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My head snaps up at his words as embarrassment floods me. I narrow my eyes and my mouth opens, but the scathing look my brother sends me has the words dying on my lips. I want to scream at him. I want to tell him how fucking inappropriate it is for him to mention my virginity in front of strangers.
Tears burn the backs of my eyes, but I strengthen my resolve and don’t let them fall. Pavel sneers cruelly, “My sister will wear white on her wedding day. Consider it an additional present in terms of our deal.”
Nikolai’s gray eyes, similar to Viktor’s but different as well, flash with violent intent at my brother. He nods his head once and then stands, offering a hand to Mistie to help her stand as well. I’m a little surprised she was allowed to stay for this little meeting.
Women normally are shunned in terms of the business, but I suppose not everyone was speaking freely either. I study her for a moment and the strength she carries herself with. I can see why she stands at the side of the man who runs the most powerful Bratva in the area.
There is an air about her I could never hope to replicate. Still, it does make hope spark inside of me. If she can do it, maybe I can too. Maybe I can find my way.
“I’ll send someone over for Calla’s things,” Nikolai tells Pavel. “Let me walk you out and we can give the engaged couple a chance to talk.”
Pavel stands and crosses his arms across his chest. “I want to see the promise of this arrangement on her finger before I leave.”
It strikes me in the middle of my chest that my own brother hasn’t referred to me by name since we arrived. It’s as if I’m only an object to him. It pains me, but it doesn’t surprise me.
Viktor looks at his oldest brother who gives him a subtle nod. When Viktor turns to me, I can see how much he hates this, and me, in his eyes. He doesn’t get down on one knee after he pulls a ring box out of his pocket.
“I hope you will find this ring an acceptable symbol of my commitment to our marriage,” Viktor’s voice is robotic and stilted as he opens the box and shows me the ring.
There is no love between us, and it makes me want to weep.
When my eyes take in the ring, my lips part, and a small gasp escapes. “It’s beautiful,” I murmur softly.
And it is. Though, could I really expect anything less?
Viktor pushes the ring in my direction, and I take it from him, hoping he doesn’t notice how much my hands are shaking. When I look into his eyes he simply nods toward the ring and my heart cracks open a little bit.
Right. There is no love between us.
I slip my own engagement ring on my finger and smooth my face over in a neutral mask as I turn toward my brother and show him my hand. I wiggle my fingers a little for effect, wishing with all my heart that I could flip him off.
Mistie meets my eyes and winks before Nikolai steers her out of the room behind Pavel as he storms out of the Orlov mansion. When I look around the room, I realize I’m alone with Viktor with no clue when Ivan and Sergei left or where they went.
“This is a marriage in name only, Calla,” Viktor’s voice is hard, his feelings about this situation clear in only a few words. “I don’t want this confused for something it is not.”
I look toward the man who I will be marrying soon and take a big breath, knowing I need to say something, anything. Before I can, a woman slips into the room coming from the opposite direction as the front door. She’s gorgeous and her eyes sparkle with something like lust as she looks at my fiancé.
At least, that’s what I think he is. I’m wearing his ring on my finger. Right?
Viktor stands suddenly and crosses the room toward her. When he’s close enough she leaps into his arms. He doesn’t push her away, but when he glances at me, I swear I see guilt in his eyes for a split second. With a chin lift, he turns with her in his arms and walks out of the room.
My heart cracks open wider, and I bring my hand to my chest with the full expectation of it coming away bloody. It doesn’t.
Everything has changed. The silence around me and the fact that I’m all alone speaks volumes. Maybe this is just another prison. I can bide my time until I can escape this one, but this time I won’t wait until it’s too late.
CHAPTER 4
VIKTOR
As much as I hate to say it, my wife is beautiful. The dress she’s wearing hugs her body perfectly and shows me, along with the other men in the room, every sexy curve. That has a riot of emotions swirling in my chest and I’m not sure what to do with any of them.
The room is full of people associated with both the Orlov and the Sokolov family. To call this a wedding instead of a show would be a lie. I understand it, but that doesn’t mean I like it. From the fake smile plastered on Calla’s face, I don’t think she likes it much either.
Or maybe she’s just a fabulous actress. I don’t know her well enough, and I hate the part of myself who wishes I did. I shouldn’t care about this woman—she’s an obligation and nothing more.
So why do my eyes keep finding her in the room when I’m not right next to her and why do I find myself gravitating toward her? It’s wrong. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
I haven’t spent a lot of time around Calla the last two weeks except when we’ve had our family dinners, something Mistie insisted on when she came into the family. Since she’s the reason Nikolai is even a little bit calmer and a lot happier, I’m morethan willing to indulge her.
