Page 22 of Bound to the Mafia King

My brother, who sat in the front of the car, looked at Sergei through the rearview mirror. “We have already discussed this. If she is to remain pure, we cannot risk you being in the same house as her until she is married. That was the agreement.”

I heard the grinding of his teeth as he bit back, “And I told you to let me marry her now.”

“And I told youno. We agreed that you are to marry in the next six months. I need to attend to some things in Russia to ensure that this union holds. Surely you are not that desperate to fuck that you want my sister now?”

I hated how my brother spoke about me like I wasn’t sitting in the car with him. But this was the life of a woman in this world—seen and never heard.

“You know that I have no problem getting someone to fuck. My issue is that she will be under the care of other men when her husband is here and able.”

My stomach turned when he said the word husband.

“You are not her husband yet. And besides, she will be under Savina’s ward, not Andres or Valerio.”

In my peripheral vision, I watched his jaw clench at the mention of Valerio’s name. I saw that there was no love when it came to him. I was sure that he was still holding onto what had happened at the gala that night.

“Do you trust them, Danill?” Sergei asked the question into the car. “Do you trust that they will protect your sister’s virtue better than I could?”

You couldn’t protect something that was no longer there. But no one else knew that my virtue was gone. It was still an obstacle that I needed to overcome when the time came for my wedding night. For now, however, I would simply play along.

The remainder of the ride was spent in silence, until we pulled up to the exquisite Valdez manor. The family had several properties, including a massive penthouse in the Upper EastSide, but since having children, Savina preferred to spend her time in the beautiful suburban area of Millbrook. The manor was surrounded by greenery and thick forest land.

I tried to keep from gaping as the manor came into view as we drove up the driveway. I always knew that the Valdez and Baratelli union was powerful financially, but I never imagined they would live this luxuriously. It was like I had stepped into the Great Gatsby Era.

The car drove up to the front door, where two large pillars held up the extended roof to offer shelter from the weather.

Standing at the door were Savina and Andres Valdez. I had last seen them at the gala, and they had been nice and accommodating for the most part.

My door opened, and when I looked at who had opened it for me, I caught a pair of blue-grey eyes. They were just as piercing as I had remembered, and the memory of when I had last stared into them hit me like a two-toned truck.

Fuck.

Valerio offered me his hand. “Welcome to my home, Anastasia.”

And the one thing I had been most worried about when I heard I would be coming here stared me right in the face. If what had happened last time taught me anything, it was that I couldn’t trust myself around Valerio Valdez, and I needed to keep my distance.

We sat in the study; the silence was so loud that I could hear the gentle but uneven thudding of my heart. I was well aware of Valerio’s eyes on me. They pierced right into the center of my skull like he could see into my thoughts.

The last time I had seen him was when he had trespassed on our property. The flashes of that kiss filtered into my mind no matter how hard I tried to push the thoughts back. The last thing that I needed right now was to be blushing at a briefing meeting.

Just as Valerio was watching me, so was my fiancé, who had not let go of my hand since we entered. But what might have looked like a loving gesture to his betrothed, was actually something else. The strength and possession behind his hold told me as much.

He was claiming me as his property to all his opponents. And seeing as I was related to one male and the other was happily married to the Ice Queen herself, that only left one man.

Valerio Valdez.

“She will be safe in my care. You have my word.” Savina’s voice penetrated my busy thoughts.

It was then that I realized that people had been speaking. I shook my head slightly, but unfortunately my fiancé caught on. His grip on my hand tightened and he drew his mouth to my ear.

“Behave yourself,” he hissed in my ear.

I looked to him with a fake loving smile and nodded. I placed my free hand on top of his and patted like he had just told me that I was the apple of his eye.

I hated putting up this charade, but why worry my brother when there was nothing that could be done about this union? The papers had already been signed, and the first instalments made. I just had to suck it up and do my best not to look like I wanted to cry.

“I only request that Valerio stay clear of my sister.” Danill’s eyes cut to Valerio. “He is, after all, a single man, and I cannot have my sister’s virtue be risked.”

“Don’t worry. I would never rape a woman. I have no need to force myself upon someone, unlike other men in this room.” Wedidn’t need to guess who he was speaking about. His eyes were dead set on Sergei. “Don’t feel threatened, Sergei.”

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