Page 8 of Bratva Bastard

I shrugged, my face scrunched up. “I don’t know. I guess.”

Fernanda rolled her eyes dramatically. “Please tell me that’s not your response whenheasks.”

“Well, excuse me for not jumping in the sack with the man. I just don’t know if I want Luiz to be my first sexual experience.”

“Are you not attracted to him? Is that why you’re so hesitant, or are you nervous?”

They were relentless, and they weren’t letting up. The pressure of the truth was building inside me, about to boil over. I took a deep breath and sighed, rubbing my temple.

“Look, if I tell you guys, will youpleasejust drop it?” They both nodded, waiting with wide eyes for me to reveal my deep, dark secret. “Alright, fine. The truth is… I don’t love Luiz. Not like everyone thinks. I love him like a friend, but my romantic feelings have just sort of vanished.”

“Then why are you with him?” Gabby exclaimed, louder than I’d preferred. I shot her a scolding look, and she sent me back an apologetic one. “Sorry, but why are you with a man you don’t even like romantically?”

“Gabby, you know how sick my mom is. She really wants me to marry Luiz, give her grandchildren. Unlike you guys, we’ve been poor our entire lives. My mom just wants me to have security. And Luiz really is a great catch.”

“Yeah, he is, but not if you don’t love him, Cris. Don’t let the pressure from your mother make your life’s decisions. Look, you know I love your mother like my own, but her time is limited. And god, do I hate to say that, but it’s true. Butyourlife will continue on after your mother is gone. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with a man you don’t love?”

“No, but…”

“Then you need to do what makesyouhappy. Not your mother. I know she’s only concerned for your wellbeing, but this is your future we’re talking about. It’s not something you should throw away to please your mother.”

Tough love. It was one of Gabby’s best qualities. I always hated it at the time, but upon later reflection, it always made sense. I looked up to Gabby and Fernanda. Their eyebrows were creased in concern, their expressions softer than they had been moments before.Great.Bring on the pity party.

“As much as I hate to admit it, my sister’s right. Get yourself a guy who can make you go weak in the knees with want. One that makes you want to bang your head against the headboard and have crazy sex. And who knows? Maybe Mr. Best Man can bring you that pleasure,” she teased, giving me a wink.

I scrunched up my nose again, as if I smelled something foul. Shaking my head, I pushed the thought away literally with my hands as I waved them through the air. “No way. He can have the blonde.”

However, my thoughts kept returning to the question of how the blonde felt waking up next to him, and how intimate it was. I couldn’t get it out of my head.

The thought of a one-night stand had always been appalling to me, not to mention disgusting. Who knew how many other women he’d been with? Yet, there was something intriguing about the idea.

“I know we joke around a lot, Crissy, but it’s because we love you, and don’t want to see you do something you’ll regret later just to satisfy your mother now.”

4

Maxim

“Tell me again why I need to go,” I griped, pacing in Misha’s den.

Misha closed the book he’d been flipping through—something with documents—and he sighed. “I told you, your family. And this is a family business deal, which means you must be present. You’re our brother, so this deal affects you as much as it does us.”

Brother.Until recently, I’d never been referred to as such. The word was bittersweet to me. I wasn’t used to having a family, and had always depended on myself, my mother, and Gregori. Never would I imagine I’d want a family, but the kindness Misha had shown me had me thinking otherwise.

Dimitry came into the room, sauntering to the chair with the bourbon. He had a walk that was incredibly distinct—almost swagger. “We waiting on Ivan?” he asked, pouring himself a glass, raising it to me in question.

I shook my head, not feeling the bourbon, and he downed the glass.

“No, he will not be joining us, and I’ve already caught him up on everything that we have planned for the meeting,” Misha answered, taking a seat in his luxurious office chair. He leaned back, the chair following his movement.

I tsk-tsked, flopping into the chair so I wasn’t the only guy standing. “So, Ivan doesn’t have to come, but I do?”

“Quit bitching,” Dimitry snapped. “You’re behaving like a child. You’re coming to this meeting, so shut the fuck up and behave.”

Funny. For someone who claimed I was behaving like a child, he was behaving like my goddamn parent. Unlike a child, I didn’t pout. I agreed with him and we moved on.

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked.

“We’re to make nice with Sorokin. We’ve been talking about a business alliance for a while, and I want to make it official. If we can make nice with them and work together, it’ll be good for business.”

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