Chapter 7

Anatoli sat at the table with Ryan and Max. Ryan finally had information for him.

“I don’t have information on the guy you wanted, but I do have information on Violet’s father,” Ryan started.

“Which is probably more beneficial, but I would still like to get my hands on that other guy,” Anatoli responded.

Ryan handed Anatoli the file with the information.

“It looks like her two brothers still live with the parents, and her father is still doing business with the same men who put Violet in the situation she came from.

“I also found out that he’s been looking for her. He wants her back.”

Anatoli let out a chuckle. “Over my dead body. She’ll never be put into that kind of situation again.”

“Dimitri and I are here to help in whatever way you need us to. You helped us with Kyle, so we’re returning the favor.”

Anatoli nodded. Max and Dimitri always had his back, which was why he was willing to do everything he could for Kyle.

Saving Kyle had brought him Violet, so even though he’d gotten shot, he would do it all over again.

“I appreciate it. I’d like to pay him a visit when his children and wife are not around. Can you have him surveilled enough to figure out his routine?”

Ryan looked at Max before speaking. “I’ll need more men.”

“Take whoever you need,” Max responded. “This is important to Anatoli, so it’s important to me.”

“I’ll make sure we keep tabs on him right away. Do you need anything else?” Ryan asked.

“Keep looking for the man who transported Violet,” Anatoli answered.

Ryan nodded and took his leave while Anatoli let out a sigh.

“How are things going with Violet? Is she still having nightmares?” Max asked.

“Yes, and there isn’t anything I can do but comfort her. And sometimes I don’t even do that right.”

He hated not being able to take the nightmares away. He would sell his life if she could be at peace.

“I’m sure it’ll get better. You said she’s sharing more with you,” Max noted.

“She is, but I think it makes it worse.”

“Maybe she needs to talk about it to get it out of her head.”

That might be true, but Anatoli didn’t want to hear what she had to go through. It made him angrier, knowing he couldn’t kill everyone who ever harmed her. But he was willing to try.

“Dimitri told me about what happened the other night,” Max changed the subject.

“The kid shouldn’t be an issue anymore, and after this week, neither should the man he said was stealing.”

“I knew you’d take care of things quickly. I know we don’t say this often, but we’re glad you’re on our side. You’ll forever be a brother to us.”

He knew Max and Dimitri were thankful for him; they didn’t have to tell him. Welcoming him into their family was enough. They even made sure they included him in their children’s lives.

Kyle welcomed him in without judgment and trusted him as much as she trusted Max and Dimitri, and that told him a lot about how they felt about him.

“I told Violet that I love her. It was the first time. And I’m not sure I can say it to her again,” Anatoli said.

“I’m sure she understands that it’s a big step for you.”

“She makes me want to do a lot of things. I thought about the possibility of having children the other day. How easy it would be for me to accept if she got pregnant. I almost wanted it to happen.”

“It’s the same with Kyle. We were just supposed to take her as collateral, to force Ryan to pay us back, but the moment I laid eyes on her in that bar, it was over. I couldn’t hurt her.

“I wanted to force her to be with me. And then Dimitri wanted her, and we lucked out with how open she was about accepting both of us,” Max noted.

“She’s a good girl. I didn’t think she would survive in this life, but she surprised me,” Anatoli stated.

“It’s the same with Violet. She seems quiet and small, but she’s strong and can hold her own when she needs to.”

Anatoli smiled because Max was right. Violet looked like she needed to be taken care of, but she was a strong, amazing woman and he admired that about her.

He had been instantly attracted to her when he saw her during the operation to save Kyle from Cannin.

While he never wanted to go through that again, he was thankful because he had found her there.

“I still can’t believe we settled down,” Max stated. “Believe it or not, I prefer it this way.”

“Me too. It’s nice having someone waiting for you at home.”

Anatoli scoffed at his own statement and shook his head. This wasn’t him. He had never cared about having someone at home waiting for him.

But it made him smile, knowing that Violet would be there.

***

“Do you have a moment?” Kyle asked Violet. “I have some information for you.”

“Yeah. Is it about my siblings?”

“Kind of. I overheard Ryan, Max, and Anatoli talking. It sounds like Anatoli is looking into your family. He wants them to be held accountable for what they did,” Kyle answered.

Kyle had overheard the men talking when she was about to enter the kitchen. She rarely eavesdropped, but when she had heard Violet’s name, she couldn’t resist.

She had needed to know what was going on.

“I don’t want him getting involved, and he knows that. My past is my past. It has nothing to do with him,” Violet said angrily.

She was furious with Anatoli. He knew she didn’t want him dealing with this. She felt a little betrayed by his actions.

“Thank you for letting me know,” Violet told Kyle.

“I didn’t tell you so you could fight with Anatoli. I only thought you should know because you were asking about your family the other day. Please don’t let this cause any problems.”

“He knows I don’t want him doing this. If we end up arguing, he did it, not me.”

Kyle let out a sigh and left the guest house regretting telling Violet. She didn’t want this to cause an issue for them, especially since Anatoli was doing it because he loved her.

Violet was angry and upset. Anatoli had promised her he wouldn’t do anything, that he would allow her to deal with her past when she was ready. And he broke his promise.

It was the first time she could recall him lying to her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he’d lied to her in the past and she just never found out.

She knew Anatoli would be home soon, so she made herself comfortable and waited for him to walk through the door.