And fuck, I love her.
I don’t say it. Not yet.
But I let her feel it in the way I cradle her face, in the way I press one last, lingering kiss against her lips.
"Mine," I murmur against her mouth, soft, but unyielding.
She swallows hard, fingers curling into my shirt.
"Yours," she whispers back.
“I’m spending the rest of the day with you. What do you want to do?”
“What about the plans? The mission? All those men, waiting for you?”
“Fuck ‘em.”
19
CORA
When I come downstairs in the morning, Dmitri and Maxim are talking in low voices at the breakfast table.
Ivan sits back in his seat, listening to them talk, his brow furrowed. In front of them are blueprints and empty coffee cups.
Dmitri’s wife, Elena, sits beside him, one hand resting protectively over the small swell of her stomach. I’ve not met her in person but I’ve seen enough photos around the mansion to know who she is.
She’s poised, graceful, and utterly regal. Her dark eyes flick over me once, and I get the sense she’s already come to some conclusion about me, though she doesn’t say what it is.
To her left is Maxim, deep scar running from his temple to his jaw, making his face look like something carved from stone. But his hand rests easily on his wife, Veronica’s hip, his fingers tracing an idle circle on the fabric of her dress.
Veronica’s got sharp eyes, a lazy smirk, and the kind of energy that makes it hard for her to keep still.
Ivan, Maxim, and Dmitri exchange a few low words when I enter, something unspoken passing between them before they move off toward the far door, leaving me alone with the two most powerful women in the Bratva.
Veronica folds her arms and looks me up and down like she’s inspecting a stray dog. Then she smirks. “Huh. You’re taller than I thought.”
I blink. “What?”
“Elena and I have been placing bets. She thought you’d be petite. I thought you’d be meaner-looking, taller as well.”
Elena hums, tilting her head. “To be fair, she does look like she’s ready to kill you.”
Veronica nods approvingly. “Yeah. But she also looks like she’d cry while doing it.”
I cross my arms. “Want to see what happens?”
Veronica grins. “Oh, I like her.”
Elena smirks slightly, then gestures toward the mansion. “Come sit down. If you’re part of this world now, you should at least get the grand breakfast.”
I hesitate. “Part of this world?”
Veronica loops her arm through mine like we’re old friends as I sit down. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re in the Bratva wives’ club now.”
Elena nods. “Which means we’ve already heard plenty about you.”
I glance between them. “From who?”