Page 138 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

She smiles, but doesn’t say anything. We both know she likes it just fine.

We’re halfway up the long road to the house when a figure leaps off the porch and starts jogging towards us. For a second, I don’t recognize who it is. A small person in baggy denim and a flannel shirt. But then I see the strawberry blonde hair swinging in a ponytail behind her.

“Elise?” Belle gasps, no doubt thinking the same thing I am.

What the hell did this farmer do to her?

Elise actually smiles as she approaches. A real smile, not a sarcastic teen one. And then she honest-to-Godwaves.

“Hi!” she chirps easily.

Belle just blinks at her, dumbfounded. I have to break the silence. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“Just waiting for you two. I’m done for today. Einar gave me these clothes.” She holds out her arms and smiles down on herself. “They’re his wife’s. And they’re easier to move in than what I had on.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” Belle finally manages.

At that, Elise rolls her eyes.

“There she is,” Belle says. “Good to know she’s still in there somewhere.”

“God, you’re so embarrassing.” Elise walks past us towards the car, but there’s a hint of amusement in her expression.

Belle trails after her. “What did Einar have you doing?”

“Taking care of the animals. I fed the sheep and helped gather the eggs from the chicken coop.”

“I thought this was supposed to be a punishment. Why do you sound happy about that?” Belle asks.

Elise shrugs. “It was fun. The animals were cute. And Einar says I can ride on some of the horses tomorrow. Apparently, his daughter used to help out on the farm, but she moved away last year. He’s not even mad about the fence; he’s just glad for the help. Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah, cool,” Belle says. But when she looks over at me, her jaw drops.

I just nod in agreement. Everything always works out if you make it that way.

Right as we’re climbing into the car, I get a text from Arslan. It’s a single word:Done.

I spent the day fucking a beautiful woman in the Icelandic countryside while her teenaged sister finally ditched her attitude, all while Arslan was back in the States dishing out Bratva justice on my behalf.

It’s always a good day to be me. But today especially, I wouldn’t change a fucking thing.

* * *

When I walk into the sitting room, Belle is curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. There’s a book open in her lap, but I can tell she isn’t reading it.

“Where’s Elise?”

At the sound of my voice, Belle closes the book and gives me an easy smile.

“She wanted a shower and an early bedtime. Can you believe it?” She chuckles and shakes her head. “Usually, she’s up until dawn and sleeping all day. But one day of manual labor and she’s in bed by nine.”

“Seems like putting her to work was a good call.”

“Yeah, your good call,” she says.

“The farmer is the one who wanted her to work off the fence.”

Belle lowers her chin, giving me a dubious look. “And you’re trying to convince me you couldn’t talk the man out of it? You could have paid him off on the spot in cash. Or, more likely, intimidated him into apologizing to you for putting his fence where you wanted to park your car.”

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