Page 41 of Forced to Marry the Bratva

I need to get rid of them because I know what they want. I know this world like the back of my hand. If we stop, they’ll take us off the streets and bring us straight to Alexai. Had I been alone, I would have gone and negotiated what I could. But the experience of being kidnapped isn’t one I wish to put Genevieve through. She’s to be protected from that traumatic outcome, no matter what.

I wonder if I should use gunfire to blow out some of their tires. But with Genevieve by my side, I can’t risk it because it might aggravate them enough to fire back. She could get hurt.

So, the only option I have is to lose them.

The chase continues, each turn and acceleration more heart-stopping than the last. I can sense Genevieve’s fear mounting, her body tense beside me. My mind races, strategizing our escape route while also trying to calm her.

“Oh my God,” she says, over and over again with panic. “Oh my God.” She holds her chest like she’s in pain. I recognize it as a panic attack.

“Genevieve, listen to me,” I say, my voice firm but gentle. “I need you to breathe. In and out. I won‘t let anything happen to you.”

“Okay,” she manages to choke out, her breaths keep coming in short gasps.

The cars behind us start to gain ground, forcing me to make a split-second decision. I swerve down a one-way alleyway, narrowly avoiding a collision with a parked car facing us. The tires screech as we speed through the narrow space, debris flying past us. The alley becomes narrower, now just big enough for one vehicle at a time. I exit it, and to my surprise, like a gift from the Gods, a slow, rumbling crane tractor enters it just when we leave, going the other way.

The crane will hold off the other cars. They’ll have to reverse around, and by the time they might come this route, they’d get lost. Finally, with one last sharp turn, I lose sight of our pursuers.

“Damien... are we safe?” Genevieve asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Looks like it,” I reply, still wary as I scan the area for any sign of them. “But we can’t let our guard down just yet.”

I drive further into the darkness, my eyes scanning for a hidden spot to park. The adrenaline coursing through me is like a potent drug, heightening my senses and sharpening my instincts. I feel vividly alive, lucidly angry. I can feel Genevieve’s ragged breaths beside me, her body trembling from the chase.

“Damien,” she whispers, panic still laced in her voice.

“Shh, we’re safe now,” I assure her as I ease the car into an abandoned warehouse lot shrouded by shadows. “We lost them.”

The engine purrs to a stop, and for a moment, all we can hear are our own heavy breaths. My fingers grip the steering wheel tightly as I fight to regain control of my emotions. Genevieve’s hand reaches out to touch mine—it’s warm and comforting, but the tremors that run through her fingertips betray her fear.

“Are you okay, Ginny?” I ask, concern etched into my features.

She nods, trying to smile. “Yeah, I’m just… shaken, that’s all.”

“Let me handle this,” I say, my voice firm with determination. I pull out my phone and dial Alexai’s number, my heart pounding in my chest. He answers on the second ring.

“Zolotov? This better be important,” he growls.

“I would say it is, Alexai, considering how your men just tried to run my wife and I off the road,” I snarl at him, each word dripping with ice.

“Ah, so she’s with you,” Alexai replies, his tone smug. “That wasn’t part of the plan, Damien.”

“Plans change,” I retort, clenching my jaw. “Now listen here, you son of a bitch. You had no business sending those men after me.”

“I want my land,” he says.

“You want your land? I repeat his words back at him with an edge to my voice. “For that, I’d have to have lost the match. The cops came, and the match never finished. I owe you nothing yet.”

“Well, if the match didn’t end, it’s forfeit. You still owe me the land. The deal was if you won, you would get one of my underground fighting rings. If anything else, I get my land back.”

“Attempting to manipulate the agreement, Alexai?” I inquire evenly. “Do you presume me to be naïve? The terms are binding in the case of a win or loss, not forfeiture. And hey,” I add, voice lowering, sharpening, “I know how you rake in most of your cash from the gambling scene. Big bucks you put down from your winnings for that penthouse on Upper East, the villa in Barcelona. What happens when word gets out that Alexai doesn’t understand when a deal’s a deal?”

I hear Alexai take a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, his attempt to mask his surprise failing. “You wouldn’t dare,” he threatens, but I can hear a touch of unease in his voice.

“Try me,” I challenge, my tone icy. “You know what I’m capable of. I want a rematch in the ring, and then that’s that.”

“Fine,” he concedes after a tense pause. “One week from now. You win, my ring’s yours. But if you lose… well, that land is mine.” He hangs up before I can respond.

The satisfaction of showing Alexai his place washes over me, but it’s short-lived as I notice Genevieve trembling in the passenger seat. Her hands shake as she clutches the edges of her skirt, and I can see the fear in her eyes.

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