Page 24 of Scarlet Vows

He casts me a look. “There’s a condition to my inheritance.”

I wait; there’s something about that look that warns me to keep my mouth shut.

“Thing is, I need to be married,” he says, and my mouth drops open. “For a year.”

“A year?” I echo.

“It gets better. I have a month to find myself a wife.”

“Oh.”

He nods, his mouth setting. “Oh yeah. And not just any wife either. Apparently, it needs to be someone with bratva connections.”

“You need a bratva bride.”

He winces. “Basically.”

“Is it something you want? Really?”

I know he’s still processing it all, but I’m asking about everything. Not just power, but the money it must come with.

“There’s a lot at stake, and…” He shrugs.

“What about me?” I say, my voice seemingly coming from elsewhere, outside my control. “I’m bratva. Very bratva. And Demyan’s your friend, so there’s no threat there, from either of us.”

“Hell no,” Ilya says, shaking his head. “I’m not making you go through that.”

It’s an out. I hear it. But the thing is, now that I’ve tossed the idea into the ring, it makes sense. And…I want to help him. I love Ilya. He’s my friend. I’d do anything for him, the way he would for me.

“You should take this, even just for the money. You work so hard. You’re loyal. And if you go another route, another girl, who knows what will happen there? Look at the mess Demyan got himself into with Stefina. And that could have been so much worse. He could have lost his love and his little family. I know Erin, and if he’d had to go through with it all, then Erin would have walked.

“Who knows what other trouble’s out there? You need someone you can trust, Ilya,” I say. “Which means we both know I’m what you need. In fact, there’s no better option than me. I’m perfect, and you know it.”

He picks up my hand and kisses it. “Alina, you know I appreciate this. I do. But I can’t, and I won’t ask this of you.”

“I’m offering, and it’s rude to say no.” A bright spark of genius hits me. “Besides, Santo already thinks we’re engaged. It’s going to look suspicious as fuck if you suddenly marry someone else.”

“I said no.”

I glare at him. “Ilya Belov, getting married not only fixes your problem and gets you what you want, but it helps me.”

“Alina—”

“We both know it’ll keep Santo off my back permanently.”I sit back, but he doesn’t shoot up and whirl me around, saying yes and proclaiming me a genius.

He starts to speak but stops, hesitating.

“Okay,” I say, something snapping inside me. “Give me one good reason why you shouldn’t marry me.”

I sit back and wait.

Chapter Six

ILYA

Fuck.

This is like a waking nightmare.