Page 56 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

“But how does he know about her?” I ask him. “He watched her as though he knew she was his sister.”

Matvey looks away, and I frown. “What did you do?” I grab him by his shirt and back him up against a wall.

“They didn’t know,” he says, holding his hands up. “The Milovs didn’t know about her. That’s why she didn’t grow up with them. They didn’t know she existed.”

“So, you told them about her?” I roar.

“Everyone deserves to know their family,” he mumbles.

“I’ve never known you to be so sentimental. I know you’ve disliked Arina since the day you brought her in, but this is a betrayal I won’t overlook.”

I turn and walk away, ignoring his calls for me.

Tourists stare at me as I walk past. I’m sure I’m a sight.

As I reach the hotel, I find Alfie, who rushes to me. “Boss, you okay? Shall I call the doctor?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Just arrange a car to take me home,” I say, wiping at the blood dripping from my head.

“Igor?”

Dread fills me as I hear the worry in Arina’s voice.

“What happened?” she breathes as she comes to me, her voice as pained as my bruises.

“We can discuss it at home, not here.” I stroke her face. “I’m fine. Just a little roughed up.”

Alfie comes back. “The car will be two minutes, boss.”

“Thank you, Alfie.” I turn to Arina, “I’m going home to shower and change.”

“I’ll come with and bandage you up,” she says in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

We get into the car after it pulls up, and she inspects the cut on my head. “It doesn’t look like it’ll need stitches, but we need something to press against it to stem the bleeding.”

“Well, the shirt is ruined anyway,” I say. I take it off, and she bundles it up and presses it against my head.

“Will you tell me what happened?” she asks, looking into my eyes. “I can handle it.”

I should tell her about Luka. I should tell her that her brothers didn’t know she existed, and that’s why she wasn’t claimed.

But then I think about what could happen. She could want to leave, see them, and reunite, and she may want to stay with them.

I can’t let that happen. She’s my entire world.

“A rival family jumped Matvey on Liam’s orders. You remember Liam?” I ask.

“One of the siblings that were stealing from you,” her eyes widen. “Shit, this is my fault. I told you to take it easy on them. Is Matvey okay?”

“Matvey can hold his own. There’s no need to worry about him,” I grumble. “There were four of them and two of us, but we held our own. They’re walking away with just as many bruises and cuts.”

She checks the wound and presses the fabric back against it.

She looks worried, so I take her free hand. “You did what you thought was best at the time. That’s what family does. We make decisions, and sometimes they aren’t the right decisions.” I think about Matvey tipping off Luka Milov.

I might forgive him later.

We reach the house and go upstairs. I shower and come out in just a pair of shorts. I sit down on the bed, and she pulls a chair up in front of me, a medical box on her lap.

---