Page 24 of Claimed and Bred By the Bratva

"I need to go," Nikolai says finally, though he seems reluctant. "Duty calls. Zara, it was a pleasure meeting you." He takes her hand again, this time lifting it to his lips, making her dark eyes widen. The kiss is brief and proper, but I catch how his thumb brushes across her knuckles before he releases her. "I hope to see you again… soon." Then he's gone, moving through the coffee shop with controlled power, leaving Zara staring after him with obvious confusion.

"Well," she says finally, turning back to us with forced brightness. "That was... intense. Is everyone in your family that dramatically romantic?"

Dimitri and I exchange glances. "You have no idea," I say..

"The zoo closes at five," Dimitri taps my back, checking his watch. "Someone promised to show Aleksandr the lions."

"The lions are going to eat him up," Zara coos to the baby, who gurgles a smile. "Just like your daddy did to your mama."

"Zara!" I protest, but I'm laughing.

"What? It's true! One look in this coffee shop and boom—married with a baby and living in a fortress. Beauty and the Beast style."

As I take Aleksandr back and Dimitri loads the stroller, I catch Zara glancing toward the door where Nikolai disappeared.

"Hey," I say quietly while Dimitri adjusts the diaper bag. "Be careful, okay? The Ismailov men are... intense."

She looks at me with curious eyes. "Speaking from experience?"

I glance at my husband, who's arguing with a six-month-old about which toy is appropriate for public outings, and smile. "The best kind."

"Noted," she says, but I can see her mind working. "Though I doubt I'll see him again. Men like that don't slum it with broke college students."

Oh, sweet Zara. If only she knew that men like Nikolai Ismailov don't give up once they've decided they want something—or someone.

"Ready, angel?" Dimitri asks, one hand on the stroller, the other already reaching for me.

"Ready," I confirm, letting him guide me toward the door.

But I catch Zara's eye again, noting how her gaze drifts to the empty corner table where Nikolai waited for hours and watched her work.

"Dimitri," I whisper as we step outside. "Nikolai seemed... interested in Zara."

His mouth curves in a smile that's equal parts amused and knowing. "The Ismailov men have a weakness for strong women who don't know their own power."

"Should I be worried about her?"

He stops walking, turning to face me with that serious expression. "Do you trust me, Amani?"

"With everything."

"Then trust me when I say Nikolai is honorable. If he's interested in Zara, his intentions are serious. We don't play games with matters of the heart."

I think about cameras and severed fingers and the intensity that brought us together. My life changed completely the day I smiled at a dangerous stranger in this coffee shop. "Maybe that's exactly what she needs," I murmur, watching through the window as Zara returns to work, completely unaware that her life might be about to change forever.

Dimitri's laugh is low and dangerous. "Careful, angel. Keep talking like that and people will think you're as devious as I am."

I rise on my toes to kiss him while Aleksandr babbles happily between us. "Maybe I am. Maybe that's what makes us perfect."

"Always and forever," he agrees, pressing his forehead to mine.

As we walk toward the car, I can't help but smile. Poor Zara has no idea that Nikolai Ismailov just decided she's worth waiting for.

Nikolai

Idon'tbelieveinlove at first sight—until I see her laughing behind the counter of that coffee shop, purple hair catching the light like spun amethyst. Zara Williams. The broke college student has no idea she's caught the attention of the most patient predator in the Bratva.

One month. That's all it takes for me to learn everything about her. Her schedule, her dreams, her desperate wish for a family she can't afford. While my cousin Dimitri claimed his woman with brutal efficiency, I prefer a more... methodical approach.

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