Page 81 of Midnight Wedding

Arsen slowly gets to his feet. I tremble, and a jolt of terror runs through me. He moves forward toward my brother, and the sneer on Vadim’s face slowly fades.

“I’m not going to kill you out of respect for your mother and my wife,” Arsen says, staring at Vadim with that cold ruthlessness. “But if you ever speak to me or to anyone in my family like that again, I will break your neck. Do you understand me?”

“I don’t—I mean, I’m not—” Vadim’s trembling. Fear’s making him freeze up like a scared animal.

Arsen leans closer. “You will be kind to Lena, or you will no longer receive my generosity. Do you understand?”

“Fine. Fuck this.” Vadim turns and leaves the kitchen. He hurries back upstairs, and his bedroom door slams.

I go to Arsen and put my hand on his arm. He gives me a worried look and leans down. “Are you okay?” he whispers.

“I’m fine. Thank you for not hurting him.”

He nods once. “If he weren’t your brother, he’d be dead right now.”

“I know that.” I kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

“And I apologize for that,” Mom says, sounding mortified. “Vadim’s been struggling lately. That boy has no purpose. Ever since you started giving us money, apparently most of his old friends are afraid of him and won’t spend time with him anymore.”

Arsen’s eyes narrow. “They know who I am?”

“That’s what he says.” Mom’s hands rub together nervously. “Vadim’s involved with some… unsavory people. Arsen, is there any way you can give him work? Something respectable? Just to help him feel like a man again with a reason to get up in the morning?”

“It’d mean a lot,” I say, leaning into my husband.

I can tell Arsen doesn’t like it, but he agrees. “Legitimate work,” he emphasizes, and my mother gives him a great, big hug, or at least as big as her little frame can manage.

We leave together after that. Out on the sidewalk, Arsen pulls me into his arms and kisses me. I smile to myself and breathe in his smell. It’s better than anything I’ve ever tasted in my life.

“I’ve been thinking about our house,” he says quietly. “I think I’m going to make some changes.”

“Yeah? Really?”

“That wing. I think cleaning it won’t be enough.”

My eyebrows raise. “You mean we’re really going to burn it down?”

He gives me a look and shakes his head. “No, baby, but we will rip it to the studs. Then I think you can make it into anything you want.”

I pull back in surprise. “Really? You’re giving me control over this?”

“It’s your home too. I think you should have some say in how it looks.”

“What if I want to turn it into one giant rock wall climbing gym?”

His jaw works. “Then I will invest in safety gear.”

“You’re too much.” I kiss him, beaming with excitement. “This is a really good day.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.” He squeezes my ass and turns away. “Now, go back home with the guards. I have more business to deal with.”

“Nothing dangerous?”

“Everything I do is dangerous these days, but nothing particularly bad.”

I open my mouth to say goodbye and the words nearly spill out.I love you, see you later. But I stop myself before I can say it.

My body freezes. He doesn’t notice as he strides off. I’m left alone for a moment, in total shock.

---