The plane, which was actually a private jet, hummed as it cut across the Atlantic.
I kept to myself, in my simple dress and oversized jacket, looking out the window as the landscape stretched on. I wished I had my phone; I could have been texting Russie. Or I could have tried reaching out to Hanna or Amanda. Or maybe I wouldn’t, sitting here and just waiting as things unfold seemed to be the only thing I was interested in. Not that communicating with phones was allowed on airplanes, anyway.
Neither Konstantin nor his men bothered me—a fact I was grateful for. But it was hard not to feel Konstantin’s presence. It was impossible not to look in his direction a few times. He had papers and files on his lap that clearly kept him busy enough. However, the crazy thing was that I felt equal parts discomfort and pleasure at the thought of him opposite me, at the thought that he ordered his men to sit me directly in front of him and not on the other side with his men, like when I was abducted.
Because I’m a wife now?
I remembered when I said I was his hostage during our last conversation, and he insisted that I was his wife.
Like the damn title makes a difference.
After many hours, Manhattan glowed beneath us like a glass and steel fortress. As we finally descended and the tires of the plane touched the runway, I looked away from the window to meet Konstantin’s gaze on me.
“Viktor and Roman will meet us at the private hangar,” he said.
I couldn’t say I was hyped up for a Bratva family reunion. But, at the same time, seeing Konstantin’s older brothers didn’t fill me with trepidation, either. I was just…okay.
So I blinked and gave him a one-shoulder shrug in response.
“So this is where you reign,” I remarked.
Instead of his reply, what I got was an overhead announcement that we were now in Manhattan, New York.
I saw them through the window before I even left my seat or took the first step out of the jet. There were eight of them, all in black suits except for Roman, whose maroon jacket stood out. Three of them were close to the foot of the stairs, while the others stood at the far back, closer to the long line of cars.
The three were all Konstantin’s brothers, I could tell. The fact that Roman was among them made that easier. But I knew the Lobanov brothers were four, Liza had told me before. Just that I had never met them all.
The asshole said two of his brothers would be waiting for us, not three.
If I wasn’t bothered before, I was now. As we stepped out of the aircraft, I wondered how harsh they would be towards me. They all thought I had Bratva secrets and was Vitya’s accomplice.
“Are you okay?” Konstantin inquired beside me.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, my tone sarcastic.
“Konstantin,” Viktor spoke, moving closer to the stairs as we took the last step. “Have a nice flight?”
“It was okay. Peaceful weather,” Konstantin answered as Viktor slapped his back.
And then he turned his head in my direction. ThePakhantook a step towards me.
“Alina,” he greeted, his voice level and authoritative.
Do I call him Sir Viktor?
Mr.?
Oh, God, I should have asked Konstantin.
Or he should have told me!
“Welcome to the family,” he said as his arm came around my shoulders.
Am I in a dream?
“It wasn’t under conventional circumstances, but,” he said, facing the other two brothers, “you’re one of us now.”
“Thank you,” I answered as he released me, unable to come up with anything else.
