Page 38 of Forcibly Sold to the Bratva
Fifteen minutes later, the dining room is full of company. For a little while, I stay on the sidelines, even though Ilariy’s brothers try to make me feel included. But the thing is, I’m utterly nervous and completely out of my depth, intimidated by what I know of his family.
But soon, two women enter, and the room feels like it has taken a breath of fresh air.
“You must be Arina!” The taller one rushes to my side and pulls me into a hug.
“We can’t believe our brother got married and didn’t tell us!” The younger one, Katya, pulls me into a hug right after Tatiana.
Both of them, I notice, have the most gorgeous eyes.
“And why don’t you have a drink in your hand?” Tatiana huffs as she turns to her brother. “Ilariy, you kidnap this woman and refuse to let her drink?”
I nearly choke at her words, and Katya laughs and leans in. “We swear we had no idea what our brother was up to. But honestly? What a dick move!”
“You heard?” I ask, shocked at how the sisters know.
“Our brothers are gossip mongrels.” Katya rolls her eyes while Tatiana proceeds to force Ilariy to pour me a drink. He looks so nervous as she chides him and forces him to put a little umbrella in my cocktail, and his flustered hands tremble when he hands me my drink.
I give him a look filled with pity, and he gives me one like a child being bullied on the school playground.
What the hell is happening here? Here I am, thinking this is going to be some kind of Godfather movie, but it’s becoming more like the Brady Bunch with every passing second.
I take a sip of my cocktail, and Ilariy’s sisters lead me straight to the couch.
“We heard you were in Cancun,” Tatiana asks excitedly. “Tell us all about it.”
I find myself relaxing around the girls. Honestly, their bright energies help me not think. I tell them about the trip andleave out some of the details. By the time I’m done, Katya sighs and says she hasn’t had a vacation in a long time.
“You know what we should do?” Tatiana says excitedly, grabbing my hand and her sister’s. “We should have a girls’ trip!”
I don’t want to deny them the pleasure, but I also have a feeling Ilariy won’t let me go on this said trip. Nevertheless, it’s fun sitting around listening to the two sisters discuss these fun plans. While I sit, I look around the room.
Ilariy is there, deep in conversation with Agafon. He looks up when I enter, our eyes meeting briefly before I look away.
Ghost words whisper against my skin.He’s Bratva.
Soon, the housekeeper ushers us into the dining room, and we all take our seats. Ilariy sits to my right, and Katya sits on the other side of me. The conversation flows easily at the start, with the men discussing a football match and Melor’s new car. It’s as if I’ve entered some parallel universe where they’re just a normal family, and I’ve imagined them to be the Bratva.
Or maybe, whatever I’ve read and watched on crime families is a lie.
I don’t know what the truth is, but I simply listen, still too intimidated and shocked to offer any words.
“Wine?” Rurik leans across the table and pours some glasses, finally landing over mine.
I nod, and he gives me a warm smile as he pours it out for me. I take a large sip and find it soothes my nerves.
“This chicken is amazing,” Faddey says through a mouthful of food.
“I taught the maid how to make it,” Ilariy says proudly. I look at him in surprise. For some reason, I never imagined him as someone who would delight in culinary exploration.
“With my recipe,” Katya adds, giving me a pointed look, as if she doesn’t like the fact that I look impressed with Ilariy.
For the first time that evening, I laugh.
Chapter 11 - Ilariy
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Is Arina laughing? I shoot Katya a grateful look for joking around with her and helping her settle in. This whole night, I’ve been worried sick imagining how uncomfortable all this must be for Arina.
But now, while I’m no fool who thinks everything is fine, I do begin to feel hopeful. She’s laughing, and that means she’s letting her guard down.
