“We don’t take orders from her.” The buckle is pried from my fingers, and I’m forced under the restraints like a child. It feels symbolic, having even this small freedom taken.
What would my father think of me now? Would seeing me under the thumb of my brother make him angry? He’s rolling over in his grave at what my brother has done.
My eyes water as I look out the small window.
It doesn’t matter. None of it does. The only thing that matters now is my future.
I can fight this, or I can lean into this.Chapter 3Tomas“Do you have confirmation from Aren that he followed through with his promise?” I don’t bother modulating my voice. I need an outlet, and Stefan easily bears my temper in stride.
He sits at his desk, nodding. “I do, brother,” he says, turning his phone over and showing me a picture. “That’s the plane with his sister on it, fifteen minutes away from arriving here.” He’s dressed in a suit and tie, already prepared to officiate. I myself am wearing my most formal attire. So much could go wrong at this juncture that we’ll waste no time.
I look at the picture on his phone and nod, but I say nothing else. I don’t trust Aren and won’t believe he’s followed through on his promise until I see his sister with my very own eyes, until she wears my ring on her finger and takes my surname as her own.
I despise that the bastard will be my brother-in-law, but I’ll have as little to do with him as possible. Though all of my contemporaries and associates are ruthless, we all live by a code of conduct we can’t deny. But Aren? He’s the lowliest of them all. Crass and self-serving, he’s a terrible leader who’s done nothing to earn the respect of his brothers.
Stefan sits back and eyes me, stroking the salt and pepper stubble on his chin. He’s Nicolai’s father, so it comes as no surprise that his eyes are the same vivid blue as Nicolai’s. He’s older, though, and wiser, more serious than Nicolai.
“You don’t trust Aren.”
“I do not. He agreed too readily.” I shake my head and look out the window. “Would you give your sister to a pakhan?”
“It would depend,” Stefan says reasonably. “I was raised to respect the laws of The Bratva. It might kill me to hand my sister over to another man, but if it was expected, I might. I wouldn’t want to, but I would do what is expected for the good of the brotherhood.”
“Right,” I mutter. I know he’s right, but there’s something about the agreement with Aren that doesn’t sit well with me. Something that troubles me in a raw, intuitive way that I can’t quite put my finger on. He agreed too readily. He didn’t fight it. He sent her to me as fast as he could, and demanded she be accompanied by half a dozen of his strike force, “for safety purposes.”
There was no interview. No questionnaire from him. Not even so much as a background check that I’m aware of. He seemed as if he were relieved to be rid of her, and that unsettles me.
Is she someone he doesn’t like? Is she defiant, or problematic in some way? That doesn’t bother me so much. I’m confident I can deal with defiance from a woman. I’m the pakhan, after all, used to giving orders and being obeyed, and she’ll learn her place quickly enough.
Or is there something else about her he doesn’t want me to know?
“Can you show me her picture?” I ask.
Stefan shakes his head. “They’ve not given me access to any of that footage.”
I scowl. There’s an air of mystery about this I don’t like. Would Nicolai have steered me wrong? He made good points about arranging a marriage, but I’m not sure this was the right decision.
I get to my feet and run my hands through my hair. “I have to get back to Boston as soon as possible,” I tell Stefan.
“I know,” he says, his eyes twinkling as he watches me. “Which is why you’ve asked me to officiate tonight, correct?”
“Yes,” I tell him. “Are we ready?”
Stefan gets to his feet. “Of course. When Marissa heard who we were bringing here, she begged to be allowed time to help prepare Caroline for the ceremony. So your betrothed will be brought to Marissa and Nicolai’s apartment, and both Marissa and Nicolai will bear witness as you take your vows. Once everything is official, I’ve arranged for you to have a private apartment for the evening, dinner, and chilled champagne.”
I smile at that. “Thank you.”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Think nothing of it. Nice to see you smile, brother.”
It’s all he says, but he doesn’t need to say more. I’ve heard it my entire life.