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Mistletoe gives Nikolai something to focus on outside of business. She makes him happy and gives him a reason to be softer than he used to be, but that doesn’t mean I would ever call the man easy-going. I know how ruthless he can be. I’ve never seen it in action, but I’ve heard plenty of stories.
My brothers have shielded me from the violence I know swirls around our name. Maybe if they didn’t, I would feel like I have some fucking footing around here. But no. I’m just the fucking baby.
I tighten my grip on Hazel as she looks up at me. I can see the questions in her eyes as well as lust. I’m tempted to tell her to go to my room and wait for me, but when I look back at my brothers, I know it would be a bad idea.
“Go on home, Hazel.” She looks up at me and pouts, but I keep my face a neutral mask. We aren’t together, and I don’t owe her anything. “Call a ride.”
I turn her back toward the front door, not bothering to say goodbye or watch her leave. She’s safe out in front of the house anyway. If I cared a little more, or maybe if I was more of a gentleman, then I would have walked her out. It’s not like I was going to let her stay the night anyway.
She knows how it is. We fuck and she goes back to her place.
Ivan makes a tsking sound and shakes his head once the sound of the front door closing reaches us. “Fucking around with Anton’s sister is not smart,” he admonishes me.
I scoff and roll my eyes as I walk the rest of the way into the living room and slump down into a seat. “She sucks my dick like a fucking porn star, and she knows how it is between us. I’m not taking anything she’s not offering.”
Nikolai clenches his jaw, and I can almost see the words he wants to spew at me swirling in his mind. Sergei runs his hand over his face but doesn’t say anything. It’s sure as fuck not acceptance coming from him.
I figure the best defense is a good offense, so I don’t give Nikolai a chance to start in on me. “Look, I’m not underage anymore. It’s legal for me to go out and it’s not hurting anyone.” I shrug my shoulders like it’s no big deal. Because it isn’t. I look into Nikolai’s eyes and let him know, “I listened to you about the whole driving thing, and I make sure to use a ride service when I need it.”
“That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Something crosses Nikolai’s face with his words, something which makes me sit up a little straighter. Regret? Uncertainty? A little shame?
What the fuck is going on?
I look at my brothers, really look at them. Now that I’m paying attention and not just searching for ways they’re disappointed in me, I see those emotions lingering in all their eyes even as they try to hide them. I don’t think they’ve ever looked at me like they are right now. My heart starts to pound in my chest.
“What is going on?” My voice comes out sharper than I intend. “Is Laurel okay? Mistie?”
As much as I might resent my oldest brother and the way he knows exactly who he is and what his role is, I love his woman. She’s become a sister to me, and it’s been that way since he brought her home with him from his cabin upstate where they got snowed in together. Their story has a fucked-up beginning, but they’re perfect for each other.
Nikolai holds up his hands in a placating manner, his voice softer, “They’re fine.”
I nod slowly, trying to get myself under control but it’s almost impossible. I barely remember the conversation we had about our parents when they died because it’s like time moved too fucking fast to make the memory stick and this feels so fucking similar. It’s surreal and it makes me feel panicky.
“Then what’s this about?”
Sergei and Ivan both turn toward Nikolai. It’s not surprising, the way they defer to him, but it makes my unease rise. If they’re looking toward him then this isn’t personal.
“I’ve been approached by someone for a deal, of sorts,” Nikolai begins and my gut clenches. “Pavel Sokolov came to me and offered his sister for marriage to strengthen the ties between us.”
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. I spit the words, “You can’t be serious. Pavel is a fucking psychopath. Our father would have never entertained even talking about an arranged marriage. Nor would their father.”
It might have been the way of the past and there are families still out there using their children, especially their daughters, as pawns for power and favor, but we’re not one of those families. When I look into Nikolai’s eyes, there’s something there that has me freezing.
“Tell me you told him no,” there’s a hint of a plea in my voice and I hate it.
“I agreed to his deal.” Nikolai doesn’t break eye contact with me as he speaks. He holds my gaze—steady and sure. “You will marry Calla.”
I surge up off the couch and roar, “I will do no such fucking thing.”
Nikolai doesn’t stand up, but Ivan and Sergei do. They don’t step closer to me, but it’s clear they’re ready if I were to launch myself at our oldest brother, at the head of the Orlov Bratva, at Nikolai. I’m not sure which is worse—my brother telling me he’s arranged a marriage for me or the fact that it’s clear where the loyalty in this room lies.
“You will,” Nikolai keeps his voice even.
“No,” I bark out and start shaking my head as I begin pacing back and forth. “It’s barbaric,” I insist.
“It is,” Nikolai’s voice is a deep intonation, and his agreement has me pulling up short. Only when I turn to look at him does he explain himself. “Something is going on. I don’t trust Pavel Sokolov. From everything I’ve gathered, Calla is a prisoner in her own home and has been since their parents died. Those deaths are also suspicious. I’ve been thinking about how to handle the situation since it’s clear Pavel is a greedy fuck who only wants power.”
