Page 5 of Blood, Bones, and the Bratva Bogeyman

I almost brought Dane as a date to my engagement party as a screw-you to my big brother and fiancé.

Lucky for them, I like Dane too much to sign his death warrant so carelessly.

I never planned on turning serious with Dane. But being forced to end my casual relationship with him on someone else’s terms makes me angry. It’s not like you can have anything serious with a person when you know anytime he is lying.

And, well, Dane lied.

A lot.

But he was good with his tongue and his dick, so I overlooked his little white tales.

Plus, what better way to stick the middle finger up to the patriarchy than to give my body to whoever I wanted.

My dear ol’ husband won’t be coming to me untouched, so why should I?

This society puts all the pressure on the women to stay ‘pure’ but turns a blind eye to the men who shove their slabs of meat into whoever they want.

Double standards much?

What’s the big, bad Bratva Bogeyman going to do to me, anyway?

Spank me and call me a bad girl?

Oh, no. Sounds like such a horrible time.

He could kill me, I suppose, but then that’d mess with the alliance and probably piss off the fates that deemed us a perfect match.

Bloody ridiculous to believe me and that . . . that . . .

My eyes catch those alluring blue ones across the room, and I sigh.

That man who causes too many of my spontaneous pussy spasms.

A woman in a tight, silky, green dress sidles up to Konstantin’s side and places her hand on his chest.

Although there’s a sharp bite of jealousy at the touch, I merely raise a brow and lift my glass to my lips as I wait to see how he reacts.

Your move, big guy.

The light of the ballroom catches the diamond on my finger, sending a rainbow of colors dancing across his face.

Konstantin holds my eyes as he grabs her hand and pulls it from him. He leans down to whisper something that has her paling behind her half-mask. She shoots a quick look my way before rushing to leave him.

I smirk at him and turn away. It didn’t matter to me either way what move he made, but it did determine how our marriage would proceed.

There’s no doubt he’s got a mistress or three on the side. Most men in the families do, but as long as he shows me respect in public, I’ll leave him the fuck alone in private.

I’m realistic enough to know this isn’t a love match and never will be. I’d like to at least be friendly, so we’re not miserable, though.

When it’s time to provide an heir, we’ll have to remain exclusive to one another until I become pregnant. Then we can return to sleeping with whoever we want.

Sex obviously won’t be a hardship judging from the electricity that arcs between us when we’re around each other.

I don’t have to turn around to know who has stepped behind me. The way my body does that strange humming in his presence is enough.

“Running from me again,Lisichka?”

I shiver as his murmured words send his warm breath brushes against my neck.