AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maxim approaches me, standing so close I can smell his musky aftershave. One of his fingers tips my chin upwards, our eyes meeting. Something about how he looks at me, how close he’s standing—all of it—causes a strange heat to stir within me. A flutter of nervous energy dances in my stomach, an uneasy mix of anticipation and dread. It must be the thrill of knowing I’ll soon avenge my aunt’s death.
“Is this what you want, lastochka?” It means swallow bird, a term of endearment, but he’s using it to mock me.
“‘Want’ is a strong word, but I accept this arrangement.”
His shrewd eyes sweep across my face as if unraveling my true intentions. “I look forward to learning exactly what it is you’re really after, Kira. And make no mistake, Iwillfind out.”
I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting.
His gaze sweeps the crowd, his smile wolfish. “It’s settled, then. Kira and I will marry. And that makes us all family.”
The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop.
I refuse to look at Maxim or anyone else. From here on out, I’ll act the part of his wife while digging up every dirty secret my soon-to-be husband is hiding.
CHAPTER THREE
Present Day
KIRA
I burst onto the balcony,struggling to catch my breath as the French doors slam behind me. The cool night air floods my senses and clears my head—a welcome break from the cloying perfumes and vodka shots filling the wedding reception.
I press a hand to my racing heart, the lace fabric of my gown harsh against my skin. One breath, then another.
It’s done. I’m officially a Belov.
We went right from the cathedral to the glitzy reception held in Moscow’s finest hotel, a who’s who of the country’s elite milling about, satisfied they got an invite to the event of the year.
I didn’t invite anyone, no friends or family. What’s the point of anyone I’m close to witnessing this charade of a marriage?
Away from curious eyes, I find a stone bench against the wall and sit down, drawing deep breaths and giving in to the vulnerability I've avoided since saying "I do".
I may be impulsive and hot-headed—Alyona and my brothers would certainly agree, especially if they knew why I really married Maxim—but in this, I'm resolute. I've spent the last fewyears quietly chasing leads on Masha’s killer, and none of them were solid. This is the first time all the cards line up.
A tremor of cold runs up my spine, not because of the night's chill but because of a movement in the far corner of the balcony.
“Is someone here?” I shoot up to a standing position. A near panic attack is a bad look for a bride.
I don’t see anything, just sense it, until a single flame pierces the darkness. It ignites the end of a cigar, followed by an inhale and the wisp of smoke that fades into the night.
And then an achingly familiar voice—deep and powerful, and one I've come to hate—says, “Was it really that bad?”
My husband.
I’m quiet for a moment before I answer. “Being trotted around like a show pony? What every girl dreams of on her wedding day, no?”
He’s still bathed in shadows, a halo of smoke surrounding him, but I hear his soft chuckle. The only soft thing about him. “It comes with the territory of being my wife. Isn’t that what you wanted? If I recall correctly,yousuggested marriage, not the other way around.”
“Yes, but…” The words die on my lips.
Maxim rises like a phoenix out of the flames, and same as every time I see him, my heart stutters in my chest. Only his profile comes into the light, the sharp contours of his jawline and the slight curve of his lips casting a striking silhouette. This alone is enough to make grown women weep. My new husband might be a psychopath, but he’s the very definition of rugged male beauty.
I clear my throat and try again. “I saw a business opportunity, and I took it. Alyona didn’t want to be part of your world, and I didn’t want to see her dragged in kicking and screaming, and miserable, when I knew I would be much better suited to rule by your side.”
He advances on me, all traces of his charming public persona wiped away.
I step back because having Maxim this close short-circuits my brain. I swallow hard and look up at the man I’m bound to for life. Or at least until I murder him.
