Page 21 of Bought By the Bratva

Looking up, I caught his gaze as he leaned closer, gently placing his fingers over mine. “Tell me more,” Abram whispered.

I smiled softly. My emotions were up and down as if on a rollercoaster ride. Nodding, I cleared my throat and decided to share what I could with him. “As I told you, my parents died when I was young. I had no other family that could take me. So, I ended up in their care.”

Sipping some wine, I hoped to dislodge the growing ball forming in my throat. “I have to admit, I didn’t want to be there. I was a nuisance to them. They were always out busy with their own lives. As I got older, I craved their approval.”

Taking another sip of wine, I lightly shook my head. Blinking, I tried to force my tears back. He was so easy to talk to, and he listened without judgment. I felt my emotions bubbling to the surface. I had never talked to anyone about this; I never had anyone but my cousins.

“I am sorry for everything you went through,” Abram whispered. Looking at him, he smiled warmly.

The first tears slowly rolled down my cheek as I continued. “I tried to please them. I have done everything they ever asked and more. I am constantly trying to prove my worth to them. But nothing I ever done was good enough. It is infuriating and frustrating, to say the least. Constantly having to prove how much I have to offer is tiring.”

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. I had to stop. He was so easy to talk to. But if I continued, I would reveal everything. My whole being felt shaken up. I pulled my hand back and stared at the table. I was relieved when the waiter returned with our food.

“Well, then,” Abram said, sitting back. “Let’s talk about something else while we enjoy our food.”

I was relieved he seemed to understand and was ready to shift the topic. The ball in my throat melted, instantly disappearing as he smiled at me across the table. “So, did you play any sport in school?” Abram asked out of the blue.

“Sports?” I questioned, grinning.

“Yeah, with curves like yours, I assumed you were good in sports, weren’t you?” he teased.

Feeling my cheeks light up as I blushed, I softly shook my head. “Yes, in some,” I responded.

“Well, please tell me more,” he pushed.

Considering my answer, I watched as he took some meat and cheese from the platter and placed it on the plate before him. He wrapped the slice of meat in the cheese and took a large bite. After giving it a couple of chews, he swallowed. Glancing at me, he rolled his remaining bite into a circle in the air as he continued. “Come on, share something, don’t just sit looking at me as if I’m insane.”

His action and the way he spoke, making his voice sound deep like a gangster, made me laugh. “Okay,” I replied. “I was good in some but not many. I was a good runner.”

Abram smiled widely. “I can see that,” he said.

Feeling lighter, I helped myself with some of the food. “Why do you say that?” I asked before taking a bite.

“You’re still running,” he whispered, looking around as if searching for someone.

This made me laugh more, almost choking on my food. “What sports did you play?” I questioned lightly after swallowing.

“Me,” he replied, looking all innocently as he sat up. “Well, I played basketball and baseball, can’t you see?” Abram lifted his arm to his side, making a fist, and looked at his muscles as he spoke. His jacket pulled tight around his upper arm.

“Okay, show-off,” I huffed. “You can relax; not everyone is interested.”

“Are you?” he questioned, lifting his brows.

“Tell me,” I replied, not wanting to answer him about that. “What did you enjoy doing as a child?”

Abram sat back, rubbing his chin. He looked like he was deep in thought.

“I was never one for loads of mischief if that was what you were looking for,” he said, looking at me questioningly. “Anton was the one who always got us in trouble. I enjoyed climbing trees, being out in the woods, and spending time in the pool. I think that’s why I joined the army. It was in my blood.”

He breathed slowly, took a sip of wine, and then continued. “My father didn’t approve, with our family line and all that. I was the odd one out. But I didn’t care.”

“Yet, here you are today in the family business, or aren’t you?” I asked, wondering if our plans were going to work. Even though I knew he was part of their operations, I questioned how much he actually knew.

“Oh, yes, don’t get me wrong. I am part of the business now. But it wasn’t something I wanted. But how about you? What did you do for fun?”

I sat thinking about his question while I ate some more. I enjoyed getting to know more about him. The more I learned, the less scary he seemed.

“My parents used to travel quite a bit. I enjoyed that and missed it after they passed away. My cousins didn’t go out much; they were too busy. I kept my head down, studied, and did what was asked of me.” I replied.

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