Page 18 of Brutal Bratva Boss

Theo barks out a laugh. “Still your father? We’re talking about the same man you ran away from, correct? The one you came to me for help getting away from? That father?”

“I don’t have to appreciate the way he handles things or harbor any love for him to want him to be safe. Regardless of what he’s done to me in the past, I do not want to be part of the reason he draws his last breath.”

Theo regards me quietly. “Did you warn him?” he finally bites out.

The thought crossed my mind. Seeing what Theo has managed to accomplish so far brought up a fear of what he might be capable of now that he has me. I had thought about warning my father. About giving him just enough details to keep him out of harm’s way. But even if I wanted to, I would not be able to. I do not have any way of contacting him. There is no technology at my disposal that would allow me to get a message to him.

But Theo does not need to know that.

I give my head a small shake. “No.”

He seems pleased by my answer, nodding slowly. “I see.”

“Was I part of your plan to kill him?” I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

“Everything would be a lot easier if he was out of the picture. Someone else could take his place, and the Patrovs would no longer be a threat.”

That does not answer my question, so I try a different approach.

“Was that what you were trying to accomplish by marrying me? To remove the threat of my bloodline?”

He seems more agitated now, like my questions are grating on him. “That was the plan, yes.”

“Was? And now?”

“And now—” Theo cuts himself off, his eyes widening slightly as if he was about to say something he should not. He blows out a breath, running a hand through his hair and cursing under his breath. His hands dive into his pockets as he turns his back towards me, his breathing labored.

“And now, what?” I press.

Theo is holding back, I can feel it. Sure, he has kept me in the dark about everything else up until now, but this feels different. This feels a lot like what I see when I find him watching me. There are moments when I think I see him dropping his guard, and I see glimpses of the man I shared the night with all those weeks ago. Even with these recent developments, underneath my anger, there is a pull I can’t explain. I feel it whenever he is around, like a crackling energy between us.

Before I can stop myself, I step forward, laying my hand on his heaving back.

“Theo?”

Theo snatches my hand from his back, spinning me around and walking me backward until I am pressed against the wall. His other hand comes to rest in the space next to my cheek. He leans down, bringing his face in line with mine as his gaze flits between my eyes and my mouth and back again. His thumb smooths over my palm, sending shivers up my arm.

In that moment, I forget everything. I forget what I found, the evidence of a feud that could lay my heritage to waste. The bitter feelings of being forced into a marriage I never wanted fade away. For a minute, I feel as though this is what it is meant to be like. I do not know if it is the weeks of feeling alone in a strange home or the fact that my pregnancy hormones are all over the place, but a warmth spreads through me. The intimacy I feel is reflected in Theo’s eyes, and hope rises in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, there is a way to salvage all of this. For me to find some form of happiness.

Theo is close enough that our breaths mingle, and for a brief moment, I think he might kiss me. Strangely, I would not be opposed. Slowly, I lift my free hand. The stubble on Theo’s cheek feels heavenly under my fingers, and his eyes fall closed.

There is a sharp intake of air as Theo drops my hand, pushing up from the wall. He clears his throat. “Your father will not be harmed.”

Just like that, the moment I thought we shared is over. The anger comes right back.

Obviously, I was the only one who felt anything. I cross my arms over my chest to stop myself from doing something stupid. Like putting my hands on him again. “What? Just like that?”

Theo sighs. “That’s what you wanted, is it not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then you have my word.”

My head reels back. “Your word? What makes you think that means anything to me?”

“It should; it’s not something I give freely.”

“You lied to me the first night I met you when you told me your name was Theo,” I scoff. “Then you lied to me again when you forced me into this marriage, pretending that it was for my benefit. But none of that was true.”

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