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He’s still standing at the threshold. I walk to the wet bar and pick up a glass of bourbon.
“I poured you a glass. Neat or rocks?”
“Neat.”
He finally walks inside and to me. He takes the glass, and I decide I need water to keep my head clear.
“Yes, we live together. To protect me from the Triad and because he wants me, we got married.” I tell him everything all at once. Like a bandage, I rip it off. “Come in. I made your favorite, steak and baked potatoes.”
I get a glass out of the cabinet and fill it with water. I take a big gulp before turning around to face him. He’s looking around, and I watch him take everything in.
“I just spoke with him on Friday. He said he’d protect you. He didn’t say anything about marrying you. Damn it, Lennon, you can’t be associated with the Bratva and run a shelter for battered women.”
“Why not? Tell me why I can’t?” I slam my hands onto my waist.
He stands on the other side of the kitchen island, staring at me.
“They hurt women,” he says.
“No, they don’t. They protect us. Look at this house. He bought this for me. He takes care of me. He would never raise a hand to me.”
“He’s a fighter.”
“Yes, he is. But he’s still gentle with me. Have a seat,” I tell him, and he takes a seat at the large table.
I take our plates out of the warmer where they were as the steaks rested. I then plop a baked potato on each and serve up the vegetables before I take his plate to him. I set the timer to remind me when to start Dima’s steak.
We eat in silence until the timer goes off. I walk over and start up the broiler again to make my husband’s steak. I would have made them on the outdoor grill, but with my father here, I didn’t want to be moving back and forth from the house to the patio. I also wasn’t sure how he was going to take everything. He’s been quiet until the front door opens.
“You told me you had a plan. You didn’t tell me that plan was to marry her,” my father shouts as Dima comes into view. “If this is your way of getting the Bratva into the Melody, you can think twice. I’m cutting her off for this stunt.” His voice is full of hate and anger.
I gasp, and Dima is on me instantly.
“You made my wife cry. I’ll knock you out if you don’t sit down and shut up.” He waits until my father does what he says as Andrei slowly moves down the hall with Mikhail following.
“I didn’t make enough for company,” I say.
“They aren’t staying,kukla.” He kisses the top of my head. “Now, you.” He points at my father, who is slugging back another bourbon. I put the cut glass carafe on the table before I sat down earlier. “The Bratva isn’t interested in the Melody. If you cut off your daughter, she’ll be taken care of, but you’ll never see her or our children again. You can’t be this hateful or against us.”
“I can. You stole one of my daughters, and now you want the other.”
“I didn’t steal Sparrow.” Andrei’s voice is gruff and full of a deadly calm that causes me to shiver.
I pull away from Dima to put his steak in the warmer to rest.
I walk to the island and brace my hands on the counter as I let my head fall. I didn’t know he hated the Bratva this much.
“Please, Dima.” I look at him, my body trembling. I don’t want to shut out my family. “Father, you and I haven’t always gotten along, but I swear this is what I want. I care deeply for Dima. You need to stop hiring people to try to break us up.”
“But do you love him. I haven’t heard either of you say that.”
I pause because I know I love Dima and he will love me eventually. I just don’t know if he loves me now.
“She’smoya lyubimaya zhen.My men and Andrei’s will always protect her.”
“I don’t speak Russian,” my father spits out.
“She’s his beloved wife,” Andrei states from his place at the head of the table. “If anyone in my organization ever lifts a hand to a woman, I’d personally break their hand. If they continue, only the buzzards and coyotes would find them.”
