Imagine being forced to marry your father’s enemy and bam! He turns out to be your lost lover and the father of your secret baby... That was exactly Anya Sokolov; 21 years old daughter of a corrupt Russian politician; educated, sharp-tongued, but emotionally neglected. When her father struck a deadly deal with the Russian Bratva, she became collateral, an unwilling bride for the Vetrov family heir. But Anya had no idea that the groom was 38 years old Nikolia Vetrov, a man she despised and yet longed to see again. Four years earlier, he had saved her life. And while she was under his protection, she fell for him. They shared a night of passion, but after that he disappeared, abandoned her, and that was when her hatred for him began. It would have been easier to forget him if she didn’t turn up pregnant weeks later. To protect the future of her unborn child, she kept his existence a secret, even from her own family. But now he was back, with a Bratva ring, a deadly proposal, and eyes that burned like sin. To save her father’s empire, she must marry the man who ruined her. The devil with silver hair; He was cold, ruthless and unforgiving. And when he discovers the child she swore to protect from his world… all hell will break loose. What happens when the man she should hate becomes the only one who ever truly saw her? And she in turn became his one true obsession.
view moreAnya’s POV
As a little girl, I had always imagined my wedding. The long beautiful white gown, strangers drooling as I walked down the aisle to meet a man who looked at me like I was the miracle he prayed for. But here today, that was not the case. The white gown I was wearing only seemed to itch me, just standing close to Nikolai had me cursing under my breath, and yet I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with this man—a very short time I guessed. The priest begins in Russian. I barely hear the words. My pulse pounds against my ears. Do you take this man? I almost laughed. Nikolai Vetrov was not a man, he was the devil. It was no secret that the Vetrovs were cannibals; their bloodline had produced some of the most monstrous men in Russia. “You may now place the ring on the bride’s finger.” Nikolai looked at me. “Give me your hand, Anya.” He says solemnly. I refuse to move, fear crippling me. If I got past this stage, there was no going back; I will be married to him for life. The Bratva doesn’t know divorce; the only way to leave the marriage is in a body bag. Nikolas closes in and lifts my hand, I yank it back. He growls softly. “You are making a scene, Anya.” He whispered to me in a voice that scared me. I turned to the audience; this was a gathering of men who took lives for a living, some of the most dangerous people on the planet. I met my father’s eyes; it bore a warning as always. If this marriage fails, he will shoot me himself. “Козёл” I cursed silently in Russian, giving him my hand. ** We were back at his place, it was my first time in the Vetrov mansion. It was his personal room; Nikolai didn’t even have the decency of offering me my own room, I have to share the same space with the man who I loathe with all my heart. “Why do I have to stay in the same room as you?” “It is for your own protection, Kiddo.” I frowned when he called me Kiddo; I remember him calling me that four years ago, I didn’t like it then, and I still don’t like it now. “Stop talking to me like I am a child.” I said between gritted teeth. “But aren’t you, Anya? What are you now? Twenty?” “I am twenty-one!” I yelled. “Kiddo.” He chuckled. “I have some business to attend to, I will see you at night,” he added as he walked away, leaving me cussing in that room. I turned to the bed and my heart raced. I will kill myself, before I let that man touch me again. I quickly used the pillows to divide the large bed. I sat on one side of the bed for hours, but Nikolai didn’t come back. What was he doing out there? I knew how messy Bratva business could be and knowing that he could go out one day and never come back brought me some relief, but the one thing worse than being a Bratva wife is being a Bratva widow. Finally my husband returned late at night, he looked exhausted but he concealed it with a solemn face. I sat up on the bed the moment he walked in. “What is this?” he asked, pointing to the bed. “We might be married, Nikolai; for the sake of our families, but we will not have a relationship. You will stay on your side and I will stay on mine, if you even as much as breathe in my direction, I will stab you in the chest.” I warned him. He stared at me silently, before casually saying, “Okay.” And then he walked to the other side of the bed and lay down, using his hands as a pillow under his head and crossing his legs. I was baffled. Okay? Just like that? “What are you doing?” I asked, as I turned to him. He looked towards me on his left. “You said I should stay on this side, didn’t you, wife? I promise I will not touch you unless you come over to my side first.” He smiled. I scoffed. In his dreams! “Well you are not going to go to bed dressed in your wedding suit, are you? And why do you have your shoes on? At least take a shower!” Nikolia laughed, turning to lie on his elbow. “What do you care what I do on my side of the bed, Wife?” “Stop calling me that!” I protested. “You don’t want me to call you wife or kiddo, so what do you like? Should I call you Mistress?” “You!” I clenched my fist, gnashing my teeth in rage. He wore that smug smile on his face that made me want to punch him. “Aren’t you a hypocrite? You still have your wedding gown on.” He pointed out. It was then that I remembered, I had been so concerned with making sure that nothing happens on our wedding night that I haven’t bothered to take a shower or change out of my wedding gown. I huffed and lay back on the bed, turning my back to him. Soon I heard Nikolia stand up from his side of the bed. I slowly took a peek at what he was doing. Standing at one end of the room, he had taken off his suit and pants, I immediately looked away, not wanting to stare, or at least be caught staring. But seconds later, I couldn’t resist taking another peek. He was now bare-chested and my jaw dropped at the sight of his body. The last time I saw him without clothes, he had only the Bratva tattoo; the twin stars of a Vor v Zakone on his left chest; stars that marked him as untouchable in the Bratva. But now his entire upper body was covered in ink; Dragons and demons. I know those tattoos. No, it was not the Chinese Triads; this… this was Irezumi, a traditional tattoo style belonging to the Yakuza; the fucking Japanese Mafia. Was that where he had been these past four years? I was stunned. Why would a Bratva Don wear the mark of another syndicate? “There is not enough hot water for two, but we can share,” Nikolai’s voice shook me out of my thoughts. “Huh? No way I am bathing with you!” He laughed. “Suit yourself then.” He walked back into the bathroom and I cursed. Fuck, I hated to bath cold water, and now he was going to make me do it. My eyes lingered towards the half-open bathroom door, wondering if he still had that weapon between his legs. My memory from four years ago was foggy, but I knew his lower body was part of the things that drove me crazy back then. When he got out with nothing but the towel hanging low on his hips, I felt my throat dry up. The steam coming off his tattooed body was so hot; he had gotten more muscular than four years ago. His shoulders were broad, veins tracing down his forearms, his skin tanned with lean muscles, his abs were divided into eight and with each breath, his chest rose and fell slowly. I swallowed saliva. Fighting back the thoughts in my head. “Don’t sit there and eye rape me, go take a shower and change out of that.” He spoke casually, his cold voice sending shivers through my body. I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him. I felt the urge to defile his orders, show him that he was not the boss of me, he does not own me like he thinks, but at what cost? My own discomfort? After bathing, I came out to find him sleeping on his own side of the bed. He was in bed with no shirts on, just his sweatpants. So he baths hot water and then goes to bed in sweatpants? What monster was he? As I changed into my nightwear and turned back to him, an idea crossed my mind. It was a foolish one but I acted on impulse. I picked one of the pillows and tiptoed to his side of the bed. I tried to press it down on his face but his eyes shot open right that moment and he caught my hand. Before I could scream, he flipped me over, pressing my hands above my head on the bed, his body pinning me down. “Trying to kill me on our wedding night, how cute.” He growled, now fully awake I lay there with my heart racing, realizing what a foolish thing I had done. I just tried to murder a fucking Bratva Don under his own roof. He was not going to spare me now. T. B. C!!Anya's POV“Nikolai,” I muttered in surprise. “How did you get out?”“Ah! So you see, I happened to make some new friends at the police station. Long story cut short, I got out and I got my stuff from the cab guy, so here I am, Love. That is the beautiful thing about America, it is the land of freedom!” he chorused, spreading his arms dramatically.“Ugh! I liked you better when you didn’t talk much.” I groaned. “Wait… How did you even find me?” I asked.He smiled and tried to caress my cheek but I slapped his hand off.“You see, that is the thing honey. We are meant to be together, so I am always going to find you, Carino.” He said gleefully.“Oh God, he speaks Spanish now. Did I download the wrong Nikolai at the airport? When did you become such a geek?” I crumpled my face.“I don’t know what that is but I like it.” He grinned. “Now to the important questions, what are you doing here, Love?” he asked, looking around the corridor like he was disgusted.“I… I am staying with my friend,
Anya’s POVI couldn’t stop laughing as I got back into the cab. Who knew having Nikolai Vetrov follow me to New York wouldn’t be such a bad idea?I wished he could be gone forever, but who am I kidding? If I don’t show up to sue, he will be out of there in no time. And God knows I don’t want to be anywhere around that man.By the time he is out, I am long gone and wouldn’t have to worry about him. If he wants to end the deal he had with my father, then so be it. I am done putting others before me.I arrived at the apartment where my family’s old housekeeper Ms. Lidiya stays with my kid, Viktor. I was nervous as I knocked on the door, it has been six months since the last time I visited, although I made sure to see him through video calls three times every week.“Who is there?” I heard Lidiya’s voice as footsteps followed. Was she adapting to the American accent already? Her English was so smooth; I guess four years is enough time to learn an accent.As she opened the door, her jaw dro
Nikolai’s POVThe flight reached its destination in a New York Airport. Although we alighted together, I was delayed at the clearance point and so Anya left.“Can you please be faster?” I pressed the man at the desk.“Excuse me Sir, I am just doing my job, okay?” he stared at me, rolling his eyes.I chuckled. If I wasn’t in such a hurry, I will see to it that he had no eyes to roll by this time tomorrow. This might be America but my influence and that of my family lingers beyond the borders of the Atlantic Ocean.Finally, the lowlife staff cleared me and I hurried out of the airport. I caught sight of Anya getting into a taxi.“Anya wait!” I yelled and ran after her but just as I got to the cab, the driver took off.“Fuck!” I cursed and kicked the air in vexation.She brought out her hand and waved at me mockingly. Crazy girl, she must have told the driver to take off.Luck smiled on me the next moment when an empty cab pulled up to me,“Hey! Over here!” I screamed in excitement, hai
Anya’s POVHoneymoon? I bet he thinks this is funny. He just cheated on me with his so-called Personal Assistant and doesn’t see it as a big deal. If he thinks he would come here to take me back, then he is the biggest joke of the day.“Attention all passengers, please fasten your seatbelt…” The Pilot’s voice called to our attention.I didn’t want to sit beside him so I went to the chair on the other side of the plane and sat by the widow.“Um… You know that is not your chair, Love.”“Shut up! Call me love one more time and I will bite off your lips!” I cursed as I struggled to fit in the seatbelt.“Oh feisty!” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind at all.” He said, looking my way.“Do I even want to know how you found me? You are not even supposed to be here!” I half-yelled in anger.“You don’t sound too excited to see me.”“I wonder why. Maybe you should go back to your Mistress, she would be more excited to see you, I am certain of that.” I retorted.His face dropped and he said nothing. O
Anya’s POVThe airport security staff took one glance at my passport and then looked up at me. He whispered something to his colleague who immediately stepped away.I was confused but I had watched too many movies to know that wasn’t good. The way they silently exchanged glances and whispers, something was going on.“Excuse me? Is there a problem?” I queried.“Oh, Ma’am… I am sorry but we will have to ask you to step aside.”“Step aside? Why is that?”“There has been an issue with your passport, we can explain better if you just come with us.” The lady said.Just then, the man who had left returned. “Could you please come with me, Ma’am?”I looked around, there were still a few people on the line behind me. We were all lining up to board the next flight to America. Why was I singled out?I didn’t want to make a scene and so I followed the man away. He took me to a waiting room where I was asked to sit and wait.I sat down, folding my arms. The weather was cold and I hadn’t remembered
Nikolai’s POVI drove back home early in the morning. I knew Lev would be pissed on how I went missing all through the night. As my right hand man and head of security, it was his duty to know my location at all times but I had ignored all calls through the night as I desired to be alone.Arriving at the Vetrov Estate, I headed up the stairs. I needed to talk with Anya, tell her I am sorry, and make things right between us.“Sir, if I could have a word with you.” Yelena said as I passed the hallway.“Not now,” I replied quickly.“It is urgent Sir!” she insisted but I didn’t bother to stop.Whatever concern she had could surely wait. My wife comes first.I was confused when I got to Anya’s room and met the door half-open. For someone who feels so out of place and insecure in my home, she sure does act strange.I fully opened the door and walked in, but something felt off. The bed was made, like she hadn’t slept there last night. I checked the window and it was still closed.“Anya… Are
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