Page 2 of The Pakhan’s Arranged Bride (West Coast Bratva Pakhans #2)

My brother is angry.

“I’m not pimping my sister out to you, Benedikt, there is no way in hell—"

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Marriage ?

I mean, the guy is gorgeous. His eyes are locked onto me like he’s caught in a spell of some kind. For whatever reason, I find I can’t look away either. The amused smile on his face is gorgeous.

I’ve never met Benedikt in person, I’ve only heard of him in my brother’s discussions about work. But one thing I do know is that he’s the one dealing with this whole Miron issue at the moment.

I hate my stepbrother more than anyone. He’s a vile human being and I want to know the moment he is captured. I actually want to be the one to take him down, but I haven’t been able to come up with a solid enough plan yet.

“Don’t say it like that. It’s not like that. It would get my mother off my back and solve a huge problem for me.”

“Benedikt, I said no ,” Nestor growls.

There is a moment of tense silence between the two men, and I tilt my head to the side, considering my options.

Benedikt’s eyes are still piercing into me. It makes my heart beat faster, seeing him look at me like that. The smile of curiosity on his face is beautiful. I lean closer to the screen, drawn to him while I weigh up my options.

I’ve been obsessing over getting revenge against Miron for far too long without actually having a chance to do anything.

If I married Benedikt, I’d move to Las Vegas and be right where Miron is.

I’d also have the benefit of being a very powerful man’s wife—it would give me the tools and means I need to do whatever I want.

My revenge against Miron could go from being a frustrating daydream to a reality.

Benedikt’s jaw sets tighter. He leans back in his chair and says, with darkness in his voice, “You owe me, Nestor. Let’s not forget that I came to your aid the moment your wife was in danger, and you might not have her today if it wasn’t for me.”

“Benedikt, this is my fucking sister,” he shouts.

“The debt would be paid. We would be even,” Benedikt replies calmly.

Nestor becomes enraged. I haven’t actually seen my brother this angry in a long time. He stands up, shoving the chair away from the desk. “You’re asking too much, this request is going to damage our relationship if you try and force it. I won’t tolerate—"

“I’ll do it,” I say calmly, interrupting him.

Nestor stops mid-sentence and spins to face me.

“What?” he snaps.

“I’ll marry Benedikt.” I shrug and fold my arms over my chest.

With a quick glance at the screen, I notice that Benedikt is staring at me in disbelief, his mouth open, his eyes narrowed.

“You will?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, and Benedikt’s face breaks out into a massive grin.

“No,” Nestor insists. “She doesn’t know what she’s agreeing to. I am the leader of this family—"

I place my hand on Nestor’s shoulder. “Nez, you’ve sacrificed so much for this family over the years.

You’ve done everything to keep us safe, and it’s been amazing.

But now I can contribute, too. And this marriage will strengthen the alliance, make us stronger, and at least you know the man I’m marrying, instead of me going off to some stranger.

I’ll be safe there,” I say, voice light and even.

Nestor stares at me for a long while, trying to process everything I’ve said. My brother is the leader of this family, but I have my ways of handling him when I want something.

I smile when I see his resistance fading.

“Ulyana, you’ll have to move to Las Vegas,” he says, trying a different approach.

“I know, but I like Las Vegas, and I can come visit home anytime.”

“Anytime,” Benedikt chimes from the video call.

“Stay out of this,” Nestor snaps at him. But then he pushes his hand through his hair and sighs loudly. “Fine. If Ulyana is okay with it, then fine.” He’s not happy, but he’s outnumbered, and whether he likes it or not, it makes sense.

Benedikt goes straight into the details, not giving my brother the chance to change his mind.

“The entire wedding has already been planned. I’ll find out the information and send it to both of you. Ulyana, you may select any dress you want and put it on my account, of course, along with anything else you need for the day.”

“Thank you,” I say quickly.

Benedikt, my future husband, looks pleased with himself. I study his face for a moment, wondering if that mischief I see behind his eyes is because he got Nestor to agree to what he wanted—or is he looking at me?

I bite my lip and smile in amusement. This might even be fun.

“We still have business to discuss, Ulyana, so if you’ll please excuse us,” Nestor sighs.

I lean over the back of his chair and give my brother a quick peck on the cheek. He sneers in annoyance and wipes it off, rolling his eyes at me.

He was never good at losing when we played games as kids.

I throw Benedikt a quick smile and a wave before I leave the room. I can’t believe that just happened.

I can’t believe I just agreed to marry someone just as powerful as my brother.

Hurrying down the stairs I go to the living room to pour myself a vodka. I need to calm my thoughts. That happened so fast. On the outside I might have appeared calm, but inside I’m in shock, too.

My hand shakes slightly as I pour the crystal liquid into a glass and take a sip.

Benedikt Karamazov. Damn. He’s hot. I’ll be the envy of every girl in Las Vegas. He’s probably the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen.

But it’s not about that. It hardly matters at all. It’s just a marriage of convenience for both of us. He gets his mother off his back, my family gets a stronger alliance—and me? Well, for me, this is far more personal. This is exactly the means I need to achieve my goals.

It’s been bothering me day and night that I couldn’t figure out how to take care of my stepbrother.

I want Miron to suffer for what he did to me.

I want him to spend days in agony, begging for his life, or even better, pleading with me to end it because he can’t take the pain.

And I want him to know it was me.

I want to look him in the eyes and see the shock in his face.

My jaw clenches and my shoulders stiffen when I think about him. I hate him with every ounce of my soul. He disgusts me.

I take another sip of vodka, letting it burn down my throat and hum in my chest.

Marrying Benedikt is a small piece of a large puzzle. A minor inconvenience if it means I can have what I want, my ultimate goal—to destroy Miron.

Benedikt has a reputation for being a massive playboy. He gets any woman he wants, anytime, anywhere. He’s got the looks, the wealth, the charm, the power—it’s easy for him.

I don’t particularly care, though. I will play the role of being the perfect wife to him. He can do whatever he wants with whomever he wants. I guess we can discuss it and define the arrangement when I’m with him in person.

And at the end of the day, he doesn’t need to know what my plans are. If he’s busy living his life and I’m chasing my goals, it means we won’t get in each other’s way.

“Ulyana, is it true?” Lara walks in carrying her son, wrapped up in a soft blanket. She looks exhausted, but still gorgeous in her white sweater and faded blue jeans.

I put the vodka down and pry my nephew from her hands.

“Don’t wake him,” she says with a hint of desperation in her voice.

“I won’t, I promise,” I whisper, staring down at Nikita’s little red cheeks. “Yes, it’s true—about Benedikt,” I say, glancing up at Lara.

“Are you seriously marrying him? Why?”

“Because it’s good for the family.” I smile at her and she tilts her head at me.

“I suppose it’s got absolutely nothing to do with how hot he is?” she smirks.

“Not in the slightest,” I wink, grinning mischievously.

She laughs and shakes her head, flopping down onto a nearby sofa. “I guess you never know where you might find love. I found it is the strangest way. It could be the same for you.”

A loud laugh spills from my lips and I cut it off, tensing as I glance at my nephew. He doesn’t wake. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“I’m not in it for the love,” I say, sitting next to Lara.

“I don’t think it’s the type of thing you plan, though. Or choose. It just happens.”

“Well, it won’t happen to me. I’m smarter than that,” I say, teasing her. She rolls her eyes at me.

“You’re not smart at all if you think you can go through life without love. It’s the meaning of everything.”

“Not my whole life. Maybe when I’m old and wrinkly, I’ll want that.”

She leans forward and takes Nikita back. Her face is bright with emotion whenever she looks at him.

I kick my legs out onto the coffee table and close my eyes for a moment. Love . What a strange concept. I love my family. I love my friends. But it’s a different kind of love that Lara is talking about. One I don’t understand and probably never will. And that’s okay.

I think it’s too rare, and what she and my brother have is incredibly lucky. Most of the world goes their whole lives not experiencing that.

Nikita gurgles and kicks at his blankets.

“I guess that means it’s lunch time,” Lara sighs, standing up.

“I’ll take him after lunch if you want me to. You can maybe grab an hour’s sleep while I watch him.”

“Thank you, please , I’m so tired my eyes are burning, and poor Nestor didn’t sleep at all last night. He’s been amazing, helping with Nikita as much as he can.”

“You two are incredible parents. That boy doesn’t know how lucky he is.” I gesture towards my nephew.

When Lara is gone, I stand up to get my vodka again, carrying it back to the sofa. It was only a small amount, but it took the edge off of today’s conversation.

Sometimes we have to do crazy things to get to where we want to be.

Marrying Benedikt is one of those crazy things.

Besides, at the end of the day, there is always the option of getting divorced if it’s a total disaster. I chuckle to myself, taking the last sip and staring out the patio doors towards the garden.