Page 165 of Bratva Menace

In the next apartment building over, Lyla sat on her couch, surrounded by darkness, the only light illuminating from the television in front of her. She’d been parked there for hours, immersed in whatever program was playing. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you which one she was watching. My focus never left her. Not once.

She had a bucket of popcorn in her lap, and several empty energy drink cans on the floor around her.

Her brother had come over earlier. Lev Voznesensky. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was something about him I just didn’t like. Maybe it was the way he spoke to her, like he was talking down to her. Maybe it was the way he would bark orders at her and expect her to follow them.

Whenever Lyla wasn’t following me, I was following her. She’d bugged my phones and laptops to keep track of me, so I had to get another phone—one she didn’t know about that I used solely for the photos and videos I took of her. Photos of her walking down the street. Sitting in a restaurant, eating lunch. Riding her bike.

She’d meet up with her brother once a month, the location different every time, and discuss something so important they’d play music to hide it. Just in case anyone was listening.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew it had something to do with my father and why she was following him.

I allowed myself ten more seconds. Ten more agonizing seconds to catalog and imprint her every detail into my mind before leaving.

If I was lucky, I could hopefully be back later tonight to watch her before she went to bed.

As I pulled up at home, I quickly adjusted my clothing. I had a part to play in all of it. I couldn’t have anyone be suspicious about where I was spending my time.

My fingers pulled and plucked at my hair, making it as messy as I could. I shrugged out of my coat so it hung loosely around my shoulders, and then undid my shoelaces to give off the appearance I’d dressed in a hurry, before rushing inside.

She’s here.

Lyla is here.

I stayed motionless, making sure to slow down my breathing to give off the illusion of sleep as Lyla crawled through my bedroom window. So far, Lyla had snuck into my room three times, and each time, it had been hard to remain still. Every part of me loved having her in my space. I just wanted to acknowledge the burning connection between us and fuck her on every surface in my bedroom.

Lyla did nothing but watch me. Sometimes, for hours on end.

It excited me. Made me want to give up on the insane plan I’d concocted and court her like a regular person.

But we weren’t regular people. Finding someone to match my crazy was extremely important to me. In everyday life, I treated everything like it was a game.

This was anything but a game.

This was my chance at happiness. Lyla was my chance at happiness. And I would do whatever I needed to do to grasp her and never let her go.

She was perfect for me. In every way, shape, and form. Nothing held her back from going after what she wanted. Not even a fully fenced property with a twenty-four-hour security detail and dozens of guard dogs.

She’d seen those obstacles and gone, “Okay, let’s have some fun” before making her way up to my bedroom.

I laid flat on my back, my hands behind my head, face up toward the ceiling, eyes still closed. I kept my breathing slow and steady—hard to do when I could feel Lyla’s gaze burning into the side of my face—and tried to slow the excited beat of my heart as she knelt beside me.

She didn’t touch me. Never did. She just sat there and watched me sleep.

I walked back into the kitchen with the iPad in my hands and showed it to Nikolai. “Look.”

“What am I supposed to be looking at here?” he asked, eyes darting all over the screen.

It was security footage from the night before. Footage of Lyla breaking into my room and stealing my dagger.

I’d debated long and hard about whether or not to show my siblings the video. Up until that point, they’d only pegged Lyla as a minor inconvenience. Nothing too serious or anything to worry about.

I wanted to change that.

I wanted them to see what an absolute badass she was. The potential she had to improve our family and make it stronger. That she was able to get through our mountains of security, up the side of the house, through my bedroom window, and watch me sleep for hours without breaking a fucking sweat. All completely undetected.

I wanted them aware of her.

In awe of her.