Page 23 of Claimed By the Bratva

“Joyce,” I said softly, waiting for her to look at me. Locking eyes with her, I continued. “I can’t promise or guarantee you such a thing. I am a man of my word, but when it gets to you. Well, I seem to have lost all self-control. I am unable to control myself when I’m around you.”

There was a glittering in her eyes. She blinked and looked away. Turning back to me, I could see she was struggling with her emotions. “Can you at least try?” she asked kindly. Her eyes were pleading.

Nodding, I spoke calmly, wanting to satisfy her. “I will try my best, and I can promise you that.”

Her face lit up as she smiled. “So,” she said, leaning closer to the screen. “Does that mean I’ll be seeing you around more often?”

Shaking my head as I replied, I felt my heart aching. I wished I could, but I knew it would only endanger her. “Something has come up, and I won’t be able to see you for a while. But as soon as my family has taken care of it, I will be around more than you like.”

Joyce laughed; it was a soothing sound that sparked my emotions. I found myself wishing things had been different. If we had met under normal circumstances, I wondered if we could have made a connection.

“So, how has your day been so far?” I asked casually.

I could hear her keenness for what she did as she explained how she uncomplicated a client's account. Then she stared at me in silence for a second. “Anton,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Tell me more about your family. What are they like? Did you grow up here?”

Turning my head sideways, I flashed her a grin. “Well,” I started, then thought carefully about what to say without letting anything slip. “My family is great, like most, I guess. I have three brothers and a sister. As for how I grew up…”

Lowering my head, I bit my bottom lip. Taking a slow breath, I looked at her again. “That is a story for another day.” I finally added.

She smiled at me, licking her lips, and I felt my body lighting up. “Let’s see,” I huffed. “My father was a strict businessman. He spent most of his time and attention grooming my big brother to take his place. To keep his legacy going.” I laughed, thinking back.

We had good times growing up. Especially family gatherings or functions. But telling her everything would take a month or longer. “My mother was a loving, kind woman. She always tried her best to keep us all happy. However, I am sure it couldn’t have been easy.”

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the sudden wave of pain from my mind before continuing. “After she passed, I kept the peace and raised my other siblings the way she had taught me. They needed one-on-one contact, which our father never gave. I tried my best to gain his recognition. But sadly, I don’t think I ever lived up to what he wanted.”

Giving her a slight grin, she spoke before I could. “Does this mean you and your eldest brother fight a lot or don’t get along?”

Shaking my head, I knew I had to change the subject. “Enough about me. Tell me about your family?”

Joyce smiled, but I could see it was a pasted-on smile. She spoke in seemingly a distant tone as if she didn’t want to discuss her family. “Sure, I grew up in an overly strict family, as I am sure you know.”

“Reading about something is not the same as living it, Joyce,” I said tenderly.

“Well, I guess that’s true. I grew up mostly independent as my parents spent a lot of time with Jax after his parents died. My father took him in as I was an only child, and he wanted a boy. He raised Jax like his own son.”

I could see Joyce was in pain as she spoke. Tears formed in her eyes, and she turned her head away as she continued. “At first, all was fine. Jax was a kind and caring boy. He did exceptionally well in school, and we were best friends. But then…”

Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Joyce,” I responded, not sure why, except that I wanted to ease her pain.

She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Jax started causing trouble at school. Small things at first. Stealing things, breaking into lockers, stuff like that. He was about fifteen. At seventeen, he almost caused a suicide. He acted like nothing was wrong. As if life was no big deal. But we knew something was wrong with him.”

I waited patiently as she took a deep breath before continuing. “For a while, my parents held onto hope. They punished him by taking his phone and computer while grounding him. They hoped he would come to his senses and the old Jax would come back to us.”

“But he never did, did he?” I asked softly.

Joyce shook her head in agreement as she spoke. “We soon realized he would never be who he was again. The sweet, innocent child was gone. Then he got arrested. This was the last straw, the breaking of the camel’s back for my parents. My dad shunned him from the family, and we had to cut all ties with him. I don’t know why he was arrested, but it had to be bad.”

I could feel the pain coming through in her tone and wished I could hold her. “I’m sorry for all you’ve suffered. I promise I will never cause you such pain, Joyce.”

She smiled faintly. “It’s life, I guess,” she commented.

“No one and not one thing will ever cause you any more pain if you stick with me, doll face,” I said lightly, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Okay, if you say so,” she retorted. “I have to go; can we talk later?”

“Sure thing, I’ll call you tonight. Have fun,” I replied before hanging up. Standing from the desk, I stretched my legs. Moving to the kitchen, I poured a cup of coffee and stood staring out the window.

I knew I couldn’t visit her, but I was sure, I could keep an eye on her. Picking up my keys, I placed the cup down. I would be very careful and not get too close; I thought as I left the house. I would just watch her from a distance, ensuring she was safe.

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