Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Sofiya
Sitting next to Dimitri Ivanov at our wedding table at our wedding reception is unnerving. It’s like I can feel every movement he makes. Every twitch of his arm. The heat coming off him.
We came straight here to the reception after the church service. We haven’t even spoken.
I sneak a glance at Dimitri. He’s staring out at all the guests at our wedding with an expression I don’t fully understand: one of contentment?
Or is it smugness? There’s also a criticalness to his eyes that makes me worried.
This is a man I barely know, one who’s shrouded in mystery, and now I’m married to him.
Am I even allowed to talk with Dimitri? I have no idea what to do.
Despite my father preparing me for marriage ever since I was a little girl, he never walked me through the steps.
It was always just, ‘you will be married, so learn to be a polite and respectful woman.’ That was it.
Nothing about how to talk to your husband when he may be a dangerous, terrifying man.
But one who’s also achingly handsome that it’s almost hard to even look at him
Our guests get their food, talking amongst themselves.
The low murmur of conversation helps fill up the beautiful reception hall.
It’s a grand ballroom with dark floors and soft decorations in cream and light green.
It makes the room look more like a fairytale.
That would suggest Dimitri is my prince charming.
Or is he more the big bad wolf and I’m Little Red Riding Hood?
“You are quiet,” he murmurs, taking a sip of his wine. It startles me so much, I end up smacking my own wine glass and sending it toppling over. The white wine spills across the table.
With a gasp, I stand up to avoid it getting on my dress. My father, who’s on the other side of me, gives me a look that says ‘do better.’
“I apologize,” I say. “I didn’t mean to hit the glass.”
“Everyone makes mistakes now and then,” Dimitri says, dabbing at the wine on the table. “You can sit back down. I won’t bite.”
I let out a strained chuckle as I do as he says. “Once again, I’m sorry.”
“It’s over and done with. No one got hurt.
It was an accident. Let’s move on.” Dimitri’s tone speaks to no disagreements.
I’m getting the sense that he’s the kind of man who’s used to telling people around and that everyone better get on board with him or…
or what? Will I be hurt if I don’t get on board with Dimitri?
My father leans over and whispers in my ear, “Talk with him. He is your husband,” before turning back to my mom, who gives me a concerned look. She’s still not happy about me marrying Dimitri. But it’s already happened. There’s no going back now.
I force my body to turn towards my new husband. “How are you feeling?” That seems like a safe place to start.
“I’m feeling good. I made a new alliance with your father. Married a beautiful woman. What’s not to love?”
I flush at his compliment.
He flicks his eyes to mine and it takes everything inside of myself not to look away. That’s how powerful his face is. “And you? How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I squeak out, clenching the seat of my chair to keep my hands from shaking.
He raises an eyebrow. “Just good? You sound afraid, Sofiya. Do I frighten you?”
One hundred percent. But that would be rude to say. So instead, I force a smile to my lips and shake my head. “No.”
“No? Then if I don’t frighten you, why aren’t you asking the questions you’re dying to get the answers to?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
The pointed look he gives me makes me look away. Staring into Dimitri’s face too long feels like a challenge. Like I’m setting myself up to fail.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about me by now,” he says. “Ask me about them. I know you want to know. Let’s get this over with.”
“There are no rumors.”
He grips my chin and makes me look at him. His touch isn’t rough but it’s not exactly gentle either. “Don’t lie to me, Sofiya. I don’t take well to people lying to me, especially my new wife. You will never lie to me again, is that understood?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Good.” He lets my chin go. “So, tell me. Ask me what you want to know.”
My sigh is shaky. A glance at my parents shows them deep in conversation with each other. They’re not even paying me any attention. I’m all on my own with Dimitri.
“I’ve heard rumors that you hurt people. Is that… true?”
“Define hurt people.”
My heart skips a beat. Who even asks that? “Physical pain. Like… torture.”
“I hurt people who need to be hurt. I’ve tortured my fair share of people in the past. Usually people who’ve pissed me off. Or ones who got on my bad side.”
“What about… innocent people?”
“Like yourself?” He skims the back of his fingers down my cheek. “Are you really that innocent, Sofiya?”
I frown. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve never been with another man if that’s what you’re wondering.”
His eyes darken, making me shiver. “That’s not exactly what I meant but I’m glad to hear it. Glad to know that I’ll have all your firsts. You’ll give them to me like the good girl you are, yes?”
I lick my lips and his eyes dart straight to them. “I’m afraid,” I admit. “What if I’m not ready to give you my body?”
“You’re an adult. You must be curious to know what it’s like.”
I look at my parents again but Dimitri turns my face back to him, much more gently this time.
“You always look to them,” he observes. “But you don’t belong to them any longer. You’re mine now. Don’t worry what they’ll think. Answer my question.” His tone is serious and intense. What would happen if I defied Dimitri? That’s something I don’t want to know.
“Yes,” I say while my face turns to fire. “I am curious to know. But we barely know each other. I’m not sure if I’ll be ready for… that on our wedding night.”
“You can say the word. Sex. Fucking.” The word rolls so effortlessly off his tongue. “There’s no shame in it. Though, I suppose for a woman such as yourself who was raised to be sheltered, there would be shame attached to it.”
“Can we move on to a different subject?”
He tilts his head to the side, looking me over in an unsettling way, before he nods. “You have more questions.”
“Do you have a sister? I’ve heard people say that…”
“That?”
“That you keep her locked in a dungeon. Is that true?”
“Now, why would I go and spill all my secrets to you?” He laughs more to himself as he takes a sip of wine. “I do have a sister, yes.” That’s the entire explanation. Nothing more.
I don’t have the courage to ask again so I move on to my last question. It’s the most important one. “Will you hurt me?”
The look he gives me makes me want to cry and run away from him.
“Oh, Sofiya. You really are innocent, aren’t you?
Let’s dance. We haven’t officially had our first dance yet.
” He stands up and offers me my hand. A part of me wishes he would just take it so I didn’t have to make the decision myself. But he’s literally forcing my hand.
My hand shakes as I place it in his. He wraps his own hand around mine like a vise. Like a prison cell. Just like his sister?
Dimitri leads me onto the dance floor. Everyone stops talking and eating to watch us. He pulls me into his arms, settling one hand on my low back while his other hand keeps the vise grip on my other hand, making it clear I’m not going anywhere.
I’ve never been this close to another man like this before. My father doesn’t count. A glance at my parents shows my dad watching me with pride while my mom watches me with worry.
I have to make my dad proud and form a good relationship with Dimitri so my mom doesn’t have to worry any longer.
We move across the dance floor with ease.
“You can dance,” he comments, leading me.
It’s common for the man to lead the woman in a dance but there’s something about the way Dimitri does it – like it’s perfectly natural for him – that makes me both at ease and also more terrified.
He’s a man who knows how to take control.
I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
“My mom made sure I knew how. I know how to move but I’m no professional dancer. You can dance too.”
“Much like yourself, my parents made sure I know how as well. They wanted to prepare me to be a gentleman.”
“Are you? A gentleman?”
The mischievous smile he gives me doesn’t set my heart at ease.
“Your parents?” I ask, trying a different tactic. I need to get to know Dimitri. Need to peel back his layers to reveal the man underneath. Maybe then he won’t be so intimidating. Maybe then he’ll be like any other man: human.
“What about them?”
“They’re not here. Or at least, you didn’t introduce me to them.”
“My dad is dead. Heart attack years ago. My mother’s grave is in the Hamptons. She wanted to be buried there.”
“And how did she…”
“Die? My father murdered her before he died of a heart attack.” There’s an edge to Dimitri’s voice that sets me on edge. A warning to his voice, like anyone should think again about messing with him.
Did his dad really die of a heart attack or… did Dimitri kill him for killing his mom?
Now that’s a question I am too afraid to ask.
“I am sorry,” I say instead.
“Why? You’re not the reason they’re dead.”
“Yes but it’s the customary thing to say after someone tells you bad news. Losing both your parents must have been hard. How old were you?”
“Eighteen. And my sister was just eight years old at the time. She’s the same age as you.”
“And how old are you? I don’t even know. That feels like something I should know about my husband.”
“I’m thirty-one.”
So ten years older than me. Not bad. My parents could have easily married me to a man in his fifties. The mafia is filled with old men who are looking for young wives.
But the issue with Dimitri being young is that if he wanted to hurt me for the rest of our lives, he easily could. Maybe an old man wouldn’t have been such a bad thing.
“You look pleased,” he comments.
“Just thinking.”