Page 18 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

I scoff. “You’re joking.”

“You never said you wanted to marry me,” Viktoriya tells him. “You said you were like a father figure.”

Gleb shrugs. “I changed my mind. And you’re wrong,” he says to Mikhail. “You may be the leader of the Bratva, but I’m in charge of Viktoriya. So, when it comes to her, you’ll need my permission for anyone to marry her. And I’m saying I’ll marry her. There’s no one better. Definitely not …” He looks me over. “You.”

I stand up straighter. “What’s wrong with me?”

“I don’t want to marry any of you!” Viktoriya snaps.

“Vik,” Sofiya says softly, reaching out for her.

“No!” She backs away. “I should have a say in who I marry. I have that right.”

Mikhail sighs deeply and turns to Gleb. “You want to marry Viktoriya?”

“Yes.”

“This is bullshit,” I mutter.

“Then I think Viktoriya should have the choice,” Mikhail continues. “It’s either Gleb or Aleksander. But make a choice soon, Viktoriya. I don’t want you here causing trouble. Does that satisfy everyone?”

Viktoriya slams the door shut. Clearly, she gave her answer.

But I’m not satisfied. “Mikhail.” I follow him down the hallway, Gleb and Sofiya trailing behind. “You promised me her hand.”

“I know I did, but that was before I found out Gleb was interested, too. He has a point. He’s in charge of her. You know how the Bratva is with women. There’s always a man in charge, and he’s that for Viktoriya. So, he has the ultimate say in what happens to her. But I’m giving Viktoriya a choice.”

“You can’t,” Sofiya says. “I know Vik. She’ll just leave when backed into a corner.”

Mikhail shrugs. “Then she leaves. She’s a grown woman, Sofiya. I have offered her my protection, but I’m not better than what a husband can be for her. She can either leave or make a choice. It’s better than what a lot of women get. It’s better than what you got.”

She flinches. “You decided for me.”

“Exactly. And I’ve learned from that. Which is why I’m giving Viktoriya a choice. Given the fact I don’t like her, I would consider that the best option. Now, I’ve spent enough time on this. There are other things I need to deal with.” He leaves the lot of us standing there.

I turn to Gleb. “Why are you suddenly interested in Viktoriya? Mikhail told me you said you wanted to be seen as a father figure to her. Fathers don’t go around marrying their daughters.”

“I changed my mind,” Gleb says simply. “I didn’t realize I wanted Viktoriya before, but now, I do.”

It hits me like a piano falling on my head. “You never thought any man would want her with her attitude. But the minute you found out I wanted her, you wanted her for yourself. Why? Why do you like her?”

Gleb sniffs and turns away from me. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.” He walks away.

Sofiya is glaring at me when I look down at her. “My sister won’t easily bend to you, Aleksander. Don’t break her.”

But that’s just the thing—I want to break Viktoriya.

I want to make that woman fall onto her knees for me.

VIKTORIYA

“I need to leave,” I say, grabbing my suitcase. Thanks to the housekeeper, my things are already in the room, and because I haven’t had the chance to unpack yet, it makes escaping that much easier.

“You can’t,” Mila says. “I heard everything, Vik. I know you’re scared, but maybe this is a good thing. I don’t think either man is ugly. They both look like princes to me.”

“Oh, for god’s sake, Mila,” I mutter. “There’s no such thing as a prince charming.”

She flinches, and her eyes begin to water. “Sorry.”

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