Page 13 of Savage Beauty

I narrow my eyes. “But you still did. From Marc. So what’s the deal, Mr. Reluctant Hero?”

Sasha slides his eyes away from mine. “When you said you were leaving, I figured you’d be back before long. But I was wrong, and I didn’t stop thinking about you. And when I found out you were fuckingengaged—”

Someone knocks on the door.

“See?” I whisper. “It’s easy. You can learn if you put your mind to it.”

He narrows his eyes. “Who is it?” he calls.

“Sorry to bother you,” Lilyana replies, her voice muffled. “But the guests have left, and you must present your bride to thekomissiya. They’re waiting in the downstairs lounge.”

I shake my head. “No.”

Sasha grabs my hand. “Yes. They’re pissed off enough already.” I gesture at my kimono, and he sighs in exasperation. “Okay, whatever. Get dressed now. We have to go.”

He sounds just like Marc. I snatch my hand away and flip him off.

“Go with Lili and wait for me,” I say. “I’ll be there.”

9

Sasha

Iwait outside the lounge, listening to the murmured conversation inside.

In both the mafia and the bratva, the exact terms of an honor oath are strictly between the individuals involved and are not the concern of their respective families. However, ourkomissiyaexpects marriages to be approved ahead of time. Not only had they already given their blessing to the union between Claudia and me, but now, I’ve gone and gotten myself married to someone else without their blessing or a single bratva witness, which is a severe breach of protocol. I need to hold my tongue and do whatever is necessary to get these whiny old fuckers off my back.

I didn’t mean to tell Josie I wanted her. But she stood before me in her skimpy robe, her beautiful body calling to me, and I couldn’t hide it anymore. She has no inkling of her effect on me, not just in that moment but in every moment since I first laid eyes on her.

She ruined me for all other women. She’s taken my libido and locked it away, and unless she deigns to sleep with me, I’ll remain celibate for life. There’s no one else I want.

I’m married to the woman of my dreams, and she hates me for it. What a twisted joke this is turning out to be.

Josie appears at the bottom of the stairs. She wears slashed black jeans and a red cropped tank top, her hair fashioned into two buns. Her eyes are smudged with kohl, and her lips are adorned with a deep plum gloss. The floral tattoos on her chest and shoulders are on full display, and she’s barefoot, which I find oddly enticing.

Two simultaneous thoughts assail me. One, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical bratva wife. Two, she looks stunning. Devastatingly so.

“You couldn’t have toned it down?” I ask. “These men are not used to sexy-as-fuck alt girls.”

“Urgh.” Josie wrinkles her nose. “You make me sound like I’m trying too hard. This has been my style since high school; back then, it got me into fights. There’s a name for it now?”

Before I can respond, Vlad opens the lounge door. He steps past us and holds the door open, signaling us to enter. “They want to speak with you both privately,” he says. “Good luck.”

Inside the lounge, Josie and I settle onto the couch. Five of the sixkomissiyamembers stand near the windows, but it’s Igor Gusev who takes the lead in questioning us, sitting in the only other available seat.

Igor was a good friend of my father’s; as a lawyer, he got us and many of our contemporaries out of tight spots over the years. The man is no partisan—his only loyalty is to the rules of our world, and he was elected to thekomissiyaleadership precisely because he’s nobody’s creature. So, given my blatant disregard for the laws he holds sacrosanct, Igor’s scowl is to be expected. It’s a good thing he and I are on reasonable terms.

“Is this your bride?” he asks.

“Igor,” I say. “May I introduce Josephine Kisleva?”

Igor tilts his head, his gaze lingering on Josie. “You didn’t use her middle name. Who is her father?”

Josie stands tall and answers defiantly, “I never knew my father, so I don’t have a name to take. Is that a problem?”

Igor frowns but then softens as he takes in Josie’s steady gaze. “I like you,” he says with a wry smile. “I apologize for my rudeness, but your new spouse has put you both in a tight spot. It’s my job to help him out of it.”

“I don’t see why he deserves any help,” says Oleg. He’s another long-standing member of our illustrious council, an antagonistic old fuck with a roll of flab hanging over his belt. “You expect favors, Sasha?”

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