Chapter 321: I Have Wounds Only You Can Mend

[YAROSLAV]

Yaroslav had lied.

He’d told Alek he had three hours to chat. Somehow, those three hours had turned into a series of torture and keeping the bratva away in the course of over twelve hours.

"My father is calling. If you make a sound, I’ll have that tongue you love so much," Yaroslav whispered as he stared at his phone, then at Aleksandr, who was still nursing fresh wounds.

Gods, he was doomed.

He’d spent pretty much the last twelve hours constantly telling the bratva members that he was fine. That he needed sleep. That he needed to rest.

And when they’d insisted on opening the door, they walked in to find Aleksandr lying on the bed, but oddly, it was impossible to tell that the man was bleeding.

Perhaps because Yaroslav had come with a scent dampener earlier and made sure that if someone were to walk in on him torturing Alek, he could simply change it to make it appear as if Alek was his secret lover.

It was the most frightening thing Alek had ever heard.

But when Yaroslav had suggested it...

"You’re an alpha. I’m a beta. You’d better do a good job, or you’ll never see the light of day again, and I’ll tell my father the bratva hurt me.

"We both know how father dearest will react, alright?" Yaroslav had threatened with a smile, and Aleksandr, still disgusted and creeped out, just nodded.

Now, Sergei was calling.

At eleven o’clock at night.

Fuck.

"Not a word, okay?" Yaroslav reminded, pressing hard on the blade he’d lodged on Alek’s right arm.

And of course, Alek nodded.

Again.

Yaroslav cleared his throat before swiping on receive. He didn’t speak first, like he was gauging what to say to his father in case his father suspected he was here in the bratva HQ and was about to scold the living shit out of him.

"My dear boy," Yaroslav heard Sergei breathe, and all his thoughts seemed to press pause.

The beta walked to the window in the room, staring outside at the bratva who were doing patrol under the moonlight like it was normal for them.

"Dad? Are you alright?" Yaroslav asked worriedly.

Sergei should never sound that low over the phone, and much less at eleven o’clock at night. It was like the world was still learning to embrace them, and Yaros didn’t mind, really only that his father was Sergei.

And Sergei never sounded that down.

"My little kid..." Sergei added quietly, and Yaroslav looked at Alek.

He knew this had to be very serious.

So, for a moment, he muted himself and the call before walking over to Alek.

"It’s your lucky day, Petrov. My father needs me," Yaroslav grumbled as he pulled his blade off of Alek’s arm and left the Bratva HQ, navigating as he heard his father breathing defeatedly.

"What happened?" Yaro asked before he added, "I... I’m at the bratva HQ; I came to talk to Alek. But I’m on my way home. Where are you, Dad?" Yaroslav asked worriedly when his father didn’t say a thing. It was like the alpha was not sure what to say.

"I’m sorry," Sergei said quietly, and Yaroslav paused.

"What?" The beta whispered loudly, earning attention from some of the bratva members, and instead of making a run for it, Yaroslav just connected his earbuds and put his phone in his pocket before he fought them off.

"I didn’t plan to hurt you," Sergei said on the other end, not even bothered by the fact that his son was shooting his way out of the Bratva HQ.

"You didn’t— wait, is this about Katya?" Yaroslav paused, shooting the nearest person in his head.

"I don’t plan on staying with him, kid," Sergei said, and Yaroslav ducked when one of the bratva members came at him with a knife.

"That was low, father," Yaroslav said, strangling the person who had tried to stab him. Then he kicked the other one who came at him before he left, still ducking and fighting his way out.

"Is that why you called?" Yaroslav asked, and Sergei’s breath hitched on the other end.

"I’m sorry... I’ll... I’ll hang up now. Get home sa—" Sergei sighed quietly, the resolve in his voice making Yaroslav groan.

"Wait... Don’t hang up, Dad," Yaroslav said, dropping the body he’d been strangling.

He was already at the edge of the Bratva HQ fence. So, he jumped, hoping his father hadn’t hung up yet.

"Where are you?" Yaroslav asked, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sheathed his blades and tucked his gun.

"Moskowsky," Sergei sighed.

"Too far... Anyway, listen, Dad... What you did was shitty, but I can’t even be as angry because he’s been happy working with you," Yaroslav added, like he was not in the mood to go and deal with whatever his father was going to try and tell him.

Honestly, he was too angry yet too worried for his father, and he couldn’t think straight right now.

"Tell me something... The contract... Was it because you loved him... Or because... Because he needed help and he refused to ask me for help?" Yaroslav asked, and Sergei stayed quiet for a moment.

"His mother needed a heart; I could get the heart. But he was... He’d never let you or me do that for him without leverage," Sergei explained.

"I figured as much," Yaroslav groaned, getting on his bike.

"What?"

"You’re my father. I know you better than anyone in the city or the realm ever could," Yaroslav said, as if this were not a conversation about all the madness that had happened between him and his father.

"Yaro..."

"I’ve been thinking a lot about the day you shot me and cut off my ear," Yaroslav chuckled like his father hadn’t almost ruined his hearing.

Like his father hadn’t forced him to see an ear doctor later for therapy to make sure his ear was working fine. Like Sergei hadn’t paid for all the therapy sessions during Yaroslav’s recovery after that brutal punishment.

"Yaro..."

"Thank you," Yaroslav said, and Sergei’s breath held.

"What?"

"For protecting him when I couldn’t. For being there for him. I know I should have been a better husband. But you protected me too, even if I didn’t know it," Yaroslav said quietly, and his father didn’t say a word.

Didn’t even breathe.

"I can’t pretend I’m not hurt by the way things turned out. I can’t even lie to myself anymore and say I don’t know you love him. And I can’t even hate you for it, because at the end of the day;

"... you made a strategic decision and saved the man I love, even if you ended up loving him too. At the same time, you’re all I have, and I’m all you have, crazy as things can get.

"I just... I need time, Father," Yaroslav said in earnest as he revved his bike engine.

"I’m sorry, son," Sergei said.

"Keep him safe, yeah?" Yaroslav chuckled defeatedly, like that was the only way out for him.

"Yaro..."

"I’ll be fine, Father."

"You’ll call me in case of anything, right?"

"Of course... I’m angry at the moment, doesn’t change the fact that I love you, Dad. I just need time," Yaroslav said in earnest, and Sergei listened.

"Bu—"

"Let’s talk about that after we deal with the bratva and Aleksandr. Someone has to pay for what they’ve been doing to him. If you need me, I’ll be there."

"Okay..."

"Goodnight, Father. Until then, Katya is safest with you. I have to go now. Take care of yourself," Yaroslav said, then he hung up.