“A Bratva family has ties and connections to the underworld, but it doesn’t mean we are involved in crimes alone. Yes, smuggling, arms dealing, and other things come under the Bratva’s domain, but we also have other businesses that help us generate white money. It is essentially about having both legal and illegal power to turn things exactly the way you want them to be.”
“And every family has a leader?”
“Yes,” Avgust replied, making me turn to look at him. “The Pakhan is the eldest member of the Bratva. For the Chernykhs, it's Iosif because he is the eldest brother.”
I hesitated. “I have been in Russia for a while because I studied in Moscow. Everyone there talked about the Bratva, but only from far away. They were just stories and rumors, things that never felt like part of our reality. It’s not exactly… something you see unless you’re a part of it.”
Avgust nodded. “Good. It’s better that way. We don’t like to show ourselves anyway.”
I cleaned the edges of Timofey’s wound carefully, trying to remove all the dried blood. He grunted but didn’t pull away.
“So,” he continued, eyes bright despite the pain, “what do you think of it now? The Bratva world? Given you are now both technically and legally a part of it.”
I glanced at Avgust involuntarily. His eyes met instantly, hard and watching. Reading far too much like he always did. I tore my gaze away from him.
“I think,” I whispered, “that like anything powerful… it can be good or bad. It really just depends on who's running it and who's inside. I am sure there are good Bratva families and bad ones. Bratva families who condemn auctions and bratva families who organize them.”
Timofey’s smile softened. “Fair answer.”
Avgust’s jaw ticked, and I ignored him again. Timofey studied me as I wrapped the fresh bandage around his side. “So you’re married to my brother now, which makes you family. You are my sister-in-law. And I am lucky to have such a beautiful sister-in-law, I must say. Avgust has good—”
“That’s more than enough, Timofey,” Avgust grunted, an edge of anger in his voice.
I flushed. “It wasn’t exactly a marriage if you look at it.”
“It was just for protection,” Avgust interjected sharply, repeating the same thing yet again. I did not know why that statement felt hurtful when he said it like this. As if I was nothing but an object he needed to save and protect and keep under his wing.
Timofey smirked. “Sure. It was protection.”
“It was,” I snapped, though my face burned. “It was not like he presented me with a choice. I was practically forced into it, and he made me sign the marriage license.”
Timofey opened his mouth to tease again, but this time Avgust’s glare was lethal enough to silence him.
“You are good,” I said softly, tightening the last strip of gauze. “If the wound heals, which it hopefully will, you will not need proper stitching. But for now, you will be okay.”
Timofey let out a breath of relief. “Thanks, angel.”
I shook my head. “Just rest.”
Avgust motioned to Dimitri and Abram. “Take him to the east room and stay with him through the night.”
Timofey groaned as he stood back up, leaning on Dimitri. “I’m fine, I’m fine. None of you needs to stay with me. I will just go to sleep after some painkillers. Please get me some painkillers.”
“I will fetch those for you,” Abram said, exiting through the open doorway while Dimitri still helped Timofey.
“Just shut up and walk. No one is asking you for advice,” Avgust muttered.
“Bossy,” Timofey teased, but Avgust did not respond to him.
I quickly put everything back into the first-aid box and gathered supplies after dipping my hands in water and wiping them on a clean towel. In reality, I was just trying to steady my heartbeat. My life had stopped making sense lately, and every day was a new experience. Running into Timofey and finally meeting someone from Avgust’s world felt strange. It almost made Avgust feel real.
He had a family. Brothers. A sister he clearly loved. He was not just the man who had rescued me from an auction and then saved my life a second time. He was so much more than just the man living in the safe house with me. So much more than just my husband.
A maid came in and took the supplies away, leaving me alone in the living room with Avgust. When I finally looked at him, he was already watching me, but not with gratitude or softness. Instead, with something much darker and harder simmering just underneath the surface. I could see that whatever it was that was going through his head was far from over. Very, very far.
“Are you going to tell me why you were acting like that?” I asked, voice steady, before he could say anything.
Avgust didn’t blink. “Acting like what?”
