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The conversation and the hunger are weakening me. I wipe a tear away quickly. “My father wants to right a wrong. Just like you.”
“He went against the Bratva,” he replies fiercely.
“By marrying a woman he shouldn’t have.” I stand up. “Like you.”
Nikolai stares at me. He knows that I’m right, but he can’t acknowledge it. I wonder why my father and mother married. Was it because she was pregnant? Did she find herself in the same situation that I’m in now? But I can return home, right?
Dad would help me raise Nikolai’s child.
Or would he …
I shudder, realizing that I don’t know anymore.
Is this why Nikolai is so determined to marry me? Not for love, but as a shield against my own father?
“I’ll never be a part of the Bratva if my mother’s killer isn’t punished,” I tell him. “You talk about family and honor, but only when it suits you. My mother’s life mattered just as much as your brother’s.”
Nikolai’s eyes flash with anger. And for a moment, I think he might actually strike me. But he merely steps closer, using his height to intimidate me, willing me to back down.
But I don’t. I’m tired of backing down.
“I still have a loyalty to the Bratva,” he says coldly. “Not to your father’s personal vendetta. The lives of our members will always take precedence over outsiders.”
Even though his words aren’t surprising, they still cut deeply. My only value is still tied to my dad’s actions.
“So that’s it? I don’t get to know?” I ask bitterly.
Nikolai steps closer. “You’re in my world, and you play by my rules.”
I hold his burning gaze unflinchingly. “And what if I don’t want to be part of your world anymore?”
Nikolai clasps my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “There are worse things that could happen to you than to be here.”
His possessiveness sends a thrill down my spine even as his words disgust me. I jerk away, hating my body’s traitorous response to his touch.
Wound up, I turn away from him and make a silent vow to my mother’s memory and my unborn child that I’ll protect my family.
No matter what it takes. Even if it means destroying the man I love.
60
EDEN
Dominika appears with my food.The silver tray is loaded with food—a bowl of vegetable soup, a toasted artisan roll, and a generous portion of roasted chicken on a plate surrounded by grilled vegetables.
The smell of hot soup fills the room, followed by the aroma of garlic and rosemary from the chicken. My stomach gurgles as the delicious aroma invades my nose. I’m so hungry, and even if I wasn’t, the baby needs something. I stare at the tempting tray, and my stomach gurgles loudly as I stand up.
A glass of chilled white wine accompanies the meal.
I stare at Dominika. She knows my secret, so why did she make that mistake?
“Can I have tea?” I ask her. “And I would prefer to eat in my room.”
“No,” Nikolai tells Dominika as she reaches for the tray. “I want to make sure she eats it.”
Dominika picks up the tray. “I will sit with her.”
I don’t say anything. I don’t tell Nikolai that I don’t think I can stomach a whole meal with him in the room.
