Page 471 of Rage

Sinfully Unfaithful

By: Evie Dawn & Ava Kade

Chapter One

Katherine

“He’s making mistake after mistake, Papa!” I said, pacing the room before dropping into a chair.

I braced my elbows on the table, taking a deep breath. My father stayed silent, fidgeting with his glass.

“You need to talk to him,” I insisted. “Maybe one of his brain cells will kick in long enough to listen to you.”

“He should listen to you, Katherine. You’re his wife.”

My father’s voice was level, but I knew him too well to miss his frustration. For the last five minutes, he’d been tracing the glass rim, staring blankly at it. His brows were furrowed, a vein bulged on his temple, and new lines creased his forehead, signs he only showed when tense.

“But he doesn’t listen,” I replied, with a huff. “I’m tired of constantly cleaning up his messes. I married him to strengthen our position, not to babysit him. And until now, his mistakes were at least manageable. But this time, he screwed up. Badly.”

I’d married Ivan two years ago, when I was nineteen. He was in his thirties but lacked even a shred of the maturity he should’ve had, always impulsive, aggressive, and flat-out stupid.

The only redeeming quality was his inheritance, the Chernov bratva, which controlled the north while my father ruled the eastof the region. Of course, a marriage seemed obvious, and I’d agreed to it.

Ivan was good-looking, and back then I thought he was smart enough. Too bad that after his father died a year ago and he truly got the reins, I started to see what a walking disaster he was.

I’d had to lean on my father and my own contacts to save his ass a few times. But now I honestly had no idea how the hell I was supposed to do that. Ivan’s latest “brilliant” plan was to expand into the south and west.

The problem? That was Dimitry Zaytsev’s territory.

I’d never met him, but I’d heard enough to know he was a man you didn’t provoke. My husband, of course, didn’t see it that way. He had contacted a few cartels and offered them better deals to work for him.

The next day, Dimitry had sent every one of Ivan’s men back to our doorstep, in pieces. And now, instead of making amends, Ivan wanted to push further by sending even more people into Dimitry’s territory.

My father dragged his hands over his face with a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry, Katya. I should never have proposed this alliance with Ivan, but I didn’t realize he was such an idiot. And now…”

My heart ached seeing him like this. Dad had always been an unbreakable source of strength, always calculated and in control. But now, he suddenly looked older, worn down. And, for the first time, scared.

I shouldn’t have burdened him with all of this. I reached across the table, covering his hand with mine.

“Don’t worry, Papochka,” I said. “I’ll fix it somehow. I’ll talk to Ivan again, and maybe he’ll realize how much he’s fucked things up this time. I’ll make him apologize to Dimitry.”

I spoke in a calm, affectionate voice, hoping he wouldn’t notice the fear that had crept inside me since I learned what myidiot husband had done. The way my father looked at me told me he saw right through it, though.

“Maybe you should stay here, Katya. This is your home, after all. And we guard our territory better than the Chernovs.”

It surprised me to hear him use Ivan’s last name. The coldness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. Despite his rough exterior, my dad had always treated Ivan like family. But now, he practically spat out his name.

I squeezed his hand, offering a soft smile.

“Don’t worry, Papa. I’ll be fine. One way or another, I’ll make Ivan apologize to Dimitry. I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I probably overreacted and made it sound worse than it is.”

I could tell he didn’t believe a word. Neither did I. Yet this was my and my husband’s problem, and I shouldn’t have brought it to him. I started to stand, but my dad gripped my hand.

“Stay here, Katya. Please.”

“I can’t, Papa. I’m Ivan’s wife, I should be with him. Idiot or not, he’s my husband. But don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

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