Page 26 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride
“They love you, Angelika. That’s why they do what they do,” I tell her.
“I know they love me. But they’ve literally taken my freedom from me on more than one occasion. They don’t treat each other like that. Just because I’m a girl, I don’t get to make my own choices. None of my brothers has ever been stopped from going somewhere or doing something,” she huffs, annoyed.
I laugh, “Don’t be so sure. Brothers can be just as harsh toward each other as they are to their sisters. Remember, I have both. Brothers just communicate with each other differently, soyou might not recognize it as the same thing you see them doing to you.”
“How so?” she asks, her brows knotted.
“Well, I’m constantly being reprimanded about my choices. They lecture me, make me feel guilty for being who I am. I also want freedom. I don’t want to live under their rules. But I kind of have to. We’re a family. And regarding how they treat you—I have sisters, Angel. I know exactly how they feel. This world is a dangerous place. It’s ugly. We see it all the time, and all we’re trying to do is keep you from suffering what we know is out there.”
She pulls her mouth to the side and presses her lips together. She doesn’t agree with me; I can see it on her face.
“How can I learn from my mistakes if I never have a chance to make any?” she asks.
“What would you have learned from your recent mistake if I hadn’t come to save you?” I challenge her.
She sits up a little straighter. “That’s not fair. This was an extreme example.”
“Every example in the Bratva world is going to be an extreme example. That’s the point I’m trying to make. Your brothers are protecting you from life-or-death situations.”
She sighs loudly and flops back on the sofa, frustrated and not hiding it. It makes me laugh.
“But… I do understand you, Angel. The desire to live your own life. The desire to chase adventure and experience things without someone making you feel guilty for it. I want the same thing, and more than often, I can’t have it because my brothers don’t agree with me. I’m the reckless one. I’m the selfish one because I don’t put the family first. I do, though. I love them.”
She bites at her lower lip, her eyes studying me. “I love my family too. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? Being trapped in a life where we love the people we have, but we can’t be the people we want to be.”
***
We spend the night eating pizza and bonding over our shared desire for freedom. I’m pleasantly surprised to find out how similar she is to me. Her lust for adventure and the unknown. Her yearning for spontaneous things instead of the constant drone of monotony and security. On the thud glass of wine, with empty pizza plates on the coffee table next to us, I suddenly realize I’m about to kiss her.
I’ve been staring at her lips for far too long. I’ve been tense and humming with desire since we worked in the kitchen together—no, since way before that.
Dammit.
Just go to bed, Diomid.
“Thanks for a nice dinner,” I say, standing up a little too hurriedly.
“You going to bed?” she asks, confused by my suddenness.Or disappointed that I’m leaving?
“Yes, I’m tired. The food was great. The wine was great. The conversation was great. But I think I should call it a night.” I glance at her, the beautiful glimmer in her eyes. The flush of wine on her cheeks. Fuck me, I could just lean over and kiss her right now. I could carry her up to the bedroom and…
“Sleep well then,” she smiles. “I think I’ll go to bed too. Thanks for dinner.” She giggles softly, standing up, bumping me, and forcing me to step back. When she looks at me, I swear I seethe same yearning in her eyes. Clearing my throat, I force myself to look away. Nothing good will come of whatever is going on here.
I help Angelika carry the plates to the kitchen, being careful to avoid her in the small space, then I hurry up to my private room, away from her and her temptations.
Chapter 8 - Angelika
“I can go home?” I ask in excited disbelief.
“Yes, we’ll leave here in the next half hour. I’m just going to pack up a few things and make arrangements for the reset crew to come in and clean up,” Diomid says, gesturing around the safe house.
I can’t help wiggling with excitement. The smile on my face spreads from ear to ear, and Diomid narrows his eyes at me. “You really are happy to be getting rid of me, aren’t you?” he teases.
Laughing, I shake my head. “I told you last night, it’s the whole freedom thing. I’m excited to have my freedom back, that’s all,” I explain, not wanting him to think it’s him. I started enjoying my time with him. In fact, I would even go so far as to say I really had fun last night, making pizza and having our first genuine conversation.
I wasn’t even that sad about being stuck here for a little longer, but now that I’ve got the news about being allowed to leave, I’m over the moon.
I can see Stefania and my brothers, and I can go shopping, walk around a mall, and get out and about a bit. I can see people and places and stretch my legs. It’s going to be amazing.
