Page 67 of Forced Mafia Bride
Our conversation paused midway, and we dragged our eyes back to the contenders, only to see Egor pull back his chair to the table and sit down grouchily.
“The earlier we start feasting, the better.”
Freya took the hint, rising to her feet to bring out extra plates from the kitchen while Niko withdrew with what looked like a triumphant smirk as he ushered Nadia to the chair beside their older brothers. He stiffened once she sat down, and she fidgeted with her fingers.
“Egor?”
He didn’t look at her. “What?”
A tear dropped on her cheek. “I missed you.”
His jaw flexed, but his fingers stopped drumming on the table. “You look skinny. Eat first, and we’ll talk later.”
****
More family members joined the long table; some of them I recognized, and others were unfamiliar. Smiling, I rose from the table to accompany Freya in serving the dishes. The aroma of vegetables, chicken, and Russian food filled the air, and for a moment, everything felt normal.
Until a subtle ache stirred in my abdomen.
I winced, clutching my belly.
At first, I dismissed it as indigestion from the strawberry shortcake I’d practically forced Niko to get me on our way to his brother’s house, but the ache intensified, spreading across my lower back.
Freya's keen eyes locked onto mine. “Rosalyn, are you okay? You can sit down if you don’t feel so good.”
I felt Niko’s concerned gaze on my face, but I smiled. I didn’t want anyone to worry, much less cause another scene during their family dinner.
“No, no, I’m good.”
“Are you sure?”
“She gets up once and suddenly has a backache. Weakness must run in the blood. Fucking disgusting.”
My hand hung over the side dish and the rest of my body went stiff. I didn’t need to pin the culprit with my eyes to know he was talking about me.
It was one of the cousins. I remembered his name after Niko made a brief introduction.
Viktor.
Dark hair, blue eyes, rough hands, and an arrogant smile. Similar to every other man in this house with the Yezhov blood running through his veins, Viktor carried an intimidating aura. Maybe too much for a man as young as he was.
That uncomfortable silence hung above our heads again, and even the children lowered their voices. Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I struggled to blink them back, promising myself that I wouldn’t cry.
I tried to muster an encouraging smile at Freya, but she didn’t return it. And her husband didn’t look too keen on smiling either.
“What did you just say?”
No.
Dread formed in the pit of my stomach at the sound of Nikolai’s voice and his chair scraping backward. Whispering, I waved a hand to get his attention. “Niko….”
He ignored me, narrowing his eyes at the man who sat across him. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Desperate for this to end, I tried again to get him to look at me. “Niko….”
Carelessly, the younger man shrugged. “I said she has Irish weakness flowing through her—”
Viktor’s loud scream echoed through the dining room and the hallways, draining the blood of the faces of the children and other distant relatives seated at the table.