Page 65 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
Unknowingly to me, I was beginning to love it here, and even the staff had gotten used to my presence in the house. I’d loosened up a whole lot—allowed the maids to get close to me, laughed with guards, and moved around the mansion like I owned the place.
All of Lev’s staff accorded me the same level of respect as him. They bowed their heads whenever I passed, appeared without hesitation whenever I called, and did everything they could to keep me comfortable.
I wasn’t in prison. I was in a palace, swimming in luxury and comfort.
Later that day, I was in the kitchen with one of the guards, laughing at an inside joke. Despite their mean faces and ruthlessness, a few of Lev’s men were actually fun to hang around with, like Mikhail.
He was a storyteller with a good sense of humor. If Mikhail weren’t one of my husband’s foot soldiers, he would’ve made a fortune from stand-up comedy.
“So, you’re telling me, Lev once tried to drive one of your trucks and ended up losing his mind?” I asked, laughing hard with misted eyes.
“You should’ve seen it—” he answered, leaning against the kitchen island. “Six gears, three clutches, and your husband cursing like a sailor who’d just stubbed his toe.”
I let out a soft chuckle, helping myself to an apple from the tray of fruits in front of me.
“We actually thought the engine would give out before he figured out first gear.”
A startled laugh escaped me, my hand covering my mouth. “Come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Oh, it was, trust me.” He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “To this day, none of us can tell you which one was louder: the grinding transmission or his temper.”
I laughed again, lighter this time—much more free with my shaking shoulders. It had been a really long while since I laughed so hard, bright and unguarded.
However, the laughter died in my throat the second I watched Mikhail’s expression shift from bliss to fear. His gaze was fixed behind me like he was staring at something—someone. There was only one person in this house who had such a powerful effect on people.
Lev.
Uh-oh.
I turned around to face him, and my heart dropped into my chest. He stood there like a ghost at the door, his expression dark and unreadable. The weight of his gaze pressed down on me like a shadow, and I swallowed hard.
Without saying a word, Mikhail dismissed himself and exited the kitchen through the other door.
“Come here,” Lev called, his voice low and controlled.
There was an edge in his tone that sent a shiver down my spine.
I hopped off the stool at the kitchen island and obeyed without hesitation. Each step forward felt like walking into astorm because I thought I was in trouble. He’d already made it clear that I belonged to him, so his jealousy was expected.
What he would do to me, on the other hand, was a mystery.
I stopped in front of him, my eyes darting around before finally meeting his intense gaze. His brows knitted together, as if trying to evaluate the situation with Mikhail.
“He was just telling me a joke,” I said, trying to clarify things. “I’m allowed to laugh, right?”
He didn’t respond, but his hand found the small of my back. His touch was possessive, though his face remained impassive. The look in his eyes wasn’t anger. But the message was clear: I belonged to him and him alone.
The quiet intensity of the moment made my heart beat faster. And I realized with a sick twist of guilt that I didn’t mind it at all. I should have, but I didn’t.
When he pulled me closer to himself, his touch dragged a soft gasp from me. He mirrored my face, his lips only inches from mine. I felt the charge in the air, the tingling between my legs, and the warmth of his fresh breath on my skin.
He looked into my eyes as if searching my soul. I shrank under his gaze, my heartbeat steadying by the minute. When I stared back at him, the man I found beneath the surface wasn’t the monster, the captor who once held me prisoner.
The man I saw was one who would burn the world for those he cared about—the one who jumped in front of a bullet to save my life.
I wondered, with a sinking feeling in my chest, if I was starting to fall for him. The realization gnawed at me, quickening my pulse and heartbeat.
Is this what it feels like to be caught in his orbit? To want something I shouldn’t?
