Page 16 of Ruthless Reign

“Anatoly may not be my first choice, but I’ve accepted that this marriage is the best thing for me and my family.” I lay my hand over hers, attempting to reassure her. “Maxim is in business with the Petroviches, so let’s not complicate things between them.”

Kira's face falls. “I’m not worried about Maxim, I’m worried about you.” She’s quiet for a moment. “Listen, if this is just about money, I can help?—”

“It’s not,” I cut her off quickly. I don't want her to know how deeply indebted we are to the Petroviches. It’s not only humiliating but also complicated. “Anatoly is dependable, he’s ambitious, and he’s willing to put up with my parents and all their… quirks.”

She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Marrying for security might solve some problems, but what about love? Don’t settle for a loveless marriage.”

I wait until our waiter has finished pouring my wine before I continue. “Marrying for love?” I laugh. “You literally married Maxim to avenge your aunt’s death.”

She frowns and rips a piece of bread in two. “And now that I know what I could've missed out on, I don't want that to happen to you. Seriously,” she pleads. “I had no idea what love was until I met Maxim. There’s nothing better than finding your person, knowing they always have your back. You deserve that.”

I hold back a bitter laugh. Love is not in my future. Now or ever. When I was younger, I truly believed we all had a soulmate and I’d find the love of my life one day. The funny thing is that Kira was the one who didn’t give two shits about “all that romantic crap”, as she called it. But life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to. That’s just the reality.

As long as Sofiya is safe and happy, that’s enough for me.

“I’m thrilled you found Maxim.” I force a light tone into my voice. “But honestly, it's not a priority for me. Some people marry for love but plenty of others don't. I'm fine with it.”

Kira sighs and looks away as a team of waiters descends, laying down a feast. The table seems to groan under the weight of pizza, pasta, and various other dishes. I haven't eaten all day, but my stomach is in knots. Not only am I lying to my friend, but in a month’s time, I’ll be walking down the aisle toward a monster.

When we’re alone again, Kira sits back and crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s not like your family ever considers what you want or your feelings.”

I flinch. She’s right, of course, but the reminder hurts.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “That was harsh.”

I swallow over the knot of emotion in my throat. “Don’t apologize. It’s true.”

A shadow passes over her expression, a mix of disappointment and sadness. “I don’t know what your parents did to deserve you, but they better realize what an amazing daughter they have.” She twists her lips and picks at the food in front of her. “I just hope you don’t come to regret your choice.”

"Forget about the wedding for now," I say, smoothing the napkin in my lap. “Let’s talk about London.”

She gives me a bittersweet smile. “I'm glad we get that time together before life gets crazy—well, crazier than it already is.”

I nod, feeling some of the heaviness from our earlier conversation lift. “I’m glad we do too.” I raise my glass of wine towards Kira, who lifts her drink. “Not to be lame,” I continue, “but can we do all the touristy things? Like visiting the Tower of London and riding the London Eye at sunset.”

“Hell yeah!” She raises her hand for a high-five, and just like that, everything feels a little more normal. “I love doing touristy shit. I’m sure Roman will have a fit, considering those are some of the busiest spots in the city. But he’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Roman?” I shake my head. “What does he have to do with anything?”

Kira pauses, her pasta halfway to her lips. “Well, he’s coming as our bodyguard.”

I kick off my heels under the table, an uncomfortable heat spreading through me. The thought of being around Roman day and night is enough to make a nervous rash break out on my skin. It seems like the universe’s idea of a cruel joke.

I take a very generous gulp of wine. “Doesn’t he have more important things to do? He's a busy man.”

Kira cocks her head as if trying to gauge my reaction. “Roman and Pavel are the only people Maxim trusts to look after me when we're not in Russia.” She shrugs. “I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, and you can't tell me you’d prefer grumpy Pavel.” She makes a face.

“Pavel is perfectly lovely.”

A smirk pulls on her lips. “Roman likes getting under your skin because you let him. Just don't play his game.”

Tension climbs my spine, settling between my shoulders.

Being around Roman puts me on edge. Just remembering how his strong hand felt wrapped around mine bringing my cigarette to his lips... Jesus. His rough touch lingers in my thoughts uninvited, but the more I protest his presence, the more questions Kira will ask.

“I’m fine with Roman,” I declare. “We actually called a truce last night. We’re friends.”

Kira blinks in surprise. “That’s good. Anyway, we’re going to have fun, and Roman will just fade into the background.”

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