Page 87 of The Bratva Sinner

I move through the house quietly and head upstairs.

I find her in my room.

She’s in my bed, curled on her side facing the window, with the lamp on the nightstand still on. I think the dark bothers hermore than she’ll ever admit. She’s wearing one of my shirts, the hem pooling around her thighs, and her hair loose across my pillow. One hand is tucked under her cheek.

Looking likemine.So fucking beautiful and peaceful.

I watch her sleep. She’s so young, but she’s lived through more in her life than most people ever will.

I undress, leave my clothes on the chair, and slide in behind her. She stirs. She’s a light sleeper and always listening.

“You’re back early,” she murmurs.

“Go back to sleep, princess.”

She rolls over to face me.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Nothing.”

“Maksim.”

I look at the ceiling and know that not telling her isn’t an option.

“Some of the women are leaving,” I say. “The ones in my houses. They’re scared. Packing up and walking out.”

She’s quiet as she thinks. “How many?”

“Enough to matter.” I pause. “It’s not the number; it’s where they go. They don’t go home, Lila. They don’t go to a shelter or a new city. They go to someone else. Someone who doesn’t give a damn if they come home at the end of the night.”

She sighs. “Why are they leaving?”

She figures it out before I find the words.

“Because of me.”

“Because of the war,” I say. “Which started because of you. Those aren’t the same thing.”

“They feel the same.”

“They’re not.” I place my hand on her cheek. “You didn’t start this. Your father started it when he made a deal he couldn’t keep. I started it when I pulled you out of that club and decided not to give you back.”

"But the reason they're scared is because you're protecting me."

Lila is smart. She knows this is the safest place for her, and she wants to live.

“Will you be able to fix this?” she asks.

“Yes.” The word comes out before she finishes asking.

“How?”

“I’m handling it.” I glance at her. “I’m not trying to brush you off. I genuinely don’t want to walk you through it at midnight.”

“It’s bad.”

“Not great, but I’m handling it. Arlind wants them to see me as a man who’s losing. I need to show them that I’m not.”