Edwina shoved at her plan again.“Mikhail’s grandfather is old and frail.What sort of leverage will they use when he dies?He won’t last forever.”
Ivan snorted.“Who knows how their minds work?Smirnoff is desperate for his legacy to survive.I mean, how the hell do they expect to control Mikhail?Or force him to do something he loathes with every particle in his body?”
“Smirnoff might rule the Bratva, but no one said he didn’t possess the crazy gene,” Gregory said.
Mikhailwokewithahell of a headache and no clue about his location.Despite instinct shouting something was wrong, he remained still and cast out his senses, gathering information.The last thing he remembered was…
Hell, he had nothing.
He batted back his panic and attempted logic.When he heard nothing except his pounding heart, he cracked open his eyes.
He lay in the center of an enormous bed, crisp cotton sheets beneath him.Navy blue.Once confident he was alone, he lifted his throbbing head and took stock.A sheer curtain billowed inward, buffeted by the breeze drifting through the open window.The sweet fragrance of flowers, the freshness of greenery, and a faint hint of furniture polish wafted through the air.His stomach released a demanding rumble.Food.A meaty richness filled his next breath.He turned his head to spot a tray bearing covered plates.
A sense of unfamiliarity emerged as he observed his surroundings.Where were his books?His wallet?His sunglasses?Alarm surfaced in him, and his breaths quickened, his pulse racing.
Mikhail willed his whirring brain to focus.His name… His name was… He frowned.How could he not recall his name?
An image of a massive tiger flitted through his mind, and his scowl deepened.What was wrong with him?Why was he in this room?His mind stalled, no further answers forthcoming.He swallowed to moisten his dry mouth and pushed to a sitting position.He wore navy blue trousers and a pale blue shirt with no tie.A watch encircled his right wrist.It was late afternoon.
Someone knocked on the door and entered before he decided how to act.Attack.The weird tiger in his mind pushed the order through him, but his limbs behaved like heavy weights when he tried to maneuver.He backed up, every muscle tense, his mind racing with questions, with a trace of panic.
His visitor was a woman, but he didn’t recognize her.Straight, honey-blonde hair framed her oval face, and her wide, almond-shaped brown eyes sparkled with vitality.She blinked on seeing he was awake and flashed him a bright smile.
“Mikhail, darling, you’re awake.”
Darling?Mikhail?Okay, that was one question answered.He edged away when she came at him, her arms outstretched.He’d never met this woman.Maybe her eyes were familiar, but nothing else about her jerked his memory into gear.
“Who are you?”
She froze, those brown eyes of hers widening.Surprise washed over her face.A hint of shock.
“Mikhail, I’m your wife.How are you?Papa told me you were in the motor vehicle accident, but the doctors thought you’d be all right.”She burst into a flurry of movement, approaching him again.“Let me see your head.Papa said there was a slight bump above your right ear.Nothing more.Should I summon the doctor again?”
“No,” Mikhail said, an edge of fear striking him.No doctors.“I feel fine.”
“But your memory.”Her expression told him she didn’t believe him.
He didn’t recall an accident.He shot a glance at the woman.What was her name?He searched his mind, and nothing…
“How long have we been married?”
“Six months,” she replied without hesitation.
The striped beast in his mind growled, the sound audible, and he blinked.No, the growl had come from him, not the tiger.He focused on his wife.This woman smelled different—wrong—and this unsettled him.He caught a trace of flowers, acrid cleaning liquids, and lavender from her clothes.A touch of soap and sunshine perfumed her hair.
“Mikhail, perhaps we should cancel tonight’s dinner if you’re not feeling well.Of course, we’ve invited people to celebrate Papa’s birthday, and some have already arrived.Papa is excited, and he’s accepted you as a son-in-law.We’ve been waiting for his approval.”She winged him a look he couldn’t decipher.“Papa was against our marriage, but you won him over.I’m proud you’ve worked to win his trust.”Without warning, a sob tore from her, and Mikhail’s heart twisted weirdly.He hated seeing her upset.Worse, he had no damn clue what her name was.Perhaps he should’ve asked when she entered the room.Now it was awkward.
He frowned at her bowed head.“I have a headache, but I’ll be fine once I shower.A tasty meal and an afternoon nap, and I’ll be in fighting condition for the dinner.”
Her smile was instant, broad, and relieved before fading.“Are you certain?”She worried her bottom lip.“My brother says you want to cause trouble for Papa’s big day.To hear Pavel talk, the accident was your fault.”
“Your brother is a dick.”Mikhail racked his brain, and nothing about her brother came to mind.
This room wasn’t familiar.The entire situation screamed wrong, yet an explanation for his apprehension eluded him.He wanted to ask questions, but his teeth clacked together, instinct propelling him to caution.He’d wait until he learned more and would piece the clues together soon enough.
He indicated his crumpled clothes.“Should I have a shower now, or should we go for something to eat and drink?I’m thirsty.”
The woman smiled, relief clearing her expression.
