As he quickly moved through the house, the anger rolled through Mikhail’s body, tightening his shoulders, and his hands became fists. It took a lot to anger him and knowing what his father planned to do to India not only filled him with fear, but anger.
He wanted to be able to say that he saw her first and claim her as his in some sort of caveman way. Except he hadn’t. His father had. His father was a very powerful man within the Bratva, which meant it was going to be very difficult to get him to release India in a way that kept her safe. He wouldn’t release her though because he was an asshole who was obsessed with her, which was another matter to consider.
The other women that his father had been with in the past had been a means to an end while he’d waited for the blonde beauty upstairs to be his. He wasn’t going to let her go. Would he wait the usual seven days? Mikhail doubted.
Pushing his way through the kitchen frustrated as hell, he ignored the looks and sneers that he got from his father’s men, and exited via the backdoor. He headed away from the house to the cabin in the trees that he’d spent five years building because, right now, he needed his space away from the bastards who answered nothing but yes to his father.
He also needed to be able to think—to come up with a plan to get India free. His fists clenched at the thought even though he knew that he’d do anything to get to keep her for himself. It wasn’t just her beauty that he found arousing it was India as a whole. Her smile. The way she looked at him. Her voice sent shards of pleasure down his spine until his arousal throbbed between his legs—a state he’d been constantly fighting since he’d met her just five hours ago—it felt like days, weeks even.
“Do I need to ask?” Hugh snapped him out of his thoughts with his unexpected words, as he continued, “Why are you so distracted?” Hugh raised a brow, leaning over the porch of Mikhail’s home.
“I didn’t know you were here.”
Hugh rolled his eyes. “Avoiding the question, huh?”
He stomped up the steps to the porch, ignored Hugh, and made his way into the kitchen. “I’m not avoiding anything. I’m thinking.” He took a beer out of the fridge and bashed the cap free.
They leaned against opposite counters while sipping the cool liquid. Hugh stayed silent.
Hugh had been his best friend since he’d arrived in America with his father when he was seven years old. Twenty-six years later and they were still friends regardless of the difference between their families.
“It’s a girl,” Hugh commented. “I’ve seen you angry before. In fact I’ve seen you damn right pissed, but I’ve never seen you distracted.” Hugh stepped in front of him. “Should it worry me?”
“No!” He held Hugh’s gaze and repeated, “No.”
Hugh grinned and backed away. “You’re a lying bastard.” His friend drained the bottle of beer in his hands before he tossed the bottle into the recycling tub. “Who is she?”
Mikhail chuckled. “I never said there was a girl.”
“Are you telling me there isn’t?”
“You’re not going to give up, huh?”
Hugh sighed and watched him carefully. “I know what your father is like. So I get why you’d want to protect her . . . but this is me that you’re talking to. I have your back.”
He paused and wondered just what to tell Hugh because if it came to it, he’d run with India, and Hugh would be caught in the crossfire. “It’s best if you don’t know, although if you have plans for a vacation then I suggest you take it now.”
Hugh’s features froze at his words and when he tipped his head to the side, watching him, Hugh said, “It’s the girl your father is obsessed with, isn’t it? She’s the one.”
“I’ve told you—”
“Yeah, I know. It’s best if I don’t know. I know anyway because I’m a genius.” Hugh smirked.
“Will you be serious for once? My father is obsessed with this one. He’s been waiting, bidding his time and he’s decided that now is the time to take her. He’s lied about her to others and he doesn’t give a damn. He will never give her back to her father. Never, Hugh!” As those words left his mouth, he realized how truthful they were.
“I’ll help you!” Hugh stated, getting in his face. “You can’t go up against your father without backup. He’s an asshole and the men working for him are even bigger ones. There is no one you can trust under his roof.” Hugh grinned because he knew he was right . . . for once. “But you can trust me.”
“Oh God!” He groaned and pulled out some pizzas from the freezer. “We’re all going to die!”
Hugh threw his head back and roared with laughter. “You can not keep throwing the broken window back at me.”
He raised a brow and Hugh continued, “Or the car.”
Mikhail waited.
“Or the camping stove, and if I must,” Hugh groaned, “the hot wax.”
Hugh’s amusement widened Mikhail’s smile until the seriousness of the situation hit him hard. “This isn’t going to be like those times, Hugh. My father is going to want blood and I don’t believe he’ll care about whose it is as long as he has India.”
Shaking his head, Hugh flopped on the sofa. “You do realize that your father is the only man to really scare the shit outta me? I mean my own father can yell and get me moving, but your father.” He shuddered. “Scary fucker . . . Do you remember that time he set fire to your bookcase because he insisted that books were for girls, not his son who would one day rule the house of Vasiliev. I had nightmares about that for weeks.”
Mikhail didn’t answer, as there wasn’t much he could say. Hugh had spoken the truth.
When he’d first moved to America books had saved him—been his escape. He’d had nothing else and no friends, until the day that he’d knocked Hugh out of a tree. They’d been best friends ever since.
The sudden crunch of feet outside drew Mikhail’s attention to the front door as he reached for the gun in the back of his jeans.
“Mikhail,” his name shouted from outside had the hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention.
Dimitri.
The man would love nothing more than to be ‘the’ man for Mikhail’s father. He was everything to his father but his son, and Dimitri hated that fact. Dimitri hated how he’d talk back to his father, and the other man always became angered at the lack of respect he’d show, which was the reason why Mikhail did what he did half the time.
Hugh popped his head over the side of the sofa and held his gaze. “What does he want?” Hugh asked, quickly moving from the couch and kept his presence unknown by standing between the windows.
He shrugged and slowly made his way outside to see the big man smirking. “Thought you’d want to know,” Dimitri’s grin widened, “that your father has asked me to teach India how to pleasure a man.” He laughed, the sound merging with the buzzing in Mikhail’s head as blood rushed around.
His hands gripped the porch railing and his heart felt like it was about to leave his chest. The fear, anger, and jealousy that ran through him was potent, but nothing was going to stop him from going after the bastard. Nothing.
“You do not touch her,” he hissed, trying for control even though he was losing it.
The asshole put his hand around his ear, and asked, “What did you say?”
“Fucking bastard,” he roared and made to jump over the porch to reach Dimitri when Hugh appeared and grabbed him around the waist from behind.
He struggled, and Hugh rapidly hissed, “Ignore him and think.” He squeezed his waist. “Your father is obsessed with this girl. Do you really think that he’d let anyone else touch her? Use your brain.”
He caught his breath and did what Hugh suggested, and thought, and as he did, he realized that for once, Hugh was right. His father would kill anyone who touched her.
“You’re a lying bastard,” he snarled.
Dimitri sniggered. “Your father wanted to know how you would react. I think he has his answer.”
His eyes focused on Dimitri and something passed over the other mans face that lasted mere seconds, which made Mikhail think that he’d just imagined it. Sorrow. But it kept him on the porch as Dimitri slowly backed away.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Hugh asked. “I mean about your father?” he corrected.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
“How? You go in there and question your father, it will make things ten times worse.”
He stepped out of Hugh’s hold and faced him. “I’m going to join him for dinner.” He grinned.