Page 66 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

I didn’t want to take it to heart, but it was hard not to.

Val had the chance to get out and see more people while being exposed to more in general. He had many things to think about and stew over, but while at the house, Val was the only thing I had outside of my art.

When something was wrong with him, it was apparent, and he couldn’t take the back seat in favor of something else.

That fact made it nearly impossible for me to push anything under the rug and hope for the best.

Before, Val told me there wouldn’t be any secrets between us. That we were going to be open with each other, but at that moment, it didn’t seem like he was upholding his end of that promise.

Looking down at our joined hands, I could see the faint bruising along his knuckles that turned various hues of purple and greenish-yellow while it healed. It wasn’t new by any means, but it was still enough to worry me.

I gently brushed my thumb along that section of skin before glancing back up at him in silent questioning.

I knew his work could be dangerous, and it was unavoidable, but it didn’t stop me from worrying.

He sighed. “It’s not as bad as it looks. We’ve been having more issues with trades lately… tensions are rising.”

While it was something, it was still too vague for me to fully understand.

“Anything you can tell me?” I asked, pulling him a touch closer with as much softness as I could muster.

Val’s expression dropped slightly at that, and he shook his head before resting his forehead against mine. “I would…But I don’t need to involve you in this.”

Even though I could sense the protective air in his words, it still made my stomach twist a bit.

“I’m sure there are some things you can’t share, but you don’t need to shield me from it all,” I reassured him, trying to savor the comfort of his touch. “I want to be there for you, Val.”

“I know you do. But there are some things I don’t need you worrying about,” he murmured, closing his eyes with a gentle breath. His fingers traced absent, almost disarming shapes against my back. “I appreciate your effort, but just know that I’m handling it, okay?”

It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, and I still felt like I was in the dark, but I also didn’t want to make things worse for him. It was obvious he was under some kind of pressure, and he didn’t need me piling more on.

“I don’t mean to shut you out…I just need you to trust me,” Val said quietly before pressing his lips against my forehead in a tender kiss.

Closing my eyes, I embraced him loosely in return.

I wanted to believe him, and I wanted to have faith that it was just a passing issue that would eventually be resolved, but the clear unease in him was hard for me to ignore.

“I’ll try.”

I felt his slight smile against my skin before he pulled back enough to cup my face in both hands and take in my features.

“Thank you. I promise you don’t have anything to worry about.”

I had my doubts, but I wasn’t prepared to press any further than I already had.

He had been patient with me before, and I knew I needed to extend that courtesy to him, even if it would be hard.

Regardless of feeling like I didn’t really get anywhere with him, the moment was affectionate enough to soothe some of the doubt in my mind.

At the very least, I knew he wasn’t upset with me, and that counted for something.

Val’s gaze softened, revealing more of his exhaustion, while his thumbs gently swept across my cheeks. “It’s been a long day…I’m going to head to bed. Are you coming?”

Without moving away from his grasp, I glanced at the digital clock on the stove and hummed.

“You go ahead. I think I’ll work on my paintings a bit longer.”

At that, he nodded and gave me a gentle smile. Then, he pressed his lips to mine softly.

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