“Who says I refuse?” I raise a brow. “In fact, I’m going to give you the chance of your life. All you have to do is agree with what I say.”
He narrows his eyes. “What are you planning now?”
“Something nice,” I whisper. “Here we go.”
As expected, only Igor, Alexei, and the Pakhan show up. Kristina partially hides behind Konstantin. The idiots have probably been seeing each other in secret for a long time, but only got their shit together and confessed their undying love when everything came tumbling down. But oh, well. It played in my favor.
“Kristina!” Igor snaps. “What is the meaning of this?”
She seals her lips shut then murmurs, “I… I love Konstantin. I always have.”
Alexei raises a hand, probably to strike her or yank her away, but my brother catches it and glares at him. “Don’t fucking touch her.”
Alexei is a large man but around the same height as my brother, yet he still looks down his nose at him. “Step away from my sister before I kill you.”
“Now, now.” I effortlessly disengage them by standing between them. “There’s no need for violence on a happy day.”
“You’ll marry Kirill this instant,” Igor tells his daughter, to which she shakes her head and sinks her nails into Konstantin’s jacket.
“I’m afraid I can’t marry another man’s woman, Igor. Especially if that man is my own brother.”
Igor’s face contorts. “We made a deal.”
“Yes, and you didn’t keep your part of it. I was promised your daughter, but I come here to find out that not only does she already have a man, but she’s also pregnant.”
Everyone falls silent, Konstantin and Kristina included.
Of course she’s not pregnant, but it doesn’t hurt to add more salt to Igor’s wound. Besides, this plays an important role in the next part of my plan.
“You fucking bastard!” Alexei lunges at my brother again, and this time, I move out of the way so he can punch him.
He needed to get that one in to somehow lessen his anger. Kristina shrieks as blood explodes out of Konstantin’s nose.
When Alexei lifts his fist again, I’m the one who blocks it and glares at him. “I let you punch him the first time out of courtesy, but if you hit my brother again, I’ll break your legs.”
I catch Konstantin’s lips parting in my peripheral vision, and he looks like an absolute idiot.
So yes, I might have issues with him, but no one fucks with my brother.
“Alexei.” Igor shakes his head at his son and he retreats back a step.
I look at the Pakhan, whose reign ends today. He’s been watching the show with disapproving silence. Sergei isn’t a fool and is probably working out exactly where this is going.
“Since Igor’s side is the one that pulled out of the deal, as evidenced by Kristina abandoning me at the altar and the fact that she’s carrying another man’s child, I demand that my inauguration goes through.”
“What the—” Alexei starts, but Igor shakes his head again.
“He’s right. We’re in the wrong on this, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“That is correct, but I’m a fair man, Igor. I won’t throw you under the bus or announce your dishonor as per the contract we wrote. I would still like to offer you a partnership.” I clutch Konstantin by the shoulder. “Kristina will marry into my family and we’ll have the alliance we agreed upon.”
Konstantin still has his mouth agape like a fucking clown, and I glare at him so he’ll get his shit together. He clears his throat. “I will protect her with my life.”
Igor remains silent, but then he releases a breath and nods at me. “Thank you.”
“Pakhan?” I lift an eyebrow.
“You’re one fucking manipulative bastard and you remind me so much of my brother, it’s disturbing.” Sergei exhales a long sigh. “But apparently, people like that make the best leaders, so you have your approval, Kirill. Let’s see if you can keep the peace or you fuck it all up.”
I smirk. “I guess time will tell.”
“We’re going home.” Alexei seizes Kristina‘s arm, but she doesn’t let Konstantin go, her eyes wild and scared.
“Our home is her home now,” I say. “Since everyone is here for a wedding, let’s give them a wedding.”
Konstantin actually hugs me. The cheesy fucking asshole, I swear. I pat his back. Only for show. Nothing else.
Absolutely nothing.
I don’t even remember the last time I hugged this little shit. Probably when we were kids. He still gives clingy hugs.
He hugs like a girl. Just saying.
Once this whole thing is over, I’ll be Pakhan and I’ll go to celebrate with my woman.
No, my wife.
2
KIRILL
Attending my brother’s wedding is tedious as fuck.
It was a hassle to convince the attendees that there was a slight change of the groom. Despite my spectacularly charming delivery of the news, I’m not sure everyone believes the tale.
Igor, the Pakhan, and I have to be present during the ceremony to show that we support this union and that Igor and I are still building a partnership.
Only one thing is worth this hassle—Yulia’s contorting face. It looks as if she’s constipated at best and having a stroke at worst.
She attempted to speak to Konstantin, probably to dissuade him. I heard her saying, “You could have someone much better than that devil’s leftovers.” The devil in this equation is me, by the way.
Konstantin actually got angry at her. No. He yelled at her for the first time in…well, forever. My brother might hate his mother’s methods, but he usually tries to voice his disagreements diplomatically.
Not today. He looked that joke of a mother in the eye and pointed at the door. “Kristina is the only wife I will have. If you can’t accept that, leave!”
Of course, she didn’t. The sole purpose of her existence seems to be everything Konstantin. She’d rather be eaten by sharks than miss his wedding.
Now, I must point out that it was slightly comical to watch him get married with a bruised nose from when Alexei attempted to rearrange his features. Lucky for him, we share blood and I didn’t allow for him to be hurt more than necessary.
The other person I share blood with—not Yulia, she doesn’t count—teared up after Konstantin and Kristina were pronounced husband and wife.
Let’s say Karina was actually the most giddy about this turn of events. Probably because she got to hold on to my arm during the entire ceremony and didn’t experience any panic attacks. She seems to have forgotten her slight animosity toward me about Sasha’s departure.
Since my sister has the attention span of a goldfish, she’ll probably go back to her favorite hating game once we’re home.
Once the wedding is over, she takes off like a bullet and hugs our brother. “Congrats, Kosta!”
He ruffles her hair. “Thanks, little Kara.”
She grins and shakes Kristina’s hand. “Welcome to the family. I’ll show you all the things.”
“Thank you,” Kristina says quietly, shyly even. So many emotions from the robot in one day is starting to feel like an overdose.