Alexandr's Reluctant Submissive (16 page)

Vera nodded. “I understand your reluctance to be parted from Tatiana. Would you feel better being in the room next door to the children with an adjoining door that would be closed? You will be able to see her through a two-way mirror, but she will not be able to see us. The conversation we must have is not for her tender young ears. We guard their innocence for as long as we can, so when they finally face the world is with a little bit of a brain in their head.” She gave her pregnant daughter a pointed look. “Take this one, for example, pregnant and refusing to get married.”

“Mama, stop.” This time there was a hiss in the other woman’s voice.

“What? Is true.”

Feeling a full-on mother/daughter brawl coming on, Jessica quickly said, “That’s fine, let’s go to the room so we can have some privacy.”

Once they were in what looked like a small burgundy-and-gold themed sitting room, she noticed right away there was a giant two-way mirror that looked out into what could only be described as a child’s fantasyland come to life. There was a mock tree house, a corner of the room that was filled with what looked like a big rack of child-size costumes, little tables with books and puzzles on them, and in general everything a kid could ever want, along with a good many adults keeping watch over the children in an unobtrusive manner. Climbing all over and playing with the toys were three little girls and two boys ranging in age from around eight to a toddler.

Despite Tatiana’s rapturous cries over the different toys, Jessica hesitated to let her join them. “Are you sure she’ll be all right?”

“Of course. We are merely a door away and Krom is in there, you just can’t see him because he’s in the far corner reading to Nina, my seven-year-old granddaughter, with three year old my great nephew Vicktor climbing his leg.”

Polina eased herself into one of the padded chairs with an audible grunt. “Actually, Krom is much loved by the children. Odd, I know, but he has a way with them.”

“He sings to me,” Tatiana said in a shy voice.

Both women gasped then smiled at the girl, which made Tatiana hide her face against Jessica’s hip.

“He sings to you?” Vera blinked, then leaned down and gave Tatiana a quick hug before standing again and meeting Jessica’s gaze, tears glimmering in the other woman’s eyes. “That is good news, very good news. This may be hard for you to understand, but I care deeply for the people that protect and guard my family. For the last five years, Krom has been a ghost of a man.”

“He used to sing all the time,” Polina added, “in church choir with his sister, of all places, but after your…ah, separation, part of his soul died as well because it was tied to you. He allowed you to be one of the very, very few people in his life who he cared about. Your death changed him.”

Giving her sleeve a tug, Tatiana asked, “Mommy, why is she saying you died?”

Struggling for some kind of explanation, Jessica exchanged a glance with Polina, who had an embarrassed flush staining her cheeks as she smiled at the little girl. “Forgive me, Tatiana, my English is not so good sometimes. I say the wrong words.”

The little girl considered this for a moment before easing her hold on Jessica. “Krom is teaching me Russian.”

Vera held out her hand. “I am sure he will do a wonderful job. If you will follow me, Miss Novikov, I will introduce you to my grandchildren and great nephews. I think they are getting ready to have the cake soon.”

At the word “cake”, Tatiana abandoned Jessica without looking back. “The chocolate cake your chef made?”

Vera looked amused as she said, “Yes.”

“One piece,” Jessica called out to their retreating backs.

“Yes, Mommy,” the little girl said as she darted through the doors, practically pulling Vera behind her now.

As soon as the little girl entered the room, Krom came into view on the left side of the giant window and crouched down, holding his arms open for her. She threw herself at the big man and he scooped her up with a laugh, twirling her around so the skirt of her dress flared out like dandelion fluff in the wind. Vera smiled at them, then began to motion to the other children in the room.

Gingerly putting her swollen feet up on the dainty coffee table, Polina sighed.

Giving her a sympathetic look, Jessica asked, “When are you due?”

“Soon. I keep telling myself that soon I will be done with this. Soon I will be able to tie my own shoes again, will be able to sleep for more than two hours without having to get up to use the restroom.”

“Is this your first child?”

“Yes, and I cannot imagine how hard life was for you to go through pregnancy with Tatiana while you were alone with only your doula, Shannon, at your side in Miami.”

“What—how did you know that?”

Shaking her head, Polina glanced at the room where Vera was still making introductions. “There is very little about you that is not known now, is way of world we live in. Knowledge is power and you are a great mystery to many. Is not every day the dead come back to life, yes?”

“I guess so.” She took a seat across from Polina. “What else do you know?”

“I only briefly skimmed the file my father has on you.”

“Wait, Petrov has a file on me?”

“Of course. For years he tried to help Alexandr find your killer. It was one of my father’s greatest regrets that he could not save or avenge you. Alex is like son to him, and brother to me, so seeing him in such…agony hurt all of us.”

“My husband,” Vera said in a quiet voice as she came back into the room and shut the door gently behind her, “would do anything for Alex and Dimitri. How much do you know about their relationship?”

“I know that Alex spent a great deal of time with you growing up, and that he loves you very much.”

Sitting on the love seat, Vera crossed her long legs and studied Jessica. “After Jorg lost his second wife, he also lost his mind. There were some…incidents that happened before we realized just how bad he had gotten. Petrov intervened and we had Dimitri and Alex live with us for over a year while Jorg got on medications to stabilize his psychotic episodes.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“We will always,
always
do what is best for Alex,” Vera said in a decidedly warning tone. “And we will eliminate any threats to him.”

“Excuse me?” Jessica bristled. “Are you saying I’m a threat to him?”

“Yes and no.”

Polina started to interrupt, but Vera held up one imperious hand. “Your very existence is threat because you are now powerful weapon to be used against him. Everyone saw how Alex lost himself for years after your death, how broken he was. There are those that would be eager to see Alex destroyed, those who would love to harm him in any way possible. You are his greatest weakness.”

“But,” Polina added with a glare thrown in her mother’s direction, “you are also his greatest strength, if you choose to be. If you have the fortitude to truly be his partner in life.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“What my daughter is saying, Jessica, is that you are no longer simply mother and wife. You are part of the Novikov
Bratva
, whether you wish to be or not, and you can either embrace the role and help your husband, or you can try to fight it and only cause him more heartbreak. I have been where you are, Jessica, thrust into an unknown world, given all this responsibility without knowing what to do with it. You do not know me, but I am hoping that you will allow me to offer what guidance I can.”

“What guidance
we
can,” Polina added. “I have helped out as my mother’s social secretary when needed, helping her see to her duties as the wife of the head of the Dubinski
Bratva
. While I have utterly no desire to become further involved in that world, I can help you navigate it.”

She slumped back into her chair, her gaze wandering to where Krom was down on all fours, giving the children horseback rides while Maks and the unfamiliar bodyguard watched with impassive faces, but amused eyes. “What kinds of duties will I have?”

“You are responsible for the heart of your people.” Vera must have seen her confusion because she gave Jessica a small smile. “Alex is burdened with the daily task of keeping his people not only alive and happy, but prosperous. He does a good job at it, but he is only one man. You, if you step into the roll, will be a liaison between Alex and his people, someone they can go to who has Alex’s ear.”

Polina nodded. “There will be dinners to host, lunch events to attend, all sorts of things. In many ways it is like being the wife of a political leader. Like your president’s wife, yes?”

“I think I understand what you’re saying.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she began to consider the enormous changes that were happening in her life.

“Is much to take in, I understand, but we are not telling you these things to scare you, but rather to help Alexandr, who we love. You must understand, Alex is responsible for the lives of tens of thousands of people. His daily decisions affect not only himself, but a vast group of people who depend on him to keep them safe and happy. Is a burden that would crush most men, but you can help ease it.” 

The enormity of the responsibility that Alex dealt with humbled her. She couldn’t imagine having to make the kind of life and death decisions he had before him on a daily basis. While in theory she’d known lots of people depended on Alex, she’d never really considered how much control he had over their fate. In an odd way it was like being married to a king. Which made her a queen, and she needed to be his power behind the throne. The normal part of her blanched at the idea of involving herself in his dangerous world, but the woman she’d become over the last five years knew she had the strength to be there for Alex.

“Where do you think I should start?”

“The first thing you need,” Polina said with a brisk clap of her hands, “is a good social secretary. Someone who is fluent in both English and Russian. Someone you can trust and is familiar with the Novikov
Bratva
. If you are open to the idea, I could have a list of possible candidates sent to you.”

 “What about Mariel Testov?” Vera asked. “She is very well connected and sweet.”

A flush warmed Polina’s cheeks and she switched to Russian while darting her gaze between her mother and Jessica. “She was one of Alex’s mistresses a few years ago.”

Jessica swallowed hard, trying to bury the flare of jealousy twisting her stomach into a sour knot.

“Oh, yes. That will not do.”

Switching back to English, Polina gave Jessica a bright smile. “Do not worry, we will find the right woman for you.”

Before she could stop her bitter words, they spilled out from her lips. “It might be hard to find a woman Alex hasn’t slept with.”

Polina flinched, but Vera’s shoulders stiffened. “Regardless of who Alex was intimate with in the past, he loves you and he is a loyal man.”

“I know.” She sighed and turned her attention to where a little girl in a khaki romper was crouching next to Tatiana at a small table with a box of crayons, while Krom sat in a plush chair not too far away, watching them intently. “I know it’s stupid, I know it’s irrational, and I know Alex thought I was dead, but can you understand that it is difficult for me to deal with the knowledge that Alex had lovers while we were apart?”

“You were dead,” Vera said while Polina tried to hush her mother.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then slowly let it out, trying to keep her anger under control. “Yes, I was, and no, I don’t blame him for…easing tension with other women. At least logically I don’t, but I can’t help that the idea makes me sick.”

“Then you will have to deal with your feelings, because you are bound to run into more women Alex has been intimate with. And you must be prepared for their attacks.”

“Attacks?”

“What my mother means,” Polina said in a much gentler voice, “is that you will be moving in the social circles that many of the women Alex has…dated are in. And there are those who still pine for him, still hope to catch his eye and heart even though is impossible. You are only woman he has ever loved, and even while you were apart, you held his heart. Will always be yours.”

The other woman’s words soothed her and she unclenched her fists, not even realizing how tightly she was gripping her hands until her palms stung from her fingernails. “He’s the only man I have ever loved.”

Vera leaned across the small table and patted Jessica’s knee. “We know this. If you did not love him so much you never would have left him.”

Looking down at her hands, twisting the new engagement ring sparkling on her finger, she voiced one of her private worries. “You don’t hate me because I left him?”

“No, not at all.” Vera sighed. “You loved him and your daughter enough to give up everything to keep them safe. A weaker person would have stayed, would have endangered their lives for her own comfort and well-being. Five years ago you were a confused young woman who did the best she could against a man who could manipulate the devil. Let go of any misplaced guilt you have over this.”

Her lower lip quivered as she tried to blink back her tears. “Thank you. I’m trying, but this is a lot to take in.”

Polina cleared her throat. “Truly, we do not mean to add to your burdens. We are here to offer you any help or guidance you may need. All of Alex’s friends are. My older sister, Lani, wants me to give you her phone number so you can call her if you wish. She could not be here today because,” Polina’s voice warbled, “because she is in the hospital with Semyon.”

“Her husband,” Vera added with a heavy sigh. “He has woken from his coma but he has much healing ahead of him. His brain is…not right yet. The grandchildren are staying with us while she stays with him in the hospital.”

Feeling incredibly selfish, Jessica gave the women a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry.”

Visibly stiffening her spine, Vera nodded. “Is a tragedy, but we are also very luck. Three of my grandchildren almost lost their father entirely. Would be easy to give in to pain, to misery of what has happened to my family and wallow in grief. But God has blessed me to be mother and grandmother. I do not have the luxury for such things when my children need me.”