Page 71 of Unleashed

I hold his hand, feeling a bit shy, as she leads us to a back room. Before we even enter, we can hear chatter and laughter.

I’ll know some people here, anyway, and I’m thankful when I see the familiar faces of Zoya and Yana. Zoya waves at us and beckons us to come over to her, but Rafail is still saying hello to a few people.

“Ah, there’s the happy couple.” His grandfather is small and frail, but his eyes remind me of Rafail’s, and beneath his calm demeanor lies undeniable strength. His warm eyes and soft voice don’t bely the power he holds. “Welcome. Come, come. Have a seat. Have some wine.”

He gestures to the two vacant seats next to Zoya’s, but Rafail’s still scouting the room. He nods to his friend Vadka and to Semyon, Rodion, and a few other unfamiliar faces I don’t recognize. He introduces me to a few cousins.

“Matvei, Gleb, meet my wife Anissa.”

“Oh,” I say with a smile. “We didn’t meet at the wedding?”

The two men look sharply at Rafail, who only shakes his head. “I’m sorry, she’s forgotten a lot, but her memory’s slowly coming back.” My cheeks flush. Is he embarrassed by me?

“I’m-I’m sorry,” I stammer.

“You’re fine,” Matvei says, extending his hand. He’s a large guy like the others, with broad shoulders and a quiet intensity. Even though he’s not as outwardly threatening as Rafail, his presence alone commands respect.

Noted.

“Your husband is like an older brother to me,” Matvei says with a smile. “We grew up together, and I look up to him. I’m pleased to meet you.”

I smile at him. “He’s everyone’s older brother, isn’t he?” I hold onto his arm, his bicep taut beneath my hand.

Leaning in, he brushes his lips to my cheek.

“Not everyone’s,” his other cousin says with a smirk that makes me feel a little uneasy. “Gleb.” Gleb is more slender than his brother, with sharp features and a charming smile I can’t trust. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and I’m immediately on edge. “So you’re the woman who finally got Rafail to settle down. Must be quite the story.”

I glance at Rafail. Settle down?

Why has it never occurred to me that there were other women before me?Settle down?How many women were there before me?

“Oh, I guess you could say that.” I laugh.

Gleb winks at me. Rafail’s muscles tighten under my hand, but his face remains placid. “We’ll have to hear all about it sometime. I bet with my cousin here, it isn’t all candlelit dinners and diamonds.”

“Oh,” I say lightly with a lame attempt at a laugh. “He’s pretty damn good with those candlelit dinners and diamonds if I say so myself.”

Rafail stifles a low growl. “Good girl,” he says softly. “Let’s keep the questions to a minimum, Gleb. I’d much rather hear about your adventures in America. You spent some time in New York, didn’t you?”

America.My heart aches for reasons I can’t quite understand.

Rafail pulls out the chair next to Zoya, who leans in and whispers in my ear, “Now, don’t worry about him at all. Gleb’s a jerk. Matvei’s alright, though, you’ll see.”

But his cousin isn’t finished. “It’s not every day we get to meet the new Mrs. Kopolov.”

Rafail grimaces at Semyon. “Did you let Gleb get into the wine again? We talked about that.”

Gleb’s eyes flash at Rafail so quickly that I think I may have imagined it. “Just be careful around him. Life with Rafail can be…” He leans forward. “Intense.”

I smile. “Oh, I’ve noticed. I happen to like intense. Life isn’t all fun and games, you know?” I give him a wink back and take the glass of water Rafail offers me.

Rafail’s warm, firm hand on my thigh sends a shiver down my spine, somehow both approval and a warning to behave. I half flirt with the idea of pushing, just to see what he’ll do, but the memory of this morning’s still fresh in my mind.

So, while they talk about business and football and the American version of vodka, which they all seem to despise, I talk with Zoya about which dress she should wear to her upcoming semi-formal.

“Have you asked your brother about that yet?” I whisper to her.

“Oh no,” she says with a little smile that’s part grimace. “I was, uh, sort of hoping you would.”

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