Page 52 of The Bratva's Bride
“What happened?” Was Greg just being an overprotective brother and overreacting? Or was his rage warranted even after all this time?
“It’s not my place to tell, that’s something you’re going to have to ask Ange about.” Greg was still upset, and clearly I wasn’t going to get an answer from him about her history with her ex.
“Alright, fair enough. But can I ask you something?” Well, maybe I can get an answer to another thing that’s been on my mind.
“Don’t know if I got an answer, but shoot.” Greg replied with a small shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t know if she’s like this with you and the others, but is there a reason why she doesn’t like having her back to people and having her back touched? She always gets so jumpy whenever she has to turn her back to me or anyone else around the house, and I know it may sound weird, but she never shows me her back or lets me touch it. If I come into the room and she’s shirtless or anything then she instantly turns her front side to me the moment she has inkling of my presence. I’ve tried to ask her about it, but she gets anxious and avoids it or shuts down.” I wasn’t losing my patience with her in regard to the matter, but I started to worry more and more about her. I wanted to understand her reasoning and be there to support her.
Sighing heavily, Greg gave his sister another sad look, this time more heavy than the last. “Unfortunately, that goes back to her ex, which isn’t my story to tell. It’s probably not the answer you want to hear, but it’s one of those personal things that she has to tell you herself. Although, I’m surprised you don’t know about her ex. It was all in the news when it happened. Did it not come up when you dug around into her background? Which I’d be surprised if you didn’t given that we dug into yours.”
I didn’t take any offense to the fact they dug into me, but I had nothing dirty that would show up besides being the head of the Volkov Bratva if they dug deep enough—I wouldn’t consider that a spec of dirt though. I was a legitimate business owner in the eyes of the law and government, and everyone involved in the bratva had legitimate fronts as well.
Even if I did trust Angel to an extent, I did my research on her the night I brought her home after our rushed wedding. Much to everyone’s surprise, nothing came up. Maybe that should have been the first flag for us when we couldn’t find anything about her, but we didn’t think much of it back then because the marriage was a done deal. Thinking back now, it was sloppy and careless beyond reason.
“Maybe you can answer this question instead then.” I waited until Greg gave me his full attention again before popping the question.
“What’s Angel’s real name?”
CHAPTER 24
Nikolai
The all too familiarbrown packet sat before me on the coffee table, my eyes boring holes into it from my spot at the armchair.
The tense silence in the air was thick as my brothers and I eyed the folder, neither of us knowing what to do with it. The five of us were convening for our typical weekly meeting to keep each other caught up with happenings in the week regarding the family business and our own personal businesses.
Since I found out Angel’s real name, I had my people dig up all they could about her—the real her. Everything and anything about Angel Vu packaged in one neat little folder which sat there tauntingly on the table. This was nothing unusual for us, but the fact it was about Angel, who we’ve all grown close and personal in a short time, felt somewhat wrong.
A part of me wanted to burn the file, the part of me who trusted my wife, but the doubtful and cautious side of me told me to rip through her life to know just exactly who I married. Yet, I felt like if I did open the file then we couldn’t go back. It would feel like I betrayed her, betraying her trust in me. She hadn’t given me a reason to doubt her, and I wanted her to tell me things at her own pace. So, if I did this, it meant I didn’t trust her. All the dirt and grit would be revealed. It felt wrong to expose her behind her back like this.
“So, that’s your wife in there then, your real wife err your not real wife? Fake wife? Was to be wife?” Arseny broke the tense silence in the living area where all five us were occupying the seating spots and staring at the information folder.
“Arseny shut up.” Alexei hissed, smacking his twin on the arm. “This is serious. I mean, I know we do our research into people and everything, but this feels wrong.”
“Oh, now you grow a conscience.” Lev retorted with a snort. “She’s been duping us the whole time, I say we have a right to know the real her.” Lev wasn’t too happy about the fact Angel never came forward with her real name, and now he doubted everything about her.