Page 16 of Mob Bride

I had to be careful about what was in the background when I sent her pictures to prove the swelling was going down. My parents helped me move into the apartment in Pittsburgh, so my mom and dad would both know if the background didn’t match where I supposedly live. Bathroom selfies are the best.

I got a message from Bartlomiej this morning telling me he was back in town, and he expects to see me.

I’m too invested.

I remind myself of that while I dress and head out to the subway. My thoughts keep me occupied while I ride the few stops from my apartment to Bartlomiej’s house. The guys say hi to me, and I can tell they’re all still worried. I look a hell of a lot better than I did the last time I was here.

“Ksiezniczka?” Princess?

I hear Bartlomiej call out to me as I walk past an MMA cage fight on TV. I’m not a fan of his nickname, but whatever.

“Here I am.”

I walk around the corner and find him in the kitchen with Jacek and Tymoteusz. Tymoteusz crosses his arms and glowers at Jacek, who smirks at me. Bartlomiej takes in the bruises I’m still sporting. The swelling’s gone down around my eyes enough for me to open them, but they’re still blackened. My vision’s still blurry longer than it should be after I wake up.

“Jacek, you didn’t tell me the truth. You said you roughed her up a little because you thought she was lying. You didn’t tell me you beat the shit out of the love of my life.”

Ugh, that makes my stomach curdle. Tymoteusz pushes away from the counter and walks over to me. He puts his arm around my shoulder, daring to touch me in front of his cousin. Hewalks me over to the kitchen table and pulls out a chair for me. He stands behind it, my self-appointed guard. When he looks at Bartlomiej, which I can see through the reflection on the window, his expression is clear as day.

“It’s as I told you, Bartek.”

Bartlomiej nods and comes over to me, approaching slowly, uncertain what I might do. It shocks me how easily I burst into tears. Not because I want his comfort. I’d rather go swimming in the sewers of New York than accept his hug, but I do. It’s tears from the pain and frustration. I haven’t let myself feel my fear, anger, pain. I was saving them for this moment. I just didn’t have to make the tears come.

I sob against his shoulder as Bartlomiej alternates swearing at Jacek and cooing to me, trying to calm me down. It surprises me when he lifts me into his arms. He’s gentle. He’s done this plenty of times, but it’s always been from lust or jest. He carries me out of the kitchen and up to his bedroom, where he carefully places me on the bed. He sits down facing me and cups my hands between his.

“Oh,ksiezniczka, I’m so sorry. Jacek said you two got in an argument, and he slapped you around a bit. I’ve already dealt with that, or at least I thought I had. Clearly, he wasn’t telling the truth, and I didn’t believe Tymoteusz. I thought he was exaggerating, since he’s in love with you.”

I shake my head, and I wince in truth. “Bartek, Tymoteusz doesn’t love me. He’s loyal to you, which means he’s protective of me. He knows what kind of man Jacek is. I wish you could see what all of us do. I know you don’t trust Jacek, and you’re stuck because he’s your brother. But he’s way worse than you believe.”

I lift my shirt and pull it over my head, wincing again in truth. Bartlomiej swears under his breath as he feathers his fingers over my ribs.

“Did he break any?”

“No. I don’t know how he didn’t. It certainly felt like it, but I don’t think so.”

His gaze meets mine. “Did you see a doctor?”

I shake my head. “No, how could I? Any doctor would insist I call the police and file a report. I can’t have my name on any records. It’d only point back to you. I couldn’t do that to you.”

Fuck, I’m laying it on thick, and he eats it up like a bowl full of ice cream.

“My sweet love, if only I could be someone else. If only I could take you far, far away.”

“I wish that, too, but it is what it is. It was what it was. It happened. There’s nothing either of us can do about it.”

“Oh, no, there’s plenty I can fucking do about this. I ought to find an accommodating gulag somewhere for him in Siberia.”

“Maybe, but you know you need him too much for that.”

Weariness crosses his face as he nods. “He still isn’t off the hook. Kaja, there’s no way I can ignore this. He will find out exactly what it feels like to be you.”

My assumed name is Karolina Sobecki, but I go by Kaja.

“No, Bartek, that’s not what I want. It will only make things worse. He already resents me for the time you spend with me. He doesn’t trust me because he doesn’t know me like you do. I don’t want him to know me the way you do.” I give him a pointed look and offer him a shy smile.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead, avoiding my split lips and bruises. “I don’t want anyone to know you the way I do, either.”

“Then you can’t blame him for being protective of you.”

---