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Sixty-One
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Arranged To The Bravta King Sixty-Two
MariaI don't know how long I stayed there. When I wake up, Dominika sits in a chair, doing her needlework and humming softly. I don't want to talk to her. I want to be alone. But Dominika notices I'm awake and puts her needlepoint on her chair. She sits on the floor with me. She reaches over and brushes her fingers through my hair."It hurts now, koshka," she whispers. "But in time, the pain will fade."She pulls me against her, cradling my head, and lets me cry. The warmth of her body comforts me. Her familiar perfume fills my nostrils. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. It does hurt. The tears fall harder and faster until I'm sobbing uncontrollably. Dominika holds me tighter and whispers soothing words. She rocks me gently, and I sob in her lap until the tears finally stop.My voice is hoarse, but my words are clear. "Did he send you?"She frowns a little. "No. Mikhail Ivanov said you needed time alone.""He can go to hell." My voice hardens. "I hate him."Dominika shakes her
Arranged To The Bravta King Sixty-Three
MariaI slowly open the box and take out the test. My hands tremble as I read the instructions. I follow them carefully, making sure to get enough urine on the strip. As I stare at the tiny stick, I feel like I'm holding my entire future in my hand. A sudden wave of nausea washes over me, and I wonder if it's just nerves or a sign that I really am pregnant. When it passes, I set the test on the counter and wait for the results.I pace back and forth in front of the sink, trying to calm my doubting thoughts. The minutes drag by, and I'm scared to look at the test. I don't want to know. I don't want this to be happening. As I wait, my mind plays out scenarios. None of them are good. Am I really pregnant? And if so, what will Mikhail do when he finds out? Fear squeezes my heart like a vise.If he's willing to use me for bait, what will he do to my child?Finally, I can't take not knowing anymore. I take a deep breath and look at the test, and my heart free falls into my stomach.Two line
Arranged To The Bravta King Sixty-Four
Maria"I need to talk to my father.""That's not a good idea," Lara says, her brow furrowing in concern.I grip her hands. "I need to know the truth from him," I reply. "Mikhail tells me his real name is Zakhar Budanov. There's a photograph in his desk. I ... I deserve to know!"Larissa's face pales as she pulls her hands out of my grip. Her hands clutch the sheets as if anchoring her to the moment."Please, Lara," I plead. "I need to hear it from him."Larissa nods slowly and releases the bedsheets from her grasp. "Yes," she says quietly, her gaze distant. "You do."I stare at her, perplexed, but her face is unreadable. She knows too much but doesn't want me to figure it out. I take a deep breath, wondering if I should push her, but I decide against it. Whatever Larissa knows, it will remain a secret, at least for now.Larissa takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "You should come home with me," she says firmly. Standing up, her posture is regal and defiant. "And you must be ca
Arranged To The Bravta King Sixty-Five
MariaI sleep through the night, maybe for the first time in weeks since Mikhail last touched me. It feels normal here, and for a brief moment, I pretend I'm home again as I listen to nature outside my window—birds chirping back and forth and leaf-blowers in the distance.The morning light barely illuminates the sheer curtains pulled across the Juliette balcony, and I get up to look outside. From the window, I see the driveway stretching beneath the window toward the street. Though the room is on the second floor, I could easily drop down onto the lawn. Without thinking about it, I try the glass door, but it's bolted shut.I tug at it again but quickly stop when I see one of Rurik's men walking down the driveway toward the main road.I hurry back to bed, and that's when I see a box on the bedside table. I stare at it, slowly comprehending what must be inside. Grabbing it, I pull at the matte black cardboard, tearing it open by the seams. Inside is a new phone.Larissa kept her promise
Arranged To The Bravta King Prologue
"Be fast, zhena," My husband says as he waves me over. I hurry in the dark, trying not to jostle our baby awake as I hold the precious bundle of joy tight against my chest. The penalty for noise is death, and even the sound of my heart hammering against my chest seems too loud.Just another few moments until we're free.Behind us, the hateful mansion's soaring stone towers rise in the distance.Hard and unfeeling like their owner's heart, they are meant to convey beauty and elegance. But in the darkness lit by starlight, all I see are the horns of the devil looming over us.A light blinks to life, and I try not to panic as its dim, searching eye sweeps across the grounds.And then I hear it.Barking in the distance. A man shouts in Russian.My husband turns suddenly in the direction of the noise. My throat closes like a vise, and I draw in a deep measure of harsh, cold air as the bottom drops out of my stomach.They're getting closer.The barking comes closer, and I swear I can hear t
Arranged To The Bravta King One.
MariaMy heart races from excitement even as my breath slows down. I pass several streets, occasionally stopping to listen for approaching footsteps, or worse, Dad’s Ford truck.But tonight, I’m lucky.Soon, I hear music and laughter coming from my friend Diana’s house at the end of Clover Road.Party time.I grin like a fool, thinking about how much fun I will have tonight. I should feel guilty, but I won’t. It’s my high school graduation, for fuck’s sake, and I have a right to celebrate.As I approach the house, laughter and music spill out from the open front door, welcoming me inside. I slip into the house and instantly start smiling at the crazy energy of my friends and classmates as they jam out to vintage late 90s and early 2000s music.A small group of people stand by the pool, drinking beer and laughing loudly. I take a deep breath and walk toward them, grabbing a Coors from an open cooler as I try to blend in.“Maria Rostova, as I live and breathe!” Diana squeals in delight
Arranged To The Bravta King Two.
Maria"I don't want you to get hurt, Maria."Dad opens the passenger's side door when we get home. He stares at me, and I sit there with my arms folded as if I could defy him. But slowly, my resolve crumbles, and I leap out of the truck, running past him to the front door. It's pathetic. I have to wait for him to open the door because I don't have a key."There are things I need to protect you from," he replies, unlocking the door. "Things you don't know about.""Then tell me!" I demand. "You can't keep me in the dark forever! It's my life you're ruining, not yours!""You're like your mother," he says quietly, taking in a ragged breath. "Maybe I wouldn't worry about losing you if she was still here."He always wins our arguments when he mentions her. He told me that she passed away from cancer when I was still a baby, long before I could even form any memories. But whenever I ask for any details, he never goes into it.Almost as if he can't bear to.Dad has raised me by himself my ent
Arranged To The Bravta King Three.
MariaThe moment I step off the bus, I'm hit by a blast of humidity in the face. I'd pause, but everybody is moving fast, and I'm trying to keep up as I exit the Port Authority. I speed walk as if I know where I'm going, and I hope I do. Times Square is like stepping into another world, with bright colors and Broadway billboards over my head. For a moment, I stand still on the sidewalk, soaking in the chaos surrounding me. It's exhilarating and overwhelming all at once—until a woman jostles me out of her way.Stay focused, Maria. Stop acting like a tourist.I start moving again, looking for a pay phone, but they must only exist on old TV shows. I pull the card with Mercy's address out of my pocket and start walking, not entirely sure how I will actually get there.I'm hoping I can stay with my cousin for a little while. I've never been sure how we're related, but we've called each other "cousin" since we were babies.Until Dad stopped us from talking.I try to keep pace, walking on pa
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