“Stubborn, impetuous, vindictive. She had an ego on her that made his look like peanuts. She was beautiful and she knew it. She was also much smarter than anyone gave her credit for.” He sighs, like just the thought of her is exhausting. “I think she wanted everyone to know what she could do. She tried to be the don. But there can only be one don.”
“Anton told me that their fathers basically arranged the marriage between them," I say.
“That’s exactly what happened.”
“Did you think it was a good idea?”
“At the time?” he asks thoughtfully. “I was thinking only of the political aspect of it. It seemed like a decent move. A way to tie two powerful Bratvas together. But of course, my knowledge of Marina was limited. I saw only a beautiful woman who’d been groomed for this life. I thought they’d make a good match.”
“Groomed for this life,” I murmur. No one would ever accuse me of that. “Do you think that’s necessary? Being groomed from birth, I mean.”
“I think it can help,” he says, not unkindly. “I think it definitely helps you understand the rules and know what to expect, what not to expect. But it’s not necessary, strictly speaking.”
I nod. “Anton told me that if our child had no interest in being part of the Bratva, he wouldn’t put pressure on him.”
“He told you that?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s true," Lev says with conviction. "Anton wouldn’t lie about something like that. In any case, he knows what it’s like to be forced into things. He wouldn’t do that to his own child.”
“What was he forced into?”
“Marriage, for one,” Lev says. “I don’t think getting married has ever been something he wanted to do. He married Marina for the Bratva, and we all know how that turned out.”
I stare out my window, lost in thought. “Were they ever happy?” I ask finally.
“I can’t say that I know for sure. The first few months of their marriage were the most stable. But after that, shit hit the fan.”
“Why?”
Lev shrugs. “Because she expected too much. She wanted to be consulted on everything. She wanted a seat at the table. Basically, she wanted to control everyone around her, including Anton.”
I raise my eyebrows. “So she was delusional?”
“See, the thing is, that approach had worked for her her entire life. She controlled the people around her. I suppose she assumed she could do the same where Anton was concerned. But it wasn’t just that. She was insanely jealous all the time. If a woman so much as looked at Anton, she would go into a rage.”
"Maybe she really cared for him."
"Maybe," Lev says cryptically. "It's hard to know with her.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “She was so convincing with me. She played the part of my friend to perfection.”
“That’s what makes her so dangerous. If she’s got a plan, she’ll stick to it.”
“She was sure she would kill me eventually.”
“And she probably wanted to do it in the most dramatic way possible,” Lev agrees. “She likes the theatrics.”
“The woman needs therapy.”
Lev snorts. “No amount of therapy can save Marina. She’s beyond help. You see this scar here?” he asks, pointing to a thin white scar near his collar bone.
“Yeah?”
“I suggested she see a shrink once. It was an offhand jab, not even intending to insult her. She tried to stab me with a pen.”
“I think she made your case for you. Stabbing someone with a pen is a shrink-worthy offense.”