Page 5 of Sinful Union

I remember releasing inside, my cock pulsing into her.

Today, her dark hair cascades down her back, contrasting with the pure white of her dress, but it’s her eyes—those big, smoky eyes—that hit me the hardest.

They flick to mine for just a second before darting away, telling me everything I need to know.

She remembers, too; I know she does, though there’s something in her eyes, something hard and uncompromising.

She’s still defiant.

Good.

"O Lord our God, who hast espoused the Church as a pure virgin, bless this betrothal..."

My expression remains cold, unreadable. But inside, my blood is boiling. Something I’ve spent six goddamn years trying to forget grips me. I thought this was over. I thought I had buried every last piece of what she once made me feel.

I was wrong.

"The servant of God, Pavel, is betrothed to the servant of God, Katerina, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

When Piotr first proposed this marriage, I almost laughed in his face. The idea that I would take back the woman who disappeared from my life without a word, that I would tie myself to someone who walked away from me like I meant nothing, was almost insulting.

But now, as she stands before me, every bit the beautiful, blushing bride, all I can think is—why?

There’s still something here. Something raw, something unresolved.

"Grant unto them a long life of mutual love in the bond of peace..."

I tear my gaze away from her long enough to glance at Piotr. He’s standing beside me, his expression the perfect display of brotherly affection as he regards his sister. But when his gaze shifts to me, something dark flickers in his eyes.

"Fill their hearts with love for one another..."

The small, pleased smile on his lips widens as he nods at me, the picture of a loyal friend, a brother welcoming me into the family.

But it feels fake. Something is off.

"May the Lord bless and keep them from all harm..."

Vlad and Piotr, the Andreev brothers, came to me weeks ago, talking of alliances, of power, of finally eliminating the Novikov Bratva and solidifying our hold on the city. On paper, the deal makes sense. Once we merge our families, the Novikovs won’t stand a chance.

All it would take is a marriage to their beautiful sister to make it official. She and I have history; therefore, it would make sense for us to officially become husband and wife.

But why now?

"May the Lord grant unto them peace, harmony, and love eternal..."

For years, there’s been nothing but bad blood between us. The larger Andreev family blamed my family for their parents’ deaths, in the same way I’ve always suspected the Novikovs of orchestrating my father’s murder. But despite the accusations, Piotr and Vlad have remained allies.

"For blessed is Thy name, and glorified is Thy kingdom..."

I always suspected Kat believed the rumors, that she believed her uncles and cousins over her brothers, and that’s why she left.

Could it be that she’s finally seeing it Piotr’s and Vlad’s way?

She’s a fighter, loyal to a fault. If she’s here, it’s because she’s made a choice. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that this is not what it seems.

For a moment, her eyes flicker up to meet mine, long enough for me to catch the fire still burning in them.

She doesn’t look afraid; she doesn’t look unsure.

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