Page 27 of Forcibly Sold to the Bratva (Zolotov Bratva #14)

I slide my credit card across the table before either of the girls can reach for the check. Tatiana groans dramatically while Katya makes a futile grab for it, but I’m quicker.

“Too late,” I say with a triumphant smile. “My treat tonight.”

The waiter whisks the card away before either sister can protest further, and I truly feel happy to get the bill.

These nights out with Ilariy’s sisters have become precious to me, and I want to somehow show them that. Words can’t do justice. The truth is, I never had sisters of my own, and now that I’ve tasted this bond, I want to put in an effort to keep it strong.

“But you paid last time too,” Katya pouts, folding her arms across her chest.”

“Seriously. Are you trying to buy our love?” Tatiana teases.

I laugh and finish the last of my wine. “As if I need to. You both adore me already.”

“Cocky,” Tatiana says with a smirk. “Ilariy’s rubbing off on you.”

The mention of his name sends a flutter through my stomach, and it must show on my face because Tatiana groans.

“Seriously. Aren’t you two sick of each other?” Katya chimes in. “He texted me four times tonight asking when we’re bringing you home.”

“He’s pathetic,” Tatiana rolls her eyes. “You’d think you’ve been gone for months instead of hours.”

“He worries,” I say softly, unable to keep the affection from my voice.

The waiter returns with my card and receipt. I sign quickly, add a generous tip, and we gather our things to leave.

“Let’s take the back exit,” Tatiana suggests. “It’s quicker to where the car is parked.”

Our two stern-faced bodyguards, who now follow us at all times when we are out, also stand at the next table. We walk toward the service exit, but before we can leave, one of the guards peeks out to check the back alley, giving us the all clear to move.

I find this whole bodyguard business a bit excessive. But I know how tense Ilariy has been since the attack at the warehouse, so I let him have it his way.

We walk down the alley with full stomachs and hearts.

“That pasta was divine,” Katya sighs contentedly. “We should come back next week.”

“You say that about every restaurant,” Tatiana teases.

“Because we only go to truly great ones,” Katya retorts, linking her arm through mine.

I’m about to tell her that’s not entirely true. Three weeks ago, we went to that horrible pizza place, but just then, I notice the bodyguard ahead stop suddenly. His hand reaches for his gun, and I feel a prickle go down my spine.

“What is it?” Tatiana whispers. She notices, too.

The guard holds up a hand for us to be silence. My heart begins to race as he takes a cautious step forward.

Just then, I hear a gunshot, and the guard crumples to the ground.

“Get back!” The second guard shouts from behind as he makes to get ahead of us and motions us to run back to the restaurant door, but it’s too late.

More shots run out. The guard fires back.

Katya, in panic, grabs my arm, and together, the three of us run to move behind a dumpster, somewhere we can’t be seen.

The second guard is still firing, and it’s so dark that we can’t see who is shooting. In fact, we can’t see anything at all, but then, the guard staggers back and hits the ground.

“Oh my god,” Katya whimpers beside me. “Oh my god. He’s dead.”

We hear footsteps, and we all crouch behind the dumpster in fear, holding our breaths, hoping they don’t see us—whoever they are. I quietly dig into my purse to find my phone, but before I can reach it, I hear Tikhon.

“Arina.”

Shock runs through me at the sound of my brother’s voice. I must be mistaken. Tikhon won’t attack me.

I peer around the edge of the dumpster and see it’s him.

“Tikhon,” I whisper, my world shattering.

He steps closer, and there are two unknown men with him. I feel petrified, something I’ve never felt around my brother.

“Come out,” he says gently. “I just want to talk.”

He won’t hurt me. I know he won’t hurt me. This must have been a mistake. He must have thought those guards were someone else.

I feel Tatiana’s hand on my wrist, trying to hold me back, but I slowly stand. My legs feel like water beneath me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask with a trembling voice.

“I’ve come to take you home,” Tikhon says, like nothing happened. Like he’s picking me up from dinner and his men didn’t just kill two people.

“I…I was going home.” My voice quivers.

Tikhon’s face hardens. “That’s not your home.”

One of his men moves toward the dumpster with a gun outstretched, and in panic, I step into his path. “They have nothing to do with this.”

“Come with me then, Arina,” Tikhon extends his hand to me. I just stare at it, feeling as if my heart is being stabbed. “Or I’ll kill Ilariy’s precious sisters right here.”

His ultimatum is a level of cruelty I could never have imagined. “No,” I breathe. “Tikhon, please—”

Katya lets out a choked sob, and Tatiana gets on her feet. I feel her hand on my elbow as she leans in from behind me.

“Don’t go with him, Arina,” she hisses. “I mean it.

“Shut up.” The man with the gun snarls and points it at her forehead. Katya shrieks in fear, and I feel Tatiana let out a panicked exhale, her hand dropping from my elbow.

My mind races frantically, searching for a way out, but there isn’t one. From what I’ve learned of my brother, I know what he’s capable of. He won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

“If I go with you,” I say slowly, “you’ll let them go? Unharmed?”

“You have my word,” Tikhon says, ignoring her outburst.

“Arina, no!” Katya cries.

I look back at Tatiana and Katya, and when I see the fear in their eyes, I know I’m doing the right thing. Even now, they worry for me, even when their own lives are at stake.

It doesn’t cost me much to leave with my brother. At least, I’ll survive.

“Fine,” I say, stepping toward Tikhon. “I’ll go with you. Just let them go.”

Tikhon nods to the man with the gun, and he slowly puts it down.

“Arina, don’t do this,” Tatiana pleads from behind him.

I’m about to turn back and take her into a hug, about to tell her to tell Ilariy not to worry, that I’ll be okay, when Tikhon grabs my arm and begins to drag me away. “Let’s go.”

As he leads me away, I hear Katya crying behind me. I don’t look back because if I do, I might break, might run back to them, and then Tikhon will kill them all.

I’m so furious at Tikhon, at this show of muscle, that I didn’t speak to him the entire ride back.

Once we’re home, Tikhon dismisses his men and leads me straight to his office. I don’t even bother asking where Andrei and Alexey are.

The truth is, I don’t want to see my brothers. Any of them. And after tonight, I can’t bear to see Tikhon’s face.

Once we’re inside the office, he motions for me to sit, but I keep standing. For the first time, I meet his glare and feel something wither within me. How could he threaten to kill two innocent women? My sisters-in-law. My friends.

I remain standing and feel so small under his gaze that I wrap my arms around myself. When I speak, my voice comes out low. “What do you want from me, Tikhon?”

A pained expression passes across his face. “I want you back.”

“And this is how you thought you should do it?” I feel my voice choke. “By scaring and blackmailing me into submission?”

He flinches slightly. “Look, Arina. Please, there was no other way…”

“There’s always a choice, Tikhon.” I finally let out a sob. “It seems you just aren’t good at making them.”

“I did what I had to do, you understand?” he snaps.

“How can I understand when, for the longest time, I thought you ran restaurants?” I hiss, my fear now turning to fury.

“I was trying to keep you safe!” he bellows.

I whisper. “Surprising, since I no longer feel safe around you.”

“Yeah? What are you saying, Arina?”

“I’m saying,” I raise my head to meet his gaze, “I want to go back…to Ilariy.”

Tikhon’s eyes narrow. “He kidnapped you to take his revenge on us. Are you going to allow yourself to be used like that?”

“He didn’t—” I begin, then stop myself. What’s the point in arguing? Tikhon will never understand what Ilariy and I have built together, how things have changed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Tikhon lowers his voice. “You’re going to end it with him tonight.”

I stare at him, disbelief washing over me. “What?”

“You’re going to call him and tell him it’s over. That you’ve chosen to return to your family willingly.”

“I won’t,” I say firmly. “You can’t make me.”

“Can’t I?” A cruel smile plays at his lips.

“Alexey is watching Ilariy’s family as we speak.

His sisters made it home safely— this time .

I can give the order right now, and Alexey will ensure they don’t wake up tomorrow.

And then, we’ll go after each family member of his.

Every man, every woman, until Ilariy is all that’s left and then I’ll slit his fucking throat for what he did to you. ”

The room seems to tilt beneath my feet. I steady myself against the arm of the couch. “You…you can’t possibly mean it.”

“You want to test me?” Ilariy growls. I just stand there, trembling.

Do I want to test him on this? Do I even want to give him the opportunity to show me he’s not bluffing? I can’t forget all I’ve learned. They tortured Lilibeth. His men pointed a gun at Tatiana tonight.

I sink onto the couch, my legs no longer able to support me.

I close my eyes, trying to think, to find a way out.

But there isn’t one. I know he’s capable of things I can’t imagine, and if I refuse, the people I care about will die.

If I agree, I lose the only man I’ve ever truly cared about, who I’m not bonded to by blood—the one who showed me what family really means.

My eyes blast open when I absorb the words I spoke to myself.

I can’t let anything happen to him.

“Fine,” I say instantly. “I’ll call him.”

Tikhon nods. “You’ll tell him you’ve realized you belong with your true family and what you felt for him wasn’t real. Blame it on Stockholm syndrome if you have to, chalk it down to confusion after being kidnapped. You’ll tell him you never want to see him again.”

Each word is a knife in my heart, but I listen—for Ilariy. “And if I do this, you promise to leave his family alone? All of them?”

“You have my word,” he says again.

I take a deep breath to steady myself and try not to break into tears as I extend a shaking hand. “Give me your phone.”

He hands it to me, and I watch as he doesn’t move away. “I’m going to be right here, listening. Don’t try to let him think otherwise. Say exactly what I said, you understand?”

I nod, my fingers trembling as I dial Ilariy’s number.

“Tikhon? Where the hell is Arina?”

I feel the tears roll down my face now, but Tikhon’s watching, and it takes everything in me to hold back a choked sob. “It’s me.”

“Arina?” He sounds so relieved that it cracks my heart. “Where are you? Tatiana and Katya just came home, and they said you were taken.”

“I’m fine,” I say, forcing steadiness into my voice. “I’m with my brother.”

“Did they hurt you? Tell me where you are, I’m coming to get you. Tatiana told me what Tikhon did. That bastard. How dare he treat you like that? Send me your address.”

“No, please,” I rush as I speak. “I don’t want you to come.”

“What are you talking about? Arina—”

“I went with them willingly,” I cut him off, speaking like a robot. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately and I… I want to be back home, Ilariy.”

“You have a home!” Ilariy argues, hurt, lacing his words.

“I don’t think I belong by your side,” I whisper, tracing his face into memory; for in my heart, I think I might never see him again. This conversation is pure agony, burning in my soul, but Tikhon remains standing, and as long as he does, I must keep acting.

Silence stretches between us for a moment before he asks softly, “What did they do to you?”

“Nothing,” I insist. “This is me talking. The real me, not the confused, traumatized woman you kept in your house. What I felt for you—it wasn’t real. How could it be? You kidnapped me, Ilariy. You took me from my family, and I... I convinced myself it was something more.”

“Liar,” he growls. “I know you, Arina. I know your voice when you’re lying.”

Tikhon steps closer, a warning in his eyes. I swallow hard.

“You don’t know me at all,” I say, each word a shard of glass in my throat. “You never did. I’m a Sokolov. I always will be, and I will not shack up with a Letvin, you hear me? You and I? We’re done, and I don’t want to see you again.”

“Arina, please.” His voice breaks, and the sound shatters what’s left of my heart. “Just come home. We can figure it out together.”

A tear slips down my cheek, and I dash it away with the back of my hand. “There’s nothing to fix,” I say dully. “It’s over, Ilariy. Don’t try to contact me. It’s better this way.”

“I don’t believe you,” he says fiercely. “Don’t do this, Arina. I swear to God, we need to talk—”

“Goodbye, Ilariy,” I whisper, and end the call before he can hear the sob that tears from my throat.