Chapter 25
Kasimir~
It was Sunday afternoon, and while I wasn’t a fan of jumping when my father commanded it, he was no longer willing to wait to speak with Zoya.
The only good thing was that my father had been gracious enough to remember that I’d been working all night, and he was also aware of Zoya’s work schedule, so he had called the meeting for later in the day, giving us both the chance to get some sleep.
Though she’d been expecting it, when I had sent Zoya a text this morning, informing her that my father had wanted to meet with her, instead of texting me back, she had called me for clarification, and after breaking the news to her, I’d told her that I’d be picking her up at around one or so.
The drive to our house had also surprised her.
Instead of taking her to our condo, I’d driven her to our house in Bakers Hills, a gated community that only housed high-ranking bratva members.
I also lived on Martin Street, only one acre away from where my brother and his wife lived.
Yeah, Viktor had a condo in town just like I did, but Aurora preferred the country to being in the middle of Korolev territory, so they stayed in Bakers Hills for the most part.
Of course, being as calculating as she was, Aurora still had her condo in Marchetti territory, and she checked in with her family often.
Once we’d gotten to the house, I’d given Zoya a full tour of the entire place, even asking her opinion on how she felt about the décor. I wanted her to feel comfortable here, considering that this was going to be one of her new homes.
However, now that my father had arrived, we were all gathered in my library, knowing that my father would lose his shit if we’d met in my office.
Until Zoya had my ring on her finger or my baby in her womb, she wouldn’t be privy to any bratva business, not that she’d be after the fact.
Though Zoya knew the basics of who we were and what we did, I was going to do my best to shield her from the darker parts of the life that I lived.
Again, she wasn’t Aurora, and truth be told, I didn’t want her to be.
“Thank you for meeting with me today, Ms. Orlova,” my father began. “I’m sure that this isn’t quite part of your normal day or routine.”
“My...my last name is Kuzmin...uh, legally,” she stammered, and it was hard not to wince. Understandably, Zoya was nervous, but it wouldn’t do well for my father to think that she was weak, especially when I knew that she wasn’t.
My father tilted his head, regarding her carefully. “Well, according to my son, he says that you’re last name will soon be Korolev. Is that true?”
Zoya’s hazel gaze shot my way, and I just shrugged. “I’ve told him everything about our relationship, lepestok. So, there’s no need to not be completely honest.”
She looked back at my father, then said, “I don’t know. I don’t know...despite all that...that has transpired between us, I really don’t know what’s going on.”
“You are feeling overwhelmed, yes?” he asked, and I immediately grew suspicious. Aleksei Korolev wasn’t one to use kid gloves, no matter the situation.
“A bit,” she admitted.
“What is your objection, exactly?” he asked as he got comfortable in the wingback chair that was placed at the head of the Boca do Lobo Royal table that decorated the right side of the library. “What are your concerns?”
“Uhm...I guess...well, I always assumed that I’d marry for love,” she answered. “Plus...given the reputation of your family, I just don’t think that I...I don’t think that I’d blend in very well.”
“And why is that?” he pressed. “Do you work for the police? Are you an informant for the FBI? Does any of your family work in law enforcement?”
Zoya’s hazel eyes widened. “Wh...what? N...no.”
“As for love, what makes you think that my son doesn’t love you?” he asked her, and I just smirked.
“Uhm...because my family betrayed yours,” she blurted out. “Plus...we’ve only known each other a couple of days.”
My father cocked his head again as he said, “But that is where you’re wrong. We know everything about you, Ms. Kuzmin. We know everything about every living member of your family, and we also know that your mother has been...how do I say this? Behaving unwell as of late.”
Zoya began shaking her head. “I’m sorry...I...I think I might be misunderstanding your questions, Mr. Korolev. Surely, you can see how...how rushed and complicated this...this courtship has been. I mean...you’re inviting a practical stranger into your inner fold, and...and I’m confused about that.”
“Again, you are not a stranger,” my father replied. “In fact, you’d be dead already if we had deemed you a liability, Ms. Kuzmin.”
Zoya blanched at that.
“It’s quite simple, lepestok,” I told her. “My father just wants to make sure that you’re not going to run off to the police, reporting me for kidnapping.”
“I thought I’d gone there willingly?” she drawled out sarcastically.
That had my lips twitching. “False imprisonment, then.”
Zoya shot me another sarcastic look. “Oh, so he’s questioning your romanticism?”
My father tried to hide a smirk, but it was clear that Zoya was impressing him more than he’d been expecting, which was the point.
Whether I liked it or not, things would run a lot smoother if he approved of her.
Even though it wouldn’t stop me, I didn’t have the time to be at odds with my family over the woman that was going to be the mother of my children eventually.
“Despite what has previously occurred between our families, I just need to know that you will not run out to contact the police once you’ve formed a plan to free yourself from my son’s...uh, affections,” my father told her. “I need to know that the betrayal ends with Armen, Ms. Kuzmin.”
Zoya’s eyes widened again. “Because you think that I’m stupid enough to report Kasimir to the police? Or any Korolev for that matter?”
My father grinned at her. “I think that my son can be challenging, and it is important that you understand what you are getting yourself into.”
“I didn’t get myself into anything,” she bit out. “Your son has been stalking me, harassing me, and then manipulated my desperation to...to serve as his personal entertainment. So, with all due respect, I didn’t get myself into anything.”
Instead of apologizing for my rude behavior, my father said, “Which is why I need to know that you don’t have any plans on running to the police for a heroic saving, Ms. Kuzmin.
Especially, when my son has made it very clear that he has no plans on letting you...
uh, carry on with a life that doesn’t include him. ”
Not appreciating my father’s vernacular verbiage, she answered, “No, I do not plan on reporting your son for harassment, intimidation, or false imprisonment.”
“And what of his future crimes?” he asked. “Because I’ve no doubt that Kasimir’s...unique personality is bound to upset you constantly throughout your marriage.”
Zoya leaned forward in her seat as she said, “Since I’m a fan of living, I can’t see myself ever reporting Kasimir to the police for anything.”
My father smirked as he said, “I fear that you may be underestimating my son.”
She glanced at me quickly before addressing my father’s opinion of my character. “While that might be true, I will always be a fan of living, so...” She shrugged as she trailed off.
“What of you, Ms. Kuzmin?” he asked. “Do you have any demands of your own?”
“Would they matter?” she countered. “Not for nothing, Kasimir would never be required to honor any of my demands, so why does it matter?”
“Careful, lepestok,” I warned. “It sounds like you’re questioning my word.”
Looking over at me, she said, “Fine, then I demand that you never physically abuse me, throw me out on the street with nothing, or cheat on me.”
My head reared back in surprise at that. “And what makes you think that I’d ever do any of those things?”
“It’s not that you would,” she argued. “It’s that you could and nothing would be done about it. While I have no problem living a life of ignorance where your job is concerned, I will not live my life as a man’s wife and the mother of his children, only to be humiliated for my efforts.”
I eyed her as I said, “I will only recite my vows once during my lifetime, and I plan on honoring them all, Zoya. However, if you need it to be said, and you need it to be said in front of my father and Pahkan, then I give you my word that I will never physically harm you out of anger, I will never leave you destitute, and I sure as fuck will never touch another woman. You are all that I want, lepestok.”
Zoya let out a quiet breath, and that’s when I realized that her concerns had been genuine. She’d really been afraid that I might hurt or cheat on her, and that was just insane. I was obsessed with her in a way that should frighten her, truth be told.
“Well, I guess that settles that,” my father stated as he stood, signaling the end of the meeting.
Yeah, not quite.