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My father used to play the Elvis version when I was a kid, and he made me laugh with his hokey dance moves.
We were so carefree back then. Does Vlad have similar memories to hold on to, or has his mind been consumed with the brutality of his world?
Vlad hesitates, then moves, leading me through slow, swaying steps. He looks lost, somehow, as though he isn't really there behind his eyes.
"Vladi. Are you alright?"
“Yes,lisichka. I'm fine."
I glance at Lilyana, but she's miles away, her eyes closed. I lower my voice, leaning close to whisper in Vlad's ear.
"I only agreed to dance because I didn't want to disappoint Lili. She seems determined to believe that you and I could have something real."
"She's a romantic," he says. "She doesn't think she'll ever have a love of her own, but she wants me to be happy so badly. It's her nature to find the beauty in things. My mother was the same." He pauses as though unsure whether to finish the thought. "Maybe Lili sees something we don't."
Vlad and I have known each other only briefly, but beneath the superficial attraction, I'm starting to understand him.
His world is cold, unemotional, and aggressive, and he thinks he must be the same. But he's notjusthis father's son. He's his own man, an individual. It may terrify him, but there's no getting away from it—Vladfeels. He feels deeply, and no amount of abuse from Sergey could change that.
"Why do you want to be pakhan?"
Vlad frowns. "This may be hard for you to understand, but my father subjected me to a ton of pain to harden me to the realities of leading a bratva family. By the time I was too big to be beaten, I'd taken his teaching to heart. Under his leadership, my family prospered, and he didn't loveanyone. He did terrible things but he put the family first."
"You care about the bratva, Vlad." I squeeze his shoulder. "I see that. But you don't have to be your father; you might tear yourself apart trying."
"I don’t know how else to be. It’s the way of things—those who care always lose. My Mama adored her children, but she paid for it. My father saw to that. She died fearing for her newborns, so I did my duty and looked after all my siblings, especially the twins."
"That'snotduty," I say. "It's love. And you’re too protective of Lili. If you gave her some freedom, I'm sure she'd come into herself and be happier."
Vlad is watching Lili as she plays, his expression serene. She finishes the piece, and as the last note fades, he lets go of me.
I've said too much.
Liliyana stands and yawns. "I'm going to go to bed," she says. "I wanna be fresh for tomorrow. The boys will be drunk, so I'm staying out of it."
Vlad groans. "Ah, yeah. I forgot about that." He turns to me and smiles apologetically. "Sasha refuses to take no for an answer, so we're going out on the town. We'll be out early tomorrow, and the wedding car will collect you ladies at noon."
I can imagine what a bratva bachelor party looks like. Vlad is the incoming pakhan of the city's most prominent Russian mob family. He will probably fuck his way through every expensive hooker between here and Huntington.
"Fine. Well, you enjoy that," I say. My voice is more brusque than intended, and I realize I haven't asked an important question. "Where are we getting married, anyway?"
"Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, same as my parents," Vlad replies. "The heavy religious atmosphere isn't my bag, but it's tradition.
Great. I turn away, hoping Vlad didn't see my expression. "I'll get out of your way. Have a fun evening."
* * *
The garment bag containing the ugly wedding dress is hanging in the bedroom. I undo the zipper and look it over, hating it all over again. Maybe I should get drunk, too, blot everything out. It wouldn't take much—I've barely sobered up from earlier.
No. A hangover would put the cherry on an already shitty cake.
I'm removing my shoes when I hear a door opening. Vlad is in the walk-in wardrobe, preparing for a night of drinking and whoring.
The thought makes me wanna puke. He's done nothing but mess with my head since he carried me kicking and screaming into his world.
A petty rage burns inside me, and I fling open the door.
"Vlad! Don't think you can sneak into bed with me again tonight!"
