Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“In bed,” I said, glaring at him.
“Well, get her. I want to see what she thinks of my suggestion.”
This made me tense. I looked toward Victor and for a fleeting second I wondered if he planned to swap us, give Charlotte to him. That shit wasn’t happening. I knew I didn’t want to get married to Charlotte in the beginning but that ship had sailed. She was mine, and now I had gotten used to wearing the wedding band, and he wasn’t going to take that from me.
The door to the bedroom opened. Charlotte had pulled on a dressing gown. Ivan was already doing the math, as he looked from me to Charlotte then back again. There was a massive smile on his face, which I didn’t fucking appreciate.
Again, I stayed silent. I had learned that when it came to Ivan, silence was a lot easier, and it meant I got to keep my shit together.
Ivan clapped his hands.
“Hello, Charlotte. Do you remember Victor? I’m not sure if the two of you were introduced.”
She stepped forward and offered Victor a handshake. Victor took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, which pissed me off. I wanted to slap him fucking silly for even daring to touch my wife. I kept my opinion to myself, of course. It was the only thing I could do. Ivan loved to wind me the fuck up.
“Nice to meet you,” Charlotte said, and I liked that she immediately stepped toward my side.
“So, tell me, Charlotte, where in the world would you like to go?” Ivan asked.
My wife looked toward me, and I saw the frown drawing her brows together. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. Where would you like to go for your honeymoon? If you could go anywhere in the world. You name it. A private island. The Caribbean. Even England. Wherever your heart would like to go.”
“I’d love to go back to … Ive’s country home,” Charlotte said.
Ivan frowned. “That’s it?”
She shrugged. “I … I like it there.” She wrapped her arms around herself.
Ivan was offering to take her anywhere in the world, and she wanted to go back to my country home.
“Okay, fine.” Ivan turned toward me. “Well, you heard her. I want you to take Charlotte, and go and enjoy your stay-at-home honeymoon.”
“There’s a lot to do.”
“I know, and everything will be waiting for you when you get back, but I’m not going to keep having work get in the way of what is important to me. Your marriage is important. You are to go to your country estate, stay there, and enjoy a honeymoon.” Ivan wrinkled his nose. “Personally I’d have suggested a private island, but I think you can’t run away from the beach, and that makes it more of a vacation. Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” Ivan asked.
Charlotte smiled and then turned to Ive. “Where would you like to go?”
I’d take her anywhere. “My country home sounds good.”
Her smile was still wide and this time, it did in fact, reach her eyes. I’d say that was pretty good progress.
“Fine, have it your way. You both may leave. I expect you gone by the end of the day. Victor is here to help take care of your territory while you’re away.”
“If I’m staying at my country home, I don’t need anyone else to take care of business.”
“You do, because I want you to focus on your wife,” Ivan said. “For the good of the Bratva.”
There was no arguing with the boss. He always had the final say on freaking everything.
****
Lottie
It didn’t take a genius to work out that Ive didn’t want to leave the city. Cassie wasn’t happy that I was leaving, but seeing as she now lived in the same building as me and Ive, she didn’t want to head back to the clubhouse either. Ive had told her she could stay for as long as she’d like.
I had a feeling she wasn’t ever leaving. I wonder what the club was like now that Dad was gone. Since he’d been killed I’d not been back home. Actually, since my kidnapping I’d not been back home. Being by Ive’s side was my home.
Ive wasn’t happy about that other brigadier being in his territory. We didn’t speak as we drove toward his country home. Ivan had given us orders that we were not to leave Ive’s estate. We were to treat this place as if it was a private island.
I know Ivan was upset with the place that I had chosen but it wasn’t like it was hard to figure out why I loved it here. For one, it was like a mansion all its own. The second reason was I truly loved this place. The third, it was the closest place I’d ever called home. Finally, this was the first place in my life that I’d ever been happy.