AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wait a minute.” Mom lifts her uninjured arm, palm out. “All you men do is mess things up. Sasha.” She turns her eyes to mine. “It means just that, but also more. Tony and Mischa wanted a solid alliance. Ariana and I had one stipulation. You both had to fall in love and it had to be genuine. Neither wanted our children to hate their spouse or be forced to marry someone they didn’t love, so . . .” She takes a breath. “We made it possible for both of you to attend the same school. We even held you back a year to make sure you and Lorenzo were in the same grade.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Do not take that tone with me, young lady. You want to talk to your father like you’re his son, that’s between you and him. You will not take that tone with me or use curse words when speaking to me. I’m your mother, not your friend. You know now, and this topic is closed. We’ve derailed.” She flips her stare back to my dad. “I’m still waiting, dear. Don’t make me pull the trigger. I’ll make sure we have matching scars when I put a bullet in your arm.”
“Is that really what you want?” Dad asks.
“Yes, Mischa.” She snaps her fingers impatiently. “It’s time for us to live again.”
“I hereby retire.” Looking to my brother, he says, “The kingdom is yours, son. Don’t fuck it up.” Krishna stands there with his arms crossed, not saying anything, his eyes on our dad, his expression masked. “I’m still taking out the son of a bitch that decided he could take from me.”
“Wrong,” Mom refutes. “Krishna is the pakhan now. He can slice the little fucks throat while you’re on a beach with me.” Mom turns to look at me, but then her eyes flick to where Ren is standing with one foot propped on the hearth. “Or my cute little son-in-law can do it. Don’t you want to prove you’re the right man for my daughter?”
“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sadistic side, my love.” There are fucking stars in my father’s eyes as he stares at my mother. His wife. Shit, they really are married. My parents are together. Realization hits like a ton of bricks. They were never apart. I mean, they were obviously, but they weren’t at the same time. They were always married and in love, like I remember from when I was a little girl. When I was small, I used to want that kind of love. It was real and bigger than life.
The corner of Dad’s mouth tips up on one side, then his head turns in my brother’s direction, and just like that, the boss is back. “Take care of that loose end before I piss off your mother and come right back out of retirement to do it myself.”
“Did my suggestion come off like an actual suggestion?” Mom asks. “Because it was actually an order.”
“Kid can’t do it, love. He’s going to be spending too much time on his knees begging our daughter for forgiveness when she learns he manipulated her into marrying him in the first place.”
Come again? What the hell did he just say?
Ren blows out a heavy breath.
“Really, Mischa? Was that necessary?” Mom rolls her eyes.
“Of course it was. Now the truth is out. They can move on and start producing us some grandchildren. They even got a head start. Isn’t that what you want? I’m doing this for you, my love. Always for you.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Dad?”
“Correct me if my memory is off. I’m old now, but I think he said something like, ‘Sasha, baby, what better way to stick it to your old man than to marry the enemy’s son. Let’s get married.’ Wasn’t that how it went down?”
Yeah, actually, it was, but how does he know that? “How exactly do you know that?” I question my dad.
“You think I’d allow you to move out of my house, out from under the safety that home affords you? Daughter, you aren’t as bright as I thought you were if you never expected me not to have twenty-four-seven surveillance set up inside your apartment.”
“Are you kidding me?” I seethe through clenched teeth.
“Your brother installed it.” Dad jerks his chin in Krishna’s direction. “Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
“We all have orders to follow, little sister,” he says before I can pry my lips open.
“Well, they’re your orders now, so get them the hell out of my apartment. Today, K!” I can’t fucking believe him. In hindsight, I’m not that surprised my father would do that. I am shocked Krishna didn’t give me a heads-up.
“I don’t see the point. You don’t live there anymore.”
“Like hell I don’t. It’s mine. I pay the rent. And it’s where I’ll be sleeping tonight,” I declare, crossing my arms over my chest and push away from Ren. I’m kicking myself, because it hurts my own heart to do so. I turn to face him. “I can’t believe you purposely manipulated me into marrying you.”
“When exactly were you planning to tell me that a man has been stalking you?”
“Don’t you dare turn this on me.”
“Nice job, Mischa. Nice job,” Mom says, rubbing her middle finger between her brows.
Fuck this shit. I’m out of here. I shake my head as I pivot away from my husband, furious at him.
