I don't point out that I didn't exactly let Fyodor do anything. It doesn't seem like the right moment to say something like that. The man is stubborn and if I had told him to stay in St Petersburg, he'd have just gone to Moscow anyway.
"What's it like?" I ask instead. "Being married into this family?" It's a question that's been in my head for weeks now, but without anyone to answer me, I've kept it to myself until now.
Inessa smiles softly, but it's sort of a sad smile. "I'm probably not the best person to ask about that, honestly. I grew up in this life. My father was Bratva, my uncles were Bratva. It's all I've ever known."
"I see…" I say, feeling a bit of discouragement. Fyodor is an amazing man, but I feel like we've come from two different worlds.
She shifts against the cushions, getting comfortable. "What I can tell you is that Fyodor is a good man underneath all those roughedges. I know that's hard to believe given what he does for work, but I know him. If he says he wants a life with you, he means every word. If he's made you promises, he'll keep them. Not all the men in this family can say that, believe me."
I open my mouth to respond but hear footsteps in the hallway, and then Fyodor and Yuri walk back into the sitting room. Fyodor's eyes find me immediately, like he's checking to make sure I'm okay, and I give him a small smile to let him know I am.
Inessa pushes herself up from the sofa and crosses to Fyodor, pulling him into a tight hug that almost throws him off balance. "Thank you. For everything you did. For everything you risked."
"You're family," he says, his arms coming up to return the embrace awkwardly. "You don't have to thank me for protecting my family."
She pulls back, wiping at her eyes and laughing at herself. "Hormones. Ignore me. Let me go make some tea for everyone."
"Tea?" Yuri looks genuinely offended by the suggestion, like she just proposed they drink dirty water. "We're celebrating here, not having a book club meeting. This calls for vodka. My wife is a free woman because of what this man did for us." He claps Fyodor on the back hard enough that he takes a step forward. "We drink properly or we don't drink at all."
"It's two in the afternoon, Yuri."
"And? Your point?"
Inessa rolls her eyes and grins at me, then turns and heads out the door calling, "Tea for the ladies, then…"
Yuri turns his attention to me now, and I get a better look at him up close. He's intimidating, there's no getting around that, butthere's genuine warmth in his expression when he looks at me. And he's just as handsome as Fyodor is.
"So. The teacher who's been keeping my nephew in line."
"Someone had to do it," I say with a grin, and he laughs loudly.
"I like her. You've done well, Fyodor."
Fyodor walks over and sits by me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "I know."
"Welcome to the family, Noemi," Yuri says. "You have the full protection and provision of the Gravitch name."
"I'm not sure what that means."
"It means if anyone causes you trouble, you have all of us behind you." He grins. "And if this one treats you poorly, call me. I'll handle it." Yuri's eyebrow lifts as he nods at Fyodor playfully.
Fyodor pulls me closer. "What it means is I'm keeping you. And I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Is that so?"
"It is," he says, placing a kiss on my temple.
I lean into him. "Well then, I suppose I'll have to teach you some manners. You can't just tell people you're keeping them."
"Why not? It worked."
Yuri laughs again as he pours the vodka, and I nuzzle Fyodor's nose and smile at him. "I love you," I mouth, and he pinches my ass hard. It makes me yelp and him chuckle.
I think I might fit in just fine around here.
31
FYODOR
