Page 81 of Savage Bratva King

He’s younger than Leo. He has the same dark hair and brown eyes as Leo and Victoria, but that’s where the similarities end. This man’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. His gaze slides away from me as he crosses the room and opens the refrigerator door, but I notice the way it lingers briefly on Tamara before snapping to the bottle of beer in his hand.

“I’m Andrej. I thought I’d come and introduce myself as my brother seems to have forgotten his manners.” He leans lazily against the counter and stares at me. “Leonid has probably told you nothing about me.”

He cranks the lid off the bottle with his back teeth, and guzzles beer, his eyes on me the entire time.

I don’t know why, but I have the overwhelming urge to get the dogs as far away from him as possible. Lucky nestles in my arms. Marvel’s ears are pressed flat against his head as he leans against me, his eyes on the unexpected visitor.

“Another mutt?” The question isn’t aimed at anyone in particular. “My brother’s a sucker for a stray it seems.”

Heat rushes to my face, but I force myself to maintain eye contact. I sense the naughty child in Andrej waiting for his parents to turn their backs before he causes mischief and blames it on his siblings. Only now, the mischief has way higher stakes.

“We were just talking about Elena,” Tamara says.

That’s what she’s leading with? I’m starting to wonder if this was planned, an unspoken agreement to gang up on me and shatter my illusions of my fiancé while there’s still time to call the wedding off.

“Ah, Elena.” Andrej’s gaze rakes my body, drawing more heat to my face. “She was a stunner.”

Okay, so now I know they’re deliberately being obnoxious, or in Tamara’s case, more obnoxious than usual.

“I’d have taken a shot at her myself given half a chance.” Andrej raises the bottle in a mock toast to himself and his missed chances with his brother’s ex.

“One brother was enough.” There’s unmistakable amusement in Tamara’s voice.

“Always my fucking luck.” Andrej’s mouth twists into a sly smile aimed my way. “Unless you fancy trying out the more athletic brother.” At my silence, he shrugs like it’s no biggie. “No? You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I think I do.” I wish I sounded stronger, more confident, but this is Leo’s brother, and Andrej is right about one thing: I don’t know anything about him. Leo might be oblivious to his younger brother’s charm, or lack of.

His eyes grow wide when he spots the ring on my finger. “Grandmama told me that she’d given Leonid her ring, but I didn’t believe her.”

“Why not?” I don’t like where this is going, but like a fly caught in a spider’s web, I’m stuck here waiting for the spider to claim his meal. “It was promised to Leo.”

His eyebrows lower, and his face darkens like he just stepped back into the shadows. “It was promised to Leo’s future wife. Not to an enemy printzessa.”

I set my shoulders back and jut my chin, just like Daniel taught me when we were kids. “You’ve been misinformed. I’m not the enemy.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong.” He pushes himself off the counter and comes closer.

A growl emits from somewhere deep inside Marvel, and I don’t stop him.

“Your sister is married to the enemy, and therefore that places you on the opposite side of the board.”

I shake my head. “This war has nothing to do with me. I haven’t even seen my family since I came back from Montenegro.”

“Oh, but you’re the crucial piece in this never-ending game,printzessa.”

His use of Leo’s pet name for me makes my flesh crawl. “If you’ll excuse me, the dogs need some exercise.” I turn to leave, but he isn’t finished, and I wish I’d taken the dogs out when Tamara first walked in.

“Let me enlighten you, Gianna. My brother is marrying you because it’s part of the trap to snare your precious brother-in-law. The ring and the refuge. Sounds like the title of a fantasy novel, don’t you think?”

“You’re lying.”

Marvel must sense the panic coursing through my veins. He prowls towards Andrej, ears still back, his tail between his legs.

Andrej spreads his arms wide and sways in front of the dog, top lip curled away from his gums, snarling like a feral animal. “Come on then, Marvel. Try taking me on and see what happens.”

“Stop!” I grab Marvel’s collar and pull him towards the door, still holding Lucky in my arms. I’m almost there when Ivana appears in her customary black leather.

“Why are you running away, printzessa?” Andrej’s voice follows me as I push past Ivana in the doorway. Marvel is still straining to get back to the man in the kitchen and protect me. “We were just getting acquainted.”

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