Page 31 of Forced By the Bratva King

I watched as a smile played on Kara’s lips as she mentioned the girl’s name.

“Jade was a lot like you, Sierra: beautiful, so full of life…the exact opposite of my brother.” She sighed. “And when he fell for her, Artem grew sloppy. He let his affection for Jade affect his training. I don’t blame him.” Kara shrugged her shoulders. “The young man didn’t know what love was, so when he found it, he held on to it and almost forgot his training. It didn’t last long, though; an enemy of the Bratva, Martinez Gonzalez, found out my brother’s weakness, and he had her killed.”

My heart skipped a beat, lurching at the thought of everything that poor girl had gone through. But a bigger part of me was afraid formylife now that I knew the last woman he’d loved was a target for his enemies; my stomach turned, leaving a sick tinge in the back of my throat.

“She died in Artem’s arms, and he blamed himself for her death,” Kara said. “My brother wasn’t the same again ever since that incident. He vowed to be ruthless, to never feel love again, and when he found Martinez Gonzalez, he struck him countless times with a sword and didn’t stop until the man’s head was completely dismembered from his body.”

The bastard got what he deserved for killing an innocent girl, I thought to myself.

The story didn’t paint Artem as a monster, even though his method was certainly monstrous. For the first time, I saw a window into his past, and I had a little understanding of why he was who he was. Not that I could ignore all he’d done to me.

“Ever since that day, my brother became the devil reincarnate. His name sent shivers down the spine of his enemies—and not the fun kind of shivers. They became petrified, and everyone in the criminal underworld knew notto mess with him,” Kara continued. “My brother became cold and ruthless, brutal to his enemies and merciless to anyone unfortunate enough to witness any of his dealings. No witnesses. He’d never left a single one until he met you.”

“Why me, though?” I asked, not that I was ungrateful or anything; I was just curious.

“I’m not sure,” she said, shaking her head. “But the fact that he spared your life is proof that he’s not all that bad. He’s not the monster you think he is.” She looked me dead in the eye. “That soft side of him is still in there somewhere, Sierra. As his wife, if you can find it, I can guarantee you you’ll be the happiest woman on Earth. Trust me, I know what I’m saying.”

I felt so light, like a heavy burden had been lifted off of me, and I was glad that Kara was kind enough to share this with me. But the question remained, lingering on the fringes of my mind:Does he care about me?

Just then, the front door opened, and Artem walked in. Zoya, who’d been playing with my hair, hopped off my lap and ran up to him. “Uncle Artem!”

“Zoya, hey!” He spread out his arms, his face radiating with a smile I’d never seen him wear before. It was so genuine that it almost seemed out of place.

My brows rose reflexively at this shocking sight.

Wow, you don’t see that every day.

“How’s my baby girl doing?” He whisked her into the air as she laughed.

“I’m great!” she said with a giggle. “Your wife is so pretty!”

Artem turned in my direction, andmy God, he was so handsome with that smile spreading across his face. “She is, isn’t she?”

I was staring at him, unable to recognize the brutal man that I’d married.

I wished he’d be in this mood all the time. I wishedIcould bring out this part of him, just as Zoya had so effortlessly done.

My eyes were glued to him, and I couldn’t look away.

“Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer,” he teased me, noticing the shock in my gaze.

He knows some jokes, too. Wow.

“Nowyou show up.” Kara rose to her feet. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“What is it? Is there a problem?” He walked into the room with Zoya in his arms.

“Well, that depends on your definition ofproblem.”

“I don’t like where this is going.”

“Relax, big guy, I just need a favor.”

“Still don’t like where this is going.”

I didn’t think this part of him existed, and it was amazing watching him act like a normal person for the first time.

“Can you take care of Zoya for me?” Kara asked. “My husband and I are going on a trip to Paris.”