Heart of Crime

I was born into Bratva royalty, but that never made me a princess. My entire life I've been mocked and ignored, and the only place I've ever felt like myself was at the theater, with a needle in my hand and beautiful fabrics around me. That's where I met him. A stranger with a missing button, clear blue eyes, and a voice that made the world feel less cruel for one stolen night. We only exchanged our first names and talked the night away over warm coffees and pastries before my life came crashing down around me. Years later, my grandfather is dead, the Bratva is at war, and I'm imprisoned because of my family. I'm broken, bruised, and forgotten until the new Pakhan comes to inspect his prisoners. Rodian Volkov. The man I never forgot. Only now, he isn't a stranger with gentle hands and friendly eyes. He's become savage just like the rest of the men who bend the knee to him. He's now the monster I fear. When he tells the Bratva he's marrying me to bring peace, I'm too terrified to argue. Because saying no to the Pakhan is never an option. Narrated in duet style.