Page 27 of Forced to Marry the Bratva

Anoushka smirks, sensing an opening. “Well, if you’re not going to help me find Damien, then I guess I’ll just have to call Boris. If not Boris, Ivan, perhaps. They won’t think twice about getting their men to trace our brother, and if they learn anything untoward, and that you knew all along, it won’t be good for you or Damien.”

My heart lurches at her threat. I want to find Damien, but not at the expense of getting him in trouble with our Pakhans. Boris and Ivan would admonish him severely for causing such scandalous worry, and Damien would never forgive me for taking it so far. I extend my hands in the air to get Anoushka’s attention and mouth a vehement “No” in silence. She winks at me and makes it clear she doesn’t mean it.

Her little trick works when Lev panics. “Wait, what? Anoushka, no! Don’t call them!” Lev’s voice wavers with stress, knowing that involving his brothers would only escalate the situation. “Fine, fine. I’ll tell you.”

Anoushka shoots me a triumphant glance as we await Lev’s response. A tense silence fills the room, broken only by the muffled music still playing in the background of Lev’s call.

“Damien’s at a gentlemen’s club with me,” Lev finally admitted, his voice laced with reluctance. “We’re just enjoying some drinks and... company. The strippers here are bangin’.”

“Ugh, you’re disgusting!” Anoushka snaps before hanging up the phone. But as much as she expresses her disgust, I can’t help but notice the excitement in her eyes.

“Damien is at a gentleman’s club?” I can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness at the thought of my husband in such a place. It isn’t like him—or at least, not the side of him I had come to know. I feel my heart shatter. I know ours is just an arranged marriage, but to know that Damien’s visiting establishments with women for hire just makes me sick to my stomach.

Anoushka shakes her head, her eyes glinting with certainty. “No, Damien would never go to such a place. But we’re still going to find him.”

While I feel relieved to learn my husband’s innocence in such hedonistic activities, I also start to worry. “Wait, what? How?” I press, struggling to make sense of the situation.

“Trust me on this one, Genevieve,” Anoushka responds, her voice laced with the authority that only a sister who knows her brothers like the back of her hand holds. “Lev’s going to be worried after our call, and I’d bet anything that he’ll go looking for our brother. I know this club Lev’s at, Club Noir. We need to catch him leaving, and when he does, we’re going to follow and find Damien ourselves.”

Her plan slowly begins to take shape in my mind: go to the club, follow Lev, and find Damien. As much as I want to trust her instincts, I can’t shake off my reservations. “Are you certain this will work? What if Lev catches on?” I ask doubtfully.

“We just need to stay close to Lev without being seen. We’ll find Damien, I promise,” she replies without hesitation, her confidence infectious.

I stand and nod, steeling myself for the daring adventure ahead. I see no other way, and Anoushka has given me the confidence I seek. With newfound determination, I nod at her and whisper, “Let‘s do this.”

***

We climb into her sleek black car, and the engine purrs to life. We speed off toward Club Noir, where Lev is supposedly enjoying himself with Damien.

As we near the club, anxiety churns in my belly. This is a world and situation entirely foreign to me. But then, I remember how desperate I am to get through to my husband, and I push those fears aside.

“Anoushka, what’ll happen if Lev spots us?” I ask, my voice betraying my unease.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it all figured out,” she reassures me, her eyes never leaving the road. “We’ll park down the street and keep an eye on the entrance. Once he leaves, we’ll follow him from a safe distance.”

“Okay,” I reply, nodding slowly as I try to quell my racing thoughts.

Finally, we pull up to a nondescript building with neon lights illuminating its façade. We park a reasonable distance away, making sure our car remains concealed from prying eyes. As we sit in the shadows, I can’t help but feel like a spy in some thrilling espionage movie. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

“Look,” Anoushka whispers, pointing toward the entrance of the club. “There’s Lev.”

I lean forward, straining to see him through the dimly lit street. Sure enough, there is was, his tall frame and long hair unmistakable even from this distance. He steps out onto the sidewalk, taking a moment to light a cigarette before heading toward a sleek, silver car.

“Time to go,” Anoushka says, her voice low.

As we watch Lev drive away, we carefully pull out behind him, maintaining a safe distance to avoid detection. My heart pounds in my chest with each passing moment, anticipating what we might uncover about Damien and the life he seems to be hiding from me.

Little do I know, our adventure has only just begun.

***

The city lights whizz by as we trail Lev’s car. I grip the door handle tightly, my nerves fraying with each unexpected turn he takes. Anoushka drives expertly through the labyrinth of streets, her eyes never leaving Lev’s taillights.

“Where do you think he’s going?” I ask, not familiar with this route

“Hard to tell,” Anoushka replies, her tone equally confused. “But we’ll find out soon enough.”

Our pursuit leads us to an area of the city I have never ventured into before—dark, secluded, and seemingly forgotten. Lev pulls up in front of a derelict building, its crumbling walls barely illuminated by a flickering streetlight. I can’t fathom what business he could have here, but there is no turning back now.

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