Page 23 of Plus-Sized Bratva Prisoner

I lift my face towards his because, despite everything that has happened today, I still can’t stop thinking about that kiss we shared.

It’s been haunting me; in between the stress and chaos and worry, his lips have been haunting me.

His mouth is inches from mine. I can feel the heat of his breath. The man I am going to marry.

My heart slams against my ribs.

His lips brush across mine, and I take in a sharp breath—

The door opens loudly, and I quickly step away from him in fright. But he grabs me around my waist and pulls me against his side, turning to face whoever is coming into his office so late at night.

“Yefim, what the fuck is going on?” Oleg, his brother, snarls in anger.

“Oleg, this is my fiancée, Tia. I don’t believe the two of you have properly met?”

“Yourwhat?” his brother stammers, and I stare wide-eyed in shock between the two of them.

Yefim’s confidence is astounding.

“My fiancée,” he says again, running his hand over my side in a loving gesture.

I don’t know what to say.

I’m literally speechless.

It looks like Oleg is as well.

***

Yefim doesn’t waste any time arranging the wedding.

He also fronts a large sum of money to cover my next two months of debt payments so that I can stop working the other jobs and focus on my studies and my internship at Dubrov Enterprises. He says image is important and his fiancée won’t be seen working herself to the bone.

I don’t like the idea of taking his money, but I also know he’s right. I am working myself to death, and soon I will be able to cover the repayments myself.

It’s a relief to have the debt collectors step back for the moment, satisfied with the payments they have received.

I can breathe.

I can catch up with myself and process all the crazy stuff that is happening in my life.

Yefim is also insisting I pack up my apartment and move in with him right after the wedding. I donotwant to give up my apartment, but I promised him a good reputation, and that means playing the full role of being his wife. I have to live with him.

Luckily, I don’t have a lot of possessions. Mostly my clothing and a few items from my childhood that I like topretend are sentimental even though most of my childhood was a horrible and traumatic experience.

My mother coming home drunk, passing out with a cigarette in her fingers, almost burning down the house on more than one occasion. Bringing strange men home, forcing me to lock my bedroom door to hide from them when they came to talk to me, terrifying me with some of the things they said.

Maybe I should burn all of it. All of my childhood memories.

Maybe, with this massive change that is happening in my life, I should move on from the past and start looking forward to the future. One where I really am debt free, working a good job, earning enough money to take care of myself…

I sigh and toss the pink teddy bear I was holding into the trash can.

Yes.

It’s time to become Yefim’s wife, just for now, for all the world to see—until I get what I want.

***

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