Page 70 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

My heart slammed once, heavy. I'd waited so long to hear that.

"I came back for you." She stopped beside me and took my hand off the desk. "I want to marry you."

I stared into those damp blue eyes. My throat closed.

Marriage. The word had become the memory I didn't dare touch. I hadn't forgotten—Brinny had dumped me before I could propose. She'd said my need to control her was suffocating. Years together, gone. And now she was holding my hand, handing me back the future that never happened.

I should say yes. This was what I'd always wanted. To marry someone I actually loved. Build a family with her.

The impulse hit my throat. That thing in my chest that hadn't beaten for hope in years started to ache. But the words stuck.

A wedding unfolded in my mind. Solemn church. Smiling guests. A woman on my arm, looking up at me. Brown eyes bright, mouth tipped in that challenging way—like even in a wedding dress, she was ready to argue.

The face belonged to Briony. In my fantasy, the woman beside me wasn't the one I'd once wanted to marry. It was Briony.

Absurd.

"Varlam?" Brinny's fingers tightened.

With Brinny, I'd always known what to do. Pull out her chair. Drape her coat over her shoulders. Watch her color, her breathing. Keep danger outside. Keep her from hurting. I'd followed that script for years.

"Say something. Please." Brinny's voice dropped, unease creeping into those blue eyes.

I wanted to say yes. Wanted to reassure her. Couldn't get it out.

"Is there a problem? You wanted to marry me before, didn't you?"

The question dragged me back years. I'd just taken over my father's organization. Danger everywhere. Every morning I woke checking if she was safe. Every night before sleep, same thing. I'd thought that was love. Protection. But I'd learned it was control.

I pulled my hand free. She froze.

"I can't. Not yet," I said. "I'm not ready."

"What do you mean you can't? Not ready?" The unease in those blue eyes ignited into fury. "Varlam, do you hear yourself?"

"Calm down."

"Calm down?" She laughed bitterly, tears spilling. "I came back for you. I told you I love you. I'm practically begging you to marry me. What else do you want from me?"

Her chest was heaving. Instinct kicked in—would she get sick? The habit was bone-deep. I stepped closer, motioning for her to sit. She slapped my hand away.

"Don't treat me like I'm sick! You think I'm not humiliated enough? You used to be the one who wanted marriage. You said you'd wait for me forever. Now I've thought it through, I'm here, and you tell me you're not ready?"

She was right. I'd been the one begging for an answer once.

"I'm not rejecting you. I just need time."

"You waited for me all these years, and now you need time?"

She stared at me, fury sharpening into scrutiny. Then her gaze slid past me to the empty assistant's desk.

"It's because of her." Like a light had switched on.

My chest dropped.

"You're in love with Briony, aren't you?" Brinny turned back, mouth a hard line.

The name hit like a punch.