Chapter 7 - Oleg

It’s been two days since our marriage. Raisa has been avoiding me, quietly roaming the house with a look of anger etched into her face. She glares at me whenever we cross paths.

I’ve been doing my best to give her space. She needs time to adjust to all of this.

But the guilt I feel is immense.

Especially after finding out that she is a virgin.

I sigh heavily, pushing away from my desk, the chair sliding backwards. I stand up and run my hands over my face, rubbing my temples to try and massage away the headache that seems to be building behind my eyes.

Fuck.

I feel so bad about what I did to her. She doesn’t deserve this.

But I still know that I made the right choice—overall—for the greater good of everything.

She just needs time to see it the same way that I do.

That for both of our families, this is the best.

Rather this than having them go to war with each other.

I was hoping to tell her brothers—and mine—in the next week. But I just wanted to give her some time to adjust first.

It can’t be easy for her.

I walk out of my home office and downstairs to the kitchen. Raisa is in there, heating up some leftover Chinese food from last night.

She sees me, glares at me, and storms out of the kitchen without saying a single word.

I grab her arm as she walks past me.

“Get your food, Raisa. I’ll come back later,” I gently push her back into the kitchen, then turn to walk away.

I hear the front gate bell, ringing softly through the house.

“Who could that be?” I mutter to myself.

Glancing back over my shoulder at Raisa, who is standing with her back to me, waiting for her food again, I nod. Good. Let me see who this is and get rid of them as quickly as I can. I don’t need the drama of guests now while my new wife is trying to adjust to things.

Walking toward the front door I pull my phone out to check the security cameras from the front gate.

Shit.

Yefim and Alexei.

I am definitely not ready to see my brothers now. I wanted to tell them all at the same time in a meeting I called—and prepared for.

I pull the front door open and watch them climb out of the car.

“Oleg, brother, it’s good to see you in one piece,” Alexei says, smirking as he walks towards me.

“What do you mean one piece ?”

Alexi shrugs. “Yefim here was convinced something bad was happening—“

I step aside as my brothers walk into the house. I gesture towards the living room.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I say, a little abrupt because I am starting to lose patience.

Yefim walks slightly ahead of us, into the living room.

“You practically doubled your reinforcements at the house. The security office told me about it this morning. Why would you do that if there wasn’t something you were worried about?”

Yefim sits down, folding one leg over the other, leaning back in the sofa. His eyes are locked onto me as Alexei and I take a seat as well.

Shit.

“It’s nothing serious. Just something I am working on—regarding this new problem we have lurking in the city. I am busy with a solution—“

While I am talking Yefim is staring at me with those intense eyes of his. I sigh heavily.

“You aren’t really telling me anything, Oleg. You’re just talking in circles. Why don’t you tell me what is actually going on? What solution?”

I lean back in the sofa too. Damn this headache is just getting worse. I should have taken painkillers earlier. Oh yes, that’s what I want into the kitchen to get, but then Raisa was there—

“Oleg?” Alexei says, pulling me back into the moment.

“Guys, I just need you to trust me ok. I will come by and see all of you at the office—at the end of the week. I just need few more days to get everything in order and then I can explain it all to you.”

Yefim doesn’t look impressed with me.

“If something is going on that requires additional security—I think it is best that you talk to us about it right now. I don’t want shit to hit the fan after we leave and then I find out it is something I could have helped you with.” His stern tone is a warning.

But I am losing my patience. I lean forward in the sofa, resting my elbows on my knees. “Yefim—you need to trust me. I am not a reckless person.“ I can’t help glancing at Alexei when I say this.

“Hey,” he mutters defensively when our eyes meet. I smirk.

“Look—guys—I need you to go now. I will come and see you at the end of the week. For now, I just need time—“

“Oh,” Raisa stammers from behind me.

Yefim and Alexei are both staring at her in horror.

I turn in my seat, my heart sinking to the pit of my stomach.

She is standing wide-eyed just behind the seating area. Her plate of food in her hand and a wild look on her face.

“Oleg—“ Yefim says darkly. His eyes are locked onto her. “That is Raisa Kuznetsov.”

I sigh.

Fuck.

I guess there is no getting out of the explanation at this point.

“Yes. It is.”

“Start talking,” Alexei demands.

“I wanted to tell everyone at the same time—“

“Start. Talking,” Yefim says, his voice clipped and tight.

“Raisa, would you like to join us?” I ask, because she is still frozen in place.

Saying her name seems to snap her from the daze she is in. She spins away from us and hurries out of the room without saying a word.

I sigh again. I need more time so I can get through to her. Having my brothers here right now is not part of the plan.

I turn back towards my brothers. Leaning back into the sofa again I close my eyes for a second, then I start explaining my plan to them.

“I took her a few days ago and Raisa and I are now married. She is no longer a Kuznetsov. She is a Dubrov.”

“What the fuck?“ Alexei blurts out in shock. “What the fuck made you think that was a good idea?”

Suddenly, I am filled with intense anger. “What the fuck do you mean what the fuck? You can’t talk. You of all people should at least understand a little bit. You make the most reckless choices of us all!—How the fuck did you meet your wife, Alexei?“ I don’t want to feel angry, and I don’t want to raise my voice, but Alexei is the last fucking person on the planet who should be judging me.

Maybe I’m just being defensive. Maybe I’m feeling guilty for what I have done to Raisa. I take a breath, trying to calm my thoughts.

Yefim reaches out and touches Alexei’s arms when he tries to stand up. “Wait, Alexei, calm down.” He says, his voice even. “Oleg, explain to me—what the fuck you were thinking.” There is no judgment in his tone, but I can hear the disappointment.

“We are at the beginning stages of war with her brothers. By marrying her, we form an automatic alliance with them and they have to stand down— without bloodshed. Let’s be honest. It was either this or you guys all storming in there with your guns and explosives. This is the better option.”

“This is the thing that is going to start the war,” Alexei hisses. “You kidnapped their sister.”

“For the greater good,” I snap back at him.

Yefim shakes his head. “This is a terrible plan, Oleg. You should have spoken to us first.”

“No, this is the right way to handle this situation. I thought about it for a long time. I know I made the right choice,” I say back with force.

I know I made the right choice.

This is far better than the method my brothers would have chosen.

Yefim’s jaw is clenched. The muscles are feathering along it as he tries to hold back his anger. “When Leon finds out—“

“He doesn’t need to know yet. And you two are not the ones who should tell him. I will tell him,” I demand.

“Damn straight you are going to tell him. I don’t even want to be in the room when he finds out what you did,” Alexei snarls.

I shake my head. “You two need to leave and don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. I will call that meeting at the end of the week.” I stand up, gesturing for them to do the same. This conversation is going nowhere and it’s only serving to make matters worse.

I wanted more time.

I still need that time.

Yefim and Alexei stand up, both looking angry with me. “I wish you had spoken to us first,” Yefim says.

“Well, it’s too late for that now. So, move on,” I snap back, agitation growing.

Yefim shakes his head and takes a deep breath. “Alright, brother. We will give you the time you need. But only until the end of this week. Then I will tell Leon myself.”

I don’t say a word as I watch them both leave.

I’d rather not speak in anger or frustration and make this situation worse.

Once they are in their car and heading off the property, I breathe a sigh of relief.

At least I bought myself a little time. Time I desperately need to make things better between Raisa and myself.

I need her on board with my idea before we talk to her brothers.

I want to make her feel relaxed. I don’t want her to be angry with me.

I still can’t help this crazy pull I feel towards her.

Heading upstairs to her bedroom to try and talk to her, I can feel the knot in my stomach. My brothers rocking up here was not a good thing. I wasn’t ready for that at all.

Standing in the doorway, I watch her for a moment. She is sitting on the frame of the window, staring out into the garden. She has the most beautiful profile, delicate and elegant. Her one leg is popped up on the window ledge, her arm resting on her knee and her head resting against the wall.

Long soft blonde curls are falling over her shoulder and down her back.

“Raisa, can we talk?” I say gently.

She jumps at the sound of my voice and quickly turns to face me. The peace is gone from her body. She looks rigid and tense now.

I wish I didn’t have that effect on her.

“What do you want?” she snaps.

“I want to talk. I want to find out what you need—to feel more at home here.”

“What I need? Home? Are you serious?” She stands up and marches towards me, standing just in front of me she glares up at me with hatred and anger. “If you want me to feel at home—then let me go home, Oleg.”

She is as stubborn as me and it’s going to get us nowhere.

“I can’t do that,” I say gently. I want to reach out and touch her. It takes everything in me not to pull her up against me.

I notice how her eyes trace over my lips, down my body, then back up again. She looks frustrated with herself.

Then heat builds behind her gaze again and she aims it at me. Clenching her fists at her side she pushes her shoulders back and glares more intensely.

“Let me go home. I heard your brothers. They aren’t happy with you either. Whatever it is that you have planned—it won’t work. Just let me go now and this can all be over. I won’t even tell my brothers what happened. I’ll just go back to my life and pretend—“

“We both know that isn’t true, Raisa. We both know you will tell them everything. Besides. Letting you go will not solve anything. It won’t fix the bigger problem. I’m sorry—but I can’t do that.”

Her chest is rising and falling quickly. Her breath is heavy and fast.

She bites her lower lip and my heart begins to pound faster.

Fuck.

I want her.

This talk is not going how I planned.

I need to get out of here before I do something I will regret.

“Raisa, just know that I don’t want anything bad for you,” I say with a heavy heart.

“Then let me go,” she begs.

“No.”

I turn out of her room and walk away from her because if I don’t, I am going to kiss her again—and I won’t be able to stop anything that happens after that.