Page 19 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

He studied me as if wondering just how much he should say, and he finally let the words follow. “I rented the warehouses to the Levovs, from New York to Boston. They stored their product there and paid me extra to not squeal on them to the authorities. Instead, I stole from them. Yaro and his goons hit me for it when I was already down, and marrying you off was the only way I could remotely pay them back. That is the truth of it.”

As I stared at him, taken aback by how easily he admitted it, I was speechless. Even if I felt it had been the truth all along, it hurt even more to hear it from his mouth.

Rage and deeply rooted despair intermingled within me, and I felt myself crumbling.

“How could you?” I asked weakly, hearing just how broken I sounded.

Dad flinched slightly from my voice, but he shook his head. He had nothing left to say.

“You did this to me,” I mumbled, at a complete loss for how to move forward. “You ruined my one chance at being happy.”

That final spark of resistance in me fizzled, and at the end of it, I had no choice but to take his arm.

Feeling only like a husk of myself, I let him lead me outside, and into a blacked-out SUV.

Chapter 7 - Yaro

While serving my cousins and their many business ventures, I had seen and done many gruesome things. Many of which would make anyone squirm. But at that moment, nothing felt as nerve-wracking as standing at the pulpit.

The pressure of the wedding weighed heavily on my shoulders, and even if I looked the part, I felt like a kid playing dress up.

I didn’t think having a quick, almost sham wedding would get to me, but the stuffy chapel was making me sweat. Seeing my friends and family in the building I didn’t care about made it feel more real and daunting.

Doubt simmered beneath my skin and made me second-guess my choices.

It made me wonder how things could’ve been different if I never took Grace. If I had let nature run its course and decide for me. Even if I never imagined myself getting married in the first place.

Dragging someone into my life didn’t seem like the fairest thing to do.

Everyone gathered in the pews as the music started, and Dominic came down the aisle with Grace on his arm.

The fitted silk dress hugged her curves perfectly, and there was no denying how incredible she looked. Everything about it made her look regal, even if she didn’t look so sure.

Even if we hadn’t found a common ground yet, at least she was easy on the eyes. I just hoped she had the personality to go with it and the qualities I hoped for.

Despite our circumstances and the obvious wedge between us, a small bead inside me wondered if there might be a chance for us to connect. While part of me felt guilty for forcing her into it, I wanted that redemption. The chance to prove I didn’t do it for completely no reason other than trying to best her dad.

As the ceremony began and Grace was beside me, I felt like a husk. Like a puppet trying to perform enough to convince everyone in the room it was real—including myself.

Yet, I knew better than anyone that the marriage meant nothing. We didn’t know the first thing about each other, but I was legally binding us together.

I didn’t know if it would turn out to be the best or worst decision I could’ve made.

Glancing at Dominic as he wiped beneath his swollen eye, I couldn’t help but feel like I played right into his hands. I let him off too easy, even if he was visibly bruised for everyone in the chapel to see, and I willingly took the one thing he had to give.

It felt like a sick joke I played on myself, and I couldn’t take it back.

The ceremony was quick with half-assed vows and the usual script from the priest, and the kiss was just as fleeting.

While it hadn’t been more than a peck, the sensation sent warmth through me. It didn’t seem like the worst part to endure, but I still wanted it all to be done with.

To my dismay, we were ushered to a banquet hall where there was music and congratulations given, all of which I felt like I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

While the words I received from my family were genuine enough, they still made me squirm. It all felt so superficial, no matter how hard I tried to look past it.

But I was the only one to blame for it.

Grace was just as checked out as I felt—perhaps even more so. She simply went along with it, moving from place to place.

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