The Unspoken Vow

Chapter Three

Nyah

I opened the door to the Volkov siblings, Eliana leading the way. Among her brothers' black suits and plain ties, she stood out in a light blue, silk dress that went down to her knees, her blonde hair done up into a low bun.

"Nyah!" she exclaimed, squeezing me into a hug. It was great to see her well, even though there was a twinge feeling in my heart that maybe she was smiling for me. Pretending that everything was okay.

I hugged her back then let them all in.

"Thanks for having us," Malachi smiled, kissing me on the cheek.

"Of course! You guys are always welcome." I grinned, patting his arm.

Kaian smiled at me and walked on, joining Malachi.

Ivan, to my surprise, stooped down, his hand on my waist and pressed a light kiss on my cheek. "It's good to see you, Nyah," he said. I caught his scent, woodsy with a hint of citrus. He walked ahead, following his younger brothers to where the maid led them. Eliana stood beside me, waiting.

Ivan had never kissed me on the cheek before. However, I was more concerned about my reaction than whatever his intention was. I noticed everything. The warmth of his hand, the pressure of it on my waist, his lips on my cheek, his scent. When did I ever notice that? I didn't notice it on Malachi, didn't notice Malachi's scent, his touch. With Malachi, it was everything that it was supposed to be; a kiss on the cheek.

Was it because my dad was about to drop a 'hey, I want you to marry my daughter' bomb on him that I was acting and feeling this way? Was my body physically preparing itself to notice him?

"He knows, Nyah," Eliana whispered, as if she could read my mind.

"What?" I whispered back, snapping out of my trance.

"He knows about the deal, you marrying him and all," she explained, hooking her arm through mine, then leading me to the dining room.

"And what did he say? Is he going to deny it or...?" I asked, feeling anxiety catch up to me.

She shrugged. "No idea, but us being here should be a positive sign, right? For the deal, I mean." she answered, searching my face.

"I guess so, but don't you think Ivan would have disagreed?" I ask, stopping before the closed dining room doors, listening to the faint greetings my parents bestowed upon the three Volkov brothers.

"He went on about upholding our father's reputation, maybe he's agreeing because of that. And who knows? Your dad might start a war if he were to deny you."
It was something my dad would absolutely do but my heart clenched at the thought, if Ivan was marrying me for duty then what chance did I have? If there was one thing each Volkov sibling had in common, besides their last name, was their goal to ensure that their reputation stayed where it was; top of the top. They all ensured nobody disrespected their family, there were masses all over the world that wouldn't dare think ill of them and rightfully so.

After their father was murdered, Ivan became the monster everyone feared he was capable of being. He killed everyone he thought involved in his father's death and left a trail of blood all over the world, as if branding it, a warning that if you killed his kind, you'll die a death a thousand times worse.

Kaian was different; in his own cruel way, he became more efficient, more thorough in whatever job Ivan had assigned him to do. Nobody wanted to face Kaian's wrath, out of the Volkov siblings, Kaian killed the most. The heartless, they called him, at the spitting age of twenty seven, Kaian was becoming a legend in the mafia world. The one who lost his heart among those he made stop beating.