Soiled Touch: A Bratva Arranged Marriage Romance, page 1
Soiled Touch (Tendered Vows Series) by Ember Davis
Copyright © 2024 Ember Davis
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, organizations or locals is entirely coincidental. The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as an advertisement. Trademark names are used editorially with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
For permission requests, email Ember.A.Davis@gmail.com
Contains explicit love scenes and adult language. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older.
Cover Design: Literary Love Potions
This book is available exclusively at Amazon.com. If you’ve obtained it anywhere else, you have an illegal copy.
To anyone who thought they were in an impossible situation, but found that maybe, just maybe, fate was on your side the whole time.
Table of Contents
TRIGGER WARNING
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHATPER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
EPILOGUE
TENDERED VOWS SERIES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY EMBER
TRIGGER WARNING
This story has dark themes and a morally gray Bratva hero. You’ll still find an insta-love story, even if they try to deny it, that is spicy and isn’t necessarily simple, but with darker themes, situations, and depictions of violence (not between the MMC and MFC).
While there is some OW (other woman) drama, there is no cheating with a guaranteed HEA, however, if you don’t like darker themes, then this book may not be for you.
CHAPTER 1
CALLA
Being summoned by my brother to his office always leaves me feeling uneasy. I never quite know what I’m going to find on the other side of the door. It’s not like how it used to be when our parents were alive—then I knew warmth and pride would greet me when I walked in. Now, there is always the undercurrent of a power play.
Pavel, my older brother, doesn’t realize I have no interest in the shady dealings done under my family’s name. I’m not like him. He has always thrived under the Sokolov name, his need for power growing with every taste of it he got.
I’m more than happy not being in the spotlight and nothing inside of me craves power. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I want enough power to make decisions for myself and live my life how I choose.
Our father was a good man, but he had some old school opinions when it came to women and their place in the world. He believed men were above women. It was misogynistic, but it also came from a place of love and protection. My brother carries those beliefs as well, but his feelings come from a place of subservience, greed, and control.
My heart aches from missing my parents.
Their death feels like an unanswered question. Like a memory at the corner of your mind you can’t fully grasp, but you know is there. Their deaths haven’t sat right with me for the last ten months when Pavel informed me of their demise, as if the whole thing was a business transaction.
I remember the day he told me about their deaths like it was yesterday. His face was devoid of all emotion as he studied me, “Our parents are dead, Calla.”
I wasn’t fast enough to stop myself from gasping in surprise and grief. I swear I saw his eyes glint with satisfaction. Reaction was weakness; it was a lesson we both learned early on, and I gave him exactly what he was looking for.
He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and everything about him was casual while I was trying to breathe through grief which felt like knives. “Do you know what that means?”
I whispered, barely able to get the word out, “What?”
His eyes lit up and he was basking in my inability to be strong in a way he never had before. His words were sharp, serrated, “It means it’s time you fulfill your role as the Sokolov princess.”
The smile on his face was cruel and evil. The memory of that smile has stayed with me. I didn’t ask him to elaborate. I didn’t want to.
Instead, I focused on getting the funeral services for our parents ready. Then I was caught up in telling them goodbye. I tried to avoid Pavel as much as possible because every time I saw him, I could see the wheels in his head spinning. I had a feeling I was on borrowed time.
My father promised me when I became a teenager that my body would always be mine and he would never try and use it as a bargaining chip for the family. That doesn’t mean I’ve been given a lot of freedom when it comes to my body. My parents sheltered me as much as possible and never let me date. My tattoos were the only form of rebellion I was allowed. It’s why I’m still a virgin.
What man would want to go up against the Sokolov king for me? I tried to romanticize the whole thing and told myself that one day someone would. Now? I’ve let the fantasy go.
It’s just as dead as my parents are.
My gut has been warning me that Pavel will use me in whatever way he can. Considering he’s never ascribed much value to women, I can only imagine what he’s planning.
I knew whatever reprieve I was being given would come to an end, which is why I have been making plans. I am so close to seeing them come to fruition. I am so close to getting away.
With every step I take closer to Pavel’s office, which used to be our father’s, I know I should have planned faster. The man walking a step behind me is someone I don’t know. Pavel replaced almost everyone in the inner circle with his own guys before our parents were even in the ground.
I’ve never learned this guy’s name and I have no desire to. All the men Pavel surrounds himself with give me the creeps and I avoid them as much as I can.
I’ve never despised being a Sokolov more in my life.
When a woman’s loud moan comes from the other side of the office door, I cringe. Thankfully, my back is still to Pavel’s giant monkey, and he can’t see it. I take a moment to put on the neutral mask which has become increasingly harder to keep in place since my parents’ deaths.
With a big sigh, full of exasperation, I turn toward the man. “I have no interest in seeing my brother’s exploits.” I curl my lip in disgust and the man smirks.
“I’m sure he’ll be done playing with his toy soon.” He shrugs one shoulder like it’s no big deal.
“Maybe I should come back,” I hedge.
I hear the woman shriek and my body goes rigid. That was not a sound of pleasure at all. Creepy gorilla man lets out a dark chuckle and he shakes his head slowly.
“Boss wants to see you right away.” There’s no room in his voice for an argument even though one is bubbling up inside of me.
Why the fuck would Pavel call for me if he’s entertaining a woman? I don’t want to be listening to this shit. I don’t need to be this close to a man who I want to shrink away from.
When the sound stops on the other side of the door, the creep next to me knocks like he’s about to raid the fucking place. I’m so damn tempted to run away.
“Come in,” Pavel barks and I swallow hard because my escort doesn’t waste a second before he swings open the door.
I don’t bother looking at him. I know I won’t find any help from any of the men who report to my brother. Why even bother looking for it?
The only thing I can do is square my shoulders and walk into the office, ignoring the way my heart sinks at how Pavel has erased everything from the room that would have reminded me of our father. The scent of sex, cigars, booze, and tears isn’t helping the melancholy threatening to pull me under.
Pavel is sitting behind his desk. It’s no longer the imposing wooden desk our father sat behind. I always knew where he hid some candy for me. I know I won’t find anything like that now. Hell, the thing doesn’t even have drawers. It’s glass and metal. It’s sleek lines, but there’s no substance to it.
Just like the man sitting behind it.
I focus on the corner of the desk and not where I can see the remnants of something powdery in front of him. I also don’t look at the woman who is kneeling next to Pavel. She has a skirt on, which is rucked up around her waist, but otherwise she’s naked.
“Sit, Calla,” Pavel orders, his voice cold.
I follow his directions, not because I want to, but because I need to choose my battles wisely. I’ve seen a lot of sides of my brother, but the last ten months have been eye opening. I’ve realized more with each passing day that I never knew him to begin with.
It feels like ants are crawling all over my skin with how much I want to run from this room. When Pavel shares a look with the creep who is standing at my back, I hazard a glance at the woman. She has tears tracks on her cheeks, made more obvious by the way her mascara is running.
She doesn’t make a sound, which is both understandable and unsettling. The way her glassy ey
Pavel reaches over and grabs a fistful of her hair and her face twists into a grimace. My eyes snap up to meet my brother’s and it’s clear he’s taunting me by the way he sneers. It’s a challenge to keep my face relaxed and not press my lips into a firm line.
Even though I don’t react, Pavel has a look of victory on his face. Like he’s won something. Maybe he fucking has.
“Calla,” there’s a warning in his tone and I fight the shiver that wants to run down my spine, “so good of you to join me.”
I swallow down the words I want to bite at him. The last time I spoke out of turn, he berated me and told me I was only to speak when asked a direct question. It was demoralizing and something I don’t want to relive.
“The time has come for you to fulfil your purpose as the Sokolov princess,” he delivers his edict like he’s the fucking king.
The longer I sit in front of him, the more I realize he’s just a little boy pretending to be something he’s not. That doesn’t mean his power isn’t real. At least in this room. At least when it comes to those whose loyalty he’s paid for.
Men like the one who I practically feel breathing down my neck.
Pavel makes a tsking sound and shoots me a look which would be contrite if I didn’t know him better. “I never understood why father never used you as the bargaining chip you are.” The way he smiles at me has my stomach knotting as I fight against my instincts to get away from the threat. “I won’t make the same mistake he did. You’ll be strengthening our relationship with the Orlov family.”
Ice fills my veins with his declaration because I know what’s coming next. The fact that Pavel is using me to do something our father never really accomplished—tie the Solokov and Orlov Bratva’s together—is probably making him feel invincible.
The Orlov family has ruled New York for a long time. Nikolai took over the head of the family and has two of his brothers working underneath him. You don’t hear much about the youngest brother, but I do know they have always valued their sister, Laurel. They might be ruthless men, but I know they have more moral and ethical standards than Pavel has.
The Solokov family is based in New Jersey, but it’s territory we share with Vlad Petrov out of Atlantic City. Father wanted more, but he also knew the relative peace between the families in this area was strained by how much the Orlov and Petrov families hated each other.
Not long before my parents died, the Orlov and Petrov Bratvas feud was ended by Laurel and Vlad getting together. It left my own family in a purgatory of sorts.
“You’ll be marrying Viktor.” My heart sinks and Pavel smirks. “The baby of the family was the best I could get for you.” His eyes trail over my body and I wish I could curl in on myself. “Not surprising, but it will strengthen our position here and give us more opportunities to do business in the city.”
Like I give a shit about his business opportunities. I’m kicking myself for sticking around as long as I did. I should have put my plans into motion, but now I won’t be able to escape.
The evil glint in his eye is almost challenging me to try. The silence stretches between us, but I know I shouldn’t fill it with anything. Danger lurks in this room and my senses heighten in response to it.
“Seems you can learn something,” Pavel’s praise is condescending as fuck. “We’ll be going tomorrow to meet with Nikolai. I’ll be finalizing the deal, and you’ll have the chance to meet your groom.”
I don’t know whether this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me or my chance at freedom. Tears prick the back of my eyes, but I know I can’t let him see them. It would only make him feel more powerful.
“I want your assurance that you understand and will be the dutiful wife I’ve promised you’ll be,” he barks and tightens his grip in the woman’s hair to the point that she lets out a whimper. His eyes flash with malice at the sound.
“I understand,” I whisper, my voice soft and devoid of the steel I wish I could show.
“Good. Now go. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.”
He doesn’t watch to make sure I listen to him. All his focus goes to the woman on her knees. He twists her face around and he backhands her, his fingers still gripping her hair. The sound of his skin hitting hers echoes around the room.
“I told you not to make a sound,” he grits out through his teeth, the anger inside of him surging and filling the room and making it hard to breathe.
I get up quickly, feeling desperate because I can’t help her. The only thing I can do before his anger is directed at me is run. As I leave his office, helplessness wraps itself around me and makes each step feel heavy.
When I glance back, I expect his creepy gorilla to be following me, but he isn’t. He’s standing in the office, his focus on the woman.
Pavel shoves the woman and snarls, “Teach her a lesson.”
I close the door quickly and race back to my room. Only when I’m safely locked away do I let my own tears fall. I cry for myself and my uncertain future. I cry for the parents I lost and how disappointed they would be right now. I cry for that woman.
Tonight I let myself break down knowing full well that I’ll have put myself back together tomorrow.
CHAPTER 2
VIKTOR
Hazel giggles in my ear as I push the door open to the house I share with my brothers. Really, it’s a mansion, but it’s the only home I’ve ever known. The moment I step inside, my feet feeling a little heavy as I almost trip over myself and the woman hanging off me, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
Something’s up, but the buzz I’ve been nursing all night and the woman hanging off me has my attention. As it fucking should be. I hope I can fly under the radar of whatever the fuck is going on.
The moment I step into the living room to find my brothers waiting for me, I know this night is not going to end the way I wanted it to. I was expecting to ride out my buzz and fuck Hazel. She’s one of the few people in my circle who also has a connection to my family.
I met her because Anton, her brother, works for my brothers. She’s always up for a good time and her best friend, Sage, isn’t horrible to be around. I don’t mind hanging out with her. I definitely don’t mind that she can suck cock like a fucking champion.
Sometimes I get the feeling Hazel hangs out with me because of my last name. If that’s true, she’ll be disappointed. I don’t have the power my brothers do.
I could have more of a role with the Orlov business, but why should I? I’m only 21 and they’ve got it. They don’t need my help.
I’m not sure I want a role either. My brothers know who they are. They embrace it. They also had the opportunity to learn from our father about the family. I didn’t have the same chance.
I’ve always felt outshined by my brothers. They know who they are. I still haven’t figured it out.
It has made me resentful.
Hazel rubs her body against mine and sucks my earlobe into her mouth. She’s always eager and I’ve been more than willing to take her up on that. I’ve never promised her a future together or more than I can give her.
We’re not a couple. It’s all just good fun and fucking.
Nikolai’s eyes harden the longer he takes me in. It doesn’t help that Hazel is swaying on her feet and making it look a lot fucking worse than it is. I might be feeling good, but I’m not hammered. I kind of wish I were right now.
Nikolai’s voice is ice fucking cold, “Did you drive?”
I shake my head once and wrap an arm around Hazel’s waist to steady her as she looks around with wide eyes, only just realizing we’re not alone. “Shit,” she whispers just quiet enough that I’m the only one who hears her.
“Hired a ride,” I assure my oldest brother and flash him a grin, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Sergei, the youngest of my older brothers and third born, makes an angry scoffing sound as he stares me down. When I glance at Ivan, he has a bored as fuck look on his face. He’s second in line after Nikolai and I’m sure he’s as tired of my shit as everyone else.
The only reason Laurel, our only sister who is also a few years older than me, isn’t giving me shit right now is because she’s not here. She’s in Atlanta City with her husband, Vlad Petrov. When they got together, it was a little fucked up, but it also ended a long as fuck hatred between the two families. As long as she’s happy, then I’m happy for her.
