Page 29 of Devil's Bride

I open my mouth but close it back up. He knows how to shut me up, I have to give him that. I don’t say another word the rest of the meal, I’m too busy thinking of how to take him and his family of criminals down.

When I’m done eating, I stand and angle over the table, resting my hands next to my plate. “Just a heads up, I spend quite a lot of money on shopping.”

“Money is not a problem, malyshka. I have a lot of it to spend,” he says with indifference, as if he doesn’t mind what I buy or how much I spend.

I smile. I’ll see if he has the same opinion after I splurge on the latest designer items.

***

The Vadim brothers look so much alike. Honestly, it’s hard to believe they only share one parent.

Mikhail opens the back door for me. He holds it open until I climb in, then closes it and slides into the driver’s seat. He’s such a gentleman. Pity I can’t say the same for his dickhead older brother.

“Your brother didn’t tell me you also take on chauffeur duties,” I say when he begins to strap his seatbelt. I glance at the fleet of luxurious cars behind us through the rearview mirror. Alexei could easily have asked one of his soldiers to drive me. I wonder why he didn’t consider that.

Mikhail’s blue eyes meet mine as he also stares into the rearview mirror. “You should know I don’t do this for anyone.” His voice is deep and bone chilling.

“What’s the exception?” I ask, leaning forward. Despite his grumpy expression, talking to him doesn’t make my stomach flutter or make my chest palpitate like it does with Alexei.

He twists his head to look at me. “You.”

I point at myself. “Me?”

“You’re Alexei’s wife, which makes you family.” He lifts one eyebrow as if he expects me to catch on, but I just blink at him because I don’t understand what he’s trying to say. “We Russians, we make sacrifices for family.”

I almost roll my eyes. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m Russian too. Contrary to what you believe, my father sacrificed me for the family.”

The engine roars to life beneath me. Mikhail starts the car forward and I sit back. I find myself thinking of Alexei, and our conversation at lunch yesterday. I hate that my thoughts keep drifting back to that.

Alexei had already left before I woke up this morning, and the only thing I got was an Amex card on the nightstand and a note from him telling me to use it however I liked. I wonder if that’s what our marriage will be; him leaving the house before I wake up, us arguing over lunch on some days and having sex some nights.

A pang of emotion washes through me. I want more than that, even if this only lasts for a short while.

Speaking of Alexei…I force a smile at Mikhail through the rearview mirror. The grump doesn’t smile back, he regards me blankly. He’s probably exhausted by me being so chatty, I don’t care.

“So, how close are you to your brother?” Awkward question, but anything to keep the conversation alive. There’s a lot I want him to share with me, but I’ll need to gain his trust first.

“I’d die for him.”

I choke at that answer. Kill. Die. Bloodshed. Do those words not mean anything to these people? They’re always ready to kill or die for something.

I don’t allow his answer bother me too much. “Tell me about your childhood.”

His face remains blank, but his eyes turn red, filled with rage and sadness. “What do you want to know?”

I shrug. It’s not like I have a choice. “Whatever you can share.”

“Think of a childhood with abusive parents and an older brother who got beaten up for trying to protect his little brothers.”

Ice slithers in my veins. I don’t imagine it. No, I can’t. The mere mention of abuse is way too gruesome in a way I cannot dare to think of. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

He huffs out a mirthless laugh. “Alexei had it worse. He gave up everything and did everything he could for us to survive. We owe him a lot, me and Nikolai.”

“Do you mind if I ask about the things he’s been through?” I ask quietly.

“He always covered us with his own body, and because of that he has a lot of scars on his back,” Mikhail says. His voice is almost a whisper.

That explains the weeping angel tattoo on his back.

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