“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 evenknow what that means.”
“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 todo 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.”
Charlotte looked down. I don’t know if she was staring at my chest, or looking at a spot and not really seeing it.
“And swearing my loyalty tothe Volkov Bratva, you’ll allow me to live?””Yes.”
“Yes.”
“You won’t beat me?”
“No.”
“You won’t lock me up?”
“No.”
“I don’t hate you, Charlotte.”
Tears filled her eyes. Her father really did a number on her.
I wanted to reach out, touch her, try and convince her if she took the right path, her life would be better. She was my wife and no one would mess with her, not anymore. They would have to come through me.
“You don’t even know me,” she said.
“I don’t have to know you.” I’d known a lot of people in my time. Charlotte wasn’t the kind of person you hated. Her scars told a unique story. One that wouldn’t go away. I wanted to touch her, but I held myself back. I’d done everything in my power to avoid touching her when we were alone. Dancing with her, kissing her at the altar were the only times I had.
“Go to sleep and if I find you on the floor, I’ll smack your ass.”
Lottie
Ive was nowhere to be found this morning, which surprised me. I’mnot normally a light sleeper. Being in Ive’s bed last night, I’d spent a great deal of time wide awake, going over what he’d told me.
All I had to do was swear loyalty. In my luggage, therewas a phone Rage had given to me last night at the reception. He’d told me to use it whenever I felt unsafe. If I had that cell phone and swore my loyalty to Ivan, I’d be lying. To swear complete loyalty to Ivan, to my husband, to the Volkov Bratva, I could no longer trust or rely on the Evil Savages MC.
Cassie had told me she’d call me, that she’d find a way for us to hang out. I’d gotten her message this morning from one of the wait staff. I sat in a private booth, my morning breakfast in front of me, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.
If I gave that cell phone away, I’d have no choice but to trust my husband. Could I trust Ive? I didn’t know him.