Page 78 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

I splash my face again.

Four in, hold for two, seven out. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

I walk out of the bathroom, and as I’m about to walk past the kitchen, someone steps in front of me. I stop quickly. “Sorry…”

I look up at the man, and I frown. “Matvey? What are you doing here?” I hiss. I take his arm and pull him to the side. “You’ll be a dead man if you’re seen harassing me.”

“I can’t take it anymore,” he pleads, though there’s that angry tone behind his voice. “Igor is absolutely miserable. He is grumpy. He is ruining business deals. All he does every day is get drunk thinking about you. And since he won’t do anything out of respect for you, I’ve come to bring you home to him. Because someone has to.”

I fight back tears. Igor hasn’t come for me because he respects me. He’s trying to leave me alone and be selfless, and it’s tearing him apart. It’s tearing me apart.

“Matvey, if my brothers find out you’re here, they’re going to throw a fit. They don’t want you guys to have anything to do with me,” I whisper.

“What do you want?” Matvey asks. “Do you really hate Igor?”

“Matvey,” I reach for his face. “Igor lied to me. So did you, in fact.” I retract my hand. “You knew my brothers didn’t know about me.”

“I was the one who told them,” Matvey admits. “Come on, Arina. Igor and you were made to be together. It’s in the stars or fate or whatever bullshit you wanna believe.”

I smile. My typical brother-in-law and his way with words. I look into his eyes, and I sigh. “It isn’t that easy. There are complications.”

“What complications?” he asks. “Tell me, we can work through them together. Your brothers won’t throw you away if you’re honest with them, of that, I’m sure.”

I bite my lip.

Won’t they?

If I willingly want to sleep with their lifelong enemy.

“Matvey…” I start to say.

“Didn’t we tell you lot to leave our sister alone?” a voice snarls.

I look up as Luka approaches us.

“Luka…” I say. “He was just leaving.”

Matvey turns and starts walking out of the restaurant, but Danil steps in front of him. “Oh, I think not. I think he needs a little lesson about what leaving alone entails.”

“Danil… Luka… We’re in public,” my voice is shaky.

Kervyn and Arseny walk into the restaurant at the same time, and I feel a hand on my arm. It’s Penny. “Come with me,” she says, pulling me back toward the bathroom. Hannah, Elena, and Asher also usher me away.

“You don’t have to see this part,” Elena says. “The boys will take care of it.”

“No, he’s in danger. They’re going to hurt him,” I say. “You can’t just be okay with that.”

Penny holds onto my arm. “Arina, it’s better this way. Otherwise, they will never stop coming after you.”

Chapter 26 - Igor

“The supply lines are not safe from the US Coast Guard. Three times now, our ships have been busted for carrying illegal diamonds from Africa to America,” Karl says. He’s from another Russian family, one that trades with us. We’re supposed to secure their supply lines for a fee, but things have taken a serious nosedive since Arina left.

It doesn’t help that I just want this fucking meeting to end. My brain feels like a sponge soaked with whiskey and beer.

“Karl, you know that sometimes these things happen, and we just need to find another route. You really have nothing to worry about. We will take a look at it and make sure no other ships get searched.” Yvonne’s voice flits through my head, and I even want her to shut up.

It’s just too much.

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