The Cardinal Sin: Reverse-Harem Series (The Cardinal Series Book 4) by Mia Smantz

Author:Mia Smantz [Smantz, Mia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

One of Petrova’s men returned with the kit, but Veseli refused to speak a word until he’d had my arm all patched up. It equally flattered and worked up my nerves.

After the wipes and gauze had all been cleaned up, Petrova made a motion to speak, but Veseli had held a finger up, cutting him off mid-word. Shocked with his mouth hanging, Petrova stared, a baffled expression on his face. He likely was debating if Veseli’s audacity had been born from confidence or insanity.

I wondered, permitting we all made it out alive, if Natasia would get a kick out of hearing how Veseli had treated the all-powerful Petrova.

“Blink,” Veseli ordered, blinding me with a flash of light.

“What?” I asked, disoriented, and trying to clear the spots out of my vision. My eyes fluttered rapidly, discerning the figures in the cabin through the flash dots burned into my retinas.

Veseli leaned back, satisfied. “Well, great news. You don’t have a concussion.” He turned to put away the supplies. “And let me tell you, Petrova, that is extremely good news because, agreement or not, I might’ve had to kill your little Russian nesting doll for giving her brain damage.”

Still trying fruitlessly to blink the dots away, I could feel a shift in the atmosphere as Zakhar tensed. Maybe even Petrova teetered toward that ledge where he debated whether or not we were worth the hassle.

After all the hustle and bustle, along with Veseli’s assurances, I hoped that Veseli could deliver what he promised. My confidence wasn’t so high, especially when Veseli dropped the surprise bomb saying that his plan hinged on me.

How could I help in a war I hadn’t known existed until today?

“You have any bruise paste?” Veseli questioned, using my chin to tilt me this way and that.

Petrova sighed. “You are purposefully testing my patience.”

“Perhaps.” Veseli nodded with finality and then faced forward. “My grandfather always told me to put a lover through their paces before you get into bed with them, that way you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Petrova’s head tilted to the side as a furrowed white brow angled up on his forehead. “Lover?”

Veseli shrugged, giving a manly aw-shucks grin that two guys that had been friends for decades might share. “Hell, Baba was always so full of wisdom. Who am I not to take his advice to heart? I’ve come to realize over the years that he was dead on the nail right. From my own experiences, I’ve also learned that getting into business with someone is a lot like taking them on as a spouse.”

Petrova frowned. “We are to be wives?”

If I’d had water in my mouth when he calmly asked that question with his Russian accent, I’d have sprayed it all out. I coughed into my elbow and avoided all eye contact.

“Well now…” Veseli’s amused grin suffused his voice. Even without looking, I knew he was being his most charismatic. “That’s a funny way of asking a gal for her hand in marriage, but since you asked so nicely…”

Petrova shook his head, a disgusted look on his face.

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