Satin Princess(42)

“Why?”

“Because the Bratva is a man’s world.”

“Hate to break it to you,” I snap, “but that's not a Bratva exclusive thing. The world in general is a man’s world.”

Yulian isn’t fazed by my bitterness. “Once you’ve immersed yourself in the Bratva, you’ll understand what I mean. Women don’t command the same kind of respect here that men do.” He glances at me. “Just to clarify, I’m all for women running Bratvas. Girl power and all that. In fact, I think they’d do a kickass job of it.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he says.

Weirdly enough, I actually believe him.

“I like you, Yulian.”

He gives me a smile that might have made my heart skip a beat if I were another woman in another time, another place.

“I like you, too, Jessa. I just hope…” He trails off. “Never mind.”

“Are you really going to leave me hanging?”

He smiles sadly. “I just hope this world doesn’t chew you up and spit you out.”

I frown. His warning is ominous, but I get the sense he was about to say something else before he changed his mind.

I’m on the verge of asking him what that was when his phone starts ringing. He glances at his screen and then answers it on speaker.

“Yeah?”

“Where the fuck are you?”

I feel a little jolt of excitement the moment I hear Anton’s voice.

“Um—"

“Worthington Manor is out west. Why are you taking the east route?”

Yulian rolls his eyes. “I made a scenic detour, okay? Also, how the fuck do you know where we are?”

“Because I’m right behind you,” Anton says impatiently.

I turn around and see a black car trailing behind us on the road.

Yulian glances in the rearview to see what I’m seeing. “Oh, well, I’m heading to Worthington right now.”

“Step on it.”

He hangs up without saying goodbye. I feel the need to give Yulian an apologetic smile.

“Honestly, what do you see in him?” Yulian asks, but it’s obvious he’s just joking.

“Are you sure he wants to surprise me?” I ask. “He didn’t seem like he was in the mood.”

Yulian waves away my concern. “Trust me, he wants to do this for you. He’s just annoyed with me, that’s all.”

I already know why, so I’m not going to be a jerk and ask.

“Why did you take the scenic route?” I ask. It’s not like I’d paid much attention to the drive.

“Honestly?”

“Yes, please.”

“I wanted to talk to you,” he says simply. “I wanted to get a feel for the kind of person you are.”

“I didn't realize this was a test."

He chuckles. “Not sure if you’re aware, but his last relationship was kinda crazy.”

“So I heard,” I mutter dryly.

“I just want to make sure you’re right for him. That’s all. From what I can tell, you’re a good egg, though, so have no fear.”

I smile shyly. “You’re a good brother, Yulian.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do.”

“Great,” he says. “Put a word in for me with Anton, will ya?”

I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”





15





ANTON





She’s a vision in white as she gets out of the car.

The dress is modest, but still sexy. I’m starting to realize that Jessa could make a potato sack look sexy.

She’s kept her hair loose. It flows around her shoulders in beachy waves. Her eyes are wide and excited as she takes in the manor and the lush green grounds, just like I hoped they would be. There’s no purpose in us being here other than to show her something beautiful. To see the world through her eyes.

But that’s the only purpose I need.

The look on her face is almost enough to make me forget that I’m annoyed with Yulian for taking the so-called “scenic route.”

He gives me a half-hearted wave from where he’s lingering in Jessa’s wake. I can tell he’s still wary of me. Unsure if every simple word is going to turn into a fight.

But I’m not in the mood to fight today. I planned this day for Jessa. So I give him a nod and he gets back into the car and leaves without a word.

Jessa waves and then turns to me. “This is amazing. Where are we exactly?”

“It’s called Worthington Manor,” I explain. “They breed horses. Those are the stables just over there. Once we cross the fields, there’s a huge farm. Tons of land. The owner and his wife run the farm and their son and daughter-in-law run the manor.”

Only Worthington Manor’s stone chimney can be seen from here. Two pinnacles of gray stone rising above flawlessly manicured trees. The sky is scrubbed clean and blue, free of clouds, and the gravel driveway crunching under our feet is music. In the distance, a bubbling brook chatters to us.

“This place is… crazy,” she says, looking awed by it all.

“Want to meet the horses?”