Unwillingly Mine

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, events, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental. UNWILLINGLY MINE copyright @ 2023 by Brook Wilder and Scholae Palatina Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews. Book 2 of the Korolev Bratva trilogy. Cover by Angela Haddon Book Cover Design: http://www.angelahaddon.com/ AUTHOR’S NOTE This book uses Russian naming conventions. Formal greetings by Russian characters will use a patronymic, which is composed of a first name and the character’s father’s name. Aleksey’s formal name is Aleksey Fyodorovich, which means Aleksey, son of Fyodor. His sister Alyona’s formal name is Alyona Fyodorovna, which means Ayona, daughter of Fyodor. Russian names also use diminutive names to show closeness and affection—such as parents to children, friends to friends, or loved ones to each other. Alternatively, it can be used as an insult by someone who should otherwise greet the person in a formal setting. Aleksey’s diminutive name is Alyosha, and Alyona’s diminutive name is Alya. The Korolev Bratva series can be enjoyed alone on its own, but reading experience is greatly enhanced if you’ve read the Suvorov Bratva trilogy beforehand, as some characters and events are referenced. You can read book 1 of the Suvorov Bratva – Dark Promise – today (free on KU): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG7BQJGR TABLE OF CONTENTS UNWILLINGLY MINE Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four Chapter Forty-Five Chapter Forty-Six Chapter Forty-Seven Chapter Forty-Eight Chapter Forty-Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty-One OTHER BOOKS BY BROOK WILDER UNWILLINGLY MINE Prologue Ludovico The doors of the club opened and I stepped out with two women on my arms, my associates trailing closely behind. It was raining outside, and umbrellas went over my head immediately as we stepped out to wait for my car. Tonight had been a welcome distraction from the bullshit of the last few months. The Bogatyr’s envoy warned me that Mikhail and Aleksey might do something stupid after our little play with my son’s pin. As much as I believed him, I also felt that letting loose just a little bit to have some fun couldn’t hurt. I needed to take my mind off things. To forget that Aleksey’s spawn was growing inside of my daughter, the daughter that I had willingly given him. I wanted to forget that I had made a pact with the devil in the name of vengeance. My ears were still ringing from the pounding bass of the club as I gave my two lady companions each a good squeeze on their asses. A grin appeared on my face as I thought about what would take place later tonight. Exactly the distraction that I needed. When the first shot rang out, I almost didn’t recognize it. Between the rain, the ringing in my ear, and the sounds coming from my club, it was hard to pick out what it was. Only when my own men raised their guns to shoot back and the sound of screams crescendoed around me did I realize what was happening. A car peeled away from the scene as soon as gunfire erupted. My eyes were drawn toward it for an inexplicable reason. The man in the passenger seat looked shockingly familiar, and I wanted to recognize who he was. But there wasn’t enough time. Something slammed into my stomach and I went down. Shrieks rose up all around me like a dull buzz. One of the girls on my arm went limp as I fell onto the sidewalk. I turned and saw a pair of blank eyes staring at me. The front of her red dress was wet. But whether it was from rain or her own blood, I couldn’t tell. I pressed my hand to my stomach and was greeted with the unwelcome sensation of warm wetness seeping through my fingers. Fuck. Chaos continued to rise all around me. Bullets continued to crack over my head like rubber bands snapping against a wall. Someone grabbed my arm and started dragging me away from the entrance of the club. I feebly tried to fight back until I heard the voice. “It’s me, boss!” One of my men pulled me along. “We’re getting you out of here!” I nodded weakly and looked down at my hand. That’s a lot of blood, isn’t it? I thought, suddenly aware of how cold I was. I wanted to speak, but my mouth wouldn’t work. The initial pain of getting shot was fading, and the coldness seeped deep into my bones. A part of my brain knew the hard truth: I was dying. My men could rush me to the hospital, and I would be dead by the time I got there. Another burst of bullets and the man dragging me to the car crumpled, twitched, and went still. I scrambled, crawling like a newborn who’d only recently learned how to control his limbs until I felt the steady metal of a nearby car door. An odd sense of peace washed over me as I slumped my head against it. I had expected regrets to start to pour into my mind at all the things I wouldn’t accomplish now. I’d thought for sure that at this moment, I’d be thinking about lost deals