“Yes,” she said.

“Aurora, when you married Slavik Ivanov, you swore your loyalty to him, and in doing so, you gave your life to me.”

She nodded her head. “Yes.”

“Anything you know, anything you believe your father has done, you will have to tell me.”

“And I would,” she said. “I only recognize him. I don’t know if my father removed him, or if … I don’t know. I swear.”

I believed her.

“But your loyalty, it is to me and your husband?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Then it’s time you graced the mark,” Ivan said, standing.

He snapped his fingers, and that was where I saw Mark, the tattoo artist. There were times Ivan would punch his brand into the flesh of his subjects with a hot branded iron. This was far more subtle.

“Hold out your arm.”

Aurora cradled her arm against her chest. “I don’t like needles.”

“It will hurt, but this will guarantee your safety. You’re pledging your life to mine.”

“You’re removing me from my family,” she said.

Ivan sighed. “Aurora, we both know they’re not your family. I’m very much aware of what your father thinks of me and my organization. He’s willing to put your life on the line. Now, if what you say is true, if you bind yourself to me, to us, to your husband, you will never have to be questioned after an attack like that, again.”

He was talking total bullshit and yet, I had a feeling he meant what he said.

“Now, I can either make this as painless as possible for you or you’re going to hurt for several days, if not weeks.” He moved over to the small firepit he had burning and held up the branding iron. In response, my wife held her arm up as if offering to the gods.

I stifled a smile.

I had no choice but to stand perfectly still as Mark touched my wife. The design was wrapped around her wrist. The wives were always given the ink around their wrist. It was an easy part of the body that was seen. People would know who they belonged to.

The world would now see that Aurora Fredo, now Aurora Ivanov, was my property, but also the subject of Ivan Volkov. Even as he marked her flesh for loyalty, in doing so, he’d also sworn to protect her.

This I found interesting.

I didn’t know why he was doing this.

Mark kept on working, and Aurora winced. He’d stop, and she’d signal him to continue.

I left her side and walked toward Ivan.

“You wanted to question her,” I said. “Why the branding? You could have done this on our wedding night, but you chose not to. Why?”

“I don’t have to answer to you.”

“As one of your brigadiers, I have no choice but to ask why. You can keep the information from me, but to protect you, I need to know the truth.”

Ivan smiled at me.

“Did her father send those men?”