I phrased it that way as a trap…
“Jenica was here?” he asks after his mouth starts to work again.
I smirk.
… and he fell right in.
“So it’s true,” I say, shoving my salad aside. “You’re married.”
Ransome wipes his hand down his face. He doesn’t know what to say. I’m sure that’s a new feeling for him. Honestly, if I wasn’t so upset by this truth—I was really hoping Jenica was lying—I would be reveling in having the high ground right now.
But finding out your baby daddy is married to the wicked witch isn’t exactly the highest of grounds.
“Yes,” he says after a moment.
“Hmm,” I say. It’s the only response I can muster at this point.
“It’s not what you think.”
“Really?” I ask. “Do tell. I’m curious what it is you think I think.”
He sucks in a sharp breath, his jaw tightening in the corners. “I can’t believe she came over here.” He shakes his head.
I snort out a laugh. “I can. Jenica has made it obvious from day one that she is territorial of you. All because of some unethical family truce that literally doesn’t change anything between the Rozanovs and the Chadovichs. She’s been pissing on you since the day she met me.”
Ransome moves around the table and gets right in my face. “Nobody owns me,” he growls.
But I don’t let it intimidate me, even if it does send a shudder through my body hearing his gravelly voice again.
“Not even your wife?” I ask, fully aware of the way the word makes him shudder.
“Not even her,” he says. “Especially not her.”
I get up from the table, needing to walk around. Needing space from him and his cologne and his breath too close to my lips and everything else. “She came here to gloat,” I say.
“I’m sure she did.”
“She was waving the ring around and talking about how fancy the wedding was.”
“It had to be over the top. We don’t do anything short of that.”
“I’m sure it was lovely.”
Ransome’s eyes slice over to mine. “It was necessary,” he says, as if that makes it any better. “I wasn’t thirty yet. Almost, but not yet. And because of that, I had no choice. Tristan left things in such a mess that I needed to expedite things. World War III was about to break out and Anton was just hiding in his office as usual. I had to bepakhan.”
“I understand,” I say. Because I know the rules.
“What else did she say?” he asks after a moment.
“It’s not important,” I wave it off, and Ransome moves to stand in front of me.
Rightin front of me.
“What did she say?” he asks again. “So I can ease your mind. I know how poisonous her mouth can be.”
“Just how I’ll never be the kind of woman she is. A Bratva woman. And how you are obligated to care about me because I am carrying the Rozanov heir. And how after he’s born, that’ll be it. And how you married her because you love her and?—”
“Stop right there.” His tone is sharp enough that I bite my tongue. “I married her because it was the only way. Not for love. You should know that.”
