Page 14 of Devil's Bride

“How about I introduce you to my guests?” I ask, snaking my hand around her waist. She stiffens, but she doesn’t shake off my touch.

“I don’t make friends with murders,” she says dryly.

“Seeing as you’ll be sharing a bed with one, it’s best you get to know some of the people I work with.” I tighten my grip and lead her toward my brothers first.

Nikolai has the broadest smile on his face when he sees her. I swear that psycho can’t choose whether to be intimidating or friendly.

“My brothers.” I point to Mikhail first, and then to Nikolai. “Mikhail and Nikolai.”

Mikhail dips his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sister-in-law.”

Irina narrows her eyes at him, as if trying to decide how to respond. “I can’t say the same, but I’m Irina.”

Mikhail nods. “Welcome to the family, Irina.”

She sighs. “We’ll see how welcome I am.”

“I already like her,” Nikolai says. “She’s a fearless one, brother. She’ll be fun to have around.”

She scrutinizes him. “At last, someone who is honest. I think we’ll be friends.”

“We will, if you give me permission to stride over there and put a knife in your father’s heart.” Nikolai says the darndest things whenever he opens his mouth.

“You’re weird,” Irina says. She walks off toward her family.

“Watch that tongue of yours,” I warn Nikolai before I trail after her, grab her arm and lead her to Dimitri who’s standing in a corner, observing everyone, watching for anything suspicious. “Meet my friend, Dimitri. Dimitri, my wife, Irina.”

“She’s a beauty.” Dimitri reaches for her hand and surprisingly, she lets him kiss the back of it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, lady.”

Irina smiles. “I’d love to say the same, but you’re Alexei’s trusted soldier. That makes you my enemy.”

A smile flickers on Dimitri’s face. “You’re his wife, which means it’s my job to protect you.”

“The only ones I need protection from are you men.” She turns and walks away before Dimitri can muster a reply, not that he would. He’s not much of a talker around women. Forty years in the dark mafia world had taught him that.

Our next stop is Dominic Romano. Irina behaves in his presence, and I sense her fear of him. Irina seems to wilt so I don’t bother to introduce her to anyone else.

I nod at Dimitri to watch her when she goes to speak to her friend. I can’t hear whatever it is they’re talking about, but her friend places a reassuring hand on her arm and says something that makes Irina throw her head back and laugh. She’s pretty when she laughs.

Footsteps approach me from behind. I turn around to see Matteo standing in front of me, he still has that ridiculous scowl on his face. I plan to make him even angrier for dragging me into this marriage.

“Are you here to give me a heartwarming speech on being a good husband?” I say, smiling slightly. “If you are, then I’m sorry to inform you I don’t take advice from hypocrites.”

“As much as I want to punch you in the face, you’re my daughter’s husband—” he trails off as if there’s a lump lodged in his throat. “I’m here to ask a favor from you.”

I tilt my head to the side, scrutinizing the man in front of me. Usually, he has no problem throwing barbed comments my way, but now he’s nothing more than a meek animal at my mercy. “I don’t do anything for free, Matteo. You of all people should know that.”

“I do know, and that’s why I’m offering you something in return,” he says, his eyes meeting mine. “I’ll no longer target your business and the Phoenix will stop invading your territories.”

“We both know you don’t have the power to do that. You’re nothing but a lapdog.”

His nostrils flare, but he knows better than to pick a fight with me. “I may be a lapdog as you call me, but I hold a lot of power in The Phoenix.”

His words are not convincing enough, but I’ll hear him out for the sake of it. “And what do you want in return?”

He twists his head to Irina and his eyes droop with sadness. “Please take care of my daughter. She lives in her own world and by her own rules. She’ll defy you because she is not happy about being forced to marry you, but I’m asking you to please overlook her mistakes. She’s young and foolish.”

Interesting. He thinks I’m going to break his daughter, and I definitely will, but not in the way he thinks. “I don’t hurt women. Just don’t make her report my business to you.”

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