Gilded Cage: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 1) by Nicole Fox (best books for 20 year olds .txt) ๐
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- Author: Nicole Fox
Read book online ยซGilded Cage: A Russian Mafia Romance (Kovalyov Bratva Book 1) by Nicole Fox (best books for 20 year olds .txt) ๐ยป. Author - Nicole Fox
โHow so?โ
I shake my head. โNo, Iโฆ thatโs not what I meanโฆ Iโฆโ
โEsme,โ Cillian says gently.
I stop my awkward stammering.
I avoid his eyes and play with the hem of my dress. โItโs nothing,โ I try again.
โIs that why you wonโt look me in the eye?โ
I raise my gaze to his and stare directly at him in defiance. โI know you and Artem are close,โ I say. โBut youโre not my friend.โ
โIโd like to be,โ he says instantly.
โIโฆ you would?โ I say, genuinely surprised by that.
โOf course,โ Cillian says. I donโt hear a lick of insincerity in his tone. โYouโre Artemโs wife, and Artemโs as good as a brother to me. So yes, I would like us to be friends.โ
โYou donโt honestly expect me to believe that youโd keep my secrets from Artem, do you?โ
He raises his eyebrows. โI guess I wasnโt aware you had secrets from Artem.โ
Damn it.
I smile and shake my head at him. โYouโre good.โ
โI donโt know what youโre talking about,โ he says innocently.
I roll my eyes at him. โIs that why you stayed behind?โ I ask. โSo you could lull me into a false sense of security and trick me into giving you information?โ
Cillian laughs. I canโt 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 heโs pure Irish.
โCome on now, youโve got me all wrong,โ he argues. โIโm just trying to get to know you a little better and youโre accusing me of ulterior motives.โ
โWell, youโre asking me a lot of unnecessary questions,โ I point out.
He smiles, apparently unaffected by how uncomfortable I obviously am right now. โNuh-uh,โ he says. โYou let something slip and I simply wanted clarification.โ
I open my mouth and then snap it shut again, realizing that heโs right. Heโs absolutely rightโIโm the one being cagey and weird.
I exhale and try to shake off the tightening in my chest that Iโve been feeling for the past few days now.
โOkay,โ I concede. โYouโre right.โ
He smiles in satisfaction. โListen, all Iโm saying is, if there is something on your mind, you can talk to me. Thatโs all. No ulterior motives. And in this case, I wonโt play the double agent.โ
โIn this case?โ I ask, with raised eyebrows.
He chuckles. โWell, sometimes in this line of work, double agenting is necessary.โ
โDouble agenting?โ
โItโs a real word,โ he says confidently.
I canโt help but laugh. For a trained killer, heโs a little goofy.
โSo, Cillian, I have to admitโฆ Artem doesnโt talk about you much.โ
โOuch. My ego.โ
โThatโs not what I mean!โ I protest. โI know how close the two of you are, and I know how much Artem loves and respects you, which is why itโs surprising that he doesnโt talk about you more.โ
โAh,โ Cillian muses. โWell, Artem doesnโt really like to talk about the past much. Anyoneโs past.โ
โApparently.โ
โBut in my case, I think itโs simply because he feels he doesnโt have the right,โ Cillian explains. โEspecially because my past is mired in drama, heartache and betrayal.โ
โAll three, huh?โ
โTriple whammy,โ Cillian agrees. He casts a glance around. โDo you by any chance have alcohol in this little love shack?โ
I smile apologetically. โSorry, but itโs a dry love shack for now.โ
โSeriously?โ Cillian says, looking at me in shock. โThereโs no alcohol at all?โ
โSorry.โ
โWhat did Artem do, finish the entire supply before I got here?โ
โHe hasnโt really drank at all since weโve been up here. Actually, he hasnโt really drank since we left Los Angeles.โ
Cillianโs brow furrows for a short moment before a smile falls back onto his face.
โWow,โ he breathes, impressed.
โWhatโs that look?โ
Cillian shrugs. โJust amazed, really,โ he says. โThere was a time not long ago when Artem couldnโt go a day with some liquid courage. I guess thatโs thanks to you.โ
I feel my cheeks blush with color again. โI donโt know about thatโฆโ
โI do,โ Cillian asserts confidently. Then he takes a deep breath. โI had hoped for a little liquid courage of my own to tell you this story. But I guess Iโll have to do it stone-cold sober.โ
I raise my eyebrows. โYouโre going to tell me about your past?โ I ask.
โYup.โ
โThe one thatโs full of drama, heartache and betrayal?โ I clarify.
โIt would seem so.โ
โWow,โ I say. โNot that Iโm not flattered, and interested. But why?โ
โBecause, 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 heโs finished, he runs his fingers through his overgrown blonde hair and glances out the window at the mountains in the distance.
โSo thatโs it,โ he says, turning his attention back to me. โThatโs my little tragedy, the one that led me to the Bratva in the first place.โ
โCillian,โ I whisper, emotion clogging up my throat. โIโฆ Iโm sorry.โ
โIt was a long time ago, Esme.โ
โDoesnโt mean it hurts any less.โ
He smiles. I can see the hurt in his eyes for a moment.
โYour father didnโt even try to negotiate on your behalf?โ I ask.
โMy father wasโisโan ambitious man,โ Cillian replies. โThe 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
โAnd Saoirse?โ I ask, feeling guilty for even asking.
โShe moved on with her life,โ Cillian tells me. โAnd I moved on, too. As best I could.โ
โOh, my God,โ I breathe. โCillianโฆ you still have feelings for her.โ
He smiles sadly. โMaybe,โ he acknowledges. โBut itโs probably because I havenโt met the right girl yet. Artemโs lucky that way.โ
I look at him with a start. โWhat?โ
โOh, come on, Esme,โ Cillian says. โI havenโt seen Artem this happy in a long fucking
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