Page 12 of King’s Promise

“Have you heard from him?”

“No, it’s strange. Did you hear from my mother?”

“No.” His curt reply tells me the conversation is over. He nods to Hazel, who pour our wine before leaving the room She returns from the kitchen with the first course of Russian food. I’m used to English cuisine, and I hope I will be allowed to make my own list of food for our dinners.

“She’s a mess. I don’t know why. Papa cheated on her for years. They were estranged. I guess there’s a low divorce rate in the Bratva.”

I help myself as Hazel lowers the platter between us. I scoop food to my plate, and I wait for the handsome man with a stern face to eat first.

“Very low divorce rate. Don’t get any ideas. Our marriage will be real in every sense of the word. We’ll need to go shopping. After the funeral I assume your mother will help you plan the wedding?”

“I imagine she will.”

“Small, we’ll have professional pictures for the paper to send out after the fact as we need to keep it under raps for now. My mother and brothers will fly in from Russia. I want this to be an intimate affair. Those invited will be on a list I give to you, and it will be at my request. The marriage can’t be put off and we don’t want to be a target. We’ll solidify our Bratvas and become a powerhouse with incredible reach.”

“Mm.”

“Your father’s top man, Konstantin, will drop by later tonight,” he says between spoonfuls of borscht.

I don’t care for borscht but take a few bites to not offend anyone. Mum raised me to keep an open mind with food. I decide to sip the black tea for lack of anything to do with my hands. Nikolay’s presence is formidable and even if his eyes aren’t on me, I know he’s observant of every move I make.

“Tonight, I’d like you to behave like we’ve known each other for some time. You’ve been out of the family home. I need you to convince Konstantin you are on board with our families merging.”

“I will do what I can.” I swallow my pride. I have no idea what game he’s playing and realize I should work with him if I want him to do things for me. I’ve learned men expect something in return for favors, be it sex, or kisses; fucking appears to be a popular currency in the mafia if Papa is an example. I’m sure Nikolay will be the same and wonder when he’ll force himself on me. I also wonder if he’ll cheat on me.

“The men tell me he’s ambitious. Would you agree?”

“I got the impression he wanted Papa to get involved with more deals. Papa was stressed and I heard them argue from time to time behind closed doors. Mum might know more.”

“Mm.” He takes a bite of his food and makes sure his elbows never touch the table. I wonder what his mother is like. It’s odd, I like elbows on the table when having tea with a girlfriend.

“Why? Do you know him?” I attempt to gather information.

“Not exactly. Did you get your classwork done?” The fact he remembers our conversation earlier shocks me. I didn’t think he was listening to anything I said.

I remind myself, I’m part of his new business venture.

“Yes, thank you,” I murmur. He barks orders like I’m a dog and now it’s all fine. “I like to stay at the head of the class,” I add.

“I’m not surprised,” he replies as more food arrives and, thankfully, my mouth waters for the pierogis.

Silence follows until his phone vibrate in his trousers and he excuses himself to make a call. Nikolay’s eagle eyes are on me, and he takes a second to remind me I’ll be needed later.

I take this as my excusal and after I wolf down the rest of my food, I walk up the staircase, half expecting to find an iron throne at the top. There must be an elevator, no? I glance up and see another floor over my head. I make a note to explore the rest of the mansion another day.

I lay on my bed and stare at the high ceiling. How can I get out of the marriage? My sister is too young. Maybe the uncertainty in the Bratva will pass and make our union unnecessary.

Who am I kidding? The Bratva is a winner takes all game. Papa took over when his father was murdered, and here we are, back to the same spot, years later. I have no doubt there will be a power grab. Marrying into a Bratva family who is stronger on Russian soil is the best route to circumvent an internal war. I don’t know the day-to-day operations of the business, but I know this to be true.

Voices float in the air and I open my door as Pavel appears in the doorway. Where did the time go? Nikolay infiltrates my every thought. No doubt Pavel is here to summon me downstairs.

We enter a living room where vodka is being poured. This is another area I haven’t seen. The front windows are circular, so it must be at the front of the house. The ceilings are exceptionally tall with recessed lighting. Even my friends growing up didn’t have homes as lavish as this. His family is clearly a prominent one to afford this.

“There you are, krastoka.” Nikolay walks toward me, gives me a warm kiss on my lips which lingers enough to make me wet. As soon as I experience his warmth, I assume he is warming up to me and, abruptly, he pulls away, leaving me hungry for more. His chocolate eyes meet mine briefly before he is back to business.

I force a smile on my face and try to make it mean something.

Konstantin is still standing and gives me a kiss on each cheek. “Anya, so sorry about your father.”

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