Page 10 of Kidnapped & Bred By The BRATVA
I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Our uncle was supposed to pay her father for that marriage. Two million for her to be tied to the cousin. But when you took her, I handled it.” His voice is calm, matter-of-fact. “I gave him the money myself. Made it clear the alliance stands, with us, not our uncle.”
A muscle ticks in my jaw. “And?”
“And he didn’t argue.” Maksim’s lip curls, disgust flashing across his face. “Didn’t give a damn what happened to his daughter, so long as the money cleared and the connection was intact.”
My grip tightens on the glass until it cracks. I don’t flinch as shards bite into my palm. The fury is a wildfire, choking me, blinding me.
That bastard. That smug, greedy bastard. Selling his daughter off like she’s nothing. Not even caring who takes her, as long as the deal’s done.
“But there is still the issue of our dear old Uncle…” Maksim sighs. “He is on the fucking warpath, because he wanted the alliance to further his own interests.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
“He’s furious,” Maksim continues. “You humiliated him, Roman. He promised his son a bride that would further his prospects, and now you’ve taken her.”
“He didn’t even want her,” I counter, “you heard the disrespectful little prick. He is lucky I didn’t shoot him straight between the eyes.”
Aleksei smirks. “He should have kept a tighter grip if he didn’t want her taken right out from under him.”
Mikhail’s gaze sharpens on me. “Fury isn’t nothing. He’ll want to make a point.”
I lean back, letting the cracked glass dangle from my fingers. “Let him rage. Let him slam his fists and drink himself stupid. It changes nothing.”
Maksim’s brow arches. “You think he’ll just let it go?”
“No.” I smile, feral, showing teeth. “But his son isn’t without options. The Masquerade Ball is in two months. There will be women enough to choose from, women who want the name, the power. He can take his pick there and leave Olivia the fuck out of it.”
My brothers exchange glances, weighing the truth of it. The ball is a beast of its own, an annual gathering where deals are made in the shadows, masks concealing sins no one dares name aloud. Alliances are forged with blood and lust. Every syndicate sends their best, their brightest, their most beautiful. Celebrities, politicians, everyone who is anyone who can afford the fucking price. And they all pay handsomely for one night of anonymous debauchery.
“He won’t like being told to wait his turn,” Nikolai drawls, tipping his glass toward me. “But you’re not wrong. There’s no shortage of girls desperate for a husband with Bratva money and a ruthless reputation.”
“Desperate women,” Aleksei adds with a grin, “and fathers even more so.”
Maksim exhales, his eyes never leaving mine. “You may have thrown him a bone, Roman, but don’t think for a second he’ll forget the insult. He’s family, but family cuts deepest.”
I know what he is referring to. “I’m not afraid of him,” I snarl, my jaw tightening. “He can take his grievances to hell for all I care. Olivia was never his. She was always mine. I’d have taken her the moment I saw her wherever that was.”
“Who is hosting the ball this year?” Nikolai asks, turning to face Maksim. “Maybe you could pull some strings and we can make sure our dearest cousin meets the right kind of woman.”
Silence follows, heavy, taut, broken only by the crackle of the fire and the clink of ice in glasses.
“The Orlov’s,” Maksim says. “But I think we can do better. I’ll see if they will let us host this year.”
“Do whatever you need to. She’s mine,” I snarl again, rising to my feet. The words shake the room, sharp and final. “No one touches her. No one so much as looks at her without my permission.”
The brothers fall silent.
Nikolai arches a brow. “Possessive already?”
“Yes,” I bite out. “Because she’s not like the others. She’s not a pawn. Not some pretty little thing to warm my bed and disappear. She’s mine.”
Mikhail whistles low. “God help anyone who forgets it.”
“God won’t be able to help them,” I say, dropping the bloodied glass to the table. “Not when I’m done.”
For a moment, the room is quiet, the weight of my vow settling over us all. Maksim studies me, unreadable, then nods once.
