Alexandr's Reluctant Submissive by Ann Mayburn Page A

her hurt.”
    It was hard for her to let go of the habit of being the only one who could protect Tatiana. She battled with the need to double check the rest of the house, but then caught sight of the eight-foot-tall bulletproof glass barriers going up around the porch. They would still get fresh air from above, but would be surrounded on all sides. Alex had said that special glass could withstand a direct RPG attack, but she’d rather not experience that fact firsthand. The panels were massive and she wondered how he’d gotten this done so quickly. Then again, if this apartment was anything to go by, Alex wasn’t hurting for money. If he just sold the modern art masterpieces scattered about he’d be set for a couple lifetimes.
    His fingertips brushed her cheek. “Come, sit. As I have promised you, we must talk.”
    Shit. Part of her wanted to just ignore the outside world and live in a little bubble of ignorant bliss with Alex. That was kind of how their marriage had been and she wondered if she was falling back into bad old habits or if she just naturally felt comfortable with Alex making the majority of the decisions in their relationship. Either way, if he was attempting to be honest with her, she needed to pay attention.
    After they sat together on the damask couch facing the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over Moscow, she picked at the bright red-and-blue throw blanket on the curved back of the couch. “Okay, what’s going on? Why did you drug me? What was that ambush about?”
    “I drugged you because my uncle Petrov has made a…change in his will.”
    “Is that supposed to make some kind of sense to me?”
    His gaze darkened and he gave her that “irritated Master” look that instantly had her nervous. “If you will listen, I will tell you. I was not finished.”
    She pantomimed zipping her lips and he shook his head with a smile.
    “I have missed your impertinence.” Taking her hand in his, he tugged her closer until she was almost in his lap. “It was well known that my uncle Petrov’s son-in-law was going to inherit the Dubinski Bratva , but he was shot in the head yesterday and is slipping in and out of a coma.”
    “Oh no! Is he okay?”
    “Will probably make full recovery in time, but is no longer fit to lead the Dubinski Bratva . That means there will have to be a new successor to my uncle’s empire, and there are many of my friends and associates being considered for the position. Petrov never had any sons, only daughters, and the youngest is unmarried. Even if she were married to suitable man, she has expressed a desire to stay as far away from the Bratva life as possible.”
    “So what does this have to do with you?”
    “My uncle has requested me at his side as part of his council for choosing his heir. Timing is bad, I want to spend every moment I can with you, but I cannot refuse this. He needs me and I owe him more debts than I could possibly repay in a lifetime. Beyond my personal reasons for attending, whoever heads the Dubinski Bratva will have control of the majority of not just Moscow, but Russia as well. He will have to be smart, wise, brave, and ruthless man—but not monster. If my uncle choses poorly, it could endanger you as well as my people and that is unacceptable. Dimitri and I have worked hard to give our people and those they love safety, and a life worth living, like my uncle does with his people. I will not allow that safety to be taken from them or you.” He took a deep breath, his hands clenching. “There were people at the meeting that I do not want even catching one glimpse of you. And there were things said that if you had heard, they would have viewed you as a threat to be eliminated. That will never, ever happen.”
    She closed her eyes, unable to stand the pleading look on his face, as if he was begging her to understand. The selfish part of her just wanted to rage at him for already getting her messed up in this criminal bullshit, but this