Page 110 of Owned Bratva Bride

“Baby,” I breathed.

I lifted her gently into my bloody arms. She clung to me as we left the room.

***

I stepped out of our bedroom, glancing over my shoulder to see if the sound of the door didn’t disturb her.

Turning to face Viktor, I asked, “What’s the news?”

“The texts have been retrieved, Boss,” he informed, passing me a slim envelope.

“You can go.”

I went back into the bedroom, tearing the envelope open before I got to the couch.

There was a single sheet of A4 paper.

Just two texts.

The first was the one I’d already seen.

The second one was what weakened me, forcing me to take a seat on the couch.

It read:

“Fuck off.”

Then, a notification appeared below it that she had just blocked the number.

Guilt washed over me like I had never felt before.

She wasn’t feeding him any information.

She didn’t betray me.

She wasn’t even about to.

And I had treated her like a suspect over a single text. Hell, I was even about to move her to another estate. I doubted her, and the tiny hope I’d held all along that she might not be betraying me wasn’t enough of an excuse to justify me.

My hand brushed a small ceramic plate covered in transparent nylon as I dropped the envelope onto the stool. It was the pryanik she made and left for me the other night. One of the nights I should have spent making her smile instead of pushing her away and treating her with suspicion.

I should have fucking asked her.

I had turned my back on her while she kept trying to get through to me. She didn’t stop asking if I was okay, if all was alright at work, even when I kept her at arm’s length. I hurt her in the way I had just told her I wouldn’t. I distanced myself again.

All the while, she didn’t even deserve it.

I had definitely pushed her to the limit.

I had no idea what to do.

These were things I never had to think of before. I didn’t think of regret or guilt over hurting someone. I didn’t deal with feelings.

Until she came along.

And now she had done something to me that I couldn’t have thought possible. She changed something in me.

Chapter 23 – Marielle