Page 3 of Arranged to Marry the Bratva

“She’s not a thing I demand, like a commodity you’re making her out to be. I don’t want to get her,” Nikolai bellows.

She? Okay. What the hell is going on in there?

While previously, I lingered at the doorway, torn between the desire to intervene and the knowledge that getting involved could make matters worse, now the argument is clearly one I’m curious to know more about. Without a second thought, I barge right in.

I watch as all eyes turn to me, the words instantly disappearing from the room. Nikolai leans back in his chair, his expression unreadable. The tension in the room is palpable, and I can't help but feel a sense of unease. My previous encounter with Nikolai at Lenny's warehouse has left me wary of his intentions since, in our world, no one does a favor from the goodness of their heart, and seeing him here, in the midst of this heated argument, only heightens my concern.

"Anoushka!" Boris barks at me, clearly agitated. "Stay out of this."

"Out of what?" I ask, my eyes darting between my siblings and the imposing figure of Nikolai sitting opposite them.

"Anoushka, you don't understand," Damien tries to explain, his usual stoic demeanor crumbling under the weight of his frustration. "This isn't about business anymore. It's personal."

"Personal?" I repeat, my gaze flickering to Nikolai. His eyes are dark and unreadable, offering no clues as to what might be going on behind that impassive expression.

“Anoushka, just leave,” Lev says, walking over to me. He grabs my shoulders to guide me out, but I fight against it, standing in place. The longer I stand, the more my heart races.

The air crackles with tension, heavy and suffocating, as I watch Nikolai's chest rise and fall in measured breaths. His posture is relaxed, his expression a mask of cool indifference that sharply contrasts the fury etched across my brothers' faces.

"Anoushka should stay," Nikolai finally says, his voice calm and smooth like silk. "And she should know that I have only acted in our mutual best interest, making decisions necessary to ensure the success of our families and ventures."

"Best interest?" Boris spits out, incredulous. "You think what you propose is in our best interest when the only person I see benefitting is you?"

"You have enemies everywhere, Boris," Nikolai replies, holding his ground. "Perhaps it is time for you to value stronger alliances."

"Listen to him, Brothers," I interject, trying to keep my voice level despite the storm of emotions brewing within me. Memories from Lenny's warehouse flash through my mind—how I feared for my life. Nikolai doesn’t lie. There are enemies within our ranks, and outside. I almost lost my life to a trusted employee. There could be more danger coming our way. "Maybe Nikolai has a point. We need to find a way to work together, not tear each other apart."

"Anoushka," Damien growls, narrowing his eyes at me, "you know nothing about this situation."

"Then help me understand," I plead, locking eyes with each of my siblings, silently begging them to see reason. "We're all on the same side here, aren't we?"

"Are we?" Lev questions bitterly, glaring at Nikolai. "You know nothing of what he asks,” Lev looks right at me now, shaking his head furiously.

The room falls silent for a moment, the weight of his words hanging in the air. I glance at my brothers, seeing the skepticism etched on their faces. They don't trust him, and I can't blame them. The truth is that when Nikolai took Pippa and me from Lenny’s, he had us kidnapped. We were blindfolded and handcuffed. I feared for my life. Not once, during the drive to god knows where, did he care to tell us we were safe. He let us think we were in danger from the unknown and allowed me to gasp in panic for what felt like hours before he left us at the side of the road with a note and a small whisper that my brothers were on their way.

He toyed with us, with me. Almost like he enjoyed it,

Why? Whatever for?

While his ultimate act was one of decent intention, the way he did it had me unnerved.

But now, here we are at a precipice of the unknown, and for whatever reason, my brothers did start an alliance with him. For what it’s worth, he is our partner in crime.

I clear my throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Perhaps we should take a step back and discuss this calmly," I suggest, trying to diffuse the tension. "Getting worked up will only make matters worse."

Boris turns to me, his eyes blazing with anger. "You don't understand, Anoushka. Nikolai is trying to take advantage of us. We can't let him get away with it."

I take a deep breath, knowing that I need to tread carefully. "I understand your concerns, Boris, but we need to approach this rationally. Throwing accusations around won't solve anything."

Nikolai leans back in his chair, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I appreciate your attempt at diplomacy, Anoushka, but I fear your brothers are too blinded by their emotions to see reason."

My brothers erupt in a chorus of protests, their voices overlapping as they argue against Nikolai's statement. I hold up my hand, silencing them. "Enough," I say firmly. "Let's hear what Nikolai has to say."

Nikolai flips his dark blonde hair off his forehead and glances over at me, his brown eyes sweeping across my face before lingering down my figure and arching back up again. It’s like he’s seeing me for the first time, and I shift my weight between both legs, suddenly feeling weak from the way his gaze bores into me. “So, you want to hear what I have to say?” he tilts his head, almost whispering at me. He then licks his bottom lip like he wants a taste of what he sees. I feel shocked, the blood rushing to my cheeks.

“Don’t you dare look at her that way!” Lev roars, leaving my side to lunge toward Nikolai. He grabs Nikolai by his collar, glowering at him.

I rush over, holding Lev’s hand. “Lev,” I look into his eyes, bending over to get his attention. “Stop.”

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