Page 21 of Unbreakable Vow

“What am I supposed to call her? She still hasn’t agreed to marry you, so she’s not your wife or your fiancée. She’s your girlfriend.”

He scowls at me. Nothing pisses him off more than referring to Marlena as his girlfriend. She’ll marry him, I’m sure of it, but she’s putting him through his paces first.

Why not just drag her down the aisle and be done with it? I’ll never understand how much he gives in to her.

“He’s trying to anger you. Why do you fall for it every fucking time?” Andrei shoves Viktor’s shoulder as he passes him, taking his seat on the couch. “What’s the problem, Sergei? Is it with your grandmother’s estate?”

“No. I have that matter settled. It’s the?—”

“Settled?” Viktor puts his phone away. “How did you settle it? Are you married?”

It brings him too much joy that I have to marry to get control of my grandmother’s businesses—companies that should have gone to my mother anyway had her family not turned their backs on her.

Cut off from her parents and siblings because of her choice in marriage, instead of marrying the man her father handpicked for her to solidify his own financial interests, she married against his wishes into a family he despised.

“Not yet.” I frown. “Saturday morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Andrei’s eyebrows shoot up. “And who is the bride?”

“Her name is Coraline Christenson. We’ll marry on Saturday.”

“Coraline?” Viktor puts his hand up. “The girl from the country club?” A knowing grin spreads across his lips.

“It’s a business arrangement. As soon as the estates are all settled, we’ll end the marriage.”

“You’re going to get a divorce?” Viktor accuses. “Petrovs do not divorce.”

I glare at him. “It’s a business arrangement. That’s all.”

“A business arrangement,” Viktor scoffs. “Do you hear what he’s saying?” He slaps Andrei’s shoulder.

“I hear him just fine.” Andrei stares at me. “Have you slept with her?”

“Are you that old-fashioned?” I shoot at him. “If I’ve fucked her, I have to marry her?”

“If you consummate the marriage, yes.” His voice hardens.

He’s not wrong. Long-standing traditions aren’t meant to be broken, and this is one that the Petrov family has taken seriously for generations. No divorce. Separations happen. Living indifferent countries has been known to happen, but the marriage remains intact.

“We are not back home, Andrei. Neither of you are even with Russian women. Why keep such an outdated tradition going?”

“Has he lost his mind?” Viktor folds his arms over his chest. “Who you marry doesn’t matter. You know this.”

I clench my jaw. We’ve veered from the topic at hand. “I’ll worry about that. What we all need to be worried about now is we may have a rat in our ranks.”

“What are you talking about?” Viktor moves to the armchair and takes a seat.

“Coraline overheard a detective at the coffee shop she goes to talking about having someone who is willing to talk to him about our family. Leskov was also mentioned,” I explain.

“Does she know this cop?” Andrei asks.

“No. She overheard him, that’s all.”

“It could be anyone.” Viktor frowns.

“Is there anyone close to this that is having issues? Complaining about shit or having financial trouble? Drugs? Something like that?” Andrei paces, thinking out loud.

“Not that I’m aware of, but I don’t pay attention to that shit. Who can we trust completely that would be able to poke around without letting the rat know we’re on to him?” My phone vibrates against my chest.

---