Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
ERIK
V iktor Smirnov is seated near the back of the restaurant. Stern and unsmiling, he would be an intimidating figure for most people.
Good thing I’m not most people.
It took me a couple days to track him down here. He’s a bit of a hermit, though I don’t understand why. He’s a conventionally handsome. In his thirties. I’m not sure why he would hide himself away.
The only things I know about him is that he raised his younger sister from childhood and he’s a fierce Bratva man. He brings in a steady income and seems to show loyalty to the men he works with.
He would be the perfect ally.
“Hello, Viktor.”
He doesn’t even glance in my direction. His eyes are glued to the menu before him. “What do you want?”
“Erik Koslov.”
“I know who you are. I spotted you the second you entered. What do you want?”
“I’m in the process of finding men to work with, and I want to work with you. Since you know who I am, I assume you know what kind of power I have. That power could be yours, too, if you wanted to work together.”
“You sound like a car salesman. I don’t care for car salesmen.”
I sit down across from him, which finally gets his attention. “I know you’re a Bratva man who likes to do his own thing. You like to stay out of other people’s business. Why is that?”
“I’m not going to give you my life story. The reason I do things are my reasons.”
“Understood. But whatever those reasons are, can you honestly say you’re content doing what you’ve been doing? Don’t you want a sense of adventure? Imagine the power we could have if we worked together. Sergei Belov and I are already a team. I’m sure you heard of my marriage to his daughter.”
“I did.”
Fuck. I’ve never had to work this hard to convince someone to be on my side. With Ivan, it was a cake walk. He agreed to work with us within a matter of minutes. Viktor will be a harder nut to crack.
“Well, you should know Sergei has another daughter. One you could marry. It would help cement an alliance between us all. It would promise you more power. Any pesky enemies you have, we would get rid of them. Like that.” I snap my fingers to emphasize my point.
“You make it sound easy. I’ll give you that.” He sets his eyes back onto the menu.
“Just think about it. I’m not offering an alliance to fuck you over. What would be the point? If you want to work together, we would be partners. I’m a man of my word in that regard.”
“Funny because I’ve heard about you, Erik. I’ve heard what people call you. The boogeyman.” He sets his menu down again. “What exactly makes you the boogeyman? Because from where I’m sitting, you don’t seem scary at all. You seem sort of … desperate.”
Fuck him. I keep that thought to myself, though. No need to piss Viktor off when I want him on my side.
“I have a knack for torturing people. That’s what won me my name.”
“And you would torture my enemies for me? If we were to work together?”
I give him my most savage grin. “I would love to.”
He makes a small sound and shakes his head. “I’ll give you this, Erik. I’ve never met a man quite like you before.”
“So, do we have a deal?”
“We don’t.”
“Shame.”
“But I’ll consider it and get back to you.”
I incline my head. “That’s all I can ask for. Have a good day, Viktor.” I know when to leave and when to stay. If I push Viktor too much, he won’t want anything to do with me.
He doesn’t say a word in response.
ANYA
I can’t get Erik’s words out of my head. He’s going to try and marry Nadia off for more political gain. And I can’t stop it.
When Erik returns home, I don’t say a word to him. I don’t beg him. Begging won’t get me anywhere with a monster like him.
But an idea forms in my mind. Maybe if Erik liked me, he would leave my sister alone. Yet the only way to get Erik to like me is to actually engage with him.
To try with him.
Forcing myself to walk over to him as he takes his jacket off in the foyer, I say, “How was your day?”
He stares at me for a beat. “It was good. Thank you for asking.” He sticks his hands in his pockets and smirks down at me. “How was your day?”
“A little boring,” I admit. “There’s not much to do around the house. I’m not allowed to go anywhere else.”
“That’s for your own good, Anya. I’m building a team of men to help protect us from any enemies. Once I’ve dealt with Dante, you’re free to leave the house.”
“Once you’ve dealt with … Erik, I have a feeling a man like you has multiple enemies. Will things truly get better after you deal with Dante Moretti?”
He steps closer to me, our chests practically touching. “You’re too smart for your own good. I might have to spank that out of you.”
I gulp. I still remember his hands on my ass. The way it hurt, and then the way it felt sort of … good. For a moment, I had considered letting him touch me between my legs. It would’ve felt good; I know it deep down.
Will I have to let Erik make me feel good if I want to save my sister?
“Why don’t you try and find out what happens?” I respond.
His eyes light up. “You’re something else, Anya.”
“Is that why you’ve been keeping your distance for the past week?” Ever since our wedding night, we’ve haven’t spent much time together. He’s mostly at work, and I’m always at home.
“Do you want me to close that distance?” He settles his hands on my waist. “If you asked right now, I’d gladly take you for myself.”
A flash of arousal hits me between my legs. It’s undeniable and terrifying. I have no idea why it’s even there.
I set my hands on his chest to steady myself. “I can feel your heartbeat.”
“Are you surprised? That I have a heart?”
“Do you actually have one? Because hurting my sister for your own gain shows me that the thing beating inside you is just that—a thing. It’s not a real heart. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone opened you up and found only a dark chasm inside.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised about that either.”
“Why are you doing this to my sister?”
“I have no desire to hurt your sister specifically. I’m doing this because I just don’t care at all.”
“Not even for me? I’m your wife now.”
“And you think that means I care for you, Anya? You’re mine now, and that makes me a little possessive. But that doesn’t mean I love you. I married you for power. And your sister can marry someone of my choosing for the same reason. That’s how it works in the Bratva. Let’s not pretend otherwise. If it wasn’t me, then your father would find someone for her to marry. And if it wasn’t either of us, then another man would find her and force her to be his. You know this. Don’t act na?ve.”
I hate this man with every fiber of my being. My hands clench around his shirt, creating wrinkles in the fabric. “That doesn’t make it ok.”
“How about this? If the man I spoke to about Nadia agrees to meet her, you can come with. You can meet the man she’ll marry.”
“Really? I could see my sister again?”
“You can.” He leans in so close, our lips almost touching. “I may be heartless, Anya, but I am a practical man. See this as an olive branch. I’m not trying to hurt your sister. I’m just trying to gain power.”
“That’s worse.”
“How?” His breath fans across my face, and I find myself leaning in even closer to him.
“Because if you truly hated me and Nadia for personal reasons, I could understand. But you’re willing to hurt both of us just for power. No feelings. Making it impersonal makes it hurt more.”
“Well, I do love torturing people. Just see this as another form of it.” He tilts my chin up and hovers his lips above mine. “If I kissed you right now, would you push me away? Slap me?”
“If I did that, would you hit me in return?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Erik’s essence is like a gravitational pull. I feel powerless to resist it.
I stare him down until he finally lowers his lips to mine. The kiss lasts only a few moments before I push on his chest and back away.
And then I do as he said. I slap him across the face. He barely even reacts. Bastard.
“If you’re going to hurt anyone,” I say, “then hurt me, but leave my sister out of it.”
“That’s not how things work in the Bratva, I’m afraid. Women like you and your sister get hurt. It’s better to accept it now, Anya. For your own sanity.”
He walks around me.
“You’re not going to hit me back?” I challenge. Of course, that’s the last thing I want, but if I’d ever slapped my father, I would’ve gotten an even worse slap in return.
Erik looks at me over his shoulder. “I told you before, Anya. I don’t want to hurt your pretty face.”
His words somehow sting more than if he’d just hit me.
Erik tells me we’re going to meet with a man named Viktor Smirnov and that my sister and father will be there.
“This is the man you want to marry Nadia to?” I ask as we drive to the restaurant where the meeting will take place.
“Yes. You’ll get to meet him, and so will Nadia. That’s more than you ever got. And besides, Viktor might not even want Nadia. Maybe you’ll get lucky.”
Maybe, but I doubt it. Luck has not been on my side lately.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky, and you’ll die during this war between you and Dante.”
I can feel Erik glance at me, but I don’t turn to him.
“You know what I find fascinating about you, Anya? You’re afraid of me, and yet you’re not. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I guess I’m just special. I’ve faced a lot of bad things when it came to my father. I guess, in a strange way, it prepared me for you. You don’t beat me every day, so that instantly makes me less afraid of you.”
“And yet …”
I sigh. “And yet, you have the power to destroy my sister’s and my lives. That makes you terrifying. You know Nadia is my weakness, and you’re exploiting it just like you said you would. I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re just doing what you said you would do. Men like you have no love in your hearts. I’ve resigned myself to that.”
“Have you really?”
I look at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You talk a big game, Anya, but I don’t think you’ve resigned yourself to a life of unhappiness. I still think you hope for it. Crave it deep inside. I’ve seen you over the past week, you know. Looking out windows with a wistful expression. You want more than this life, and you keep hoping for it. That’s what’s going to hurt you the most of all.”
“No. You being unwilling to grow a heart is what will hurt me the most of all. Don’t blame it on myself. It’s all you, Erik. You’re the monster here.”
Without a word, he sets his hand on my knee, silently reminding me I’m his.
The moment I see Nadia in the restaurant, I can’t hold myself back. I walk straight to her, but before I can hug her, my father steps into the way.
“Anya.” His tone is clipped and cold like usual. His gaze slides to Erik. “I didn’t know you were bringing her.”
“She’s my wife, Sergei. She has the right to be here.” At times, it seems like Erik has the capacity for kindness, but I know kindness is not why he does things. His motives are purely selfish.
“You just couldn’t wait to marry Nadia off the second I was gone,” I say.
Father’s eyes narrow into slits. “It was Erik’s idea initially. How could I say no?”
I nudge him with my shoulder to get out of the way as I hurry to Nadia’s side. “Are you ok?” The bruise on her face has healed, and she looks just like the sister I remember.
“I’m ok,” she whispers. “I’ve been keeping my head down.”
I make a point of sitting beside her. Erik takes the seat beside me, leaving my father to sit across from us. I can tell it annoys him. Everything I do annoys him.
A man approaches the table. Classically handsome, tall, rich. He would look like a prince if it weren’t for the fact that I know how to spot a Bratva man a mile away.
“Viktor,” Erik says, not standing up for him, I notice. My father scrambles to his feet, however.
“Erik.” Viktor lays eyes on Nadia and me. “So, which one did you say I would marry?”
I can feel Nadia tense beside me. I take her hand underneath the table, and she squeezes my hand back with everything she has. It hurts, but right now, I don’t care.
“The brunette,” Erik explains. “This is my wife, Anya.” He takes me other hand. Unlike Nadia’s hold, Erik’s is firm yet soft. He doesn’t feel the need to hold me roughly. It’s because we both know he owns me.
“Nice to meet you,” he responds before setting his sights onto Nadia. “She’s very young.”
“She’s seventeen,” I blurt out.
Viktor’s eyes barely move, but there’s a subtle twitch to them. “I have no desire to marry a minor. You’re wasting your time.”
“You can marry her after she turns eighteen,” Father calls out as Viktor turns away. “You can be betrothed.”
“And if you want,” Erik adds, “you can always wait until she’s older, too. You can marry her when she’s nineteen or twenty. Your choice. But if you agree to do this, Viktor, then we would like to work with you now. Call the betrothal a promise.”
I hate how Viktor turns back to the table and considers it for a moment before sitting down. I hate all these men.
“I’m listening,” Viktor says, putting his fingers together.
“You don’t want to marry my sister,” I say as Erik opens his mouth.
“And why is that?”
“My daughter doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Father glares at me. “Do you, Anya?”
“No. I know exactly what I’m talking about. You don’t want to marry Nadia. Trust me.”
“Why?” Viktor asks again.
There’s no way I can make up lies about my sister to make her unappealing. I would never do anything to hurt her reputation.
So, I’m going to have to take one for the team like I always do.
“Because then you’d have me as your sister-in-law, and trust me, you wouldn’t want that. I’m messy. I’m chaotic. It’s not a good look.”
“But Erik married you.”
“Yes but he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.”
Erik actually chuckles. “That is true.”
I stare at my husband in shock for a second. We actually agreed on something for once.
“If you were to marry Nadia, I’d be coming over to your house every day and bothering you. You wouldn’t want that, trust me.”
“I do like my privacy,” Viktor muses.
Father shoots me another annoyed look. “Anya is lying to spare her sister. I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother you if you were to marry Nadia.”
“But you don’t have a say in Anya’s life anymore. She’s married to Erik now.”
“Erik?” my father asks pointedly.
Erik clears his throat. “Oh, well, yes. I can keep Anya from coming over to your house and bothering you if you married Nadia. But I happen to like that my wife is a spitfire. I might not always be able to control her.”
“I’m not lying,” I say. “I can show you how annoying I can be.” And in a smooth motion, I grab my water cup and pour it down Viktor’s shirt. He jumps to his feet.
My father looks mortified. Erik looks amused and slightly angry. Nadia’s eyes become even more wide.
“What are you trying to prove?” Viktor asks.
“I don’t want you marrying my sister, and I will make your life hell if you do.”
“Erik, if you cannot control your wife, then I cannot make an alliance with you. I’m going to the restroom to clean up my shirt. When I return, things better be resolved.” He storms away.
Erik turns to me. “Seriously?”
I hold my chin high. “Yes. I will do whatever I can to keep Nadia safe, and if that means pissing you and Viktor off so you won’t become partners, then I’ll do it.”
“Anya, I am trying to make a deal with Viktor to prevent Dante from attacking. I’m doing this to help keep you safe.”
“You don’t care about my safety.”
“I do, in fact. I might not love you, Anya, but you are my wife, and that doesn’t mean I want you dead. And if Dante were to come after you, who’s to say he wouldn’t come after Nadia? Having a powerful husband will keep her safe. Think about that. And have you even asked what your sister wants?”
“I know she doesn’t want to marry a stranger, especially one who could hurt her.”
“Who’s to say Viktor would even hurt her?”
“I know Bratva men. I know how dangerous you can be.”
“Just stop,” Nadia whispers.
I turn to face her. “What?”
“If it keeps you safe, Anya, I’ll marry whoever.”
“What? No! It’s my job to keep you safe.”
“What if I want the chance to keep you safe?”
Our father rolls his eyes. “How very touching girls, but both of you are getting on my last fucking nerves. Nadia, put a smile on your face, and Anya, stop acting out.”
“Or what?” I challenge him.
He storms around to my side of the table and pulls me roughly from my seat, and right in front of everyone, backhands me across the face.
The smack hurts so much, my ears ring.
“You will not make a fool out of me,” he hisses, shaking me. “You will be nice to Viktor. And he will agree to marry your sister in exchange for becoming an ally. Now, stop acting like a spoiled brat.”
Erik stands up. “Sergei, let go of my wife.”
“I’m sorry, Erik, for how my daughter has acted.”
“I didn’t ask for an apology. I told you to let go of her.”
My father shoves me back as he releases me. Erik has to catch me as I stumble. The difference between my father’s rough hands and Erik’s gentler ones is a stark contrast. I never thought I’d feel an ounce of comfort in Erik’s hands, yet …
“She needed to be taught a lesson.”
“You will never hit my wife again. Is that understood?”
My father’s jaw drops. “But she’s my daughter. I have a right.”
“Not anymore.” Erik’s voice is barely above a rumble. “I’m her husband now. You don’t own her, Sergei. And you will not hit her ever again. Now, why don’t we all sit down and conduct ourselves accordingly? Anya, think about what I said. A marriage to Viktor for Nadia doesn’t have to be a terrible thing. The fact that he didn’t want to marry her because she’s a minor should tell you he at least has a code. You knew she would get married someday. This way, you can get to know the man she’ll marry if Viktor agrees. You can see for yourself that not all of us Bratva men are monsters.”
“I guess I should’ve married Viktor, then,” I snap.
“Then Nadia would have become my wife, and I know that would’ve killed you even more.”
“Don’t touch my sister.”
“I have no dream of it.” His gentle hands are still on my arms. “Anya, you are my wife. I have no desire to hurt your sister. I’m just being practical here.”
“I wish you’d feel something instead of doing everything because it’s ‘practical’.”
“That’s the man you married.” He holds my chair out for me, and slowly, I sit back down. He and my father retake their seats right as Viktor comes back out.
“You ok?” Nadia whispers to me.
“I will be.”
Viktor sits back down. “So, where do we stand?”
Erik looks at me, and I know what I have to do. There’s no getting Nadia out of this. There will just be some other man my father will find for her to marry if Viktor decides he doesn’t want her. I can’t put it off forever.
“I’m sorry,” I state. “I shouldn’t have done that. My sister is a lovely person. If you were to marry her, you better treat her right.”
Viktor’s eyes show no compassion. “I can tell you care for her. I don’t beat women. You should know that. And I’d be willing to call for a betrothal until Nadia is older. But I will not stand for rude and inappropriate behavior.”
“She won’t,” Father cuts in. “Anya will be on her best behavior.”
“So, shall we enjoy our meal now?” Erik asks.
My face stings too much for me to enjoy the food, but I keep my mouth shut the rest of the night. The men talk business. Viktor asks Nadia the occasional question, and she responds shyly.
Maybe he won’t be such a bad man for her.
But the thought of losing my sister causes my stomach to ache too much.
I excuse myself to the restroom, and once I’m inside, I throw up all the little bit of food I managed to eat. After cleaning myself up, I head back out and stop in my tracks when I see Erik waiting in the small alcove by the restrooms.
“Your face is puffy,” he comments, placing his finger under my chin and lifting it.
“That’s what happens when you get smacked in the face.”
“Don’t talk lightly about it. You told me your father hit you, but seeing it firsthand …” He shakes his head, and anger flashes through his eyes. “I’ll admit something to you, Anya. I’ve never felt that sort of anger in my life. I wanted to kill your father at that moment.”
I go still at his admission. I’m not even sure how to take it.
“Why didn’t you?” I whisper.
“Because I made a deal with him, and I don’t break my promises. But I also promise he’ll never hit you again. I won’t allow it.”
My throat clenches from the sudden tears threatening to spill down my face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“Thank you,” I manage.
Erik catches my tear as it falls down and wipes it away. “I’m not a man you thank, Anya.” He leaves me alone in the alcove and heads back to the table.
All I can think is that for a moment, Erik showed a sign that maybe he has a heart after all.