American library books ยป Other ยป Gilded Cage: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 1) by Nicole Fox (best books for 20 year olds .txt) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซGilded Cage: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 1) by Nicole Fox (best books for 20 year olds .txt) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Nicole Fox



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should be keeping to yourself.

โ€œHow so?โ€

I shake my head. โ€œNo, Iโ€ฆ thatโ€™s not what I meanโ€ฆ Iโ€ฆโ€

โ€œEsme,โ€ Cillian says gently.

I stop my awkward stammering.

I avoid his eyes and play with the hem of my dress. โ€œItโ€™s nothing,โ€ I try again.

โ€œIs that why you wonโ€™t look me in the eye?โ€

I raise my gaze to his and stare directly at him in defiance. โ€œI know you and Artem are close,โ€ I say. โ€œBut youโ€™re not my friend.โ€

โ€œIโ€™d like to be,โ€ he says instantly.

โ€œIโ€ฆ you would?โ€ I say, genuinely surprised by that.

โ€œOf course,โ€ Cillian says. I donโ€™t hear a lick of insincerity in his tone. โ€œYouโ€™re Artemโ€™s wife, and Artemโ€™s as good as a brother to me. So yes, I would like us to be friends.โ€

โ€œYou donโ€™t honestly expect me to believe that youโ€™d keep my secrets from Artem, do you?โ€

He raises his eyebrows. โ€œI guess I wasnโ€™t aware you had secrets from Artem.โ€

Damn it.

I smile and shake my head at him. โ€œYouโ€™re good.โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t know what youโ€™re talking about,โ€ he says innocently.

I roll my eyes at him. โ€œIs that why you stayed behind?โ€ I ask. โ€œSo you could lull me into a false sense of security and trick me into giving you information?โ€

Cillian laughs. I canโ€™t help admiring the way his blonde curls catch the light. He looks like he should be on the cover of some all-American magazine. Ironic really, considering heโ€™s pure Irish.

โ€œCome on now, youโ€™ve got me all wrong,โ€ he argues. โ€œIโ€™m just trying to get to know you a little better and youโ€™re accusing me of ulterior motives.โ€

โ€œWell, youโ€™re asking me a lot of unnecessary questions,โ€ I point out.

He smiles, apparently unaffected by how uncomfortable I obviously am right now. โ€œNuh-uh,โ€ he says. โ€œYou let something slip and I simply wanted clarification.โ€

I open my mouth and then snap it shut again, realizing that heโ€™s right. Heโ€™s absolutely rightโ€”Iโ€™m the one being cagey and weird.

I exhale and try to shake off the tightening in my chest that Iโ€™ve been feeling for the past few days now.

โ€œOkay,โ€ I concede. โ€œYouโ€™re right.โ€

He smiles in satisfaction. โ€œListen, all Iโ€™m saying is, if there is something on your mind, you can talk to me. Thatโ€™s all. No ulterior motives. And in this case, I wonโ€™t play the double agent.โ€

โ€œIn this case?โ€ I ask, with raised eyebrows.

He chuckles. โ€œWell, sometimes in this line of work, double agenting is necessary.โ€

โ€œDouble agenting?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s a real word,โ€ he says confidently.

I canโ€™t help but laugh. For a trained killer, heโ€™s a little goofy.

โ€œSo, Cillian, I have to admitโ€ฆ Artem doesnโ€™t talk about you much.โ€

โ€œOuch. My ego.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s not what I mean!โ€ I protest. โ€œI know how close the two of you are, and I know how much Artem loves and respects you, which is why itโ€™s surprising that he doesnโ€™t talk about you more.โ€

โ€œAh,โ€ Cillian muses. โ€œWell, Artem doesnโ€™t really like to talk about the past much. Anyoneโ€™s past.โ€

โ€œApparently.โ€

โ€œBut in my case, I think itโ€™s simply because he feels he doesnโ€™t have the right,โ€ Cillian explains. โ€œEspecially because my past is mired in drama, heartache and betrayal.โ€

โ€œAll three, huh?โ€

โ€œTriple whammy,โ€ Cillian agrees. He casts a glance around. โ€œDo you by any chance have alcohol in this little love shack?โ€

I smile apologetically. โ€œSorry, but itโ€™s a dry love shack for now.โ€

โ€œSeriously?โ€ Cillian says, looking at me in shock. โ€œThereโ€™s no alcohol at all?โ€

โ€œSorry.โ€

โ€œWhat did Artem do, finish the entire supply before I got here?โ€

โ€œHe hasnโ€™t really drank at all since weโ€™ve been up here. Actually, he hasnโ€™t really drank since we left Los Angeles.โ€

Cillianโ€™s brow furrows for a short moment before a smile falls back onto his face.

โ€œWow,โ€ he breathes, impressed.

โ€œWhatโ€™s that look?โ€

Cillian shrugs. โ€œJust amazed, really,โ€ he says. โ€œThere was a time not long ago when Artem couldnโ€™t go a day with some liquid courage. I guess thatโ€™s thanks to you.โ€

I feel my cheeks blush with color again. โ€œI donโ€™t know about thatโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI do,โ€ Cillian asserts confidently. Then he takes a deep breath. โ€œI had hoped for a little liquid courage of my own to tell you this story. But I guess Iโ€™ll have to do it stone-cold sober.โ€

I raise my eyebrows. โ€œYouโ€™re going to tell me about your past?โ€ I ask.

โ€œYup.โ€

โ€œThe one thatโ€™s full of drama, heartache and betrayal?โ€ I clarify.

โ€œIt would seem so.โ€

โ€œWow,โ€ I say. โ€œNot that Iโ€™m not flattered, and interested. But why?โ€

โ€œBecause, if I expect you to trust me, I have to trust you,โ€ he says.

I smile, feeling more and more at ease with Cillian with each passing minute.

Then, after taking another deep breath, Cillian launches into the story of his life in Ireland and growing up in a small-time mafia family.

He tells me about Saoirse, about the boy that hit on her, and everything that followed.

And I listen silently, allowing him to tell his story at his own pace.

When heโ€™s finished, he runs his fingers through his overgrown blonde hair and glances out the window at the mountains in the distance.

โ€œSo thatโ€™s it,โ€ he says, turning his attention back to me. โ€œThatโ€™s my little tragedy, the one that led me to the Bratva in the first place.โ€

โ€œCillian,โ€ I whisper, emotion clogging up my throat. โ€œIโ€ฆ Iโ€™m sorry.โ€

โ€œIt was a long time ago, Esme.โ€

โ€œDoesnโ€™t mean it hurts any less.โ€

He smiles. I can see the hurt in his eyes for a moment.

โ€œYour father didnโ€™t even try to negotiate on your behalf?โ€ I ask.

โ€œMy father wasโ€”isโ€”an ambitious man,โ€ Cillian replies. โ€œThe politician whose son I injured, he was powerful. My father had to choose between political advancement or his screw-up son. I guess it was an easy decision for him.โ€

โ€œAnd Saoirse?โ€ I ask, feeling guilty for even asking.

โ€œShe moved on with her life,โ€ Cillian tells me. โ€œAnd I moved on, too. As best I could.โ€

โ€œOh, my God,โ€ I breathe. โ€œCillianโ€ฆ you still have feelings for her.โ€

He smiles sadly. โ€œMaybe,โ€ he acknowledges. โ€œBut itโ€™s probably because I havenโ€™t met the right girl yet. Artemโ€™s lucky that way.โ€

I look at him with a start. โ€œWhat?โ€

โ€œOh, come on, Esme,โ€ Cillian says. โ€œI havenโ€™t seen Artem this happy in a long fucking

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