Chapter twelve | Alexander
My brother and Ekaterina are laughing as if they've known each other for decades, she's beaming up at him, I've lived many years with my brother and I'm sure as hell that he isn't that funny.
Actually, I'm a step away from smashing his face with my fist, "what's wrong, Alexander?" His voice pulls me away from my murderous thoughts as I look up to find him giving me a warm smile.
Vlad and I have been close for years, he's always been the mood lighter, the one who warms up any conversation with his laughter, throwing some jokes here and there.
And I'm starting to realize how similar he is to Ekaterina, they both tend to hide their feelings with humor.
Which brings us to the latest moment, a part of me doesn't care about this interaction, while the other part is scared that my wife will like him way too much.
Maybe I'm fucking jealous after all, even if I'd rather die than admit that out loud, no way in hell.
"I'm fine." I grit through clenched teeth as I glare at him, he just grins back, knowing that he's pissing me off.
I meet Ekaterina's concerned gaze and my heart thuds wildly in my chest as confusion rattled through my bones,
Is she worried about me?
The thought itself makes heat floods my body, why do I care? "It was a long ride, I'm sorry." She says softly, the words sounding sincere.
My eyes stay on hers as I speak "it's okay." The words slip through my lips with ease, because the last thing I need now is her feeling bad about this.
Even when I can't feel a single bone in my body since the moment we arrived here, which would be about five hours ago.
I insisted that she should take some rest but of course, she refused, as always, it shouldn't surprise me,
Her words were "I have to meet your family first then sleep." But I doubt that she'll have any urge to sleep left In her after talking with them.
Speaking of my lovely parents, their car honk's sound makes my muscles tense and I straighten as hundreds of memories find their way back into my mind.
My hands shake slightly and before I get the chance to clench them, I find Ekaterina reaching out to me, clutching her soft small hands around mine.
The action itself sparks something inside my chest before it dulls away, I force myself to pull my hands away, and hurt flashes over her face just as regret washes all over me.
Fuck,
"Are you okay?" Her gentle question hangs in the air like a promise and I don't meet her gaze as I stand up.
I'm acting like a bastard I know, and it fucking kills me, but I can't let her do that, I won't start confusing her with actions that I'm not willing to deal with the consequences of.
"I'm fine," I say bluntly and her brows furrow as her gaze shifts to my brother who looks equally concerned now.
Goddamn it, I don't want their pity,
He knows, he knows everything, starting from why my hands are shaking, my heart racing and why I'm intentionally pushing Ekaterina away.
"He's fine, let him be." He says, trying to sound sarcastic but he fails and his gray eyes meet mine.
That's one of the few similarities we have in common, we both got sharp features from our parents and those gray eyes.
But that's where our similarities end, while my hair is as black as coal, his is brown, his nose is slender while mine is sharp, and sure enough if you look at it that way.
My brother is more classically handsome, he has women drooling over his charming and bright personality,
What they don't know is that while I look like the jagged and scarred kid, the truth is that we both are, just one of us is hiding it and the other is using it for his benefit.
The clicks of keys cut off my thoughts and I clench my jaw when my father comes in view, adjusting his black tux as he walks towards us, "Alexander, Vladimir."
The Russian accent echoes in the air and my brother's fists clench, our father loves calling him by his full name, elaborating that Vlad is way too 'American'
Shockingly, that was his same reaction when people started calling me "Alex" years ago, and that's exactly why I just stuck with Alexander, to make him shut the fuck up.
"Father." We both say in unison and Ekaterina stands awkwardly, fidgeting with her fingers, looking like she's anxious as ever which I know that she is.
So I step closer to her, slipping my hand around her waist as I pull her to me, hovering my palm over her arm as I feel her pulse going crazy under my finger.
I want to assure her, but nothing seems to help with the thoughts running laps through her mind and playing stupid tricks on her.
My father's eyes turn on Ekaterina and I grit my teeth so hard I'm surprised they don't break, "Ekaterina, darling, we never got the chance to talk properly." He says and extends a hand in her direction as she immediately shakes it.
"Yes....last time we met wasn't under—the best circumstances." She says awkwardly, not stuttering but she pauses a couple of moments as she finds her words.
My father is a scary man I'll give him that, after all, Lucas Romanov was one of the most feared men in the bratva years ago.
But his time has ended, and I took over, even when he desperately didn't want me to, he wanted to give the responsibility of this to our younger brother, a brother who left years ago—"you have a beautiful wife, Alexander, great choice." His voice breaks my thoughts away.
For once I'm grateful for that pause, I needn't my mind to go there, at all, but then my jaw clenches when I start processing his words and notice the way he's eyeing her like a porcelain doll.
Her cheeks are flushed and this time it's from anger, anger that she's miserably failing to hide, I give her hand a squeeze and I'm sure as hell that she bites her tongue to stop herself from talking.
So she just releases a long breath, and smiles at him "where's our room?" I ask to change the topic and she freezes.
Turning to me slightly so that my father doesn't see her when she mouthes "our?"Ah, fuck yes, I forgot to tell her.
"Yes you're my wife Ekaterina, Aren't you?" I hurry to joke when my father notices her, and her face transforms into a smile,
"Ah yes! Of course, I was just messing with you, babe." Fucking babe, I don't miss the sarcasm in her tone even if I know that my father won't catch it.
"Nadia will guide you to your room." He says, raising a knowing brow, and I nod, she has been our maid since I was a kid, and she's also Valentina's wife.
And since my father is a home wrecker, he chose to separate them away, I think that shows what a beautiful man he is.
Moments later we say our goodbyes and follow Nadia's path through the hallway, "it's so cold here." Ekaterina mutters under her breath.
Clutching her arms tightly as she rubs them, probably searching for any friction to warm her, I stop in my tracks and she turns to me.
Brows furrowed as confusion grows on her face, "what?" She asks then surprise flashes over her face when I take off my jacket and place it on her shoulders,
"wow, didn't think that you would have some human feelings." She says and I glare at her, "I'm a man, Ekaterina, I'm keeping you warm." I say through gritted teeth.
She beams up at me, her face looking undeniably stunning, fuck what I told her, decent isn't a word that can do her any justice.
"So you know how to treat a woman right, you just choose not to." She says and I raise a brow, then roll my eyes, realizing how stupid this conversation is.
"Kids, just fight in your room, will ya?" The old lady's voice sobers me up and I release a breath as we go back to walking.
When we arrive in front of the door later, Nadia leaves immediately, and Ekaterina looks visibly relieved.
I open it and we both slip inside, I know this room more than anything, it has been my childhood room since the day I was born, hence the fucking decor of it.
"What the fuck?" Ekaterina's voice catches my attention and I stride to where she's standing and when I take the sight in front of me.
I think I realize exactly what's her problem, I shift my gaze on her and she looks visibly horrified, Jesus Christ.
"There's only one bed, did you know that?" And the problem is that i know, I knew that before we arrived,
It's obvious that my family doesn't expect us to sleep on separate beds, "we're married after all, aren't we?" I find myself saying and she narrows her eyes at me.
"The only bed I'm sleeping with you in, is the one inside your dreams, darling." She says and I clench my jaw, she needs to put a fucking radar on her mouth.
Those two weeks are going to be two weeks in hell.