Page 1 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

Chapter 1 - Yaro

Molten anger pumped through my veins at the roughly written calculations in front of me, along with old inventory logs. I was so furious, I wanted to hit something. Anything.

But with my little brother there, I was forced to keep the semblance of calm on my face. I had to keep it in, even if my sanity was hanging on by a thread.

While it wasn’t unusual for me to keep my cool in the warehouses, and the guys were used to the occasional outburst—since they know mine are tame compared to Dimitri’s—this time was different.

Our cousin put me in charge of a handful of warehouses we had scattered around New York, along with other regions that suited our needs. Normally, when things went wrong, they weren’t my doing, yet I had to make sure nothing got out of hand. However, because I oversaw the products and their storage, the problem was my fault. It would be my head, and I had no one else to blame but myself.

I sucked in a rigid breath. “What are you saying, Vik?”

My brother, more sheepish out of the two of us, glanced at me nervously. “According to my calculations and database archives, it turns out that Dominic Carter has stolen from us. It appears that he skimmed some off the top and fudged some numbers.”

A wash of shame and anger crashed over me, and it took everything in my power not to explode then and there. I put a hand over my face and tried to push through it. The paper in my hand nearly shook with my rage.

“He’s been playing us as fools,” I managed to say, discreetly breathing through the heavy reality that rested on my shoulders. “Not only were we paying him a far higher rate than most to buy his silence, but he also ran off with a significant amount of our stock. Far too much for us to ignore.”

Vik’s blue eyes were wide with concern, as he, too, was well aware of what this meant for us and the business. “Maybe my calculations were wrong, maybe—”

“No, Vik. Your numbers are right, as was your hunch. You can’t give men like Dominic Carter the benefit of the doubt,” I said sternly, hoping I might be able to snuff out that lingering innocence in him. “He took advantage of our generosity, but now he’s in for a brutal awakening.”

My brother looked torn. On one hand, he seemed grateful that the mistake wasn’t his and that his calculations were correct. On the other, I could tell he didn’t want us to bring Dominic any harm. It was his preference to avoid unnecessary violence.

In my mind, however, said violence was necessary in that circumstance. It was the only way to send a message that couldn’t be ignored. Nobody fucks with the Levovs or our money.

“Should we inform Dimitri?” He asked, looking afraid of what that would entail. It was an accurate response since that fear was entirely justified.

I folded the paper in my hands and gave it back to Vik. “No, not yet. When Dimitri hears about this, he’ll be out of his mind with anger, but for now, we must try to make this right. Maybe then this place will still be standing afterward.”

Understanding me at once, Vik nodded obediently. “What should we do now then?”

There was only one thing we could do.

Gesturing for him to follow, I began toward one of our armored SUVs. “Round up a handful of men and have them bring our trucks. That warehouse is to be cleared out before the night is up and transported back here. We’re paying Dominic a visit.”

“Which men?”

“The best we have,” I commanded, opening the front door. “Dominic will answer for what he has done.”

“Right,” Vik said in return and immediately got on the phone as he continued further into the warehouse, where some of our men were finishing up their target practice.

Getting a head start, I gritted my teeth and closed the door behind me. It was nearly impossible to hold back that raw anger coursing through me, but I started the engine and pulled out of the building through the bay doors.

Dominic screwed me over and was about to get what he deserved.

The drive to Boston was long enough to hone my fury into determination. To decide how things would go before I even got there.

Once I reached the warehouse, I pulled up to a nearby street and waited. I glued my eyes to the surrounding property to see what was happening. For that half an hour I waited, not a soul went in or out, but Dominic’s car was there. He was there.

As Vik and the others caught up with the long-bed trucks, we rolled in. The trucks backed up to the loading bay, and the group of us stormed the front door. We pushed our way in with Vik and me at the front.

With our guns raised, we did a sweep of the front, only to find that portion empty. A small light was on in the office, and that was where I went first.

There was a shuffle of movement inside as we approached, and I found Dominic scrambling to grab a handgun.

I cocked mine before he even had the chance to aim it in our direction. “Put the gun down, Dominic. I won’t hesitate.”

He froze at once, surely aware that I meant it. I wasn’t full of empty threats.

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