There was no point in acting fine like any other new bride. This was Liza; she definitely knew the real status.
“When they arrested that bastard ex of yours, Roman told me it was bad, for you and for the Bratva. But when we heard yesterday that you guys got married, I knew things wouldn’t be that bad.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I answered.
“I know. It’s fucking hard to just accept such a massive life change. But now you’re a part of the family, you’re protected from the real bad guys out there. Trust me, Konstantin might not be the best person in the world, but he won’t let harm come near you. That’s the most important thing right now. Your safety.”
“Yeah,” I uttered weakly.
“And you have me for the fun part,” she added, smiling.
“That’s the good part, I guess.”
“There are better parts, you'll see,” she pointed out, her eyes darting to the stairs like she was checking to be sure Konstantin wasn’t there.
“I just…I don’t know what to look forward to, you know. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
“Take it one day at a time,” she advised, her tone sure. “The future is now.”
Chapter Twelve
Konstantin’s POV
The reunion was more unsettling than I had expected. Seeing Alina melt into Liza’s arms reminded me that she was no longer just a suspect. She was now a part of the Bratva inner circle, whether I liked it or not.
When Liza called me the previous night and talked about surprising Alina, I had been skeptical. While Liza knew my house was my fortress and always found an excuse to dissuade people from coming, she didn’t know part of my hesitance was the thought of the surprise overwhelming Alina. Eventually, she had won me over and gotten me to agree to call my men and ask them to grant her entry.
Watching them hug like friends who had been separated for years was a relief, an assurance that I hadn’t made a mistake. However, it also caused an itch within me, a kind of longing I knew I had to immediately tamp down. Besides, I couldn’t let her catch me staring at her.
It was pretty difficult on the plane. The documents on my laps laid unread as I gazed at her. How could I not? From the jacket that swallowed her frame to the brightness of her hair, there were too many things to pull me in. But that was not to say her calm aura didn’t have a greater effect. Every time she turned away from the window, I’d look away like I was doing something else other than stare at her.
I went upstairs to give them the space to catch up since Liza would be leaving soon. She and Roman had an event to attend later in the day, and it wasn’t in New York.
“Sir,” Hans called, making me turn around from the hallway of my suite.
“Welcome, sir. Congratulations, sir,” he greeted, smiling. “I wanted to inform you that we put the luggage in the guest room.”
“What luggage? The car with the bags is still in town.”
“No, I meant the luggage they sent from Russia. It got here last night.”
“Alina’s things,” I pointed out, nodding.
His face curled up in a smile again. “We don’t know her name.”
“And now that you do, if I ever hear her name on your lips or that of any other person...you’ll be sorry.”
“Oh, no sir. I’ll never. No one will try it,” he rushed.
“I’ll open my suite now. Move everything to the room by my study.”
“Okay, sir.”
“Quickly,” I added. “We’ve had a long flight. She might want to rest.”
“I’ll be done setting everything up before Mrs. Lobanov leaves,” he assured.
I went straight into my office to get some work done. Sergei’s knock on my office door was what pulled me out of the sea of paperwork an hour later.
