Page 47 of Ruthless Vows

“You’ve been failing, little brother,” I say kindly.

His fists clench. He lets out a deep breath, keeping his eyes fixed on me. “What are you going to do, Ivan?”

“I don’t know,” I say on a shrug. “Actually, I do. I’m going to get to know Lucia.”

“And then what?”

“Figure out if she’s worth it.”

“If she’s worth our relationship, you mean,” my brother corrects. “Because make no mistake, if you marry her, you’ll lose me.”

“Hmm. We’ll see about that, little brother. Have some soup, will you?” I say, tossing the aspirin on the bed before heading for the door. “I’m not a monster, and I’m not trying to hurt you.”

“And yet you hurt me all the time,” he says, eyes hard.

He’s been singing that tune ever since I joined the Bratva and started making a better life for us.

“You hurt yourself, Alexei. You always have.”

“Maybe it’s time I stopped.”

I should say something more. Because I really don’t like the look in his eyes right now. Instead, I turn around and leave. With my little brother, it’s always easier to leave. Most of the time, I don’t make that choice. But right now, I don’t think I have another option.

I’ve protected my brother all his life, sometimes at the expense of mine. I have to believe that he’ll understand the depths of that sacrifice.

The first thing that pops into my head as soon as I step out of the hotel is that I have to see Lucia. The air inside the villa is cool as I step inside, and I take a moment to let the calm wash over me. The tension from earlier eases slightly as I walk through the foyer.

I make my way to the living room, my footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floors. As I round the corner, I catch sight of Lucia. She’s curled up on the oversized couch, remote in hand, flipping through channels like she’s been here all her life. There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing her here, even though I know she doesn’t want to be.

I pause in the doorway, watching her for a moment. She hasn’t noticed me yet, too engrossed in whatever she’s looking for on the screen. The morning light filters in through the large windows, casting a soft glow over her, making her look almost serene, like she belongs here.

She’s wearing a silk robe, the dark blue fabric hanging over her curves. She still hasn’t noticed me standing here watching her, so I enjoy the few moments of silence. Finally, though, I step into the room, making my presence known. Her head snaps up, eyes narrowing slightly when she sees me. For a man in my position, I’m used to seeing a certain look in people’s eyes—fear, because they know what I’m capable of. Deference, because they know I’m better than them.

But that’s never been the case with Lucia. There’s no fear in those amber eyes, just defiance, a silent challenge that only makes me want to keep her here even more.

“You look like shit,” she says in greeting, sitting up on the couch.

“I had a rough night. How about you? Did you sleep well?”

“As well as I could in a room that isn’t mine,” she replies, that defiant spark still there. “When do I get to go home?”

My lips tilt up in a small smirk. “What do you mean,milaya?”

“In light of our current situation, it only makes sense that you’ll be abandoning your stupid plan to force me into a marriage, Ivan. I repeat, when do I get to go home?”

“You’re home now, Lucia,” I say, my voice calm as I move closer, standing just a few feet away from her.

“Are you serious? What about your brother?”

“What about him?” I ask on a shrug.

Her mouth falls open. “You really are a sociopath.”

“No,krasavitsa. I’m practical,” I state, unbuttoning my suit jacket before settling down on the sofa across from her. “While your situation with my brother is unfortunate, I’ve yet to see why it should hinder our marriage going forward.”

“Wow,” she mutters in disbelief.

“So…” I drawl.

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