His (Ties That Bind #2) - Natasha Knight Page 0,38

see it takes him a minute to slip his hand in Dima’s even though Dima is attempting a smile. I wonder if I should tell him it’s better if he doesn’t.

“He’ll be fine,” Gleb says.

Lev and I both turn back to him. He leans toward me and pushes my hair back from my face. He’s closer than I expect, and it takes a moment for me to remember not to pull back. He runs his thumb over the healing yellowing bruise.

“Andrei Stanislov did this? Laid a hand on you? That bastard, Vasily, knew she was pregnant and put a hit on her. He knew I had a child, and he didn’t tell me.” He shakes his head as if in regret. “All these years. A grandchild too.” He reaches into his pocket and takes out his phone. Someone answers immediately. “Any word on that rat?” I can hear the disgust in his voice.

He nods, mutters something under his breath.

“I want them both. Alive.”

17

Lev

“I have something I want to show you.” Gleb gestures for me to follow him out back. It’s late, past midnight, and I don’t like leaving Kat alone at the hotel, but at least Maxim is in the lobby, keeping an eye out for me. I just hope he stays sober enough to recognize any problems that might pop up.

“Don’t worry so much.” Gleb waves off my concerns. “I got a couple of my guys parked outside of the hotel. If they see anything, I’ll be the first to know.”

It shouldn’t surprise me that he’s already figured out where we’re staying. New York is Gleb’s turf, and he’s got eyes and ears everywhere. Still, they are guys I don’t know.

“You should have spoken to me first,” I tell him.

Gleb stops, meeting my gaze in challenge. “Are you telling me I need to ask permission from you to protect my own daughter? My grandson?”

I consider my words carefully but refuse to back down on this. “She might be your daughter, but she’s my future wife. And I look out for both of them. I don’t know your guys. Kat doesn’t know your guys. You need to understand that she didn’t grow up in this life. If she sees a couple of bozos speaking Russian, the first thing she’s going to do is run. That’s all her experience has taught her.”

Gleb is quiet, his face unmoving, and I can’t tell if he’s going to club me over the head or finish the conversation. He doesn’t give a lot away. I can see now why Ciara would have been worried about coming to him and confessing her sins. But I also know that he can be softer than his reputation. I saw it with Kat. And I saw it when I mentioned Ciara too.

“You make a valid point.” He shrugs. “I’ll give you that. The last thing I want to do is scare her off. But you need to understand that being her father, and the man that I am, I have a say in what goes on in her life. That includes you. Now, I can respect a man who stands up for his family, but if you want to deem yourself worthy of my daughter, you have more work to do.”

He steps away from me and continues toward the door, leaving me to follow without any resolution to the conversation. This is the way of a mafia boss, and Gleb owns it. He doesn’t have to wait for me. He doesn’t have to respect me as a man, a husband, or a father. And even if I’ve known Kat longer than he has, he also has the right as her father to tell me to fuck off. Not that I will, but he has that right.

I don’t know Gleb well, but I think he’s a man I can respect. He doesn’t fly off the handle when he’s challenged like Vasily would. He listens, and he can be reasonable. And at the end of the day, I want his acceptance of my relationship with Kat. Because with a man like Gleb, you’re either with him or you’re against him.

The back door to the club swings open, and at least five of his men are waiting for us outside. Their faces are a mask of indifference as they allow him to speak first.

“You get me what I wanted?” Gleb glances at the van that’s been backed up to the club.

“Yes, boss. You want it now?”

Gleb nods, and one of the guys