Forbidden Vows: Chapter 23

“I’m still in awe of you,” Eileen says, her head resting on my bare chest.

“In awe?”

Running my fingers through her long, red hair, I gaze down at this beautiful woman, silently thanking fate for twisting things to bring us together. It’s all been worth it. I can handle anything, including discord within the Bratva, if it means having Eileen in my arms.

“I was never fully sure you were listening,” she says, “but you were. You were just searching for the right way to prove it.”

“And did I? Prove it, that is?”

“Oh, you most certainly did, and then some.” Eileen laughs lightly. “I still can’t believe it. I’ve been dreaming about having my own café for a long time. My dad kept postponing it, giving me all sorts of nonsensical reasons, and then you came into the picture. The trouble with Sergei, the attempts on my life, the discord between Ciara and me… for a while there, I thought I’d be stuck in this house for the rest of my life. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a beautiful house, but—”

“It would’ve become a cage soon enough,” I reply. “Yeah, I get it. For what it’s worth, I hated having to keep you here like that. Frankly, I’m glad that your father offered Ciara’s hand to Sergei, and he decided to make his move on her. At least it gives him less of a reason to keep coming after you in order to hurt me. Now you can have some peace and the ability to move around more. With bodyguards, of course.”

Eileen shifts to look up at me. “Of course. I guess it’s the best out of the worst possible outcomes, right?”

“It does put a pin in the internal war prospects, if only for a while,” I respond. “Your father’s condition makes things worse, unfortunately, but I’ll take a breather wherever I can get it.”

“I know what you mean,” she sighs deeply. “I just wish Ciara had more sense.”

“She’s hurt and she’s spoiled. She’s also entitled and stubborn. All you can do is mend whatever you can mend and let her come to you should she ever need your support.”

“I’m scared for her. I wasn’t even that close to Sergei, yet I could tell precisely how duplicitous and dangerous that man was. Ciara isn’t an idiot. She’s not blind either.”

“Her ego is the size of Wrigley Field, Eileen. She’s absolutely blind at this point. But there are some hard lessons that she’s going to have to learn on her own, whether you like it or not.”

Eileen sits up, her beautiful breasts capturing my attention. Her skin glows in the morning sunlight that pours through the windows. I lick my lips, suddenly craving more of her. As much as I’d love to make the most of what’s left of our time together, she needs to get ready to go.

“Your father is back at home, right?” I ask her.

“Against the doctor’s advice, yes.”

“At least you can go see him now without worrying about the family drama.”

Eileen gives me a sad look. “It’s a shame it took Dad’s health to bring Ciara back into the fold. And even that’s not a certainty, not while she’s engaged to that monster.”

“She knows what she’s doing, babe. Marrying into the Bratva isn’t the worst idea, but there aren’t any eligible Karpovs left. Ciara is making a play for the rising power within the organization. Unfortunately, she’s betting on the wrong horse, because soon enough, I plan to knock Sergei down a few pegs. I just need to make sure he doesn’t have the other families’ support when that happens.”

“It’s all so complicated.”

I shrug. “It wouldn’t be if you changed your mind about taking over the Donovan business. Ciara wouldn’t be able to challenge you, not while Ronan’s will still has you at the top.”

“We talked about this, Anton. It’s not what I want. It never has been.”

“It’s like being a monarch. It’s mostly in the title. You could appoint someone you trust to do the actual management and handle the leadership.”

Eileen shakes her head slowly. “I was never made for this. It’s why I’m so eager to plunge into my café business instead. Ciara is perfectly capable of handling the Donovan business. It’s her future husband who worries me.”

“At the end of the day, you’ll always be safe, my love.” I reach out and pull her back into my arms. “Whatever happens to the Donovans from now on is on them.”

“It sounds logical enough.”

“But it doesn’t feel that way, does it?”

“No.”

As I plant a kiss on her lips, I can feel her temperature rising. She moans against my mouth, and for a moment I think we are about to slip into a hot and steamy quickie. A knock on the door, however, has us both scrambling out of bed.

“Mr. and Mrs. Karpov.” Ian’s voice comes from the hall. “Pardon the intrusion, but there’s a guest downstairs for Mrs. Karpova.”

“Who is it?”

“Your stepsister.”

I’ve got an unpleasant feeling about this. As soon as we reach the living room, I realize that my feeling was right on point. The look on Ciara’s face is a dark omen. Her smile gives me the fucking creeps.

Instinctively, I take Eileen’s hand in mine.

“How’s Dad?” Eileen immediately asks.

“He hasn’t come out of his room yet, but Dr. Rattner just left. There are no visible changes, but it will take a while for the treatment to have an effect.”

“What brings you here then?” I inquire.

“I’m making the rounds all over Chicago to officially announce my engagement to Sergei Kuznetsov,” Ciara says. “It feels like the right thing to do.”

“With your father still gravely ill?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

She gives me a wry smile. “Anton, darling. It is my father’s desire to see me married and well settled before he passes.”

“My God, Ciara. He’s not dead yet!” Eileen snaps.

“No, he isn’t, but it’s not looking great either,” she says, her voice trembling with emotion. “He wanted to see both of us married, and I’m doing this for him. Sergei and I set a wedding date for next month. We were going to wait a bit, but Dad wanted it sooner rather than later, just in case. His words, not mine.”

Eileen sighs heavily, tears brimming in her eyes.

I reach for her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “Congratulations then, Ciara,” I say.

“You will be receiving an invitation soon. I approved the design earlier this morning. They should be ready to send out by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thank you. Eileen and I will be honored to attend.”

“Eileen is going to be a guest, not part of the wedding party. I’ve already selected my maid of honor and my bridesmaids. I wanted women I could trust.”

Eileen nods. “That’s fine, Ciara. Whatever makes you happy. And congratulations on the engagement. We’ll be happy to be there on your most special day.”

“One more thing,” Ciara says, her tone lower, colder. “I had an interesting conversation with Sergei and Dad last night over dinner, and I thought you and Anton should know. He plans to challenge the Karpov leadership soon.”

My blood runs cold.

I thought I’d put a lid on that. I still have the support of the bigger and more powerful families, but whatever this stunt is, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

“Sergei told you that?” I ask.

“Yes.”

“And what did your father have to say about it?”

“Dad would never support—” Eileen starts to speak, but Ciara cuts her off.

“Dad said it’s the Bratva’s issue to deal with, not ours. We’ll support whoever sits at the head of your table, no questions asked.”

“Why are you telling us this, Ciara?” I ask, carefully analyzing her expression. There’s a hint of fear in her eyes and a nervous twitch at the corner of her mouth. It’s subtle, but I still notice it. “Sergei is your future husband. He might consider this a betrayal.”

Ciara gives me a hard look. “Future husband. He’s not my legal husband yet. And Eileen is still my family, despite our animosities. You’re now my brother-in-law. I thought you might find the information useful, whether you can do anything about it or not.”

“What about you?” Eileen replies, visibly worried.

“Sergei’s intentions aren’t exactly a secret. He never asked me to keep my mouth shut about it.” Ciara tries to shrug it off. “I trust that he’ll get what he wants, one way or another. I just didn’t want you to be blindsided, that’s all.”

“I appreciate that,” I say. “Thank you, Ciara.”

“For the record, you don’t deserve this olive branch,” she replies.

I nod slowly. “I do not, yet you give it, nonetheless. Someday, I will repay the favor,” I tell her. “In the meantime, please reach out for whatever you might need, be it for the wedding or anything else. I want you to know that this,” I add, gesturing around me, “will always be a safe space for you, no matter what.”

“I’ll remember that.” She takes a deep breath and puts on a pleasant smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to visit the Fedorovs next.”

“Will you be telling them about Sergei’s intentions as well?” I ask.

“No. That was for your ears only.”

I give her another nod as Ian politely escorts her out of the mansion.

Once I hear the front door close and Ian’s footsteps echoing throughout the hallway, I allow myself a deep sigh. “Well, shit.”

“Anton, did she seem scared to you?” Eileen asks me. “I didn’t want to ask her outright. She’s as stubborn as Dad in that sense; she’d never admit it.”

“If she’s not scared, she’s definitely worried,” I reply. “I think there’s a part of her that is finally beginning to see the kind of man she’s about to marry.”

“Then why is she still willing to go ahead with it?”

“After the embarrassment we caused her? She’s probably trying to save face, grateful that she’s still able to marry someone within the Bratva,” I reply. “Your stepsister is a highly desirable woman and could marry whomever she chooses, but Sergei does have power and influence within the organization. He also has several key businesses behind him. Otherwise, I would’ve taken him out of the picture a long time ago.”

“Do you think this is a power play on her part?”

That’s a good question, but Eileen might not like my answer. I promised her complete honesty and full transparency, though, so I’m telling her exactly what I think.

“I think she’s riding the fence, waiting to see if the Karpovs stay at the helm or if Sergei has an actual shot at taking over. If he gets his way, and she turns out to be a Karpov supporter, it could cost her and the Donovan businesses in the long run. If I maintain leadership, then at least she’s at peace, because she warned us, and so cannot be deemed a traitor or a liability.”

“Dad was right. For all her flaws, Ciara is a good strategist.”

I can’t do much other than speak to the Bratva families again, if only to reassure their loyalty.

Hopefully, I still hold the majority.