“Then I did,” she said flatly, her gaze focused on the passenger window and not on me. If it weren’t for the way she was clasping her hands tightly, I would have thought she was just trying to please me.
Instead, she was pissed off at me, and that piqued my interest greatly. I wanted to test the waters even more, but there were other pressing matters. So, I left the matter alone. There would be plenty of time later at the mansion.
I took her arm and forced her to look at me.
“You will play the happy bride,” I reminded her, my fingers digging into her upper arm. “You will laugh and remain gracious that I have taken you as my bride.”
Her gaze narrowed, and I half waited for her to snap back at me. When the fire died, I felt strangely disappointed that she was backing down just as quickly.
“Yes, husband,” she said tightly. “I will not embarrass you.”
I wanted a fight from her, and she had refused it. I let go of her arm and opened the door, finding Anatoly already waiting outside to escort us to the terrace where the reception would be held.
“Already having fun, I see,” he murmured for only me to hear.
I buttoned my coat, ignoring him, and reached in to help Sveta out. After ensuring that her dress was straight, I led her to the terrace, where our guests had already arrived. Vera stood off to the side as we entered, the soft strains of the small quartet orchestra playing in the background. I didn’t know what Sveta thought about the long table set up, the soft glow of the candles matching the romantic backdrop of the LA hills. The smell of roses was heavy in the air, intermingled with the smell of fish and filet mignon that would be served with dinner.
But first I wanted to dance with my new bride.
The moment we reached the dance floor, I spun Sveta around, pressing her against me until she could feel my raging erection in her stomach. “Dance with me, wife,” I murmured, clasping her hand in mine.
Sveta stiffened in my arms, but she swayed with me, her hand resting on my shoulder. It was hard to ignore how well she fit against my body, how her head brushed my chin as I expertly turned her around on the dance floor. I might have been a bastard, but I hadn’t grown up without the finer points in life, including the proper way to dance.
“Smile,” I reminded her, my lips grazing the outer shell of her ear. Her smell was intoxicating, and I wanted to devour her right where we stood.
She shivered in my arms, and I grinned against her skin. Everything was going to plan. I couldn’t imagine that things would go so well or that Sveta would now become complacent with the fact that she was my wife and after tonight, I would own everything that was her.
The song ended and I stepped back, lifting her hand to press a kiss to the back of it and look like the doting husband I was planning to be in the eyes of her father’s former army. “For you, my dear,” I murmured.
Sveta’s gaze locked onto mine and I saw the concern in her depths, but there was something else, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. She was going to be less of the doting wife and more of an enigma for me, someone that I wanted to break gently so that she would understand that I ruled this marriage, not her.
I escorted her off the dance floor, only to find several of the Krasnaya Bratva brigadiers waiting in the wings. Instinctively I pulled her close to my side, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Have you come to wish us well in our marriage?”
The oldest one, Konstantin Poroshenko, stepped forward, and dipped his head. “We have, Pakhan. As you are already aware, we have no means of fighting your forces now that our leader is gone and we are directionless.”
I fought to show my satisfaction at the news. That was what I had been anticipating, that the Krasnaya Bratva would come crawling to me with their tails stuck between their legs, looking for someone to rescue them.
“And we have come to pay our respects to the daughter of our former Pakhan,” he continued, his eyes on my wife. “Please accept our deepest apologies. We failed to protect your father.”
Sveta regarded him with interest before she also inclined her head, choosing not to speak directly. That pleased me. “My wife accepts your apologies and your allegiance,” I answered for her, tightening my grip on her waist. “And I welcome you into the fold of my Bratva. I see a great partnership between the Krasnaya and Belaya in the future. We must stick together to ensure that generations after us have a rightful place in LA.”
The murmuring caused me to smile, but I moved past them, escorting Sveta to the table that had been set up for us. Vera hovered over us as we sat down, barking out orders to fill our wineglasses and providing my favorite vodka as well. I stood, picking up my glass, and the guests fell silent. “Thank you for coming to our special day,” I said smoothly, lifting my glass in the air. “I consider all of you valued members of our family and hope that you will accept my wife into your arms as well.”
The chorus of agreements filled my ears, but I turned my gaze to Sveta, who was holding her glass as well. “And to you,” I said, low enough for no one else to hear. “I hope you realize that this union is the culmination of my planning, of tireless work to provide you with security for the future.”
Her eyes searched mine, a spark of intelligence showing in their depths before she snuffed it out. “And what of happiness?” she asked softly.
Bending down, I brushed her lips over mine. “Happiness comes with obedience, dear Sveta,” I whispered against her lips. “And as long as you are obedient to me, devoted only to me, you will have everything you could possibly want in life.”
I wouldn’t expect anything else from her other than planting a child in her womb and giving me the key to my future. Once that was accomplished, well, there wasn’t much else I would need her for.
A rousing cheer of “GORKA!” rose up from the crowd. The traditional wedding toast. Gorka, I thought. Bitterness. For vodka is bitter, and marriage is sweet. But the only sweetness I wanted on my tongue was what was between Sveta’s legs.
Straightening, I drained my vodka in one gulp and sat myself beside my bride. There was a load off my shoulders at what I had accomplished tonight and what part of my plan was now accomplished.
I was going to enjoy the next part, which would be to get Sveta pregnant as soon as possible. There was still the threat that she could be taken away.
But if she was carrying my child, then it would be nearly impossible to deny that I had a right to take over what was her birthright.
A smirk crossed my face as I picked up the vodka bottle and poured a measure full in the glass that sat by my plate. It was time to celebrate, time to toast what I had completed when others said that I couldn’t.
I had done this, not anyone else.