Page 2 of The Pakhan's Arranged Bride
“Benedikt, darling, I’m so glad you called,” her voice oozes through the phone.
“Barbara, why am I being informed that you are in the process of planning a wedding?”
“Oh darling, how many times must I tell you to call meMom? I hate it when you call me Barbara.”
“It’s your name. Answer my question,” I snap impatiently.
“Well,Bennie—" She knows I hate that nickname. She even hates it. She’s only using it now to get back at me.
But calling her ‘Mom’ suggests I have a fondness towards her, and most days I don’t. Today, especially.
“I’ve done all the planning for you. All you have to do is show up. There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about. It’s all done.”
“What’s done?” I snarl. “Who the hell am I meant to be marrying?”
She laughs lightheartedly.
I can hear the smirk in her reply. “Alina Pushkin,” she announces, as though she’s introducing a member of the royal family.
The silence from my side of the phone deepens as the seconds tick by.My rival’s sister?She wants me to marry my longstanding rival’ssister?
“Ardalion’s sister?” I say in disbelief. “Why the hell would I want to marry Ardalion’s sister?”
I can’t believe my mother. She has no idea how bratva politics work, yet she’s organizing a wedding. Has she been in contact with Ardalion? Making deals behind my back?
How? Why? The only reason I’d marry a rival’s sister is to merge an alliance, and I have no intention of being allied to Ardalion Pushkin.
My mother is doing this for reasons that only benefit her.
I don’t even give a shit what they are at this point.
“I’m not marrying her,” I say, simple and clear.
“You are; I’ve already planned the whole thing,” she insists, as though she has the power here. “You know that Ardalion is a powerful man from a powerful family. It would do you good to be in an alliance with him.”
It’s odd how easily my mother might acknowledge the powerful status of one of my enemies—but not of her own son’s.
My blood boils as I clench my jaw, not wanting to lose my mind or my temper. My mother seems to get some sort of sick satisfaction from pushing me over the edge. I won’t give her that.
She must know that once a wedding of convenience is arranged, there has to be a damn good reason for it to be cancelled.
I have to get out of this disaster as quickly as possible.
“I can’t marry some strange girl I’ve never met when I already have a fiancée,” I say. “You should have spoken to me before making such a massivebusinessdecision.”
I don’t. I don’t even have a girlfriend. But for some reason, this is the excuse that pops into my mind first, and my mouth spits it out before I have a chance to decide if it’s a good idea or not.
I’m immediately pleased with the horror I hear in her voice.
“You’re engaged? Why didn’t I know about this?I am your mother,” she shouts through the phone, enunciating each word to make her agitation clear. “How—when—when did this happen? I don’t understand why you kept it from me?” She’s whimpering now, horrified she wasn’t in the know.
She’s also probably upset that whatever she stood to gain fromherarranged marriage is no longer viable.
“If you’re going to arrange a wedding, Barbara, it should be with my fiancée, not a stranger,” I say curtly.
It’s her turn to be stunned into silence.
I take the opportunity to end the call before she can ask me any more questions that I can’t answer. “I’ve got to go. We’ll speak soon.”
