Page 10 of Unwilling Bratva Bride

“Looks like a quick little drive, and then we can head to your old house. Gotta say I’m dying to meet your folks.”

My heart dropped to my feet. I had no fucking idea how that was going to go, and I still didn’t know how to bring up the fact that I hadn’t talked to them about any of this. I was sure that Ivan wouldn’t give a shit about mydiscomfort, the idea of explaining to my folks that I was marrying a mobster to save their asses not sitting well in the slightest.

“I’m sure they’ll love you,” I joked, not knowing what else to say, and then we were off to the downtown branch of the Republic Bank of Chicago.

***

We parked in the lot a block down from the bank, and my heart hammered against my ribs so damn hard that I could hardly breathe. I looked down at myself as we walked to the front door. I hadn’t really dressed for a meeting at the bank,but I guess it didn’t matter. We were going there to pay off the accounts, so who cared how I was dressed?

At least, I’m sure that’s how Ivan felt.

“Ladies first,” Ivan drawled, opening the door for me as we reached the main entrance to the bank.

Rolling my eyes, I forced a smile. “Gee, thanks.”

I went inside, looking for a banker we could speak to about the account. The room seemed pretty full of other patrons, and the stations at the central desk were all occupied, so I stood in line behind someone, ready to wait for them to finish with their business.

Ivan walked right past me and toward a section of the bank at the back, where several offices were in a row.

“What the hell? Ivan, stop. Wait!” I whisper-screamed the last word, running after him as he walked right to the first open door and went inside.

Oh my God. This is insane. The fuck does he think he’s doing?

But when I reached the office, Ivan was already in the middle of talking with someone, and I was stupidly flustered.

“We’re here to settle accounts on the—” Ivan turned over his shoulder, looking back at me, “what’s it called?”

The confused banker glanced up at me from his desk. His brows were at his hairline, and I could hear my pulse in my ears.

“Umm, sorry. The, umm, MacCormack bodega. On ninth,” I offered, hoping the guy could appreciate my apologetic expression.

“Very well then. Have a seat.” The man, Jacob Winslow, going by the placard on his desk, gestured to the two chairs in front of him.

Ivan sat down, crossing one leg over the other at the knee, and it was only then that I realized he was still chewing on that damn toothpick. He looked over at me, and I mimed throwing it away. Still, Ivan just acted confused, his exaggerated expressions grating on my nerves.

“Out,” I whispered. “Throw it—”

“All right, Ms. McCormack. I see that your family’s establishment is several months past due. Is it your intention to bring the account current? Is that right?”

I refocused, ignoring Ivan, and nodded. “Yes. That’s correct.”

Mr. Winslow narrowed his eyes on me, and I knew he was judging the jeans and leather jacket that we werebothwearing. “How will you be settling the account?”

“Card.” Ivan’s voice was sharp as a blade, cutting through the air in a slick slice as he reached for his wallet and pulled out that same weird credit card from before.

“All right,” the banker replied, clearly suspicious of this guy I’d brought with me, and for good reason. “The total to bring the account into good standing is twelve thousand nine-hundred and forty-eight dollars.”

Ivan didn’t even back an eye. He just leaned forward and handed the banker his card. “Sounds good.”

My mouth fell open. I knew that’s why we’d come here, but I was still shocked that the guy could do it.

Mr. Winslow took the card and ran it through his back-end system. It only took a few seconds for the thing to pop up asapproved, and suddenly, my parents weren’t in debt to the bank anymore. My eyes stung with unshed tears that I was decidedly not going to let out.

“You know, while you’re there, why don’t you just run it for next month too? Make sure we’re all in the clear since it’s already the fifteenth.”

The banker glared at Ivan, clearly unimpressed by his cocky, nonchalant attitude and unhappy that the card had been processed correctly.

“Very well.”

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