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When the sound stops on the other side of the door, the creep next to me knocks like he’s about to raid the fucking place. I’m so damn tempted to run away.
“Come in,” Pavel barks and I swallow hard because my escort doesn’t waste a second before he swings open the door.
I don’t bother looking at him. I know I won’t find any help from any of the men who report to my brother. Why even bother looking for it?
The only thing I can do is square my shoulders and walk into the office, ignoring the way my heart sinks at how Pavel has erased everything from the room that would have reminded me of our father. The scent of sex, cigars, booze, and tears isn’t helping the melancholy threatening to pull me under.
Pavel is sitting behind his desk. It’s no longer the imposing wooden desk our father sat behind. I always knew where he hid some candy for me. I know I won’t find anything like that now. Hell, the thing doesn’t even have drawers. It’s glass and metal. It’s sleek lines, but there’s no substance to it.
Just like the man sitting behind it.
I focus on the corner of the desk and not where I can see the remnants of something powdery in front of him. I also don’t look at the woman who is kneeling next to Pavel. She has a skirt on, which is rucked up around her waist, but otherwise she’s naked.
“Sit, Calla,” Pavel orders, his voice cold.
I follow his directions, not because I want to, but because I need to choose my battles wisely. I’ve seen a lot of sides of my brother, but the last ten months have been eye opening. I’ve realized more with each passing day that I never knew him to begin with.
It feels like ants are crawling all over my skin with how much I want to run from this room. When Pavel shares a look with the creep who is standing at my back, I hazard a glance at the woman. She has tears tracks on her cheeks, made more obvious by the way her mascara is running.
She doesn’t make a sound, which is both understandable and unsettling. The way her glassy eyes meet mine makes me want to grab her and take her with me when I go. I won’t be able to.
Pavel reaches over and grabs a fistful of her hair and her face twists into a grimace. My eyes snap up to meet my brother’s and it’s clear he’s taunting me by the way he sneers. It’s a challenge to keep my face relaxed and not press my lips into a firm line.
Even though I don’t react, Pavel has a look of victory on his face. Like he’s won something. Maybe he fucking has.
“Calla,” there’s a warning in his tone and I fight the shiver that wants to run down my spine, “so good of you to join me.”
I swallow down the words I want to bite at him. The last time I spoke out of turn, he berated me and told me I was only to speak when asked a direct question. It was demoralizing and something I don’t want to relive.
“The time has come for you to fulfil your purpose as the Sokolov princess,” he delivers his edict like he’s the fucking king.
The longer I sit in front of him, the more I realize he’s just a little boy pretending to be something he’s not. That doesn’t mean his power isn’t real. At least in this room. At least when it comes to those whose loyalty he’s paid for.
Men like the one who I practically feel breathing down my neck.
Pavel makes a tsking sound and shoots me a look which would be contrite if I didn’t know him better. “I never understood why father never used you as the bargaining chip you are.” The way he smiles at me has my stomach knotting as I fight against my instincts to get away from the threat. “I won’t make the same mistake he did. You’ll be strengthening our relationship with the Orlov family.”
Ice fills my veins with his declaration because I know what’s coming next. The fact that Pavel is using me to do something our father never really accomplished—tie the Solokov and Orlov Bratva’s together—is probably making him feel invincible.
The Orlov family has ruled New York for a long time. Nikolai took over the head of the family and has two of his brothersworking underneath him. You don’t hear much about the youngest brother, but I do know they have always valued their sister, Laurel. They might be ruthless men, but I know they have more moral and ethical standards than Pavel has.
The Solokov family is based in New Jersey, but it’s territory we share with Vlad Petrov out of Atlantic City. Father wanted more, but he also knew the relative peace between the families in this area was strained by how much the Orlov and Petrov families hated each other.
Not long before my parents died, the Orlov and Petrov Bratvas feud was ended by Laurel and Vlad getting together. It left my own family in a purgatory of sorts.
“You’ll be marrying Viktor.” My heart sinks and Pavel smirks. “The baby of the family was the best I could get for you.” His eyes trail over my body and I wish I could curl in on myself. “Not surprising, but it will strengthen our position here and give us more opportunities to do business in the city.”
Like I give a shit about his business opportunities. I’m kicking myself for sticking around as long as I did. I should have put my plans into motion, but now I won’t be able to escape.
The evil glint in his eye is almost challenging me to try. The silence stretches between us, but I know I shouldn’t fill it with anything. Danger lurks in this room and my senses heighten in response to it.
“Seems you can learn something,” Pavel’s praise is condescending as fuck. “We’ll be going tomorrow to meet with Nikolai. I’ll be finalizing the deal, and you’ll have the chance to meet your groom.”
I don’t know whether this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me or my chance at freedom. Tears prick the backof my eyes, but I know I can’t let him see them. It would only make him feel more powerful.
“I want your assurance that you understand and will be the dutiful wife I’ve promised you’ll be,” he barks and tightens his grip in the woman’s hair to the point that she lets out a whimper. His eyes flash with malice at the sound.
“I understand,” I whisper, my voice soft and devoid of the steel I wish I could show.
