“Dad, I couldn’t care less about your constituents. And Viktor is here legally, with a visa provided by the team and the league. Period. Just like hundreds of other professional athletes.”
“And what happens when his career is over?” Dad demands.
Viktor takes my hand and squeezes. “We will divide time, between U.S. and Russia.”
Dad snorts. “You can’t just go back and forth to Russia!”
“We can.” Viktor seems completely at ease even though my heart is in my throat. “We will have good life. Your daughter will never have to worry about anything.”
There’s so much sincerity in his voice, for a beat I almost believe this is a real marriage.
“I want to see the prenup,” Dad says, setting his jaw.
“None of your business,” Viktor replies smoothly. “We are both protected. That is all you need to know.”
“Listen here, young man—” Dad begins.
Viktor cuts him off. “Mr. Grant. I am not your enemy. I love your daughter and will do everything in my power to make her happy. I would like very much to be your family, but if you do not wish this, that is okay with me. But you will not threaten and manipulate. We are not children.”
Dad does not like being spoken to that way and I see the storm brewing behind his careful expression. Then, he appears to make a tactical decision and instead of continuing to go after Viktor, he turns to me.
“So, you were cheating on Nathan. That’s why you called off the wedding and then turned around and married someone else almost immediately.”
“That’s not the case. I ended the relationship because he was a liar and a narcissist who forced me to quit my job and then tried to control me by controlling my spending, whom I could hang out with, where I could go. I felt like a prisoner.”
Dad scowls. “Women need to be cared for, protected. Especially from themselves. Like your unhealthy attachment to that piece of crap farm your grandmother left you.”
“If it’s such a piece of crap, why do you continue to try to buy it from me?” I ask quietly.
He throws up his hands. “So that you have the money instead of so much responsibility! This is why you need to be controlled—you don’t even know when someone is trying to help you.”
I feel Viktor stiffen beside me. “Holly does not need to be controlled,” he says tightly.
“Oh, just you wait and see, when she blows through her entire trust fund on that stupid bird sanctuary. If you think you’re going to get your hands on her money—think again.”
Viktor arches his brows. “I have thirty-million-dollar contract. I do not need Holly’s money. Or yours.”
Dad narrows his eyes slightly. “Then what the hell do you see in her? There’s nothing special about her.”
Viktor stares at him, exasperation written all over his face. “I love her! She is kind, smart, easy to talk to. Very caring. A good friend. Thoughtful. And very, very beautiful. What more does a man need?”
Dad stares at him.
Viktor stares back.
This whole thing makes me uneasy, especially how they’re talking about me like I’m not even present.
The thing is, Dad has always done this. Nathan used to love talking about me without acknowledging my presence, but it’s different with Viktor. Nathan never defended me—Viktor does nothing but. And I’m starting to really like how it feels to hear Viktor say things he doesn’t have to say.
He has to pretend to love me, but he didn’t have to jump directly into the fire this morning and go toe-to-toe with my father.
He has to be affectionate in public, but he doesn’t have to say so many sweet, detailed things about me.
And he definitely didn’t have to skip practice to help me today.
I like him so much more than I thought I would.
“You just can’t do things like this,” Dad finally says, turning back to me. “Do you know how it makes me look that I wasn’t even present at my own daughter’s wedding?”
