Page 26 of Claimed By the Bratva

“No, Joyce, I would never. But I got you, you are safe, calm down, please,” I begged, feeling my heart ripping to shreds.How could she even think such a thing of me? I pulled her closer as I continued to soothe her. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”

After a second or two, she finally placed her arms around. I held her tight as she cried into my chest. “I won’t let anyone harm you; I’m so sorry,” I added, holding her firmly and rubbing her back until I felt her starting to relax. Her sobbing slowly became less.

I held her firmly, not wanting to let go as my protectiveness of her overwhelmed me. I wished I had acted sooner, brought her back here, and kept her locked up. At least that way, she would have been spared this pain.

But on the other hand, it was my fault for involving her in the first place. If I had stuck to the original plan, none of this would have happened. Yet, I couldn’t let go; I wanted her in my life. I had to see her at work and make a scene, this was all my doing.

Burying my face in her neck, I inhaled her sweet aroma, allowing her essence to calm my exploding heart. Joyce took a couple of deep breaths, calming herself. She pulled back a tad and glanced up.

I knew then that I would have to open up and tell her the truth. If I kept it hidden any longer, I might lose her. I had to convince her to stay with me. It was the only way I could ensure she was safe.

I could still hear some fear in her voice as she spoke softly. “What happened? Who was that man?”

“Joyce,” I whispered, taking her face in my hands. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to stay here again. You can’t go home or back to work. Some bad people are after you; you are on their radar, and they will not stop targeting you.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “You will be safe here with me. I fear they may be monitoring your work and home. If you return, you will be captured again, and this time, I might not be there or get to you in time. Do you understand this?”

Joyce looked confused; her eyes appeared to be glossing over. Trying to clarify things, I spoke again. “I know this will be hard, but you cannot go back to your life.”

There was a spark in her eyes as she stared at me. Her tone was harsh when she spoke, filled with an unexpected anger I had only seen once. This was an intense turn-on for me as her spirit was strong and her will profound. She made me think of an unbroken stallion, and I loved this part of her.

“What the hell is going on, Anton? What did I get myself into, or does this have to do with the information I gave you?” Joyce pulled back and stood up. I could see her brain was working overtime as she started to pace back and forth beside the bed.

“If this concerns you or the information, I have a right to know!” She spat, stomping her foot on the ground. “What have I gotten into?”

I sighed as I rose, taking hold of her shoulders. I wanted her to understand and knew I would have to tell her everything. I would have to share my Bratva lineage with her to keep her safe. I hated the fact that she thought this was her fault. I would share as much with her as was safe.

I spoke softly, hoping she could forgive me for my part in this chaos. “None of this is your fault, Joyce. You are being targeted because you were seen with me.”

Joyce stepped back, her eyes clearing as if a light had come on in her mind. I couldn’t afford her to make any conclusions without all the facts, so I continued. “I’m part of aBratva family, and one of our alliance’s enemies is after us. They are trying to harm our family.”

She stuttered, stepping back quickly. “But I’m not part…,” Joyce was up against the wall and had nowhere else to go as I stood before her. I could see she was trying hard to wrap her mind around everything.

“No, you’re not, but they are targeting anyone we have had contact with. This has nothing to do with the info you obtained and gave me. It is because of our bond.”

Her eyes hazed up again. Joyce blinked rapidly, shaking her head slowly. I wiped a lonely tear running down her cheek, hoping she didn’t hate me after all of this. I took her by the shoulders and guided her to sit on the bed. “Joyce, I am sorry,” I added.

Joyce glanced at me as she shoved me back. Her eyes were filled with deep sorrow as she lunged from the bed, moving out of the room. I followed her into the lounge area. “Joyce,” I said softly, taking hold of her arm and turning her to face me. “I am sorry; I didn’t intend for you to get caught up in all this.”

She stepped back, pulling her arm free. Her expression was a combination of shock and fear. I wanted to hold her, pull her into my arms, and comfort her. But with each step I took, she moved back, so I stopped. “Can we sit down and talk about it?” I asked softly.

Joyce glanced around half frantically. “I know this is a lot to take in, but we will get through it,” I added, hoping to bring her some form of peace.

Chapter 16 - Joyce

No, no, this can’t be happening, I screamed inside my head. Turning swiftly, I moved to the room where I stayed before. I was horrified to hear he was also part of the Bratva world. I have heard so many stories of people like him. How could I have gotten myself involved with someone like him?

Slamming the door shut, I locked it before falling on the bed. Tears streamed down my face. As I lay there trying to grasp all Anton had just shared with me, I felt my chest closing. Angst filled my body as I recalled how the other man treated me. Rubbing my cheek, stung as the swelling from his hit hadn’t gone down yet.

Sitting up, I looked at the door. No, Anton was one of the bad guys, I told myself as I went to the bathroom and rinsed my face. Looking into the mirror, I swung around, sure I had seen someone in the window. But there was no one outside.

I walked closer to the window and looked around. It was early morning, but the sun was high enough to light up the world. Everything was quiet and undisturbed outside. Breathing out heavily, I went back to the room and sat down on the bed.

How could I not have seen it? I knew what Jax had done; the family spoke openly about the sighs. Yet, Anton didn’t show any of them, or I missed it. I was enchanted. His charismatic nature, broad shoulders, and perfect build.

I thought this was what living a closed-in life did to me as I rose from the bed. Standing by the window, I admired the birds flying in two groups overhead. They were free from all the troubles life held. I wished I was one of them. I would fly away, leaving all my issues behind.

A knock at the door startled me, and I let out a small scream. “Joyce,” Anton’s voice boomed through the door as he started banging on it. “Joyce, are you okay?”

---