Chapter 116

Liana:

“I did beg you not to keep her,” I said, looking at Yaroslav. His eyes met mine, and I watched as he raised an eyebrow.

Had he listened, it wouldn’t have gotten to this anyway. But the man not only brought her, wed her, and mated with her, then ended up sending me as a bride to ensure that I stayed away. Little did I know was that I was going to end up living the hell and beauty of my life at the same time. 

“You married a man of your choice…”

“And you killed him,” I said, and the man raised an eyebrow. “Did you ever consider thinking that he might have not been the one to harm me? That your wife was a liar.”

“She was not, it was you who told her.” He said, and I smiled. My dark smile intended to make him reconsider, think of his choices, and I wanted nothing more than to anger him just like he broke me. The pain that I felt after what he did was not one that I got over, I doubted that I ever would, but after loving the man for over forty years, I do believe that I had every right to hate the two of them being together when he knew of my true feelings toward him.

He walked toward me before spitting on my face, taking me off guard with his reaction. I honestly believed that he would lay a hand on me, but I think that his morals extended to being patient, even in this situation.

“You should be thankful.” He said, looking me dead in the eye. “I am a man who is patient, and I am a man who does lay a hand on a woman. Liar or not, I am going to be able to make sure that your insides eat you alive to the point where you would be begging to die. I will make sure that even if my son doesn’t touch a hair on your head, I still wouldn’t allow him to do that to the woman that raised him. But I have my ways, Liana, and you are going to see the pain that both the bastards that are sitting by your side as merciful. You know, they would know what we are doing, as for you, you wouldn’t know what is crawling under your skin, and you do not want to know what it is that I plan on making you face.”

“I doubt that it is going to be worse than bringing a slave to your house as a mate.” I said, and he smiled. His smile reached his eyes, and I could tell that he was more than a little amused. The man was taking my own pain as his own pleasure. “You broke everything that night.”

He took a step toward me. His eyes meeting mine as his body towered over my own before he put a finger under my chin, raising my head until my neck cracked. 

“I believe that I fixed everything that YOU nearly broke that night.” He whispered. “To my luck, I might even be able to get my daughter’s revenge after all. You know, with the Italian Bernardi killing his Capo, I never had that pleasure. You might just be the key to all of this, am I correct, sestra?” 

The fact that he called me sister was one thing that he knew that I despised. He knew how much it hurt me, and he knew that I didn’t see him as a brother. It always pained me when he did this, but he was always sure to keep his eyes locked with mine as he did.

And his fixed eyes on mine reminded me of the time that he told me that he would see me as nothing more than a sister. It was on the very day that he asked me to prepare his new slave for him…

Flashback:

“I want her prepared and sent to my room.” He said, his tone calm, amused, and if I didn’t know any better than a man was more or less giddy about the consort’s presence. He never did allow us to use the term ‘slave’. The word consort was seen as less vulgar, especially when he was not the type to even have any to begin with.

“Yaroslav, what is the meaning of this? You are not the type to do…”

“I doubt that I asked for your opinion, Liana. I told you to prepare the woman, give her something to eat, her body is still weak from the long trip, and she needs to be bathed, clothed, and I am to expect her in my room in the evening.” He said, stopping me. He turned to his bar, filling two glasses, one for me and the other for him.

“You really do expect me to do this, Yaroslav? Despite admitting to you that I…”

“You are my sister, and I told you, I do not intend to break your heart. It is all I ever saw in you and all I ever will see.” His said, putting the glass on the table in front of me. “I want her ready in my room when I am back from work, Liana, and if one hair is harmed on her head, I will hold you accountable.”

“You are being serious? Comparing me to a slave?” I asked, shaking my head at the man. “I grew up along your side, and you barely met the woman five minutes ago, and yet, I am to be held accountable for a slave?”

“She is my woman, and I expect you to treat her likewise. The title does not matter, it never did, and it never will. Now, you are to treat her with respect as will everyone, and if I hear anyone in this house calling her in any disrespectful title, then they are to be dealing with me.” He said, glaring at me. “And that includes you, sestra…”

End of Flashback.

“You should have known your limits at the time, Liana.” He said, keeping his eyes on mine as he spoke. My heart raced, and I smiled, my smile colder and darker than it ever was. “And I do suggest that you start your apology to your daughter.”

My smile dropped and if I knew at that moment that had I been slapped in the face, it would have been less painful. The one regret that I had was for my daughter to turn out the way that she did. The goodness of her heart and the way that she looked at all of them was something that I never liked. I did try to spark something between them, but whenever I believed that I got a glance, I never found one. 

Her finding out about things the way that she did was not how I intended, but considering the aftermath of everything that we’ve been through; there was no other way for it to happen.

“You are a disgrace to her as a mother. And I do hope that you pray for ONE ounce of forgiveness from her.” He said coldly. “Though a person like you does not deserve it; you still are her mother. And in that, even she has no control over the love that she has for you. You should hope that it is enough for her to think of accepting looking at you one more time before it is too late for you to be able to speak…”