Page 146 of The Billionaire's Baby

"You still pissed at us for asking Arpad to watch out for you?"

A-n-d, of course, he’d have to bring up the one person I am trying not to think about.

"What do you think?" I grouse.

"I think you need to look at it from our point of view."

"Which is?"

"You are a weak link for us."

I gape at him. "Weak link? Honestly, Niko, if that’s why you called me here... To insult me—" I rise to my feet and he reaches forward and grabs my hand, "Come on, Kaykay, you know it’s not like that."

Jeez, why does he have to use the name he called me when we were kids. It takes me right back to our childhood, when I had five brothers doting on me and could pretty much get my way on anything. After all, I was the youngest, and the only girl in the family.

I sink back into the chair and blow out a breath, "Then, what is it like? Explain it to me, Niko, because honestly, all I can see is my family ganging up with that...that bastard, to tie me down in a marriage, and—"

He releases my hand but continues to hold my gaze. "Did he hurt you?"

"Who?"

“Beauchamp, did he fucking do anything to you?"

Nothing I didn’t want.

"Answer me," Niko snaps, and I blink.

"N…no, of course, not. He didn’t. Arpad’s not that kind of man." And now I am defending him? To my own brother? What the hell is wrong with me?

"But he did manipulate me. He tried to control of my life, without my realizing it. He tricked me onto his boat and—"

"And—?" Niko leans forward, "What did he do?"

"He proposed to me, you ass. Just like you guys wanted. Honestly, I can’t believe you and Papa came up with this crazy scheme. It’s not like I can’t look after myself."

"Oh course, you can. You grew up with us. You know how to take care of yourself, but our enemies are out to get us, and trust me when I say that you don’t want to be caught in the cross fire. And if you are, at all, you want someone to have your back."

I stare at him. "Are things that bad between the Bratva and the Sicilians?"

His jaw hardens, he sits up straight and his gaze grows cold. "It’s not good," he replies.

Oh, hell. That means shit is about to go down, and I’ve eavesdropped on enough meetings that my father and brothers have had without me to know that things will get worse before they get better.

"It’s why we wanted to make sure you were safe."

"By ensuring that I left LA?"

"For one."

"And by getting me married?" I burst out.

He stares at me, "If you’re married to someone in the brotherhood, you will be safeandtaken care of. It would put Dad at peace—"

I open my mouth, and he holds up his hand.

"Let me finish, Karina." My brother’s tone brooks no argument. In that moment, he sounds so like my father—no, even more scary than my father—that I blink. Good grief. He is already turning into thePakhan,without officially inheriting the title.

"We know you are an independent, modern woman, and you have your views and opinions, and we respect them."