“Wow,” I commented, giggling.
“So, sharing your husband with other women isn’t one of your worries, unlike most of the other mafia wives,” she stated.
“Are men in this…world known to be polygamous?” I asked out of sheer curiosity.
“Not exactly polygamous. It’s more like,” she started, sitting up. “They marry a woman that everyone knows to be the number one, and then have mistresses here and there. But the legally married wife’s child is the heir; it cannot be contested. And then there are other shorter-term mistresses in the different parts of the whole where they travel for business.”
“That’s not fun.”
“Tell me about it,” she answered, chuckling.
“What else is there to know about being a mob boss’ wife?” I dared to ask.
“Just like in any other form of organization, women are targeted more often. Actually, they are bigger targets than in any other world. Being a mafia boss’ wife is both a shield and a cage.”
“A form of protection and a pawn,” I mentioned.
“Yes,” she dropped, emphasizing her response with a nod. “But Viktor will protect you with all that he has. He’s that kind of man.”
**************
As I sat in the garden later that evening, I ruminated on what Isabella and I had discussed.
There was no shaking the truth in the not-so-pleasant conclusion.
I’m Viktor’s bride and also a pawn in the Bratva game.
“There you are.”
Viktor’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I turned around to face him, my arms still folded below my chest.
“Am I ever going to be more than leverage to you?” I spat.
The look of surprise on his face disappeared before I could analyze it.
“You already are,” was his cryptic response as he came closer.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, the concern in his eyes as he grabbed my arms, punching a hole in the bag of hostility I had been holding on to.
“Your question doesn’t surprise me, given the circumstances surrounding our union,” he revealed, his hands rubbing the length of my upper arms like it was a reflex. “But, on the other hand, I’m surprised you felt the need to ask me that.”
He lifted my chin, his eyes holding mine captive.
“It’s no longer about the debt. It hasn’t been for a while. I told you, I wouldn’t let you go even if your father pays his debts off.”
“I guess I just…” I sighed, not quite sure of the right word. “I just got overwhelmed by my new position in this world.”
“It’s a whole new world, I can only imagine how difficult it is.”
“But you make it easier, really. It’s just,” I explained. “I found myself thinking of how everyone now knows I’m your wife and-”
A gunshot cracked through the air, interrupting us.
Viktor’s body was wrapped around mine before I could see where the danger was coming from.
The back door was thrown open as men rushed towards us.
“It was a breach attempt, boss,” one of them informed. “It’s safer inside.”
