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Chapter Five

Julia

“ I t can’t be him,” Grigori huffs. “He’s Irish. Your sister should be with an established Bratva man, like me.”

Viktor pinches the bridge of his nose. “I haven’t made a decision about Julia and marriage. I want her to be ok with it.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Because I am not ok with marrying Connor.”

“Why do you say that?”

Connor gives me a dark grin that sends a shiver down to my toes. “Yeah, Julia, why do you say that?”

Damn him. I can’t tell Viktor the reason I don’t feel safe with Connor: that he tried to pressure me to take drugs when I didn’t want to because to admit to that would be to admit to being at Dante’s club.

Connor saw me talking to Matteo, though he doesn’t know we’ve spoken multiple times. I can’t say any of this.

“I just… barely know him,” I explain to Viktor. “I don’t want to marry someone I barely know.”

“I get that,” Viktor says. “And no decision will be made today.”

“But-,” Grigori objects. “Are you actually considering marrying Julia to an Irishman? I just can’t believe it.”

“Connor is a new ally. It’s worth considering.”

“But I’m the one with the money!”

Viktor sighs. “I know but Grigori, you just tried to touch my sister without her consent. I don’t want that for her.”

“But we were to be married. A married woman lets her husband touch her.”

“But you and Julia aren’t married so you were not supposed to touch her.”

Connor smiles smugly and it only makes me want to hit him. “Yeah, old man. You should really go. Julia wants to marry someone young. Someone handsome.”

Matteo’s face crosses my mind. If only it could be him, but I know that’s absurd. Even if I had the chance to be with Matteo, that doesn’t mean he’d want to be with me.

“Careful, boy,” Grigori snaps. “I have enough power in my pinkie finger to take you down.”

“Enough,” Viktor says, getting between them. “Let’s all calm down. No one is getting married today. Grigori, you should leave.”

“Viktor.”

“Grigori. Go.”

With a huff, he shoots Connor a glare then storms out the door, which is impressive since he walks with a cane. The room is somehow even more tense after he leaves. At least Grigori was a buffer between me and Connor.

Now Connor sets his full attention onto me. “What do you say, Julia? Interested in marrying me?”

I turn to Viktor. “Can we talk about this? Alone?”

“Of course. Connor, wait here.” Viktor brings me to his office and leans against his desk. At least his stance is relaxed, which means Viktor is willing to hear me out. “Yes?”

“I don’t know Connor. I don’t want to marry him. I mean, are you even sure this is what you want? He’s Irish. You’ve never worked with the Irish before.”

“I’ve worked with Finn in the past and he’s Irish.”

“Yes but he didn’t have ties to the Irish mob at the time. Connor does. Are you trying to get in good with the Irish mob?”

He shrugs. “It wouldn’t be a bad thing. To have extra support in this war. Ideally it would have been Grigori but I know I can’t force you to marry an old man like him. I can tell you’re uncomfortable around him.”

“I’m uncomfortable around Connor too.”

“How so?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Julia, that you barely interacted with him. How can you be uncomfortable around him?”

Because he tried to pressure me to take drugs and wouldn’t let me leave the club when I wanted to.

None of that passes my lips. “You have a point. I don’t really know him. But call it gut instinct. I’m not sure I want to marry him and I know you. Do you really want to marry me off? That’s something you’ve never considered before.”

“I know. It wasn’t something I ever wanted for you. But with this war, I have to admit, I’m starting to get desperate. I’m running low on money. I need more allies to take Dante and Erik down. They’re too fucking strong.”

“Then why not make peace with them?”

He gives me a pointed look. “You know why. We’ve been over it countless times. I’m not making peace with them.”

“Not if it means peace for me and Inessa?”

“Dante and Erik won’t go after you. We promised each other we would leave the women out of it.”

“But that promise wasn’t made by all of Dante and Erik’s men. Someone could decide to hurt us and you know it. Make peace with them.”

“I tried once before and it didn’t end well. I was disrespected. I can’t make peace with people who don’t respect me.”

I can feel my heart pounding against my ribcage so hard, it hurts. “What if you married me to someone on their side?”

He goes eerily still. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying what I’m saying. What if you married me to someone on their side?

We could make a deal. Then they’d have to respect it.

They would know you would never turn on them if I was married to one of their men.

And they would respect you for your strength and power.

It could be the best way to make peace and you know it. ”

“I am not marrying you to one of their fucking guys,” he mutters, pacing around the room. “I won’t do that to you.”

“Why not? You’re considering marrying me to Connor.”

“That’s because I can build something with Connor. Anything with Dante and Erik has been burned.”

“But it can be rebuilt. If you married me to… say, someone like Matteo, then -,”

“No.” His bluntness makes my mouth drop open.

“No?”

“Not Matteo. He killed Sergei Belov. He’s Dante’s most loyal man. I would never trust you with him. He would use you to hurt me.”

“But it’s a smart deal. He is Dante’s number one. What’s better than that? It could ensure peace between all of us. Dante would never go against you if I was married to his second in command and Erik would respect it. It’s a good idea.”

“No. I will not entertain it. And besides, if you’re worried about marrying Connor because you barely know him, then why in the world would you want to marry Matteo? You know him even less.”

I hesitate and Viktor narrows his eyes and gently grips the end of my face, forcing me to look at him.

“Do you know something that I don’t?”

“No,” I squeak out. It’s hard to lie to my brother right to his face but I have to. My gut is telling me I have to. “I just met Matteo the one time he was over here.”

“You what?” He lets my chin go and steps back. “I never knew this.”

“I accidently bumped into him in the hall. You never told me anyone was here so I didn’t know to avoid your office. Matteo and I spoke for a brief moment. But he was nice. Surprisingly nice.”

“And… because of that one conversation, you now want to marry him?”

“No. I’m just saying that I have technically met him. He wasn’t awful to me. It’s something that could work.”

His eyes narrow even further. “Do you like him?”

“No. I barely know him.” It’s scary how easy the lie escapes my lips.

“But you find him handsome, don’t you?”

I can’t stop the blush from crossing my face. “No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Julia.”

“Ok. Fine. Maybe I find him a little handsome. But this has nothing to do with it. It’s a smart idea to marry me to him.

It could ensure peace between all of us.

You wouldn’t be at risk of losing any more money or men.

Neither would they. Everyone could be happy.

We’d all work together to stay in power. ”

“Fine. I’ll admit. It’s not a terrible idea.

But it’s not happening. I don’t trust any of Dante’s men and I especially don’t trust them with you.

The only reason Matteo was nice to you was because he was in my home with no weapon.

Otherwise he would have hurt you. I know it.

How can I trust a man like that with my one sister?

I raised you, Julia. I won’t just trust any man with you. ”

“And I appreciate how protective you are. I really do. But I think you’re wrong. I think Matteo was nice to me because that’s who he is.”

He scoffs. “How do you know? You spoke to him once. You don’t know him, Julia. Don’t develop a crush on him. You are not marrying him.”

“I don’t have a crush.”

“Good. So, with all that being said, I think you should get to know Connor better.”

The sudden turn in conversation makes my head spin. “Why?”

“Because you claim the reason you don’t want to marry him is because you barely know him. So get to know him. Talk to him. Now’s a good chance. He’s still here.”

“And if I get to know him and still don’t want to marry him?”

“Unless Connor crosses any line with you, I’m afraid to say that he’s a good candidate for your hand in marriage.”

“And if he does cross a line?”

“Then I won’t make you marry him. But no lies, Julia. It has to be something he’s really done. I know you. Don’t lie to me.”

“When have I ever lied to you?” Except for now of course.

“You never have. That’s why I trust you.”

I can’t deny the sting in my chest. Viktor trusts me more than anyone, sometimes even Inessa.

We’ve been through thick and thin together.

He has no reason to distrust me and I know I can’t make up lies about Connor.

I have to only tell Viktor the truth about him but there’s no way I can tell Viktor about the version of Connor I met at Dante’s club.

Yes, it would mean I wouldn’t have to marry Connor, but it would also cause more chaos that I don’t want to bring down on our heads.

“I’ll talk to him,” I say.

“Thank you.”

Viktor stays in his office as I meet Connor in the foyer. He’s studying one of the paintings on the wall – it’s a Picasso.

I inhale and prepare myself to make the most out of this. “Do you like it?” When he looks at me, I point at the painting. “It’s one of my favorites.”

Connor shrugs. “I was never one for art. Seems like a waste of time. And I always thought Picasso’s paintings were ugly.”

“They’re not ugly.”

“To me they are.”

“Fine. My brother wanted me to come and talk to you.”

“Oh yeah?” I hate his smug smile and swagger to his walk like he thinks he already has a claim to me. “About our upcoming wedding.”

“I am not marrying you,” I say flatly.