Page 9 of Unwilling Bratva Bride

But Adley just stared at me. The silence between us stretched on, and I allowed it to. Adley could take her sweet time deliberating. I knew she’d say yes, and it wasn’t rare for the good old silent treatment to help win over someone who had yet to make up their mind fully.

She looked at me, peering as hard as she could to see inside my head. I just smirked. I was a bit more skilled at this game than she was, and it was unlikely that a newbie like herself would get anything out of my expression that I didn’t want them to.

I eyed the way she still chewed on her lip, the curve of her teeth making the pink flesh of her lip pale under the pressure. Adley eyed me right back, still combing over me like she was studying a map. Her stare landed on my tattoos several times, and I knew they were something of a distraction.

It’s why I’d gotten them after all.

Still, it was the way her gaze kept returning to my mouth that had me the most on edge. The air was charged between us, invisible electricity surging through the air like cable ends nearing each other. The second they’d touch, they’d be sparks, and the power behind them was enough to jump a car or stop a heart.

“I just don’t understand,” she whispered. “Why me?”

My smile spread across my face easily, naturally. “I’d like to lie and come up with some line, but since you went and made me promise to be honest…”

I rolled my stare down for a moment, taking all of her in before flicking my gaze back up to her face. Adley visibly stiffened.

“I don’t know. I saw you, and that was it. I had to have you. The bodega, well, I’m familiar with families struggling to get by, so that’s a bonus. But really, it’s just you, Adley. You…fascinate me. And that’s rare.”

One more prolonged beat of silence hit, a rubber ball smacking the cement, and then Adley reached for her whiskey, realizing it was gone.

“Get me another drink, and then…” she swallowed, “yes.”

I smiled. I fucking grinned from ear to goddamn ear like I’d won the fucking lottery or finally ended that Pavel asshole and had time to spare on more lucrative jobs.

“Bartender,” I called out, “get my fiancé another drink, please.”

Adley blanched slightly as I said the word, but there was no going back now. As the guy came over and set down her new drink, Adley reached for it like it was the cure to some poison—and not, in fact, the poison itself.

I shot my hand out, snatching her wrist before she could grip the glass.

“You’re going to need to talk to the banker when we get there. I hope that your tolerance wasn’t just a show.”

She shook her head slowly, those blue rolling. It was a gesture she gave me quite a bit, and I was genuinely looking forward to getting back home and teaching her just how that bratty display was going to be rewarded.Or rather…punished.

“I’m fine. And trust me, a little buzz will help me sound less like I’m being forced to sign my life away to save my parents’ business.” She shook off my hand, grabbed her drink, and knocked back a solid swig. “I really hope that your wallet can stretch. I have twin siblings looking to go to college, too.”

Chuckling, I considered my end of this bargain. I knew I was good for it, and the Vadims would love having another place to do business.

“You’re real funny, sweetheart. I promise the family will be thrilled to drop at least a grand each week to ensure their new hot spot is spouting a strong signal. Hell, they’ll be tickled that the money is going toward school.”

Adley’s mouth fell open again, and she sat forward in her chair with her eyes wide. “A grand a week?”

“To start, I’m sure I’ll be able to argue for more.”

Gawking, Adley curled into herself before that snarky attitude found her again. She shrugged, finishing the whiskey like a pro, and sighed heavily.

“All right,” I took out my wallet, going for my unique business credit card, “it looks like we have several errands we need to run. And I’m sure you’ll want to swing by your place to grab some shit.”

Adley snapped her attention to me. “You’ll…You’ll let me go home? Umm…okay.”

“Okay,” I returned, standing up from the chair and offering my arm to my new bride.

Chapter 5 - Adley

Ivan’s car, his fucking Escalade, was way too nice. There were customizations I didn’t realize were even an option, and something told me that it was probably bulletproof, too. I was buckled in tight in the front seat, and even though I’d been just as close to him in the bar, I felt awkward riding in the car with Ivan.

“Where to, sweetheart?” He looked over at me, his finger poised on the navigation system.

“Oh, right.” I gave him the bank's address and watched as he entered it.

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