Page 32 of Ruthless Bratva King

He releases me suddenly and holds out a small velvet box. “This is for you.”

I blink at it, confused. “What is it?”

“Open it and see.”

With trembling fingers, I take the box and flip it open. Inside is a simple but stunning band encrusted with diamonds.

“Dmitri...” I trail off, unsure of what to say.

“It’s a wedding ring,” he says plainly, as if that explains everything.

Veronica chokes on her laughter. “Oh, this just gotgood.”

I glance at her, mortified, but Dmitri doesn’t seem the least bit perturbed by her reaction. “Did you forget we were getting married?”

“I know you told those men I was your fiancée,” I say, looking back at him. “I guessed you were doing it to get them to leave me alone.”

“I wasn’t.” His expression hardens, his jaw tightening. “I don’t joke about things like this.”

“But... why? What are you trying to do?”

He takes the box from my hands, plucks out the ring, and holds it between his fingers. “I’m trying to keep you safe, Elena. As my wife, no one will dare hurt you.”

I stare at him, stunned. “Why would they want to hurt me?”

His lips press into a thin line. “Bad people are always out there, circling around like a pack of wolves. This marriage is the only way to protect you until I deal with them.”

“And what happens then?”

He hesitates, then says, “Then it ends.”

I swallow hard, trying to process this. “You mean a temporary marriage?”

“Yes.” His voice is firm, but there’s an undercurrent of something deeper in his gaze.

Veronica clears her throat loudly. “This is the most romantic business transaction I’ve ever witnessed. You two need to get a room, like now.”

“Veronica,” I hiss, shooting her a glare.

Dmitri ignores her entirely, stepping closer to me. He’s so close now that I can feel the warmth radiating from his body. “That ring will protect you better than any gun.”

My voice shakes as I say, “Why are you doing this?”

He tilts his head, studying me with an intensity that makes my pulse race. “Because you make me want things I never wanted before.”

“And what is that?”

“A life outside of my work.”

The room falls silent, his words hanging in the air like a spell.

Veronica, ever the tactful one, claps her hands together. “Well, this is officially my cue to go to bed. Congratulations, you crazy kids!”

She stands, winks at me, and saunters toward the door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which is basically nothing. Have fun!”

I look down at the ring in Dmitri’s hand, then back up at him. “You’re really serious about this.”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything,” he murmurs. He closes the remaining distance between us, lifting a hand to cup my cheek.

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