Ravaged Throne: A Russian Mafia Romance (Solovev Bratva #2)(72)

“You’re right about that. I became feared.”

I shake my head. “Fear is one thing. Loyalty is another.”

“Loyalty can be bought.” His fist tightens subtly on the tabletop. Bit by bit, he’s heating up. That’s good—arrogant men make mistakes when they’re inflamed with rage.

“That kind of loyalty only lasts until there is a better offer.”

I see doubt steal over him. He knows he’s relying on paid mercenaries to take me down, which only shows how desperate he has become. But I know their allegiance can and will change with the wind—or with the dollar.

“My men are loyal to me,” he says with a confidence I no longer believe.

“Then you have nothing to worry about, do you?” I lean back in my seat. Time to watch him steam up.

Belov diverts his attention back to Willow. “Your son is alive and well. But he won’t stay that way if you refuse me.”

“You really want to marry me?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“And you really want to make my son your heir?”

“I do,” he says, smiling deeply. “You will have the world and he will have the legacy I’ve built.”

“Not much of a legacy, is it?” she remarks. “Really, you want to steal the legacy my family has built. The one that comes from my name.”

He waves her words away. “Don’t worry yourself over all the details. Just know, if you choose to obey me, you’ll live a life of comfort and luxury. This arrangement doesn’t have to be unpleasant.”

“I’m not the kind of woman who obeys.”

“I’ve tamed a strong woman before.” He stands up and circles around Ariel. He grabs a lock of her hair. “This one was a real stallion when we first met. And now, look at my beauty! She’s as timid as a lamb. She kills when I need her to kill. She fights when I need her to fight. But to me, she is pliant. Submissive. A helpless little marionette, with me holding the strings.”

He brings her hair to his nose and inhales it deeply. “So lovely,” he sighs. “You’re happy… aren’t you, my darling?”

Ariel’s eyes flicker to mine. There’s nothing in them but a burgeoning emptiness that she’s cultivated over the years. Even now, she makes me question her loyalty.

“Yes.”

The word comes out clipped and harsh, but it just makes Belov laugh. “She’s a little upset with me today,” he says. “She’s not so happy about this scheme of mine. But do you see? She’s still here, because I asked her to be. That’s love. That’s loyalty.”

Belov plants a kiss on the nape of her neck. How Brit doesn’t stab the motherfucker in the gut is beyond me. She’s made of powerful stuff.

As am I.

I know he’s going somewhere with this. There’s no way a man like Belov would start singing his woman’s praises if he didn’t have a point to make.

Sure enough, he isn’t finished yet. “The thing to know about me is that I’m a simple man. I only want respect and obedience. Isn’t that right, Brit, my dear?”

“Yes,” she intones robotically.

He smiles. “She knows me better than any other human being,” he says. “And she doesn’t have to worry. Even if I do marry you, her position will remain. She will always be the only woman in my life.”

“Is there a point you’re getting to any time soon?” I snap impatiently.

“The point I’m making is this: I’m not all bad, Willow,” he says, gazing fondly at my woman in a way that makes my blood run cold. “I can feel love. I feel it for this damsel and I can feel it for you, too. I won’t ever need to hurt you so long as you choose your side… and stick to it.”

He remains standing just behind Ariel. He’s curled her hair around his fingers and he’s tugging softly. She looks detached from his touch, but I can sense that it’s only because she’s suppressing the urge to push him off her.

When all this is over, I’m going to have to buy her a mansion in the French countryside, a cabin in the Alps, a villa on some tropical beach. Somewhere peaceful and quiet where she can overcome her remaining demons. She deserves that at the very least.

“And what if I turn you down?” Willow asks.

He sighs. “Then your son dies.”

She stiffens instantly. “You wouldn’t. They’d—your men, they’d turn on you.”

“Maybe,” he says with a shrug. “Maybe not. But whatever the outcome, your son would still be dead. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?”

Her eyes flicker to mine and I can see the panic in them. He’s succeeded in scaring her. She’s more than scared now—she’s desperate.

I grab her hand and force her to look at me. “Don’t listen to him.”

“You think I’m making an idle threat?” Belov asks. “Watch and learn.”

Quick as a snake, his fingers tighten around a fistful of Ariel’s hair. Then he uses it to throw her face down into the table. Something snaps.

Willow screams and jumps back, and I spring to my feet as Belov pulls Ariel upright again. Her eyes are wild from the sudden attack, and I can tell this is not rehearsed. He hasn’t planned or discussed this with her. Her nose is bleeding and she’s got a black eye that’s only going to get darker. When she opens her mouth, I realize part of her front tooth has chipped loose.