Page 2 of Till Death Saves Me

Nikolai rises, walking to the window that overlooks the city. "I remember when I first told you about this plan. You were skeptical then, too."

Nikolai is good at reading most people, especially me, since I've been around him for so long. It doesn't surprise me that he saw the emotion I was trying to bury. It's why he's a damn good Pakhan.

The memory rises unbidden. Five years ago, in this very office. Nikolai explaining the long game, the need to secure Alexander's loyalty and resources. And at the center of it all, a sixteen-year-old girl I'd barely met.

"Virginia was still a child," I say, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

"And now she's of age," Nikolai counters. "This marriage will cement our alliance with Alexander. He's got business ties I need, and his protection will be good for me in the long run. Can't have him dying before I'm ready for it."

I nod, swallowing my objections. Nikolai turns to face me, his expression softening slightly. "I know this isn't ideal, Ivan. But I need you for this." A smug smile tugs at his lips. "You're the closest thing I have to another brother and I can't marry Lev off again."

His words hit their mark, as they always do. My loyalty to Nikolai, to the Bratva, runs deeper than any personal discomfort. I straighten, meeting his gaze. "I understand, Pakhan. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Nikolai says, clapping me on the shoulder. "And hey, take it from me, sometimes it's not so bad having a pretty one in your house."

I nod, forcing myself not to roll my eyes. Nikolai has been married to Marie for nearly twenty years at this point, forced to marry when he was just of age. They've become friends in a way, the best outcome for these kinds of marriages.

Better than I am hoping for truthfully.

As I turn to leave, Nikolai calls out, "Ivan." I pause at the door, looking back. "Remember, she's young." He raises aneyebrow at me. "I hope I don't have to tell you the same thing I did to Lev."

I shake my head. Lev took out every bit of his anger on his wife — but lucky for him, he had met his match in Aleks. I may be annoyed at Virginia's sheltered life, at how I am going to be forced to deal with an innocent little bride who will only get in my way, but I won't punish her for it.

I make my way to Lev's office, my mind still churning over the conversation with Nikolai. It's a few floors down in the Sokolov Bio Tech building, its gleaming façade a perfect cover for our less legitimate operations. How else would Bratva offices be in the middle of Manhattan?

As I step into Lev's office, he looks up from his desk with a smirk. "Well, if it isn't the blushing groom-to-be."

I level a cold stare at him. "Spare me the jokes, Lev."

He leans back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Come on, Ivan. Don't you want to celebrate?" The way he says it, almost threatening, reminds me of the night of his engagement celebration.

I'm starting to empathize with my friend now.

"No," I snap, my patience wearing thin. "This is business, nothing more."

Lev's expression sobers slightly. "Look, I know this isn't ideal. But remember what you told me when I found out about Aleks? 'It's not her fault, so don't take it out on her.'"

His words hit like a punch to the gut, igniting a flare of anger in my chest. "What the fuck, Lev? Why does everyone think I'm going to mistreat her?"

Lev holds up his hands, placating. "Hey, I'm just saying?—"

"No," I cut him off, my voice sharp as steel. I reign in my temper, one that rarely flares, and say much more calmly, "You don't need to say anything. I'm not you, Lev. I'm not going to lose my shit and take it out on some innocent girl."

Lev's eyes narrow. "Watch it, Ivan. That's my wife you're talking about."

I take a deep breath. "You're right. I apologize. But my point stands. I don't need lectures on how to treat Virginia."

"Alright, alright," Lev concedes, holding up his hands. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay with all this."

I clench my jaw, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "It doesn't matter if I'm okay with it. It's happening, and I'll do my duty. End of story."

I make it through the rest of the day without any more talk about the upcoming wedding. Meetings blur together, punctuated by terse phone calls and encrypted messages. It's business as usual, despite the life-altering contract I signed this morning.

As I'm gathering my things to leave, a file on my desk catches my eye. Virginia's dossier. I shouldn't look, not with the way I've already been raging about this woman today. I put it together because I refused to go into this marriage blind. But for some reason, I flip it open, and there she is - a recent photo taken at some charity gala.

For a split second, I'm struck by her beauty. The camera's caught her mid-laugh, head thrown back, curls tumbling over bare shoulders. Her eyes sparkle with genuine joy, her smile radiant and unguarded.

I slam the file shut, angry at myself for even noticing. Beauty means nothing in our world. It's a weapon, a distraction, a liability. And Virginia's beauty, coupled with her ignorance of the dangers that surround her, makes her a ticking time bomb.

---