Page 21 of The Pakhan’s Heir

I am blushing a little, admittedly. My hands are against his chest. Underneath his shirt, the hard muscle presses against the palms of my hands as his heartbeats thrum against my skin.

This… is nice. Or at least a nice fantasy. I relax a little and move my hands up and around his neck, lacing them together.

“That’s a good girl,” he mutters, and the sound of his voice sends a signal through me that I’m not expecting. My face gets hot and I look away again.

“Nona—”

“Give me a second,” I say as I take a breath. “This is… hard.”

“Hmm. Well, it doesn’t have to be.” His hand on my back moves down to my waist… then past my waistline. Before I know what’s happening, I feel my right ass cheek tighten under his grip.

Instinct kicks in and I stiffen. My hands move on their own, sliding down to his chest and pushing him… hard. He stumbles back, his eyes wide with shock.

How dare he? I storm off without a word. Does he think he just has access to me? In public?

I’m halfway through the hall leading out of the ballroom when I hear footsteps come up behind me and I’m grabbed by the arm. I whirl around and see my father’s enraged face.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” He growls at me. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

“He grabbed me⁠—”

“Of course he grabbed you, you fucking idiot! He gets in my face. “He’s your husband, Nona. Don’t tell me you forgot that already?”

I can’t speak. My eyes are burning with tears. I blink them back and force the sobs back down into my body.

“You are blowing this,” he says. “I told you that you are to be submissive to your husband. That means allowing him to show public affection if he wants to.”

“H-He’s been drinking,” I manage to say. “He⁠—”

He raises his hand and I flinch… but he stops himself. Instead, he points in my face and says, “If you mess this up for us… If he decides that he doesn’t want you anymore because of your foolishness, you can forget about coming back home again. You will not be my daughter anymore, Nona.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing and I can’t respond. He would really kick me out of his life…

“Now, get yourself together,” he says. “Go back in there and apologize to your husband. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir,” I say softly.

“Good. Get going.”

I lift my head and swallow hard, forcing myself not to cry. He’s right. There’s more going on than just my feelings or this stupid marriage. I have to get myself together and do what I’m told. For my father and for the Bratva.

I walk back into the ballroom. The music’s back on and people are dancing again. Alex is sitting back at the table at the far side of the room, a sour look on his face as he drinks his wine.

Everyone is watching me as I walk over to him. My face feels hot as I flush with embarrassment. I’ve really made a mess of things.

I lean in and kiss him on the cheek, making a public spectacle. He doesn’t move or acknowledge me, so I sit down next to him. “I’m sorry,” I say.

He doesn’t say anything. He just drinks his wine.

“I… I wasn’t expecting you to grab me, okay? I just…” I can’t come at this with excuses. “I’m sorry.”

He looks over at me, then says, “If this is going to work, you’re going to have to fix your attitude, Nona.”

I just stare at him. God, I wish I could slap him.

He sits up in his chair and leans into me. “Your father seemed kind of pissed. What did he say to you in the hall?”

I look away. I have to swallow again as my eyes start burning a little from impending tears. “He told me not to blow it with you.”