Ekaterina smiled. “Yes.”
“D-do you know Mikhail Bocharov?”
Her expression changed suddenly. “I don’t know the man myself, but I know his family. They are very dangerous men, and the same could be said for generations before Mikhail. And likely generations after him, too.”
My nervousness turned into fear once more. The very thought of being dragged off to Moscow was scary enough, but I couldn’t stop shaking as I thought about my betrothed. As if they realized where my thoughts had turned, the redhead placed her hand on my shaking knee.
“I’m sure Zarren will ensure your safety with them.”
I barked out a small laugh. “Doubtful.”
“Zarren is different than his uncles,” Ekaterina said to me.
“Different, how?”
“He’s lost right now, and maybe has always been. His great-grandfather was a very cruel man who terrified others up until his death. In fact, the despicable bastard had actually held Reagan at gunpoint and would’ve shot her had he not suffered amajor heart attack. It was only afterward that either Cill or King found out that Zarren existed.”
“They’d found out at the reading of the will. Naturally, both men went and got him from his boarding school, then we all raised him alongside his cousin, Ciara.”
“His mother... Where was she?”
“She was murdered as soon as Ronan found out about the boy. Zarren’s father was dead at the time, and Ronan wanted to raise his great-grandson in the same mold he had brought his grandsons up in. He’d suffered a lot of trauma before our men found him, and I don’t think he’s fully ever conquered those demons.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, and now some of the cryptic things he said made a lot of sense. I hated to pry into his life, but he never told me much, and I wanted to know everything I could about him. Why, I didn’t know, but the need drove me anyway.
“He’s not that bad,” I told them.
“King and Cill had a fire burning inside of them when we’d met them, but Zarren has always shut everyone out. He’s as cold as a snow globe, and likely as hollow as one, too,” Reagan warned.
These women were wrong. Just a few hours ago, his mere touch had nearly burned me alive. His eyes had been black, but I sensed some light in them. I shook my head because they just didn’t know him the way that I did.
“He’d been a shell of himself when he was located as a boy, and diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, or ASPD.”
I started to shake my head at Reagan’s words. Ekaterina cleared her throat. “Don’t worry about him, though. He’d never hurt you, Au?—”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that with all certainty,” Reagan whispered to the other woman.
“He has an outlet for his aggressive rage,” Ekaterina said to me.
“And that is?” I asked.
“That’s a story for him to tell you. Zarren knows he is supposed to keep you unharmed, and he will do just that. If need be, he’d protect you with his life because he is a Brannington. While earlier generations led with no honor, the three of them are reversing that for themselves and their children.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face. I was starting to suspect that I knew more about their nephew than they did. Or, maybe I’d just been deluding myself into thinking that I did. When I felt their eyes back on me, I saw Reagan pat the seat again, and I sat back down.
“Zarren told us that you’re in need of some clothes. What size are you?”
From there, I’d revealed my clothing sizes and watched as Ekaterina placed a phone call to a Boston boutique. It wasn’t one I was familiar with, but that didn’t really matter. After she’d placed a large order, I felt beholden to these women. Even so, it wasn’t nearly the same as I felt toward Zarren.
Still, they were wonderful company, and I’d even modeled some of the clothing that had been delivered before settling back into something more comfortable. I shared a drink or two with the women, and eventually, the men returned. Zarren was much different, and I couldn’t be sure if I was just viewing him that way, or if something had changed when he’d gone off with the two. I supposed only time would tell which it was.
The game started, and I’d let her gain a false sense of confidence by purposely throwing the first hand. She’d been so proud of herself, and after pretending to curse under my breath about beginner’s luck, I’d removed my shirt. Immediately, her needy gaze drank in the sight of my chest.
While she didn’t want to be here at my place, she did want me. If the situation had been different, she’d be naked underneath me right now and not trying to gamble her way into freedom. Little did she know that even if she did manage to beat me, there’d be no escape for her. Not from me until my uncles were ready for the transfer.
Still, her blue eyes bloomed with hope as she eagerly got ready for the next hand. Mine started off with the Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Spades. I called and she checked, and after a few more cards were dealt, it was time to reveal our hands. I was worried initially because mine wasn’t as strong as the one I’d had when playing her now ex-boyfriend.
I laid down my cards and saw the moment she realized she’d lost. Aurora slammed hers onto the table, then crossed her armsas she glared at me. “You baited me,” she pointed out, and I smirked.
