Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“I guess congratulations are in order,” Vik said.
“I guess they are.” He offered a smile but the truth was, he wanted to find something on Vik, to kill him.
Even though he got this vibe from the other man, he’d never been able to find anything dirty on him. There was nothing any of the guards would say. His men were loyal to him, and by all appearances, he was loyal to Boris Belsky. It still didn’t mean Mikhail trusted him.
After all, he’d now stolen the next Kuzlov bride right from him, and that meant there was no one for him to torture. He had a feeling that wouldn’t stop him. There were plenty of women around for Kuzlov to hurt.
Galina wasn’t going to be one of them. He’d made sure of it.
“Your bride does look … glowing,” Vik said.
Mikhail tightened his hold on the glass.
He liked to think he and Galina had gotten close. Even though she still liked to keep him at arm’s length, he couldn’t help but think about when she shot him a month ago. There hadn’t been any pain, but he’d been able to manipulate Peter, and Galina had spent the whole weekend with him. It had been a simple graze, nothing life-threatening, but he’d been sure to play on it, to make her worried—and had gotten a load of kisses for the trouble. He took a sip of his scotch.
“That she does. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He left Vik and made his way toward the women.
Galina was on the sofa, drink in hand, which he had a feeling would be plain water.
“Excuse me, ladies. I’d like to ask my fiancée if she’d like to dance.”
Asking her in front of everyone meant she had no choice but to accept, and she saw that. She had this smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she accepted, placed her hand within his, and then followed him onto the small dance floor. There were only a few couples embracing. Most of the men were using the party to talk business and shop. Mikhail wasn’t interested in talking anything.
“Are you looking forward to your bachelor party?” Galina asked.
“I’m not having one.” Peter had wanted to organize but he’d told him no, so he had settled on a night in, watching movies. Peter was going to spend the night with him, and it would be the two of them.
His father had too much business going on to worry about his son’s last taste of freedom, not that it ever mattered in their world. He knew his father was not monogamous to his mother. Boris and Anna Belsky had an understanding with each other. An arrangement. It wasn’t a love match, but they had mutual respect for one another. At least, that’s what Mikhail had come to see.
Danyl and Marina, Galina’s parents, were totally different. He had never heard of Danyl straying. He didn’t have a mistress or bastards spread across the country. They were rare.
For Mikhail, there wasn’t going to be another woman. In fact, he never wanted to be with anyone but Galina. That was his secret. Even though his father had other plans when it came to him. There was certain training Mikhail had to go through. So, even as he hated the fact he had to fuck countless women, seduce them, at his father’s orders, the whole time he had hated it. He forced himself not to think of the brunette waiting for him at school.
There hadn’t been a single girl at school that he’d been with. There hadn’t been anyone else. The sex he had was part of him becoming a man, or at least that was what his father said. Every man needed to know how to fuck, and how to handle women. That was what he had to do, so he did it. He excelled in it and hated every second, but his father would never know the truth. Neither would Galina.
“Mom wanted to have one, but I told her no.”
“And she just let you say no?” he asked.
“I doubt anyone could ever be allowed to say no, but it’s my mom, and I’m sure she’s happier doing other things than planning a bachelorette party for her daughter.” She sighed.
“You’re her only daughter.”
“I know, but she has a million other things to do.”
He didn’t want to talk about their upcoming bachelor and bachelorette parties.
“When we’re married, our life will be different.” Mikhail felt her tense. “Don’t be nervous.”
She gave a little chuckle. “How can I not be nervous? Everything is about to change. That’s something to be afraid of.”
He leaned in close to her ear. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You’ve promised to make me beg and scream for it,” Galina said.
This made him smile. “That is very true, but trust me, your begging and screaming will all be for a good cause.”