Page 26 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

Giving in, I forgot all about our tumultuous start and felt too satisfied to fight it.

Chapter 10 - Yaro

I didn’t know I could go through so many emotions simultaneously, only to reach relief by the morning.

I was never one to let my feelings get the best of me since I knew to keep them in from a young age. I couldn’t get in trouble if I didn't show them.

But the whirlwind that had been the wedding was enough to upset that balance within me.

When I woke up, Grace was still fast asleep and curled up in the blankets. She looked completely at peace, and no part of me wanted to wake her up.

While I knew we had a long way to go, the night before gave me a glimpse of hope for our future. There was undeniable chemistry and attraction between us, and that was something to be grateful for.

I was afraid we wouldn’t connect at all and that we would both be left unfilled and unhappy. But after hearing her story, I just wanted to know more about her.

Hearing just how removed Dominic was as a father figure in her life riled up that anger within me. I knew she didn’t deserve any of it. Not the way she was raised or her dad using her as a pawn.

Rummaging through my wardrobe, I pulled out the usual and got dressed. I glanced at Grace from time to time and appreciated her beauty from afar. She looked almost ethereal in the bed as the sun started to come in.

It was also nice to return to my usual bed for the night. Crossing that unspoken boundary with Grace brought me back into the master bedroom, and it almost felt normal again. I didn’t think I’d miss the bed as much as I had.

Once I was all ready to go, I poked my head into the room to find her stirring quietly. While I initially thought she was about to wake up, she nestled back into the pillow with her blonde hair fanned out behind her.

I couldn’t count my lucky stars enough for managing to secure a woman with a face and body like hers. It made accepting the new situation a bit easier.

I just hoped there was room for us to get closer, rather than being dragged further apart because of being married.

A part of me wanted to step into the room and reach out for her. To run my hands through her hair and caress her skin. But I didn’t want to disturb her.

I could only imagine how hard the last few days had been on her, and I knew she needed her sleep. I didn’t want her to feel deprived.

With a reassuring breath, I reminded myself there would be another chance. With passion like what we experienced the night before, I had no doubt it would reappear again.

Grace was the only subject in my mind as I went to work. I hoped for an easy day that didn’t involve any craziness so I could at least attempt to digest everything that had happened.

But, of course, that peace never lasted long enough.

Vik and Elias were at my desk immediately. I didn’t even have the chance to grab myself a coffee.

“Congratulations on the bride and honeymoon,” Elias commented with a sly expression. “Thankfully for you, she’s easy on the eyes.”

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. “Is there a reason you two are standing in front of my desk at eight in the morning?”

Vik’s features looked strained. “We’ve caught wind of some rumors spreading around already. Some you probably won’t like.”

I narrowed my gaze at them. “What rumors?”

When Vik hesitated, Elias stepped in with his arms crossed. “Apparently someone’s going around saying you stole Grace away from her doting father, and neither of them consented to the arrangement, nor did he sign the marriage license. Not only that, but you and your cousins collapsed his warehouse business to boot as if he wasn’t the one to cause that himself.”

Immediately, anger flooded my system. Not even a day had passed since the wedding, and I was already dealing with the politics of it all.

I clenched my jaw. “Dominic was invited to the wedding. Even if I didn’t want him there, we had to keep it clean. We certainly had nothing to do with his booze problem that tanked his business.”

“We know that,” Elias confirmed with a sigh. “But apparently, that fact is being withheld from everyone else.”

Even if we were the usual target of lower families, it was worth our while to stomp out those threats before they could manifest into anything damaging. While we sat at the top, it was worth showing them we meant business and we wouldn’t stand for anything that might attempt to dirty our name.

Trying my best to pull myself back from the anger, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Is Dominic the one responsible for this, or does it have anything to do with the Riccis?”

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