sit back down and rub my face with my hand. Some women are so naive, and unfortunately so was Polina, she saw the good in everyone even without knowing the whole story.

"Do you have any idea of what you've done Polina? You've made us look weak." I growl and slam my palms on the desk. "I am locking her back up tonight and she will stay there until I say." I walk around and face Polina and lean my bum against the desk. "You're lucky. I suggest you don't let her go again otherwise you risk losing your job, do you hear me?" I question and watch as the blood drains from her face, her family have been doing this job for years, for someone like Polina she would feel like a disappointment if she becomes the one to destroy the families' norms and tradition.

"I understand Mr Petrov." She walks out of my office with tears filling up in her eyes. I take in a deep breath. Let's get this sorted.

I walk into the living room where Mila is no longer stuffing her face. But looking at me with concern in her eyes. "You're going back downstairs, you're aware of that, aren't you?" She rolls her eyes; I get closer to her and attempt to grab her arm to help her up but she shakes me off and growls.

"Don't touch me, I can do it myself." She stomps off down stairs where I follow right behind her, watching as her copper hair flows at the back of her head, swaying with every step she takes which only shoves the scent of vanilla up my nostrils further. She takes a seat on the mattress and faces the wall like a stubborn teenager. But at the end of the day, I need to protect myself, no matter the cost. "Igor or Polina will be down to give you your food at dinner." I think about my comment and begin to think that Polina's time down here should be minimised.

And with that I walk out of the basement without a strand of regret. She tried to kill me, if anything she should be dead. But us Russian's don't kill women, fortunately for them. If we were any other mob, that would be a different story. I check my watch and find that my body clock already wants to send me to bed. Although I can live on hardly any sleep my mind needs a rest, and so does my body.