Page 39 of Hunted By the Bratva
He was controlling, rough around the edges, and at times infuriating. But he was also soft, kind, and gentle. He had a good heart.
I was so deep in my thoughts that I almost got a fright as Zhenya spoke next to me. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”
Grinning, I shook my head lightly as I responded. “No, I think I’m fine now. Thank you again.” She hugged me and left. I turned and stared at myself in the mirror for a bit before returning to the room.
After gathering my courage and motivating myself all morning, I decided it was time to find Iosif and tell him the news. I headed upstairs to the room that he turned into an office. Feeling nervous and excited as I walked down the hallway, I heard him mumbling.
I wondered if he was talking to himself. As I got closer, I stopped and listened as I heard him speaking. I didn’t want to interrupt him if he was on a work call.
“Kolya!” I heard Iosif say. His tone was loud and harsh. I’ve never heard him this angry before. “You know what you’ve done! It’s time for some payback.”
What did he mean? I didn’t understand. I edged a little closer to the open door, trying to glance through the small opening. I still couldn’t see Iosif. I knew he was somewhere inside. But I didn’t want to disturb him. The conversation sounded important.
I swallowed hard as I tried to stay as quiet as possible. I didn’t want to intrude on his call. “Kolya,” I heard him saying again. “You know I’ve just been using Clara all this time.”
There was a moment of silence. I felt the shock of his words ripping at my core. “Yes!” Iosif added. “I have, and you know what? I’ll torture her until it drives you crazy. You know this has to happen, you are responsible!”
I was blinded by the sudden onslaught of information. What was happening? What were they arguing about? It was all too overwhelming.
I quickly moved down the hall to my room. I closed the door softly as I leaned against it. How could he be so cold and cruel? I wanted to make this work, but after hearing what he had just said to my brother? It didn’t matter who was at fault. He had no right to use me.
Could there still be a possibility for us? I pushed myself off the door and walked to the bed. Falling forward, I pushed my face into the pillows. I wanted to scream as I allowed my tears to flow. My sobs shook the entire bed. After a bit, I felt tired and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to come.
“Clara, Printessa,” I heard Iosif’s voice in the distance.
Opening my eyes, I saw him standing next to the bed. He bent forward and gently caressed my arm. “Clara,” he whispered. “Are you okay?”
Where was this sweet, concerning man coming from? A little while ago, he was a cold, cruel man. I witnessed the true him with my own eyes and ears. I felt disgusted, angry, and hurt. Yet, I knew I couldn’t show it.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I replied, pushing his hands away as I sat up.
“It’s time for supper. Is there anything specific you want? Do you want to watch a movie afterward?” Iosif asked.
Looking down at the floor, I felt my heart breaking. How was I getting through this pain? “I’m not very hungry,” I mumbled.
“You have to eat. Would you like me to sit with you?” he inquired.
“I know, thanks. No, just give me a moment. I’ll be down soon,” I replied.
“Okay,” he replied, smiling at me as he left the room.
Staring at the open door, I wondered how I’d allowed myself to fall so deeply for him. Charmed by his adventures and outings. He used me! My family wasn’t the only ones, and I fell for it again. I couldn’t allow this behavior to continue. I knew I had to make a plan and get out.
But for now, I would stick it out. I got up and headed down for supper. Iosif was waiting in the small sunroom. There were candles on the shelves and one on the table. It looked romantic, but I didn’t feel up for it.
“Just for you, Printessa,” he said as I entered. Iosif pulled out my chair and waited for me to sit.
I sat down reluctantly, giving him a weak smile. Looking down at the plate of food before me, I spoke softly. “Thank you.”It was one of my favorite dishes. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat much.
He moved around the table and took his place. “I hope you enjoy it,” he said as he started eating.
I didn’t feel like talking as I moved my food around on my plate. Except for feeling ill, I wasn’t hungry. After hearing him on the phone with my brother, my stomach had made knots that wouldn’t ease up. I took a couple of bites because I knew I had to get something in.
“You, okay?” he asked about halfway through.
“Fine,” I mumbled. I kept my head down and took another two bites. “I think I’m going to lie down, I said as I excused myself. I had just lain down when there was a knock at the door. “Yes?” I called out.
The door opened halfway. Sitting up, I saw Iosif peeking around it. He began to come closer as he spoke. “You sure you don’t need anything else? Are you okay?”
