Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“You’re going to have to summarize for me,” Arsen says, frowning at the tables.
“Read it yourself,” she says, nudging it closer. “You need to know these things, patron.”
He sighs heavily and starts skimming. I look down at my own copy, and my eyes glaze over. This shit’s not beyond me, but it does bore me to tears.
That’s why we’re a good team. Sona’s the brains. She makes the plans and puts together the spreadsheets. Money flows in, and money flows out, and she keeps it all accounted for.
Arsen’s the vision. He’s got a grand idea for how the Brotherhood should operate and expand. He’s a good politician and the sort of man people want to follow. That’s what holds the Brotherhood together, even if he doesn’t realize it.
Then there’s me. I’m the knife.
I stab what needs stabbing until it’s twitching and bleeding out.
“Valentin seemed pleased when we spoke,” Arsen says, rubbing his face with both hands. “If this is accurate, we’re in good shape.”
“It’s accurate,” Sona says primly, as if she’s never been wrong in her life. “This alliance is going to be hugely beneficial to everyone, assuming we can bury all the old prejudices.”
“Which is where I come in.” I stretch back in my chair. “Me and my blushing bride.”
“Assuming you don’t scare her off, yes, that’s correct.”
I glare at Sona. “Why do you seem so convinced I’m going to mess this up?”
“Because from what I hear, the girl’s a shut-in. She’s inexperienced, buttoned-up, and the opposite of you in every way. You have a habit of stomping around when subtlety would go a long way.”
“That’s enough,” Arsen says, sounding tired.
It’s not like I haven’t heard this before. Sona and I have been butting heads lately.
She thinks my methods are a little too bloody.
I think she’s going soft.
“My marriage isn’t your concern,” I say, glaring at her.
“Actually, it literally is. Your marriage is the concern of the entire Bratva.” She leans forward, lowering her voice. “Have you started to fulfill the full contract yet?”
My jaw works as I wrestle with my fury. “I’m not going to talk to some old woman about my sex life.”
She sniggers at me. “Typical. The second you get backed into a corner, out come the old comments. When will you find new insults?”
“Around the same time you dig a heart from that frozen wasteland of a chest.”
“Enough,” Arsen says sharply. “Sona, ease off. Tigran, stop taking her bait. You two are unbelievable sometimes.”
I glare at her, and she smiles back. “He knows I’m only teasing. Right, Tigran-jan?”
“Of course, Sona-jan.” I show her my teeth. “You’re always full of jokes and smiles.”
Arsen groans and finishes his coffee. “Sona, double-check these numbers and start talking to the Zeitsevs about setting up shipments. We also need to look into increasing security at our warehouse sites. The Irish have been making a lot of noise. They’re pretty unhappy about this arrangement.”
“Can’t blame them,” I say, forcing myself to let go of my frustration with Sona. “We’re going to muscle them into nothing.”
“Smother them with commerce, you mean,” Sona says.
“Cut their throats,” I snap back.
“I swear if you two fucking start again, I’m going to cut your throats,” Arsen says, slamming a hand down. He visibly calms himself before looking at me. “Make sure your new wife’s comfortable, all right? I want to come meet her soon.”
“Give her a few days.”
“Fine. And you understand your duty?”
“Yes, brother. Fuck the girl and knock her up.”
Arsen grimaces and nods. His face softens. “Fuck her and knock her up,” he agrees. “You know how much this means to the family, don’t you? And how much it means to me, in particular?”
“You’ve told me.”
“And I’ll keep saying it. I know you never wanted a wife or kids. I know this wasn’t how you saw your life going. But this sacrifice is going to help make the Brotherhood stronger. We owe you, Tigran.”
I nod sharply at him and glance at Sona. For once, she’s got nothing to say, only a thoughtful frown on her face.
Sacrifice. Ah, hell. When I walked into that chapel, that’s exactly what I was thinking.
How it was like putting my neck up on the altar and waiting for the priest to chop off my skull.
But now that Dasha’s in my house, I don’t know how I feel about it anymore.
The plane ride was strange. When she looked a little pale, I forced her to eat. Not because it made my life easier—even though it was better to let her think that—but because I was worried about her.
Deeply, obsessively worried.
Then there was the landing. I could tell she was about to panic, and I just acted. I grabbed her smooth little hand and held it.
I comforted her for no other reason than I wanted to.
Like some fucking idiot.
All my life I’ve drifted through relationships. Women come, they go, they never stick around because they mean nothing to me. I’ve never wanted children, a marriage, any of that white picket fence bullshit.