Page 57 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

“Let’s fix you up, and we can go have lunch?”

“Are you for lunch?” I ask with a smile.

She smiles gently and takes out some strips of plaster and skin glue. She dabs it on the cut on my face and then puts the strips on to hold it in place while it dries.

She traces the bruises on my face and chest before she stops at a scar on my chest. “What happened here?”

“I got shot by a rival family in Russia,” I say, putting my hand over hers. “We were ambushed one evening on our way back from a movie. My father was still alive. They wanted to take out our entire family. It was a coordinated attack. We all survived.”

“What happened to the rival family?” she asks quietly.

“We had them assassinated. We sent a message our family wasn’t one to be messed with. In Russia, our family is very powerful. That’s why Henri and Yulia stayed behind, for now, to take care of things there.”

“And this scar on your neck?” she asks.

“Ah, I was in a knife fight at school over a girl.” I chuckle as she looks at me curiously. “I haven’t liked many women in my life, but like any other teenage boy, I thought with my dick first. The other boy got one cut in, and I got two. She still didn’t choose me. I think they got married in the end.” I look away thoughtfully.

“So many scars,” she whispers softly, tracing them on my chest.

“Lots of battles hard won,” I comment. “I better get dressed so we can have some lunch.”

“Yes, I’m starving, and I believe we’re having a sausage dish today for lunch. I was hoping you’d come home with me after I checked the deliveries were correct.”

I start to get dressed. “Why did you go check the deliveries?”

“Because everything must be perfect for my charity ball. It’s where I will mingle with all the right people to get the best deals. The senator is coming, who is definitely someone we want to have in our corner.” She packs away the first aid kit, returning it to the closet in the hallway.

I come out and catch her, pulling her toward me for a kiss. “Are you sure I can’t eat you for lunch?”

“I thought I was dessert?” she teases me, kissing me softly.

“Hmm,” I hum, breaking the kiss to sigh. “You are perfect in every way, Arina Sidorov.”

She smiles. “I like belonging to a family. I think it suits me.” She turns to walk downstairs, and I feel a guilt stab in my heart.

The Milovs may have treated her well. Had they known about her, things would have been completely different for her. What if they want to try to make amends?

I can’t let Matvey tell Arina what he’s discovered. I don’t care how he found out or why he tipped Luka. This does not reach Arina.

Chapter 19 - Arina

I turn away from Igor in bed as my stomach cramps, and I feel a wave of nausea hit me. This is the third morning in a row that I’ve felt sick. I feel shuffling beside me and turn my head to see Igor turning off his alarm.

“Come back to bed,” I groan. “I feel like I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying,” Igor says gently, crawling over and kissing my neck. “But stay home anyway. Relax in bed. You’ve worked so hard this week and pulled off so many amazing things. You deserve a break.”

He kisses my forehead, gets off the bed, and goes to the bathroom.

I curl up in a ball and hug my pillow, listening to the sound of the shower running. Following the nausea comes heartburn, and I can’t stand that, so I sit up and take over-the-counter tablets I got to quell it.

Igor walks through the room with nothing but a towel around his waist, and I smile as I watch him. He catches me smiling and smiles back. “Do you have time…”

“No, I feel far too sick to…” I say, pulling a face. “But a girl can dream.”

I walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get dressed. I’ll take the day off, but maybe I’ll go shopping with Yvonne or something.

Once I’m dressed, I walk downstairs and into the dining hall, where Yvonne and Igor are seated—no sign of Matvey.

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