Page 8 of Untamed Beast
“Well, of course we had to seek justice for your brothers. We took the case to the Council of the Bratva for a fair sentence to be handed down.”
Father is a Council member, one of the leaders who decides how to resolve disputes within the Bratva. Everyone would have heard what had happened, how the sentence was handed down by the Council.
Absolutely everybody knew what happened to my brothers except me.
“I thought they died in anaccident! My whole life!”
I’m shouting now, but I can’t help it. My brothers were murdered and my parents hid it from me, when everybody else knew.
“Malyshka, calm down. This is exactly why we didn’t tell you. We didn’t want to upset you with what had happened. We know how fond you were of your brothers.”
“Oh but everyone else could know? Even though they weremybrothers?”
I spin around to face them accusingly as I gather up my notes on my paintings and my pens. I don’t want to spend another minute in my parents’ company.
My father shoots my mother a look, widening his eyes. It’s like they think I can’t see them.
“Natalia, you need to calm down. Your wedding is nextmonth. We are announcing your engagement tonight. Focus on the good things. We cannot change the past.”
I pick up Dasha from the couch, perching her on top of the pile of books.
“I’m not going to the dinner with the Romanovs. I don’t want to see a single person who has lied to me about this. And don’t send them my apologies or make an excuse for me.”
Mama is shaking her head at Papa, looking at him as if he’s the one who’s ruined everything by telling me. Her eyes gleam with tears.
“Natalia—” My father tries to use his most authoritative voice, but it only makes me more angry with him.
“I’m. Not. Going.”
Mama looks heartbroken, like missing the engagement dinner upsets her more than what happened to my brothers.
As if I can be expected to think about ridiculous, insignificant things like whether the color of my dress matches Anton Romanov’s tie right now.
There is one more thing I have to know.
“This man… This murderer… What happened to him?”
“The Council exiled him to Siberia. Where he couldn’t target us or stir up trouble any longer.”
“He’s back, isn’t he? That’s what you said before.”
My father’s face goes blank, but my mother nods, her face whitening.
“Yes,malyshka, he’s back.”
I slam the door behind me as I leave.
2
NATALIA
ONE MONTH LATER…
Anton Romanov sounds like a lovely person, but no one will think so by the time our wedding is done.
Mama chattered away about what a nice young man he was while she helped me into this dress, swept my hair up into a braid around my head and pushed in diamond hair pins. I couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction at how wrong she was.
“Remember that we need you to make the right marriage,malyshka. Our good name depends on it. The Romanov boy is handsome, and his family are our allies. It will help everyone, this marriage. You will like being married, once it happens, you’ll see that it’s not so bad. Nothing to be afraid of. Some parts of it you will enjoy…”
