Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96714 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know what side of the bed you’d take so I took this one.” Staring at her, she was on the right side.
“It’s fine.” I honestly didn’t give a flying fuck about the bed. I was exhausted. This wedding had been a hard one. With most of the Volkov Bratva in residence as well as the Evil Savages MC, I had to be ready for whatever went down. I had no doubt someone wanted a fight to start.
Laid out on the bed was a pair of boxer briefs for me to sleep in. I often slept naked, but I doubted Charlotte would want me naked beside her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I run a hand across my face. This whole day was a fuck-up.
I still didn’t completely understand why Ivan wanted me to marry Charlotte. I know from him getting Slavik and Andrei to marry the women he did, Ivan had a soft spot for broken and damaged females. Aurora and Adelaide had stories of their own. I didn’t know them, but I was aware they didn’t have easy lives.
Charlotte was like them. Her life hadn’t been easy, but taking her had been the fuck-up of Andrei’s men. They paid for it with their lives. Our original target had been Cassie. Their father hadn’t wanted to save Charlotte. In fact, we had it on good resources that he intended to use her freaking kidnapping to manipulate the club and insinuate she was a rat. That she ran to us to spill all the club secrets. Once again, I wished her father was alive just so I could kill him this time. Sick fuck.
“Did you have a nice shower?” Charlotte asked.
I turned to look at her. She was curled toward me, her eyes wide, and she nibbled her lip. Did she even realize she looked afraid to have spoken to me? What the fuck was that all about? I wanted to tell her not to panic. I wanted to tell her I was nothing like her father and she had nothing to be afraid of. Who the fuck was I kidding? I was worse than her father.
I grabbed the boxer briefs, and I knew Ivan had a fucking hand in these being made. They were white with pink frills. Why the frills? I didn’t understand that man. Shaking my head, I slid them on and refused to believe they were comfortable. No way would I agree they felt nice. Not a fucking chance.
I picked up the used towel and took it back to the bathroom to toss into the laundry basket. Walking back to the bed, I pull the blanket back and then climb inside.
“Would you like me to sleep on the floor?” Charlotte asked.
I didn’t respond right away and settled onto bed. I turned toward her. “Do you want to sleep on the floor?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Answer my question, Charlotte, and don’t give me any crap.” I had a feeling she’d give me some kind of crap.
“No.” She spoke so softly. If I hadn’t been paying attention to her, I had a feeling I’d have missed it.
“Then why the fuck would you suggest it?”
“I don’t know if you’re used to sleeping in a bed on your own or with a woman.”
“Charlotte, you’re my wife. You can sleep by my side until we get to my home. Then you’ve got your own room.”
“My own room?”
“Yes.”
“Is it the kind where you lock me inside?”
When she first came to my home, I locked her away. I had no choice. She was a mouthy woman, demanding to be released. Threatening me hourly with all kinds of castration and shit. How was I to know in the beginning it was all bullshit?
“No.”
“I’m not going to be locked up?”
“No. I’m not going to lock you up. You’re my wife, and I’m going to expect you to act accordingly.”
“I’ve never been a wife before. What does that mean?”
“You now live as part of the Volkov Bratva. There’s no getting away from it. You will follow my rules and Ivan’s rules. To survive, you’ll have to swear your loyalty to Ivan Volkov and to me.”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“Rage, the MC, if it ever came down to it … you will protect all of those in the Volkov Bratva. No one else. Me, Ivan, and everyone connected to him.”
“But Rage—”
“Did a deal that gave you to me. That’s the kind of man you’re dealing with.”
“I know he wouldn’t want to do this.”
“But he did. You need to realize he doesn’t have your back anymore. None of the MC ever did.”
“What about my sister?”
“Cassie is dead to you. Accept it, or end up living with a fate worse than death.”
“How can there be anything worse than death?” she asked.
“Praying for death, begging for it, and never getting it. Trust me, I’ve seen it, and that is not the future you want.”