Arranged Bratva Love

Adelaide

Anna is a very beautiful woman. She is very sweet, kind, chatty. She’s the kind of woman I would have loved to have a conversation with, a rapport, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s sleeping with my husband.

Andrei is distant, not that it’s any surprise. He won’t touch me because of my wounds, which are healing nicely, or so the doctor says. I’m trying to play the perfect patient, because the truth is I hate being in hospitals. I hate not being able to do anything. It’s awful.

I like moving around. I love being active. Sitting on the sofa for most of the day with a blanket, only leaving for bathroom breaks, is so freaking boring. I hate it.

What I also don’t like is how vague Andrei is being. I can’t remember that day. I’ll sit for hours thinking about it, trying to understand where I was, why I got shot. Andrei won’t allow me to see Leo, and if he comes to the penthouse, Andrei makes sure he’s not close. The constant questions I had were driving me crazy.

“Here we go, a coffee and a cinnamon bun. Please be gentle, I baked these last night. My son, Luke, absolutely adores them. I had to sneak these two past him.”

This is news to me. “You have a son?”

“Yep, two sons and a daughter. Luke is my youngest. I also have Ricky and Patricia.”

Anna has her phone in front of me and starts to show me pictures of her kids. I see one picture of them as young children, and then the other as they were older.

“Beautiful,” I said.

“Tell me about it. Little terrors the lot of them, but they bring me so much joy.”

I frowned. “Do they know you work for Andrei?”

Anna had told me she worked in one of the casinos when she arrived on the first day. I did think she was a whore in one of his brothels, and they had come up with an elaborate lie to claim she wasn’t. I had to wonder if she was doing this to get into Andrei’s pants. Everyone wanted him. I understood it. The man was a catch, and I had felt jealous. I don’t know if it was getting shot, the crap with Bethany seemed to have died down, or what. My emotions were all over the place. I felt like crying one moment, laughing the next.

I was so tired as well. The doctor had said it would pass with time. All I had to do was heal.

When it came to Andrei, my feelings were all over the place. I felt so many different things, and not all of them were good. I hated the control he seemed to have over my life. It was so unfair, and the moment I thought like that, I couldn’t help but feel childish at the same time.

“Yes, of course. They all know I had to do whatever it took to take care of them.” Anna clicked on her phone and then showed me a picture. “That there, is my husband. Fucking asshole he is.” She closed her cell phone and threw it onto the coffee table, making me flinch at the sudden loud noise. “He was addicted to gambling. Did I know this? Hell, no. I was at home raising our babies, thinking he was doing everything to bring home the bacon, and what do I find? He’s gambling away our money, our everything, until he skips town, leaving me with all his debts. It’s why I went to Andrei Belov. I needed money and fast, and other than selling my body, I showed him that I would be a damn fine investment in his casino.” She shrugged. “The debts are nearly paid off. Mr. Belov dealt with the loan sharks who wanted to pimp me out on the street, and I was able to provide for my family. That is the most important. Family.”

“You sound like a wonderful mom,” I said. She did. My mother wouldn’t do anything to help me. She was more than happy to use me to get what she wanted.

“I know you don’t like me,” Anna said.

“It’s not that.” I groaned. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m a real bitch.”

“Not at all. I’m used to people acting like this. Even before I worked for Andrei, when I worked at the hospital, I had nurses who thought I was getting special treatment. I seem to create a lot of anger by just being myself. It can get very ugly at times.”

“Have you had encounters with other wives?” I asked.

“No, I don’t fuck married men. There are plenty of single men who enjoy my company, or at least like to be distracted by me when they’re losing money.”

“What happened to your husband?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I’m still married to the little weasel, but not for much longer. I’m working to get a divorce. I will never tie myself down to a man again. Never.” Anna smiled. “Not that there’s a problem being married.”

This made me laugh. The big ring on my finger, and the fact I was Adelaide Belov, declared my married state. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to take offense.”

“In all honestly, Mrs. Belov, you have an amazing husband. He is nice.”

This surprised me. “No one calls him nice.”

“I know. I mean, he is nice so long as you don’t end up on his bad side.” Anna laughed. “I guess I have a soft spot for the man. He was nice to me and he didn’t turn me away. He helped me get back on my feet.”

There were not many people in the world who’d call Andrei nice.

“He is a man full of surprises.”

“He loves you,” Anna said.

Now I had heard enough.

Pushing off the blanket, I shake my head. “You don’t have to do that. You don’t need to lie.”

I was getting tired again, but I had to do something.

Anna put her hand on my arm. “Please, don’t hurt yourself.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said.

“Okay, but I’ll be here waiting.”

I had no doubt about it.

Andrei didn’t love me. No one loved me.

I kept a wide berth away from the windows, going to our bedroom, and then into the bathroom. Even though I didn’t expect her to follow me, I still made the effort to lock the door and leaned my back against it.

Reaching my hands up, I rub at my temples and feel a sickness swirling in my gut. I hadn’t tried the cinnamon bun, and I hated to be rude, but the thought of food didn’t appeal right now. I stepped away from the door and went to the sink. Gripping the edge, I look at my reflection. I was paler than normal.

I’d thrown on a pair of sweatpants and shirt. Lifting the shirt, I see the bandage covering my left shoulder, just over my heart. The doctor had told me that it had missed by a few inches. So close to death. The doctor came every other day to clean the wound and to check on it. With the shirt pulled up, I look down and see the one covering my stomach. This was healing quite quickly.

I was healing fast, but my mind was where I was having the real problem. My memories felt like they were destroying me. Well, they weren’t real memories, just passing silhouettes that gave a hint of what might have happened.

For some reason I see Nathan. I had gotten a text from him on that day saying he was going away for some business and wouldn’t be back, but he’d keep in contact. He never called. All I got were random texts asking how I was. It was strange.

Nathan didn’t know I had been shot, but the way he asked, I felt like he did know. Was he there? What was I missing? Then Leo. Why wasn’t Leo able to take care of me anymore?

What about Andrei? He was far more attentive, but I had to wonder if that was down to guilt. Did he shoot me? Did Leo put my life in danger?

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The doctor also was vague as well. People were keeping secrets from me and I found that harder than ever before.

I drop my shirt, splash some water on my face, and head back toward the main living room, but I stop when I hear Anna on the phone.

“You know you’re not supposed to call me like this,” she said. There’s a chuckle. “You pay for that privilege.” Another pause. “Am I looking forward to your big cock?” Anna looked toward me, but I’m hidden, so she doesn’t notice me. “Well, Eric, I can tell you that I am.” She let out a moan. “Yeah, I am, I want you so badly right now. Would you make me suck it?”

I’d heard enough. Stepping out from behind the wall, Anna spotted me, her face bright red as I walk into the kitchen.

“I’ve got to go.”

Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, I fill it with water. I hear her coming into the kitchen.

“You heard that.”

“Kind of hard not to.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Belov.”

I spun around to face Anna. “Have you ever fucked Andrei?” I asked.

“What? No. Of course not.”

“Do you know if he … has any other woman or women visit him while you’re at the casino? Someone from one of his brothels?”

“No. No. He doesn’t. When he comes to the casino, it’s to work. Nothing else.”

I press my lips together. “Then we don’t have a problem.” I nod at her.

Anna smiled. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually accept calls but one night Luke had an accident and I was working, and well, Eric was … there. It just sort of happened that he got my private number.”

“But you enjoy talking with him?” I asked.

“Yes. I do, a lot. I’m not looking for a relationship. It’s just … sometimes, it’s hard to keep the line straight, you know. Eric’s a good man, but he’s a workaholic. Rich, and he doesn’t like having to work to screw a woman. I’m probably one of a dozen women. Not that we’ve had sex or anything.” She frowned. “I know what you heard, but … we’ve … I’ve not … it’s all been in banter, you know. It’s kind of fun.”

The happiness dims from her eyes, and I hate myself. Going to Anna, I put my arms around her and pull her close, holding her tightly. I don’t know if this Eric is a good guy or not. He is trying to get her to have sex, so for all I know, he isn’t a straitlaced guy. He might be trying to string her along. I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers, but what I refuse to do now is to add to her heartache.

Anna, like me, is trying to navigate this world we’d both been plunged into. Me with marriage to a Bratva brigadier, and her because of her husband’s gambling. We were involved now, and even if we were both totally different, she was the first person who seemed to offer me friendship.

Bethany wasn’t here to destroy it.

Rather than push her away, I hold her a little tighter. She might not be my friend for any other reason than Andrei paying her, but for now, I can fool myself into thinking it was something more.