“You already have.” He smirks slightly. “Maksim and Dmitri. They’re the only ones I trust with your safety, aside from my brothers.”
He turns his attention back to his coffee, the phone remaining untouched, exactly where I need it.
About seven more minutes. I just have to act normal.
“Speaking of your brothers…” I swirl the last of my coffee. “How come they weren’t at the ceremony yesterday? Do they not approve of your choice of wife?” The amusement in my tone is anything but subtle.
His jaw tics. “Don’t worry about them.”
I smirk. “Sounds like a yes.”
“Their opinions don’t matter to me. And they shouldn’t to you.”
“I guess it shouldn’t, since we won’t be married for long.”
He just cuts into a thin pancake like I didn’t speak at all. “You’llsee them tonight at dinner. And I promise they’ll be on their best behavior.”
The way he says it, there’s no doubt in my mind that “best behavior” is not a suggestion. It’s an order. And if one of his brothers steps out of line, he’ll handle it. No matter the blood they share.
He sets his fork down. “Before I forget, I have something for you.”
Rising from the table, he crosses to a drawer, returning with a long black jewelry box.
“What’s that?”
“A wedding present.” He places it in front of me.
When I look inside, I find a thin bracelet, delicate and glinting with small diamonds. The kind of thing you’d expect to find in a vault, not casually slid across a breakfast table.
“That looks insanely expensive. What if I lose it?”
“I’ll get another.” He lifts it from the case and clasps it around my wrist.
The metal is cold. So is the pit forming in my stomach.
“You should know…”
My gaze snaps to his, heart racing. “Know what?”
“It has a tracker.”
I jerk my hand back. “Are you serious right now?”
“Very.” A devilish grin stretches across his face. “Since you were so against the GPS implant, I thought this was a reasonable compromise.”
A dry, cutting laugh slips from my throat. “A reasonable compromise? Wow.”
“I understand this feels extreme to someone like you,” he says, calm as hell. “But in my world, this keeps you safe. If you’re ever separated from my men, this will ensure I know where you are to get to you.”
“So you’re going to stalk me now?” My eyes narrow.
“Do you have something to hide?”
Too much.
“That’s not the point. I have a life. Outside of this…whatever this is.”
He leans closer, his tone softer—almost gentle, but carrying quiet dominance. “Your life is now my life, dorogaya. Get used to it.”
