Page 34 of Claimed By the Bratva

We have been trying for quite some time with no luck. Once she connected the first one, she quickly found the links for the others. I pushed out my chest as pride filled me. She was more than just a beautiful woman; she was a wonder.

“Here,” she exclaimed. “Here is a clear line between each client and this Jason person,” Joyce stated, pushing back from the table. Tasha and Mila stood stunned for a moment as they studied the schematic Joyce had drawn up.

Joyce glanced at me, a satisfied smile on her perfect lips. I wanted to grab her up and hug her so tight that she couldn’t breathe. But I knew the timing wasn’t right. I waited as Tasha and Mila thanked her. “We would never have been able to get this without your help. Thank you so much,” Mila added, hugging Joyce. “How did you put them together?”

“Once you know what each company ships, you can form links via the products,” Joyce replied.

“It is truly remarkable,” Tasha said, smiling at Joyce. “We can surely use you in the business.”

“We’ll think about it,” I said, stepping closer and placing my arm around Joyce’s shoulders. The three laughed as Joyce rolled her eyes at me. “Enough,” I added jokingly. “It’s time we went home.”

“Sure, you keep her safe. We can use her around here. She brightens things, not like you,” Tasha added, laughing as we walked to the door.

Waving over our heads, I held Joyce tight as I led her back out. In the elevator, I noticed she looked down as a frown crossed her brows. I watched her close as we left the building and got into my truck. Something was bothering her.

Getting in on the driver's side, I couldn’t ignore it any longer. “Joyce,” I said softly, turning to face her. “What’s wrong? You seemed to love what you did, yet you now look unhappy. If you’re not ready, you don’t have to. You know that, right?”

Joyce bobbed her head in agreement. Turning to me, I saw tears in her bright eyes. “No, my sweet Joyce, what’s wrong?” I asked, pulling her closer and holding her in my arms.

She sniffled lightly before speaking. “I was enjoying it so much. I loved being able to help and make links. Yet, everything Jax did and how he changed seems to haunt me. It’s stuck in the back of my mind and keeps trying to come out.”

Holding her shoulders, I pushed her back softly as I replied. “Oh, dear Joyce. You are nothing like him.”

Joyce smiled faintly before putting her arms around me. “I know, but…”

“No buts, you will be fine, I promise,” I added, kissing her head. I knew this was a difficult subject for her, everything about our lifestyle was tough and would take time to adjust to.

“You know what?” I asked, smiling at her as I let go and started the truck.

“What?” she replied, wiping her cheeks.

“I think we need to get out. How would you like to go on a date?” I spurted.

Joyce smiled thinly as she nodded.

Chapter 20 - Joyce

When he invited me on this date, I was expecting normal, like with any other man. But Anton wasn’t just any man. I should have seen this coming. But no, my mother always used to say I had blinders on. Now, I think she was right.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror as I finished the final touches. Anton said I must be ready by ten. I wasn’t sure why he wanted to leave so early in the day. Dates generally occurred in the evenings, but I assumed it was more of a lunch date.

Sitting back down at the dressing table, I applied a final layer of lipstick. I heard a knock at the door. Putting the lipstick down, I stood walking to the door. There stood Anton in a pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. He looked more handsome than usual, and his grey eyes were almost misty in color.

He stepped back, looking me up and down. “Are you ready?” he asked, sounding slightly short of breath.

I nodded, feeling the blush streaking across my cheeks. He held his hand out, and I took it. He always made me blush when he glanced at me up and down. He opened the truck door and waited for me to get in before closing it. After so much time together, it still felt out of place. But it was nice to be treated like royalty.

“So, where are we going?” I asked as he pulled out.

Glancing at me, he smiled and turned his head from side to side. “It’s a surprise,” he whispered, squeezing my knee. I watched him as he drove, his one hand on the gear lever and the other on the steering. He had a grace about him that was unmistakable.

His amazingly chiseled face led down to a muscular chest and more. I grinned as my mind wandered. As the truck came to a stop, I looked around. I had been so deep in thought I hadn’t noticed. “What are we doing at an amusement park? I thought we were going out?”

He jumped out and came around to open my door. “This is out, isn’t it?” he asked.

Smiling, he took my hand and started for the gate. “We are going on a date, a dinner date. But I thought we could have some fun first. Don’t you like amusement parks?”

I had never been on a date that consisted of an entire date and found it a bit unusual. Plus, going to an amusement park felt odd. After all, we were adults. Yet, keeping an open mind, I felt sure it could be fun.

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