Page 16 of Mistaken
Smiling shakily, I nodded. I appreciated the small kindness, but I wondered if there was similar advice for surviving life as a Bratva wife.
Still holding my hand in his warm grip, Maksim turned into Charming Mr. Morozov again as soon as the cameramen caught sight of him. Keeping my eyes down and a demure sort of smile on my face, I managed to get up the stairs without tripping on the skirt of my long dress.
“You look lovely tonight, darling.” The deranged sociopath who had just discussed killing everyone I loved was kissing my left hand again, staring down into my eyes. I could hear a couple of women sigh behind me and wanted to gag. “Let’s get you a glass of champagne.”
I gulped down the first glass almost immediately, an action that made his brow rise, but Maksim got me another. “Sip this one, darling.”
Simpering, I fluttered my heavily mascaraed lashes at him. “Of course,sweetheart.”He gave me a warning look, but turned to accept the congratulations of an older couple, beautifully dressed and oozing the scent of money. I nodded and smiled at the correct intervals and tried to memorize names and faces as he led me deeper into the main hall.
“Brother! You finally showed up.” We turned to find a man almost as tall as Maksim, with blond hair and a broader face, but clearly related. The man turned to me with a mischievous glint in his darker blue eyes. “And my dear sister-in-law!” He leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss on the cheek. Still hovering, he whispered, “I’m Yuri, Maksim’s brother, and hisSovietnik.You two have been together for six months, I’m told, so of course, you and I know each other well. I am also quite sure that he hasn’t actually told you anything about me.”
My big mouth opens, “That’s okay, he hasn’t told me anything about anyone. Or anything, so this is on point for him.”
Yuri threw back his head and laughed.Wow,I thought,the Morozov genes are amazing and dripping with hotness.He looked just as spectacular as Maksim in a tux and wore it like a man used to being a rich bastard.
“You’re correct, my darling sister. In law.” He took my hand and spun me around effortlessly. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you, Yuri,” I fluttered my eyelashes again.
This dress really was spectacular, it was form-fitting black with sheer panels of black chiffon over the dress, trailing behind me, with more chiffon for the sleeves and draping masterfully over my shoulders. I’d put on an aggressive night face full of makeup and my hair back into a low chignon. Maksim had not liked the chignon when I met up with him by the front door to leave.
“I prefer your hair down,” he’d said, fingering one of the curls already springing loose from the updo. I had silently resolved to wear my hair up for the rest of my term of captivity.
Yuri's right eye closed in the most subtle of winks before turning his attention back to a frowning Maksim. “It’s about time you introduce yoursecretlove to the world, brother.” Oh, yes. He was enjoying this.
Not so subtly pulling me away and sliding an arm around my waist, Maksim smiled thinly. “You know how I am about being unwilling to share, brother.”
“I’m sure the gala will shine all the brighter since you’ve unchained your fiancee and allowed her out in public,” Yuri goaded, still smiling pleasantly.
Maksim leaned into him and whispered something. All I caught was the phrase, “shit docks,” which made no sense.
Swear to god,I thought,this is more entertaining than anything on Netflix.
As the night wore on, I was increasingly grateful for Yuri having my back as my dear fiancé introduced me to more people, several of whom he’d clearly slept with, because they were giving me the same look as I’d had from Alina all day; theWhy the hell is he marrying her?look. More than one grabbed my left hand pretty harshly under the guise of admiring my engagement ring. Watching me subtly flex my hand after the last round of “congratulations,” Yuri smiled down at me sympathetically.
“Are you ready for a break, sister dear? I’m sure I can find somewhere to sit down and something to eat.” Eyeing Maksim, who was deep in conversation with someone who I’m pretty sure is the Lieutenant Governor of New York, I nodded gratefully.
Leading me over to the section displaying the Michelangelo drawings, Yuri pulled up two chairs. We eyed the drawings for a blissful moment or two of silence. Handing me another glass of champagne and a plate of hors d'oeuvres, he let me gulp down a couple of tiny bites of tuna tartare before speaking.
“You must feel very overwhelmed.”
I stopped chewing to look at him. His handsome face was blandly pleasant. “Did Maksim tell you to be so…” I waved the miniature blintz I was holding, “so affable to me?”
Chuckling, Yuri folded his arms and slumped more comfortably into his seat. “We have not spoken about you, other than his lecture on the deeply romantic origins of your relationship.”
I liked this guy. “Your English is more formal than Maksim’s,” I said, popping a mushroom cap with crab into my mouth, “did you move to the US at the same time?”
He shrugged, taking a lobster puff off my plate, an action I noted with some regret. “We did, but I spend a great deal of time in St. Petersburg, so the language shift isn’t quite as effortless for me.”
I watched him chew, the same square jaw as his brother’s. I wasn’t naive enough to trust him, but… “Do you agree with what Maksim is doing?”
His entire face seemed to freeze. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can persuade me to do anything for you, sister dear. Maksim’s mind is made up. Make it easier for yourself and just… go along.”
I was dangerously close to tears. “He’s taking my life away.”
Shrugging, Yuri stood up. “You are not the only one pulled into a life you didn’t anticipate. Some of us are born into our roles. There’s no other way. I can be nice to you, Ella Givens, but I can’t help you.”
“It looks like the two of you are having quite the conversation.”
