Page 3 of The Bratva's Forced Bride

Wild with rage, I tilted my head and pointed at him. “And you thought we wouldn’t notice? That you would get away scot-free and not face any of the consequences.”

Dominic, breaking down, sniveled through the tears. “It was wrong, I know that! I have a problem.”

“Yes, you do. And you’re about to have an even bigger one on your hands,” I returned, unfazed by his emotions.

As far as I knew, it was all a ploy to try and soften me. Or, he really just was a weak, pathetic excuse of a man. No matter the case, it wouldn’t do him any good.

“You are going to pay back every dollar you owe us. Every dollar you have taken from us, and then some,” I told him, stepping closer to let him know I meant it. “Even if it takes getting on your knees and begging for forgiveness, you will do everything I tell you to.”

Dominic shook his head frantically, well aware that he was royally screwed. His skin was flushed and slicked with sweat. “I can’t pay with money—I have nothing left!”

“This isn’t negotiable,” I muttered, rolling up my sleeves in preparation for what was next.

“Take my daughter!”

I furrowed my brows at him. “What?”

Dominic nodded again and again as if it was the immediate solution he needed. “My daughter, Grace. She’s attending university in New York. Close to home.”

I scowled at him while I worked through what he was proposing to me. A ridiculous deal to try and save his skin. “What would I possibly need with her?”

He sucked in a ragged breath and shivered from the shock of it all. “She’s a bright young woman, and I’m sure she could be useful! If not for giving you heirs, she could help with the business. That’s what she’s in school for.”

More rage coursed through me, offended he would even think it would tempt me. That all would be forgiven just for handing his daughter over to me.

Pulling back, I was beyond words.

At once, I decided I had enough of him. The anger was so blinding, I couldn’t stand the idea of giving him another minute of my time.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my forearm, I shook my head and gestured at the men holding him.

“Have fun with him. Show our friend here why nobody crosses the Levovs.”

As I turned away and stormed out of the warehouse, Dominic’s cries were drowned out by the sound of their fists colliding with his face and body. He was berated, but my mind was entirely elsewhere.

The moment I reached fresh air, I sucked it in and found myself left with enough damning thoughts to drown in.

The situation was far from ideal.

I oversaw the operations of the warehouse, and I unknowingly let Dominic screw us over. I allowed us to be used, and that was my fault for not noticing sooner. If Vik hadn’t alerted me of some suspicious numbers, I wouldn’t have known.

I needed to be sharper. Keener. It was up to me to change things.

Still flaming with my wrath for not only Dominic but for my own misstep, his words circulated my mind again.

Take my daughter.

Knowing how deep he was, I had doubts about ever seeing that money or product again. The likelihood of being paid back in full was painfully low.

If I couldn’t recover that money from Dominic, I’d have to take the person with the potential of making it back for us.

***

Gripping the steering wheel hard enough to turn my knuckles ghost-white, I was still riding that anger four hours later. Fortunately, the ride back to New York felt shorter because of it.

“Have you found it yet?”

Vik, face lit up from his laptop screen, continued to scroll. “The enrolment list is long, but I should have it soon.”

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