Page 28 of Devil's Bride

It’s laughable she thought a few random words would scare me. As someone who became entangled in a mafia marriage herself, I’d think she would know better. Telling me rubbish about Alexei won’t hurt me, because there isn’t much more than good sex and lust between us.

I take a sip of the champagne I know I shouldn’t drink at this time of day and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Nothing I consider important.”

“I’m sorry if she said something horrible to you.”

My fork falls from my hand to the ceramic plate with a clang. Did he just apologize to me for something he didn’t even do? “What?”

“She’ll never come here again. I’ll make sure of it,” he assures me, holding my stare. “This is your home now and I don’t want anyone to make you feel uncomfortable.”

You’re the one making me feel uncomfortable, I want to say. The way his dark-brown eyes bore into mine, the memories of his kiss, and the remnants of his touch. Everything about him makes me question if I haven’t already gone insane.

“This is not my home.” I pause and inhale. “And don’t worry about me, no one can bully or intimidate me. I’m too strong for that.”

Butterflies tickle my stomach when he smiles. He looks better smiling than he does scowling, but the smiles quickly fades away. “That’s good to hear.”

We go back to eating in silence. The clinking of cutlery on porcelain fills the room.

Our marriage is nothing more than a business transaction between him and my father, but if I’m to stay, I need to at least know what to expect for however long it lasts.

I swallow my pride, and then I lift my chin. “About our marriage…”

He looks up from his plate. “What about it?”

“We need to have rules on our expectations.” I don’t think I’m using the right choice of words, but my brain is too much of a mush for me to worry about that right now. “We’ve had sex, and we’re using the same room, is that all there will ever be between us?”

He lowers his fork to his plate. His gaze does not leave mine for a second as he sighs.

My heart throbs against my ribcage as I wait for his answer. I already know what it’ll be. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

“I’ll say this once, Irina,” he says, his voice dangerously low and calm. “I’ll offer you good sex. I’ll take care of you, and I’ll protect you. But do not expect anything more from me. I will never love you, because falling in love is not in my nature.”

“Bullshit, everyone who has a heart can fall in love,” I retort before I can stop myself. “And don’t even give me crap about not having a heart.”

“Trust me, I do have a heart.” He runs his fingers through his hair. He looks so fucking good doing that. “My heart only beats for the Bratva, Irina. It beats to shed the blood of my enemies, not to fall in love.”

My chest squeezes with a pang of bitter emotion. I can’t pinpoint why, but his answer makes my eyes water.

I don’t love him. I didn’t expect him to ever love me, still it hurts like crazy hearing him say it.

My brain misfires, rage rippling through me in full force. If I were stronger than I am, my fork would bend from how tight I am holding it. “I didn’t ask you to love me, I was just curious.”

“Curious about what?” He rubs his jaw, his brow arching. “Is there something you want to know? A secret perhaps?”

There’s a lot I want to know, like his childhood and how he managed to become the head of the Bratva after his father exiled him from New York. I don’t ask though, it feels too intimate and I am too upset. “Will you tell me if I ask?”

He tilts his head. “It depends.”

“Then…” I straighten my spine, “Why are you such an asshole?”

He chuckles lightly. “It’s in my genes.”

“Is being a coldblooded killer in your genes, too?” I love the way his smile vanishes at my question.

“Do not ask questions you don’t want the answer to, malyshka.”

“Or what?”

He takes me in carefully, then his eyes crinkle mischievously. “Or I’ll pin you to this table and spank you.”

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