Chapter 20
ANDREY
The bedroom door slams open with enough force to rattle the hinges, and I'm moving before my brain fully processes what's happening. My hand shoots to the nightstand drawer, fingers wrapping around cold metal, and in one fluid motion, I have my Glock aimed at the intruders.
Bogdan Belyaev stands in my doorway like he owns the fucking place, his gray eyes blazing with fury. Behind him, Sophia hovers, her face pale and her hands clasped in front of her like she's praying. And beside me, Mariya gasps, scrambling to pull the sheet up over her naked body.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I growl, my finger resting on the trigger.
Bogdan doesn't flinch, though I catch the slight tightening around his eyes. He's wary, but not scared enough. "I could ask you the same question, Melnikov."
"You barged into my bedroom." I keep the gun trained on him, my body positioned between him and Mariya. "In my house. Without permission. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your skull right now."
"Because we need to talk." His voice is tight with barely controlled rage. "About your betrayal."
"My what?"
"Don't play stupid with me." He takes a step forward, and I cock the gun. He stops. "You were supposed to marry my daughter. We had an understanding."
"We had nothing." I'm acutely aware of Mariya beside me, can feel her eyes boring into the side of my head. "I told you I'd think about it. That's not a promise. That's not a contract."
"You led us on for years!" Bogdan's face is turning red now, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "And then you go and marry some traitor's daughter without even having the decency to tell us?"
Before I can respond, Mariya moves. She lunges across the bed and punches me square in the jaw. The impact makes my head snap to the side, and I nearly drop the gun. Pain explodes through my face, and I taste blood.
"You son of a bitch!" she screams. "You were engaged? You were supposed to marry someone else, and you didn't think to mention that before you forced me to marry you?"
I lower the gun, not wanting any accidents while she's this pissed. "Mariya—"
"Don't you 'Mariya' me!" She hits me again, this time in the chest. "You kidnapped me, locked me up, and made me marry you, all while you had a fiancée waiting for you? What kind of sick game are you playing?"
"I wasn't engaged," I say through gritted teeth, catching her wrists before she can hit me again. "There was no agreement. No contract. Nothing."
"That's not what he says!" She jerks her head toward Bogdan, her green eyes blazing with fury and hurt.
I look at Bogdan, then at Sophia, who's still standing in the doorway looking like she wants to disappear into the floor. Her face is bright red, and she's deliberately looking anywhere but at me.
"Everyone out," I say, releasing Mariya's wrists. "Meet me in the library in ten minutes."
"We're not going anywhere until—" Bogdan starts.
"Get. Out." I let every ounce of authority I possess seep into those two words. "Or I'll have Matvey throw you out. Your choice."
Bogdan's jaw works, but he finally nods. He turns and stalks out of the room, Sophia scurrying after him. The moment they're gone, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Matvey.
Keep eyes on Bogdan and Sophia. They're headed to the library.
I toss the gun back in the drawer and climb out of bed, heading for my closet. I can feel Mariya's eyes on me as I pull on boxer briefs, then jeans.
"You're just going to ignore me?" she demands.
"I'm getting dressed." I grab a black T-shirt and pull it over my head. "Then we're going to deal with this mess."
"Deal with it? Deal with it?" Her voice rises. "You lied to me!"
"I didn't lie." I turn to face her, and the sight of her sitting in my bed, the sheet clutched to her chest, her blonde hair wild around her shoulders, makes my cock twitch despite everything.
"I told you the truth. I was never engaged to Sophia.
Bogdan wanted the match. I said I'd think about it. That's all."
"For years?"
"I was stalling." I move to the dresser and grab my watch, strapping it on. "I didn't want to marry her. I don't love her. I don't even particularly like her."
"But you married me." Her voice is quieter now, but no less angry. "A woman you kidnapped. A woman whose father you think is a thief and a murderer."
I cross back to the bed and lean down, bracing my hands on either side of her. "I married you because you need protection. Because every Bratva family from here to Moscow is going to be looking for you now. And because…" I pause, searching for the right words. "Because I want you."
She stares at me, her green eyes wide and searching. "That's not good enough."
"It's all I've got right now." I straighten. "Now get dressed. We have a meeting to get to."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on." She lifts her chin, defiant even wrapped in a sheet. "Who is Sophia? Why does her father think you were supposed to marry her? And why the fuck didn't you tell me about any of this before you forced me to marry you?"
I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. "Sophia is Bogdan's daughter. He's been pushing for a marriage alliance between our families for years. I kept putting him off because I didn't want it. There was never a formal agreement, never a contract. Just his expectations."
"And you didn't think I should know about those expectations?"
"It wasn't relevant." Even as I say it, I know how it sounds. "You and I were getting married regardless. What Bogdan wanted didn't matter."
"It matters to me!" She throws the sheet aside and stands, gloriously naked and furious. "It matters that you had another woman waiting for you. It matters that you're causing problems with another family because of me."
My eyes travel down her body, taking in the curve of her breasts, the flat plane of her stomach, and the neat triangle of hair between her thighs. Fuck, she's incredible when she's angry.
"Stop looking at me like that," she snaps.
"Like what?"
"Like you want to fuck me again."
"I do want to fuck you again." I close the distance between us. "But right now, we need to deal with Bogdan. So get dressed."
"No." She crosses her arms over her chest. "Not until you give me real answers."
I stare at her for a long moment, weighing my options. Then I bend down, scoop her up with the sheet still tangled around her legs, and throw her over my shoulder.
"What are you doing?" she shrieks, pounding on my back with her fists.
"Taking you to the meeting." I head for the door. "If you don't want to get dressed, fine. I'll take you downstairs to the meeting just like this, with nothing but a bedsheet wrapped around you."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me."
I make it three steps into the hallway before she caves. "Fine! Fine, put me down. I'll get dressed."
I set her on her feet, and she glares at me with such venom, I almost smile. Almost. "Five minutes," I tell her. "Then we're going down there, whether you're ready or not."
She storms back into the bedroom, and I follow, watching as she yanks on the clothes she wore yesterday. The jeans hug her ass perfectly, and the T-shirt molds to her breasts in a way that makes my mouth water. When she's dressed, she turns to face me, her expression still furious.
"This isn't over," she says.
"I know."
We walk downstairs in tense silence. The library doors are closed, and I can hear voices inside. Matvey is standing guard outside, his massive frame blocking the entrance. When he sees us, he nods once.
"They're waiting," he says.
"Any trouble?"
"Bogdan's pissed. Sophia's crying."
Great. Just fucking great.
I push open the doors, and the conversation inside stops immediately. Bogdan is standing by the fireplace, his face still red with anger. Sophia is sitting in one of the chairs, her eyes puffy and her hands twisted in her lap. When she sees us, fresh tears spill down her cheeks.
The tension in the room is thick enough to choke on. I can feel Mariya beside me, coiled tight like she's ready to bolt at any second. I need to handle this carefully. One wrong move and this could turn into a war I don't want.
"Sit," I tell Mariya, gesturing to the chair across from Sophia.
She doesn't move. "I'll stand."
Of course she will.
I turn my attention to Bogdan. "Let's get one thing straight. I never agreed to marry your daughter. You asked. I said I'd think about it. That's not a promise. That's not a contract. There was no betrayal."
"You led us on!" Bogdan's voice rises. "Years of planning, of preparing Sophia to be your wife. And then you marry this… this traitor's daughter without even telling us?"
"Watch your mouth," I say quietly, dangerously. "That's my wife you're talking about."
"Your wife." He spits the words like they're poison. "You married Pushkin's daughter. Do you have any idea what that looks like? What people are going to think?"
"I don't give a fuck what people think." I cross my arms over my chest. "Mariya is under my protection now. Anyone who has a problem with that can take it up with me."
"This is unacceptable." Bogdan takes a step toward me. "You've dishonored my family. Dishonored my daughter."
"I've done nothing of the sort." My voice drops lower, colder. "There was no agreement between us. No contract. If you know what's best for you, you'll stop right now before you cause a war you don't want."
His eyes narrow. "Are you threatening me?"
"I'm stating facts." I hold his gaze, letting him see exactly how serious I am. "You came into my home uninvited. Barged into my bedroom and made accusations that have no basis in reality. I've been patient because of our history, but my patience has limits."
"Your patience?" He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "You talk about patience when you've destroyed years of planning? When you've humiliated my daughter in front of the entire Bratva?"
"I've done no such thing." I glance at Sophia, who's still crying quietly. "I'm sorry if you were hurt, Sophia. That was never my intention. But I never promised to marry you."
She doesn't respond as tears trickle down her cheeks.
Bogdan's face turns an even deeper shade of red. He spins toward his daughter, and I see the rage in his eyes shift, redirecting. "This is your fault," he snarls at her. "You couldn't keep him interested. Couldn't make him want you. What good are you if you can't even secure a marriage alliance?"
Sophia flinches like he's struck her, and more tears stream down her face.
"That's enough," I say, but Bogdan ignores me.
He continues, advancing on his daughter. "Years of grooming you, teaching you, preparing you to be a Pakhan’s wife. And you failed. You're useless."
Mariya moves so fast, I almost don't see it. One second, she's standing beside me and the next, she's between Bogdan and Sophia, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes blazing with fury.
"Don't you dare blame her for this," she says, her voice low and dangerous.