Page 40 of The Bratva's Sold Bride

“That’s all I’ve got,” he answered. “And since you’re not inviting me over…”

“No, I am not,” I said.

“Then I’m getting back to my party.” He hung up, and I waited for the report on the mystery woman.

It didn’t take long since there wasn’t much, and not a damn thing on her report raised my hackles. Zoey Andrews was freshly graduated twenty two year old who is about to start her first real job as a kindergarten teacher and is using her free time before that new chapter starts to write the next great American novel, something she always wanted to do. She had just chosen the same sleepy town Olivia and I had ended up in. Exactly what she said, and I had no reason to worry about her anymore.

With a long groan, I snapped the laptop shut and sat back. Olivia was simply bored and lonely while I was spending so much time working. I could remedy that myself and bring her along. She was the most capable assistant I’d ever met, after all, and it would help me out. But that meant she’d also become more deeply involved with things I would have rather kept her out of.

I could give up the plans for the new resort, or put it on the backburner, but I liked the idea of living here morepermanently since Olivia clearly adored everything about the area.

How had I let any woman get under my skin, so deep that there was no extracting her? The thought of trying was laughable, because I wanted her there. Needed to make her happy.

If that meant letting her have lunch with this innocuous woman from Indiana, so be it. It would be perfectly safe if a guard was with her at all times. For the dozenth time in the last few days, I tried calling Benedikt, hoping for an answer that would put my mind at ease once and for all. If there was nothing to worry about and the Kuzmins weren’t biding their time for an attack, then Olivia and I could start living like a normal married couple.

And God, that sounded amazing. Even if she was upstairs, probably plotting my demise right now, most of the tension between us was most likely because of the hiding. Once she was accepted into my big, loving family as one of their own, she’d settle in.

Maybe even give my new niece and nephew a playmate.

Wait a minute. That was a new thought. Kids? They were fine, when they were someone else’s, but I’d never wanted any of my own. Until now. Until Olivia. Now, it not only didn’t seem like an utter nuisance, but something I longed for.

My phone pinged, dragging my attention from my thoughts about this house being overrun with sons and daughters, kids as fiercely independent, intelligent, and adorable as their mom. How would we raise them? What would they become?

The phone pinged again, and I grabbed it, expecting some kind of emergency but only seeing two pictures Ivan had sent.He was at the cantina, surrounded by new friends, all holding up glasses of beer or margaritas while the band played behind them. At least Zoey wasn’t one of them. It was comforting knowing she wasn’t a party animal like my younger brother, at least.

Fucking Ivan. What was I going to do about him, now that he knew everything? I messaged him back not to get too drunk because I wanted him to go to a meeting with me the next day.

He sent back a thumbs up, and I shook my head, knowing he’d get more serious about the project when he learned how lucrative it would be. He could be slightly immature sometimes, but he was reliable when push came to shove, and he knew how to be every bit as intimidating as he was charming.

I could foist off some of my new responsibilities on him and then spend more time with Olivia. Maybe I should never have gotten involved with the new venture in the first place, but it was rolling under its own steam now, and it was too late to back out. I loved it down here every bit as much as I did when I first stumbled across the place, and it was clear Olivia did, too. Would it really be so crazy to make it our permanent home if it meant keeping a smile on her beautiful face?

Chapter 25 - Olivia

I spent the whole night in the guest room, and Dima never came looking for me. I had mixed feelings about that to the point I just had to shut it all down, because why did I care so much if he left me alone? Wasn’t that what I wanted?

It seemed like we really were back at square one, and I’d have to start over from scratch to get him back on my side, all while fighting the attraction that had it all crumbling again. Because I couldn’t keep my feelings straight.

The best course of action was to just be chill and not bring anything up until Dima did, so I got out of bed and decided to start gardening. What else could I do? I didn’t trust myself around him yet because if he looked at me wrong, I might blow up, and if he looked at me right, I might end up in his arms again.

It was still early, but as I headed past the front hall to sneak into the kitchen for coffee, someone pounded on the door, making me jump out of my skin.

“Doesn’t he see the damn doorbell’s been installed?” Dima muttered, appearing from down the hall with a scowl.

“Ivan?” I asked.

“Who else? Though why he’s here, I have no idea.”

If I hadn’t been so on edge, I would have laughed at his annoyance with his younger brother, but Ivan would at least have kept him occupied. No chance of any pesky apologies that might make me waver, except—would Dima really apologize? It was hard to recall what had me so upset. In his mind, he was protecting me. I saw it differently. I certainly didn’t want to have to say the words.

“No breakfast to be found in town?” Dima waved away the guard and opened the door himself.

Ivan grinned and came in. “I already ate,” he said, shaking his head. “You used to get up early, Dima.”

“It’s barely eight,” I said, coming across like I was defending Dima, when I was only stating the obvious. Still, I got a smile that I found very difficult not to react to.

“The perfect time.” Ivan rubbed his hands together. “Where’s your shooting range? I’ve been dying to blast some things.”

“We don’t have one,” Dima answered, turning to go to the kitchen.

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