Page 46 of Forced plus-size Bride of the Bratva

I lean closer, carefully stepping up to the door. I press my palm to the wood, straining to hear. A few words slip through—but it’s muffled and I can’t place them. It frustrates me.

Adrian’s voice turns sharp. Angry, even.

I know I shouldn’t be doing this. He’d be furious if he caught me. But I can’t help it. I need to know what kind of world I’ve married into. I need to know what’s waiting on the other side of all this silence.

And maybe, more than anything, I need to understand the man I’m supposed to call my husband.

Kaz laughs again, and the next time he speaks, surprisingly, his voice is clear.

“I’ve got something, though,” he says.

There’s a pause.

“From the inside?” Adrian asks, his tone rough and clipped, like he’s already bracing himself.

“Yeah. Fresh. Just this morning. And there’s a bounty out now.”

My heart stops.

I press closer, my forehead almost touching the wood of the door. A bounty? On who?

I strain to hear the name, but their voices dip again—too low, too guarded. I clench my fists at my sides. The name never comes.

Who the hell are they hunting now?

Something tells me I don’t want to know. But another part of me—the part that’s already tangled up in Adrian’s world—knows I have to find out.

Before I can press my ear any closer, a quiet voice startles me from behind.

“Mrs. Rusnak.”

I whirl around, pulse jumping. Zalar stands a few feet away, his hands clasped in front of him, expression unreadable. He’s respectful, always is—but his eyes are sharp, and there’s no mistaking the warning in them.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he says gently. “This…this isn’t right.”

I cross my arms.

“Your husband is a powerful man. The things discussed behind that door—they’re not meant for you, or for anyone outside of that room.”

I open my mouth to argue, but his gaze softens just slightly.

“I say this with respect, ma’am. Don’t get involved in business that can swallow you whole.”

I feel the cold bite of those words even as he steps back and gestures for me to return down the hall. I hesitate, one last glance toward the closed door. I clench my jaw and step away.

Fighting with Zalar won’t get me anywhere—I know that. He may be polite, but he’s loyal to Adrian, and if I push too hard, I won’t just be locked out of rooms. I might find myself locked away entirely.

So I retreat, walking stiffly down the hallway toward the living room. My feet click against the polished floors, echoing louder than they should. I hate how empty the house feels. How powerless I feel.

I drop onto one of the velvet couches and cross my arms, tapping my foot anxiously. Then I rise again. Pacing. Circling the room like a restless animal. I keep glancing at the hallway, waiting—watching—for Adrian to come out. For answers. For anything.

What bounty? Who are they talking about?

Why did Kaz’s visit make Adrian so tense?

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to quiet the growing unease in my chest.

He said he’d protect me. But from what? Clearly, he’s the one I need protection from. I’ve never felt this scared when I lived alone. Never.