“About a month and a half,” she said with a sniffle.
Rytsar nodded, knowing he’d been right. He carried her over to Thane’s bed before setting her back on the floor. Together they stared down at his motionless body. The tick of a large clock behind the bed counted out each passing second.
“I’m so sorry, moy droog,” Rytsar whispered, fighting off the emotions and fear when he realized that there was a good chance that even if his comrade were to regain consciousness, he would not be the same man.
In truth, Rytsar may have already lost his brother.
He looked down at Brie, and a new flood of emotions washed over him as his gaze lowered to her belly. Whatever happened, he would take care of the child. Brie would always have his full support.
Rytsar laid his hand on her belly. “Is moye solntse okay?”
Brie looked down at his hand and smiled. “Yes. In fact, I go in for another check-up in a couple of days.” She gazed up at him. “Would you like to come?”
For the first time since receiving the terrible news of the crash, Rytsar felt a glimmer of light. “I would be honored to attend in my comrade’s place.”
He looked back at Thane with regret, hating this new reality they found themselves in.
“The doctors told me that Sir can hear us, so I’ve been talking to him as if he is aware of everyone in the room.”
Rytsar narrowed his eyes. “If that is true, then what was that exchange I witnessed when I walked in just now? It did not seem you two were behaving as if Thane were here.”
She bristled at his accusation, but he was not sorry he’d voiced it.
“You have no idea what you are talking about. I woke up this morning believing Sir would wake up today. I was certain of it.” She looked down at her husband and frowned sadly. “I was devastated when I came in this morning and nothing had changed.” She met Rytsar’s gaze. “What you saw was Tono telling me not to lose hope.”
Rytsar furrowed his brow in disbelief. “Are you telling me that man hasn’t made any advances toward you?”
Brie’s gaze did not waver. “He has been nothing but respectful to me and to Sir.” She started shaking her head, tears coming to her eyes. “Tono didn’t deserve your anger, only your deepest gratitude.”
Rytsar snarled. “Then why didn’t he contact me sooner?”
“I told you, neither he nor I had any idea you didn’t know until I got Sir’s phone back and was able to listen to the messages. As soon as Tono knew, he tracked down how to reach you, because neither of us were able to leave a message on your cell.”
Rytsar’s anger toward Nosaka began to diminish, but he was still furious about being left in the dark. “Why did Brad call him instead of me?”
Brie looked up at Rytsar, shaking her head. “I don’t know.” She wrapped her arms around him. “But I’m glad you’re here now.” Placing her head against his chest, she murmured, “I have missed you, Rytsar. I know Sir has, too.”
Rytsar grunted in response, the feelings of love and loss overpowering for him. He stared at Thane as he held Brie in his arms.
Are you really here, brother?
For the briefest moment he swore he felt Thane’s presence beside him. But just as quickly as the feeling came, it disappeared.
“He’s trapped,” he told Brie.
She looked up at him. “I think so, too, and I’ve tried everything I can think of to bring him back.”
Rytsar leaned in close, just inches from Thane’s face, and stared into those blank eyes. “I feel your spirit, moy droog. Keep fighting.”
There was no change in Thane’s expression. After several moments, he turned back to Brie and announced, “We will find a way to set him free.”
Brie nodded, smiling awkwardly as she tried to stop more tears from falling.
Rytsar could not bear to see her cry when he was close to breaking down himself. “Do you want me to apologize to Nosaka then?”
“Yes,” she answered, dabbing at her eyes.
He hated to leave Thane even for a second, but knowing he’d upset Brie by misreading Nosaka’s actions bothered him. “Brother, I will be back soon.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“Nyet. Stay with your man. He is more important.”
Brie pulled out her phone. “I’ll inform the doorman to let you in.” She handed him her apartment keys with a grateful smile. “I felt something big was going to happen today. I just never suspected that big thing would be you.”
Rytsar gave her a kiss on the forehead before heading out. He could feel the guarded stares of the hospital staff as he walked out of the room. In truth, he had no issues with them being afraid of him—fear was a powerful ally.
Unlikely Ally
Before he left, he told two of his men to stand guard outside the doors of the ICU. Once on the road, he rattled off instructions to Titov. “Ready the beach house, but inform the extra guards to remain inconspicuous. I don’t want her to be concerned.”
As soon as he entered the apartment, Rytsar felt a stab of pain in his chest. This place held so many good memories, but it seemed empty and hollow now.
Rather than dwell on it, he called out loudly, “Nosaka!”
The Asian Dom came out from the guest bedroom and met Rytsar’s gaze, approaching with caution.
Rytsar stared at him, unsmiling. He could read in Nosaka’s eyes the truth he’d refused to acknowledge earlier. The man was genuine—and could be trusted.
Grabbing Nosaka with both hands, Rytsar hugged him hard, purposely holding him longer than necessary. Stating his dominance over the Kinbaku Master was important, especially at a time like this. Rytsar had to make it clear that he was not a lesser man for offering an apology, something he rarely did.
Rather than a lengthy explanation, Rytsar spoke directly to the issue. “I have been out of my mind with worry after receiving your message, and then I find radost moya in your arms. It was too much.”
“It was a simple misunderstanding,” Tono replied, running his hand over his injured jaw for emphasis.
To show the man he harbored no hard feelings, Rytsar slapped him on the back. “Radost moya explained everything to me.”
“Where is she?” Tono asked, suddenly looking concerned.
“She was distraught about you, so I came here to apologize.”
“What! You left her alone?”
Rytsar sensed Nosaka’s rising alarm and said smugly, “She is with her husband, as it should be.”
“Didn’t she tell you what happened with Sir Davis’s half-sister, Lilly?”
A feeling of misgiving washed over Rytsar, but he did his utmost to keep a calm expression, answering only with a “Nyet.”
Grabbing his keys, Tono insisted, “We have to go—now. I’ll explain why on the way.”
Rytsar kept his cool demeanor, assuring the man, “Do not fear, my men are watching over her.”
Nosaka was far more intuitive than Rytsar realized. He turned on Rytsar, eying him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”
Rytsar could not share the truth, but he gave a partial answer that he trusted would pass Nosaka’s intense scrutiny. “I trust no one.”
The Asian Dom continued to stare at him after hearing Rytsar’s blunt answer. Finally, Nosaka shook his head and stated, “It must be a lonely world you live in.”
“It is the only one I know.”
Rytsar could barely contain his rage when Nosaka shared on the drive back that Brie and the babe had been drugged by Lilly with the intent of kidnapping Brie. He’d beaten the interior of the car to release his fury toward the witch.
No one was allowed to hurt radost moya or the baby! Least of all Thane’s suka of a sister!
Taking a deep breath, Rytsar reined in his fury and apologized to Nosaka. “I am sorry if I damaged the car. I…am very angry right now. But why in the hell is this woman not locked up?”
“The police haven’t been able to apprehend her.”
“Are they idiots?”
Tono shook his head, explaining, “Durov, this woman is every bit as intelligent as Sir Davis. She has bested us all, and Brie is the one who has paid the price each and every time.”
“Well, no more!”
Rytsar could barely contain his fury when they approached the hospital doors and he was stopped by security. He was in no mood to be toyed with and demanded, “What is this?”
Nosaka rested his hand on Rytsar’s shoulder. “Violence is not tolerated in this environment. Let me speak with the staff and see what I can do.”
Rytsar stood at the entrance and waited, incensed that he was being shut out when it was obvious he was the only one who could protect Brie and the babe.
He stood at the entrance, his arms crossed, as he stared down the security guards. There was a sense of satisfaction when they shifted on their feet and glanced at each other. They knew they’d stand no chance against him if he let loose on their sorry asses.
The minutes dragged by slowly.
It was only due to his incredible self-restraint that he had the fortitude not to betray how very close to the edge he was. When he finally saw Nosaka and Brie come through the doors, he snarled, “What took you so long?”
Brie’s smile momentarily eased the boiling venom in his heart. “It took some convincing to help them understand you are not a menace to society.”
I am not the problem, he thought.
Nosaka added, “They’ve agreed to allow you into the facility but, should there be a similar outburst, they will call the police.”
Rytsar could not waste energy placating the demands of little men and warned, “I won’t react unless I am provoked.”
“I need you with me,” Brie pleaded, her eyes communicating her pain and desperation.
Her simple plea broke through his fiery rage and he vowed to her, “I won’t leave your side, radost moya.”
Rytsar held her in his protective embrace. Whatever it took, he would find Lilly and make her pay for what she’d done not only to Brie but to Thane. There would be extra vengeance added for drugging Brie and threatening the life of moye solntse.
Where others had failed, he would succeed. He was a man without limits and would do whatever it took to make sure that beast of a woman paid for the hell she had caused his friends.
Brie went up to the ICU to say good-bye to her husband before leaving with Rytsar to see Tono Nosaka off. The sooner the man was gone, the sooner Rytsar could put his plans into action.
Both men stood at the entrance of the hospital room watching over Brie as she spoke to Thane privately.
“She’s still fragile, Durov. Be gentle with her,” Tono warned.
“I will honor my brother in my care of radost moya,” Rytsar assured him.
“Yes, that is exactly what I did.”
Although Rytsar appreciated that the Kinbaku Master had been there for Brie, it was time for him to move on. In no uncertain terms he told Nosaka, “I am his brother.”
His thoughts drifted to Brad Anderson and the man’s deliberate decision not to contact him, and he added, “I still need to even things up with that traitor. I will give him a handshake of thanks—with my fist.”
“Who?”
“Anderson.”
“You do realize he did everything possible to protect Brie.”
Rytsar snorted angrily. “No, he did not, or I would have been here.”
“Save your energies for other things,” Tono advised.
Rytsar smiled cruelly. “Do you mean that beast of a sibling? She will be sorry she ever touched radost moya. When I find her, she will not forget my lesson.”
“Don’t forget Lilly is pregnant, Durov,” Nosaka warned unnecessarily.
Rytsar growled. “Rest assured, I do not punish the innocent.”
Once Brie had finished her good-byes, she joined them and asked, “Would you like some time alone with him, Rytsar?”
The weight of Thane’s life-and-death struggle weighed heavily on his heart and he had to clear his throat before answering. “Yes.”
Rytsar didn’t approach Thane until after the two left the room.
“Moy droog…” He pulled up a chair and lowered the railing. Taking Thane’s hand, he clasped it firmly in both of his.
Rytsar didn’t say anything at first, pressing Thane’s hand against his forehead. “We have been through too much, you and me. It cannot end here.”
He looked up momentarily at the heartrate monitor, watching the steady beat. “You must do whatever it takes to return from the abyss. In turn, I promise to eliminate Lilly as a threat.” He nodded several times as if he could hear Thane’s response. “I know, I know… I give you my word I will not harm the child she carries—but I will have my vengeance. She must be made to pay.”
The tears started as he reflected on how much he had lost. “It all started with Tatianna…the only reason I came to the US.” Her death had forced him to leave the country of his birth to seek out a future outside the motherland that did not involve memories of what might have been.
The prestigious American university he attended provided him with the shock of a new culture and the intellectual stimulation of challenging subjects. He hadn’t considered the possibility of companionship until he’d met Thane.
“I couldn’t believe what a nerd you were when we first met, comrade. I had no idea then how extraordinary you were.” He shook his head, chuckling through his tears. “You have an insanely quick mind—always have. Hell, when I think of the scrapes I got us into and you got us out of…” He looked up at Thane and stated solemnly, “Let’s face it, I was the best damn thing that could have happened to you.”
Rytsar looked down at Thane’s limp hand clasped in his. “And yes, you were definitely the best thing for me.” He was silent for a moment. “Only you could have helped me deal with the grief of Tatianna’s death. I would have remained in denial, but you understood the devastation of losing a loved one to suicide—and the immense guilt suffered afterward. Oh God, the damage it does to the soul… Yet you willingly exposed your open wounds to me.” He squeezed Thane’s hand. “That rare gift saved my life, moy droog. I’ve never forgotten it.”
Rytsar let go of his hand and stood up, needing to gain supremacy over his emotions. He wiped away the tears but looked down at Thane in sorrow. “I knew we were truly brothers when I realized that your mother matched the cruelty of my father. We shared a similar story, you and I. We had endured more than most at our age, yet still lived to fight another day.
“But then Samantha happened.” Rytsar started pacing. “I went from complete elation when I met her to utter decimation. The pain and humiliation she caused that night scarred me.” He turned to face Thane, adding, “But I never blamed you, brother. You couldn’t have known what she would do—the vile assault…”
Rytsar stood at the foot of the bed, staring hard at Thane. “In my mind, she was no different than the maggots who hurt Tatianna. I would have killed her for what she’d done if you hadn’t prevented me from strangling her at the party. I resented you for it then—but I thank you now.”
He began pacing again. “I was forced to return to my motherland because I still longed to kill her. As much as I hated leaving you behind, moy droog, I was grateful to reunite with my beloved mother after those years apart. How cruelly vindictive Fate is that I returned just in time to witness her death.”
Rytsar stopped pacing and closed his eyes. The memory of it tried to ram its way through, but he wouldn’t allow it. Shaking the vision from his mind, he sat down next to Thane.
“You proved the strength of our brotherhood when you forsook your own future to travel overseas and hunt me down when I’d failed to check in.” Rytsar chuckled sadly. “Seeing your face again was the last thing I expected. I was on the brink of oblivion, but you pulled me out of the darkness. I don’t know how you did it, moy droog, but you did.”
Truth be told, if it hadn’t been for Thane, there would have bee
n another suicide—his.
“Having already walked me through the grief of losing Tatianna, you were the only one who could navigate me through the violent murder of my sweet Mamulya.”
He looked down at Thane with tears in his eyes. “You are an incredible force, comrade. As I was intent on dying. The day I lost my mother, I lost my entire family.”
The circumstances surrounding his mother’s death had forced Rytsar to sever all ties with his father and, subsequently, his brothers. He spat angrily, thinking back on the reason for her death. “All because my father was a fucking coward. The very same man who took pride in making the whole world fear him.” He looked out the window, snarling, “My only desire was to end it all and hopefully drag the sniveling bastard with me to Hell.”
Rytsar sighed. “But no. You wouldn’t allow me the satisfaction. Instead, you forced me to see a future with purpose and coaxed me forward on a new path until I eventually stepped into it on my own. It took months—I have no clue how you put up with my stubborn Russian ass—but your dedication paid off.”
He took Thane’s hand and clasped it again in gratitude. “I could see beyond the hate and despair that filled my world. I am eternally grateful for your influence.”
Rytsar leaned in close to Thane’s ear. “But here’s the thing. The darkness has returned, and the one man who could save me isn’t here. I need you, brother.”
Thane made no move, and there was no change on the heartrate monitor.
Rytsar shook his head. “I wish you had not kept silent about this threat from Lilly. And I would be angry with you, comrade, if I hadn’t done the same to you. Once again, our lives seem to mimic each other.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, and his mind immediately traveled back to that horrific moment. Unable to stop it and with his heart pounding in his chest, Rytsar relived the pain as the vision took over. His mother was smiling down at him from the upper-story window, waving good-bye to her son just as the dark shadow approached behind her…
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but I need to check Mr. Davis’s vitals and take a quick blood sample.”