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Chapter Two

Julia

W hat just happened?

I talked to Matteo Conti, the enemy, like it was nothing. I think I might have flirted a little bit. How do I even know how to flirt? My brother has never let me date so my interaction with men is fairly limited.

I spent some time in France with my cousins a couple of years ago when Viktor sent me away to protect me from the first war he was in with Dante and Erik. I saw how the French flirted. Guess I picked up some things from there without even realizing it.

My eyes keep looking in the direction Matteo just left in. I never expected any of that to happen. When he told me his name, I was frightened initially but then he told me he wouldn’t hurt me and I believed him completely. There was just something so… comforting about him.

The enemy. How is that possible?

He’s also incredibly handsome. Tall, dark hair, stubble, piercing eyes. It’s like he walked right out of a romance novel. I should know: I’ve read my fair share of them.

When I’ve been kept away from a lot of people, stuck in a house with my brother for company, I had to find entertainment in many different ways. Books were one way I could explore more of the world.

“Julia?” Viktor’s voice startles me, making me jump.

“Viktor,” I gasp, clutching my hand to my chest. Did he see me talking to Matteo? No. Because if he had, he would have shouted at Matteo to leave. He might have even shot Matteo right then and there for even looking in my direction.

Normally when Viktor has meetings, he tells me in advance so I can’t come down. It’s for my own safety, he claims. It’s better that his men can’t see me and get ideas about me. Bad ideas.

But I didn’t know he was having a meeting with Matteo. And I’m glad because I never would have come down and met him if I had known.

“Are you ok?” he asks, his eyes scanning my face. “You seem… scared.”

“I’m not scared. Why would you think I was scared?”

His eyes narrow as he looks at me then looks down the hallway and then back at me. “Did something happen?”

“No.” I won’t tell him I met Matteo. It would just make him more angry and this war he’s in right now is already putting him on edge.

“Then why do you look like you want to run away from this conversation?”

“I just wasn’t expecting you to say my name. I didn’t hear you, is all. You’re being paranoid, Viktor. This war is too much. Why don’t you consider making peace?” If he did, then maybe I’d get the chance to see Matteo again.

He scoffs. “No. I will not make peace with Dante and Erik. They disrespected me too many times. And I’m tired of people always asking.”

“Sorry.”

His eyes soften as he sighs. “No. I’m sorry. I’m just on edge. That’s all.”

“Because of this war,” I remind him.

“Enough. Now, it’s a good thing you’re here. I wanted to talk to you about something.” He motions to his office, which I know is never a good thing. Viktor only ever wants to discuss things in there when it’s bad news.

“What is it?” I ask once we’re seated across each other, his large desk between us.

There’s always been a large gap between us, since Viktor is much older than I am.

He was sixteen by the time our parents had me.

They died when I was just a little kid and he had to raise me.

So instead of being my brother, he’s always been more of a father to me.

Which is why he thinks he can treat me more like a daughter and boss me around.

I’ve always listened to Viktor as it made life easier. He protected me over the years so I had no reason to distrust him. And while I do still trust him, the fact that I’m twenty-one now and still stuck in this house, is beginning to frustrate me a little.

“I wanted to discuss something with you.” He steeples his fingers together. “If I had my way, I’d keep you in this house with me forever.”

“What if that isn’t what I want?”

“Is it not? Do you want to leave?”

My brief time in France showed me that there’s a whole world out there that I’ve never explored and I want to see more. But how do I tell my brother without upsetting him? He tends to get sensitive over these things.

“No,” I say slowly. “You know I love and Inessa. It just would be nice to get to do more things.”

“Like?”

“Like date,” I admit.

His expression closes off. “No. You will not date. Any man could take advantage of you. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I know. But, Viktor, if I’m never allowed to date, then how will I ever get the chance to fall in love? You had your chance with Inessa. When will it be my turn?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk with you about. I never wanted to marry you off in an arranged marriage. No man would ever be good enough for you. But with this war…” He sighs, running his hand down his face. “My resources are stretched thin and I need all the help I can get.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I’m considering making a marriage match for you.”

There’s a moment of silence between us where it takes me a long time to process his words.

“A… marriage match?” I ask. “An arranged marriage.”

“Yes.”

Don’t freak out , I tell myself. “Is there someone you have in mind?”

Matteo’s face flashes behind my eyes and I promptly push him away. He can never happen, not in a million years. Besides, I barely know him. Yes, he was charming and surprisingly sweet but that could have just been for show. Maybe he’s more of a monster than he was letting on.

“There is,” Viktor admits. “And I don’t like it.”

“So, then why consider it?”

“Because it’s a good deal and I have to keep my options open.”

“Who is he?” When Viktor doesn’t respond, I sigh. “I have the right to know. You can’t keep me in the dark forever. I’m an adult now, Viktor. It’s time you started treating me as such.”

“It’s Grigori Sidorov. He has a lot of money and is willing to help me in this war but only if I give him your hand in marriage.”

“Grigori…” I shake my head. “I don’t know who that is.”

“He’s a respectable Bratva man. He doesn’t have ties to Erik Koslov, which is a good thing. He’s always been on his own island but he has money. Lots of it.”

“I thought you had a lot of money.”

“I do.” He straightens his tie. “But wars are expensive. I need to pay my men and I need to make sure I can keep paying them. Grigori would help with that.”

“Ok,” I say slowly. “Then I’d like to meet him.”

“Really?”

“I think it’s only fair.”

“I never made any promises to him about marrying you. It was his idea but I didn’t agree to it.”

“I could still meet him.” And who knows? Maybe he’ll help push Matteo from my mind.

Grigori comes over to the house, waltzing into our home like he owns the place. I stand next to Inessa, my sister-in-law. We’ve become close friends over the past year she’s been married to my brother. I’ve never really had any friends before. Viktor made sure I was home-schooled.

The moment I see Grigori, I squeeze Inessa’s hand with a gasp. She squeezes right back.

Grigori is… well, he’s old, to put it plainly.

And I don’t mean middle aged. I mean old .

Seventies at the youngest. His skin is wrinkled and sun spots decorate his face and neck and hands.

Patches of white hair flutter up off his head.

A can is gripped in his hand. Despite that, he still is able to move with relative ease.

“Grigori,” Viktor says tightly, shaking his hand.

“Thank you for inviting me over to your beautiful home.” Even his voice is old. I don’t mean to sound so rude. I’m sure he’s a lovely man. But marrying a man who’s old enough to be my grandfather is not something I want.

“Of course. My sister wanted to meet you. Grigori, this is Julia.”

He offers me his hand and I have to unclasp mine from Inessa’s. The moment my hand is in his, he kisses the back of it. I smile politely because that’s what I’ve been taught to do but everything inside of me wants to recoil.

“Pleasure to meet you, Julia.” His teeth are yellow-stained when he smiles. I detect the faint smell of cigarette smoke. I hate smokers. It’s a bad habit.

“Pleasure to meet you too.” I try to subtly pull my hand back but he doesn’t let me go. He just smiles at me.

Viktor clears his throat and Grigori finally releases my hand. “Shall we go into the living room?”

The four of us settle around the room – Viktor in the high back chair by the fireplace, me on the couch, and Inessa on the other chair because Grigori sits down beside me before she gets the chance. She offers me a pitying smile.

“So, you’ve come around to my offer,” Grigori says.

Viktor tenses. “Offer?”

“To marry your beautiful sister to me.”

“You have it wrong, Grigori. I never promised that. I was just entertaining the idea. Julia wanted to meet you and I obliged but there have been no promises made.”

“I was brought here under false pretenses then. I thought this was to discuss our marriage.”

Viktor’s face grows more stern. He’ll make himself look old in just a few years if he keeps this up. “It wasn’t under false pretenses. I invited you here to meet my sister. I never made promises of a marriage.”

“If you want my money, Viktor, then you’ll marry her to me. She is beautiful. Could use a bit more weight on her bones. I do want children after all.”

Inessa and I share a look.

“Julia is waiting to have children until she’s older,” Inessa says in her soft voice. She always looked and sounded more like an ethereal fairy than a human woman.

Grigori looks at her lazily. “And your point is?”

That he’ll be too old if I wait. Of course, none of us says this out loud.

“Have you even asked if Julia wants to marry you?” Inessa says instead.

“Why does that matter?”

“Because she should have a say.”

“Inessa,” Viktor says gently.

She flushes and ducks her head, knowing when she’s being told to be quiet.

“I do respect my sister’s opinion,” Viktor says. “So, if she doesn’t want to go through with this marriage, I won’t make her. Understand that, Grigori.”