Yet in that moment, mistrusting Ivan was the last thing on my mind.
Because the woman tucked against his side was fucking breathtaking.
I could see why he’d saved her, and I could see why he’d kept her somewhat out of the spotlight while the dust settled. Hell, I’d hide her away from the world regardless, though I’d heard that she’d accompanied him to a few Bratva functions. Ones I had not attended, either away at business or too consumed with being the unredeemable playboy.
“He’s really lucked out with her, huh?” Nikolai said from next to me, but I ignored him, barely able to take my eyes off the beauty on his arm. “I had to stop by one of the Antonov parties a few months ago and she was there. She only spoke to the wives, though they didn’t seem inclined to include her.”
“You never mentioned her,” I replied, my mouth dry and my eyes focused solely on her.
Long red hair trailed down her slender back in soft curls. Her dress was green and figure hugging, showing off her magnificent curves. But it was her mouth that did me in. No her lips, her lips that were full and painted in a rich plum color making them look plump and ripe and I hardened at the thought of them wrapped around my dick. The fantasy came unbidden and I cleared my throat and took another long sip of my drink, barely tasting the alcohol as it slipped down my throat.
“You okay there?” Nikolai said.
“Yes,” I replied and forced myself to look away from her before I came in my pants.
Nikolai looked at me, his head cocked to one side. “I know that look, Alexander. It spells trouble.”
“Nonsense,” I scoffed indignantly.
“She’s off limits, my friend. I had the same thought the first time I clapped eyes on her, but pick a different woman, brother,” he joked, but there was an element of truth in his words. “Any woman at all can be yours. But not her.”
Yes, I needed to pick a different woman, because Ivan’s wife was out of bounds and not even my connections would change that.
“I know that. I can still admire her, can’t I?”
“Admire, yes, but don’t touch or those greedy fingers of yours will get burned.” And he wasn’t talking theoretically. Ivan had a temper on him, and he’d been known to burn a man’s fingers to the bone for even thinking of stealing from him. I wondered what he would do if another man dared to touch his beautiful wife.
I respected his business prowess as much as his brutality. But that didn’t stop me from continuing to picture her plum lips in my mind.
“I spy beautiful women,” Nikolai said, thankfully changing the subject. He gestured to two blondes on the far side of the room.
Yes, they were beautiful. Curvy, attractive, with legs for miles, and staring at us with lustful gazes. Yet I found my gaze still slipping to Ivan’s wife for one more look as we made our way over to them.
It was only a look and looking couldn’t do any harm.
Chapter Four
Marisha
Ivan led me into the room. I was still unused to the way heads turned wherever he went; power and influence dripped from his pores. Lucky for me, it was Ivan’s position within the Bratva community that had saved me.
Before my family had fallen upon hard times, we were rich and powerful too. My family were part of this life, however they had tried to shield me from it as much as possible by sending me away to school and keeping me out of the limelight. None of that had mattered in the end though. I had ended up exactly where they had hoped I wouldn’t.
Ivan cut a line through the room of dangerously beautiful people and a thrill of terror through shot through me.
As we approached the head table to greet Eduard and Evelina Vasiliev, my chest tightened. Knowing that they would have buried me alongside my parents made me feel sick to my stomach, fear and anger running through my veins. Seeing them made me fear the worst had only been delayed. Though I was innocent, away at school with little knowledge of the family workings, I was still consideredbad bloodby the Bratva and, by all accounts except Ivan’s, I should bear the sins of my mother and father. Root out the seeds of betrayal, even if it was an unborn child.
I glanced over at Ivan. His eyes were trained forward, steady and controlled.
He’d kept me from a shallow grave.
He’d saved me.
I should be grateful.
But, in the end I recognized that I was likely trading a fast death for a slow one.
Ivan sought to control my every movement, from the clothes I wore to the things I was allowed to do. I had to speak to the correct type of people and go to the right type of places. We lived a comfortable life together; me teetering on the edge waiting for him to snap, and him forever reminding me that I was in his debt. I mentally sighed in frustration, trying to keep a demure smile plastered upon my face.
