Page 127 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

"You control laughing too?"

"I'm suggesting."

"Big improvement."

He lowered his head, lips brushing my ear. "Any reward?"

"Greedy." My ear burned.

"Only with you." His voice was so low only I could hear.

Makar suddenly paddled hard, water splashing directly onto us.

"Focus on rafting," he said.

I laughed harder. On the return trip, Makar got in another car. Before leaving, he hugged me. Very brief. Very restrained.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"No," he admitted. "But I will be."

"Makar..."

"Don't comfort me." He stepped back, his mouth barely lifting. "That'll make me feel more pathetic."

I closed my mouth.

Makar bent down and got in the car. Rory pressed against the window waving at him until the car left the parking lot. On the way home, Rory fell asleep in the back seat. I leaned against the window, watching streetlights slide across Varlam's face one by one. The daytime kiss still lingered on my lips. Every time I remembered what he'd said in the cable car, my chest felt like it was being soaked in warm water.

When we got home, it was already dark. Gleb stood at the door, taking the sleeping Rory from us.

"I'll take him to his room," he said.

Gleb carried Rory upstairs. Rory's head tilted against his shoulder, sleeping without guard.

"Come with me first." I was about to follow when Varlam caught my wrist.

He pulled me toward the backyard. When the glass door opened, warm lights lit up along the stone path one by one.

At the end of the path wasn't a stage. Just a wooden table. On the table sat a thick wedding planning binder. I walked over and opened the first page. Varlam's handwriting was there.

"Groom: Varlam Petrov"

"Bride: To be decided by Briony"

My nose stung.

"You even prepare documents for proposals?"

"Gleb said you'd like it."

"He was right this time."

I continued flipping. Venue, date, guests, flowers, music—all the columns were blank. Only the last page had one sentence.

"Wedding decided by you. Marriage decided by us together."

My tears finally fell. Varlam stood behind me, not immediately touching me.