Page 76 of Forcibly Sold to the Bratva
So what the hell am I to do?
For the first time in my life, I feel helpless. I don't know what to do, how to fix this. All I know is that I need Arina back in my life. I need her like I need air to breathe.
***
For three whole days, I wallow in self-pity until Agafon barges into my house.
“What?” I murmur.
“Get dressed. We’re heading out.”
“I don’t want to,” I give him a glare.
“It’s the Volkovs' annual party this evening,” he says, pointedly.
Suddenly, I sit straighter. The Volkovs are a powerful family and also a neutral ground. They haven’t yet made alliances.
Since the Sokolovs are weakened now, they’ll be looking for friends. Chances are, they might be there tonight.
At last, I see a silver lining.
***
The Volkov mansion is in full form when we arrive. I scan the crowded ballroom as we enter, hoping against hope. People come up to us, try to talk.
Half an hour passes by, and I pretend to nod and smile, but soon, the room begins to feel suffocating. What am I even doing here?
Perhaps the Sokolovs won’t show. Suddenly, I feel like a fool. Even if they do, what is there for me to do? I can’t fight on this turf.
I won’t know where they’re keeping Arina. I scan the room to tell Agafon that I’m heading back when I feel my skin go warm.
I see her.
Arina stands across the room, wearing a pretty blue dress that, once upon a time, I would have shredded off her. She looks beautiful, but also sad. Like she doesn’t want to be here.
They broughtherhere? Even in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think this could be possible.
Tikhon hovers at her side like a shadow, and I hate how stiff she stands.
Our eyes meet across the room, and I see her eyes widen before she suddenly turns away. She didn’t expect to see me here tonight. She looks petrified.
But…why?
This night suddenly feels destined, and I put down my glass and keep to the edges of the walls, always keeping Arina in my line of sight. I watch her from a distance, waiting for one single chance to have her alone.
I wait for my opportunity, and it comes when she excuses herself from her brothers' side. She looks over at me and gives me the smallest nod. Ahint.
I follow her down a hallway, past the bathrooms, to a small library at the end of the corridor. She closes the door behind her, and I wait ten seconds before following.
She's standing by the window when I enter. The moonlight outlines her silhouette, and for a moment, I just look at her, drinking in the sight of her after days of emptiness.
"You shouldn't be following me around," she says. “My brothers will kill you if they see.”
I close the door behind me. "Is that what you brought me here to tell me? To stay away."
She faces me then, her expression carefully blank. "Go away, Ilariy. I havenothing elseto say to you."
"That's fine," I step closer. "I'll do the talking. You can just listen to how you made a fool out of me."
