"We're not going anywhere until—" Bogdan starts.
"Get. Out." I let every ounce of authority I possess seep into those two words. "Or I'll have Matvey throw you out. Your choice."
Bogdan's jaw works, but he finally nods. He turns and stalks out of the room, Sophia scurrying after him. The moment they're gone, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Matvey.
Keep eyes on Bogdan and Sophia. They're headed to the library.
I toss the gun back in the drawer and climb out of bed, heading for my closet. I can feel Mariya's eyes on me as I pull on boxer briefs, then jeans.
"You're just going to ignore me?" she demands.
"I'm getting dressed." I grab a black T-shirt and pull it over my head. "Then we're going to deal with this mess."
"Deal with it?Dealwith it?" Her voice rises. "You lied to me!"
"I didn't lie." I turn to face her, and the sight of her sitting in my bed, the sheet clutched to her chest, her blonde hair wild around her shoulders, makes my cock twitch despite everything. "I told you the truth. I was never engaged to Sophia. Bogdan wanted the match. I said I'd think about it. That's all."
"Foryears?"
"I was stalling." I move to the dresser and grab my watch, strapping it on. "I didn't want to marry her. I don't love her. I don't even particularly like her."
"But you married me." Her voice is quieter now, but no less angry. "A woman you kidnapped. A woman whose father you think is a thief and a murderer."
I cross back to the bed and lean down, bracing my hands on either side of her. "I married you because you need protection. Because every Bratva family from here to Moscow is going to be looking for you now. And because…" I pause, searching for the right words. "Because I want you."
She stares at me, her green eyes wide and searching. "That's not good enough."
"It's all I've got right now." I straighten. "Now get dressed. We have a meeting to get to."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on." She lifts her chin, defiant even wrapped in a sheet. "Who is Sophia? Why does her father think you were supposed to marry her? And why the fuck didn't you tell me about any of this before you forced me to marry you?"
I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. "Sophia is Bogdan's daughter. He's been pushing for a marriage alliancebetween our families for years. I kept putting him off because I didn't want it. There was never a formal agreement, never a contract. Just his expectations."
"And you didn't think I should know about those expectations?"
"It wasn't relevant." Even as I say it, I know how it sounds. "You and I were getting married regardless. What Bogdan wanted didn't matter."
"It matters to me!" She throws the sheet aside and stands, gloriously naked and furious. "It matters that you had another woman waiting for you. It matters that you're causing problems with another family because of me."
My eyes travel down her body, taking in the curve of her breasts, the flat plane of her stomach, and the neat triangle of hair between her thighs. Fuck, she's incredible when she's angry.
"Stop looking at me like that," she snaps.
"Like what?"
"Like you want to fuck me again."
"I do want to fuck you again." I close the distance between us. "But right now, we need to deal with Bogdan. So get dressed."
"No." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Not until you give me real answers."
I stare at her for a long moment, weighing my options. Then I bend down, scoop her up with the sheet still tangled around her legs, and throw her over my shoulder.
"What are you doing?" she shrieks, pounding on my back with her fists.
"Taking you to the meeting." I head for the door. "If you don't want to get dressed, fine. I'll take you downstairs to the meeting just like this, with nothing but a bedsheet wrapped around you."
"You wouldn't dare!"
