Page 50 of Deceptive Vows

“I am the Obshchak, and hopefully next in line to be Pakhan, if my brother doesn’t beat me to the finish line.”

I don’t know what to say or think other than I’m in more danger than I previously thought. As witnessed, people like him won’t just kill you. They annihilate and show no mercy. I should have known what kind of monster he was from the get-go.

I knew from the tattoos on his chest that some of them must mean something about leadership in the Bratva, but I never imagined my husband-to-be was so high up the ladder.

“Have I scared you, Malyshka?”

“No,” I lie.

He leans closer. “If you’re going to lie to me, you could try a little harder and not looks so guilty. It gives you away.”

I wonder if he can tellI’ma lie. Maybe if he asked me for my name, I’d give myself away by looking guilty and he’d know.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little black velvet box. At first, I wonder what it is but, when he flicks it open, I glimpse the stunning diamond engagement ring inside. It steals my breath away.

“Give me your left hand,” he says in that deep baritone that works its way inside of me.

I stretch out my hand, and he takes it. He pulls the ring out of the box and slips it on my finger. I instantly feel different.

I’ve never had anything so beautiful or expensive on my body. If Adriana considered that piece-of-shit dress I wore from Mexico as worth more than me, what would she think of this?

It instantly shows a difference in wealth. Adriana’s ring did not look like this, and I would not have expected Mikhail to have bought a ring so breathtaking for someone like me.

I’m speechless.

He takes my hand again and holds on to it.

“Do not lose it, Adriana,” he says, calling me by her name. It sounds so weird. “If you lose it, you will not like what happens if I find out. I am not like Felipe. I will not understand why it’s lost, or how you lost it. To be on the safe side, it’s probably best you don’t take it off. At the very least, keeping it on should remind you of who you belong to.”

Who I belong to.

“Like I could forget.”

“Don’t smart-mouth me.” He shakes his head and tightens his grip on my hand.

“I’m not smart-mouthing you.”

“Then don’t talk back.”

“I’m simply saying I wasn’t smart-mouthing you. Do you have to keep reminding me that I’m a thing and I belong to you?”

The corner of his mouth lifts into that sexy smile. The sight makes heat spark in my core with those memories of last night again.

“Yes. Speak to me like that again, and I will spank that tight pussy of yours. But maybe you want that.” A dangerous smile dances across his lips.

“No,” I say quickly.

“Are you sure? You seemed to enjoy your punishment last time.”

“I didn’t.”

“Liar. You keep lying to me, Malyshka.”

My entire body goes rigid at the accusation, and I pray with everything in me that this won’t be the moment he sees straight through the lie I am.

“I’m not lying,” I mutter.

“Yes, you are.”