Page 46 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

“Must be nice,” I say quietly.

“Well, you’re a part of it too now. So, it was natural I had to deal with that asshole.” He starts walking toward the dining hall, and I follow him.

“What did you do with him?” I don’t know if I want to know that, but curiosity is winning out.

“Took him to a seedy part of town and roughed him up. Made sure he won’t come looking around our family again.” We walk into the dining hall and Igor is sitting there with Yvonne.

Yvonne gets up and crosses to me, hugging me tightly. “I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you’re not hurt.”

“Thanks to you guys,” I say with a smile.

Matvey sits down beside Yvonne’s chair, and I hesitate as Igor looks at me. Finally, I walk over to him and kiss him softly. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” he says quietly with a smile. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starved.” I sit down and am happy when a full English breakfast is laid out for us.

We all begin to eat, and I can’t help but see the stolen glances Igor gives me. I smile to myself.

Yvonne sets down her cutlery. “I think you should take a few days off, don’t you agree, Igor?”

“I do, actually. A few days to recover and then get back on the horse and kick ass.” He looks at me thoughtfully.

“I would like a guard to be present in the future, though, not to hinder you but to protect you,” Matvey says.

“I agree,” I say, and they all looked at me shocked. “I’m not mad. I’m not putting myself in that position again.”

Matvey turns to Igor and starts talking to him, but I can see Igor isn’t giving him his full attention.

I still ache from our lovemaking, and once breakfast is done, I decide to lie down for a stretch and read. I know there are numerous books in Igor’s study, so I head in that direction first.

I browse the shelves. It seems like he’s got everything from the classics to the latest bestsellers. I pick out three that look interesting, go to the sofa in his study, and curl up, opening the first one.

“What are you doing here?” Igor asks as he walks in.

I look up from my book. “Sorry, am I going to distract you.”

“Not in a bad way,” he chuckles. “What are you reading?”

“Oliver Twist, I do like a good Charles Dickens book.” I sigh. “He wrote so well.”

“You know I have in my collection an original paper that he wrote,” Igor says.

I get up. “You’re joking.”

“Come this way,” he says. We go to the other end of the study, where he opens a locked cabinet. There are framed papers here, all in stands.

“Some from Charles Dickens, two from Hemmingway, and even some that are supposedly from ancient Rome.” He glances at me. “I didn’t take you for a reader.”

“I love reading. Who doesn’t love reading,” I say, reaching out and touching the glass that separates me from the greatest works in history. “This is so amazing.”

Once I move away, he locks it up, and I return to the sofa. He goes to his desk.

I curl my legs under me and read quietly while he goes over reports.

At lunchtime, Marie brings in a tray of sandwiches and coffee, and I move to sit at his desk to share with him. He watches me thoughtfully, and I squirm slightly. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No, it’s just… You know I forced you into this situation, and I haven’t actually asked you much about yourself.”

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