Page 41 of The Bratva's Sold Bride

“I wouldn’t mind shooting some things,” I muttered, very much under my breath.

He still heard me and turned, raising a brow. “Oh yeah? Then we should set one up.”

Ivan clapped his hands, and the two brothers set off out back, past the pool and newly renovated garden, and into the jungle. Curiosity burned like a hot coal, but I forced myself to go into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee. It was only when Ivan returned half an hour later and started pulling guns out of the cabinet that I broke and followed him when he hurried back out.

We ended up in a clearing, where they’d set up some cans and bottles on a fallen log, and they both looked as proud as little boys who’d come home with a good report card. Their excitement was infectious, and I helped load up the guns with the boxes of ammo Ivan had stuffed in his pockets.

They marked off distances, and pretty soon, the first can was flying into the forest with a loud crack. Birds abandoned thetrees that surrounded us at the first shot, and squawked with anger at the second.

“We’ll have to set up something more sustainable,” Dima said, right before knocking down three cans in a row. “Just not today.”

“This is too much fun,” Ivan agreed, taking his turn and bringing down a bottle.

“Excuse me,” I said, as Dima got lined up for his next turn. “What happened to ‘ladies first’?”

“Oh, the missus wants to shoot something,” Ivan crowed, handing me his gun. “Show us what you’ve got. Here, wait, let me set up an easy one for you.”

He went to the pile of things they’d hauled from the recycle bin to serve as targets and placed a wide milk jug in the middle of the fallen tree.

Dima jumped in to try to show me how to line up the sight, but I stepped away from him and took out three of the smaller bottles in rapid succession.

“Holy crap,” Ivan said as Dima just stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

“I don’t know why you’d assume I couldn’t shoot,” I said mildly. I grew up around the Bratva. Of course, I could handle a gun.

“Lucky shots,” Ivan goaded, hurrying to pick up some rocks off the ground.

They were about the size of his fist, so not tiny, but much smaller targets than the bottles. As soon as he put them on the log and cleared the range, I sent them flying one by one. Okay, was I having fun? There was nothing quite like blasting things to oblivion when you were stressed.

Dima still stared at me as Ivan refused to believe I had such a good eye. My brother-in-law set up some more rocks and aimed for them, only hitting two out of the three. I didn’t bother to hide my smug look, easily taking out the rock he missed. Since he was a known crack shot, I had to believe he was going easy on me, and was determined to prove myself without any handicaps.

“Why don’t we back up and try from a greater distance?” I suggested.

“After Dima’s turn,” Ivan said, setting up again. “Unless you’re afraid your wife will show you up?”

With a grumble, Dima took the gun, giving me a long, slow look that had me simmering. This time, not with anger over… what was I mad about again? Dima took out the rocks with ease, and I paced off to a new starting point while Ivan found smaller rocks. It felt good to know my skills hadn’t grown rusty, even though it had been ages since I found the time to go to a range and practice.

Yes, I was having a good time despite everything. The brothers’ laughter and the simple camaraderie reminded me of similar moments when I worked for Max, and Dima would show up, joking around and trying to make me smile. Way back when, I thought he was my friend, and I had that secret crush on him.

“There’s no way you get those,” Ivan said, drawing me back to the present.

I smirked at him, my eyes skating over Dima as he watched me with such intensity my hand shook.

“She can do it,” Dima said.

It was hard to muster up outrage that he betrayed me like he did, when he was acting like my biggest cheerleader right now. What would have happened if I kept my big mouth shutand never told him my father was in trouble? Would I have been able to escape my exile in Russia more easily than trying to get free from here?

It was doubtful, because the Fokins and the Kuzmins wouldn’t have rested until their money was returned.

I glanced at Dima again and he gave me a slight nod, his eyes intense. I really hated being indebted to him most of all. My jailer. If only he hadn’t made me so relaxed that I let my guard down, but he was still much too good at that. And I had to admit I liked not having to be perfect all the time, since he was so easy going he was acting like I’d never stormed off last night. No apologies necessary, not that one was forthcoming from me.

God, if only I could stop finding myself having a good time with him.

Taking a moment to breathe and shake off the feel of his eyes caressing me, I aimed and fired. Three tiny rocks pinged into the air, exploding into dust.

“That is the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” Dima said in a low growl.

Our eyes locked, and a shimmer of need washed over my skin. If only I could stop being so damn attracted to him, too.

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