Page 62 of The Bratva King's Twins

“What did you just say?”

I sniffled and tried to maintain my composure. “I’m married to Ari, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. Please just let me go.”

“Shut the hell up,” Dante spat, knocking the barrel of his pistol against my temple, sending a sharp pain through my skull.

As I winced, every Levov man cocked their guns, and fury burned within Ari’s eyes.

“Enough!” my husband snapped, letting me see exactly what his enemies saw whenever they tried to cross him, proving to me why the world thought he was brutal. “Hit her again and your remains will be scattered on this road.”

The entire area went quiet as his booming voice echoed around us, and while it should’ve scared me, I could only feel pride.

For our family, he wasn’t going to pull his punches. He was determined to fight for us, to fight for me. Above all else, he wanted me to be safe, to get me back home.

“It seems that what we both want isn’t lining up, Aristarkh,” Dante growled, pressing his fingers into my arm with so much intensity that I knew it would bruise. “Need I remind you, I have her under my gun. Threaten me all you want, but so long as your precious wife is caught in this precarious position, there’s nothing you can do.”

“How can you do this?” I mumbled, unable to fully grasp how cold he was, and how he could threaten my life so carelessly. “I’m your sister!”

Dante sucked air in through his teeth and murmured with disinterest, “What’s one life compared to the interest of the whole family? Tell me, Vivian. Would you sacrifice one of us to be with the Levov?”

Shaking in his grasp as I tried to fight off my tears, I already knew my answer, although I didn’t need to say it.

All that sympathy I felt for him previously vanished, and I felt truly vindicated in my decision to turn my back on them. To put my complete faith and loyalty in Ari.

Even when given the chance to let me go, Dante would rather cling to his pride and threaten to take my life. For his gain and that of the family business, he was willing to kill me before allowing me to go back with the Levovs.

I was right to trust Ari over them. He cared about me, and he only wanted the best for us. He was willing to put everything on the line just to make sure we’d be there to watch our family grow and to get the chance to allow our love to flourish.

He wasn’t my blood, but he treated me a hell of a lot better than my relatives did.

Stuck in that uncertain position, I couldn’t stomach the idea of anything keeping me from Ari. More than anything, I wanted the chance to return to him and to feel his touch again. I needed to feel his careful arms around me and watch him become the father he always wanted to be.

There was so much left for us, and even if he had the upper hand in the situation, I felt just as pinned and helpless with my brother’s gun against my head.

Chapter 29 - Ari

The longer we stayed locked like that, only going in circles as nothing changed, the closer I was to losing my mind. The more desperate I felt to have Vivian back in my arms.

I wanted nothing more than to gun Dante down and take her for myself, but I had to pull on every ounce of self-control I had left. It would be easy to let those emotions get the better of me, but I couldn’t. Maintaining that calm facade was the only way I stood a chance of helping Vivian.

But as time went on and more of our men pulled up, vehicles kicking up dust, I could tell it was slowly breaking Elio down. Even if his gun was also aimed at their sister, he looked more hesitant than before.

Surely he knew it was over for them, even if Dante couldn’t see it, or at least refused to acknowledge it.

We had far too many men against just the two of them, and despite that, Dante was right. They had Vivian.

Above all else, I had to get her to safety.

Realizing the heavy gun presence was making them both antsy to some capacity, I knew I had to make a choice.

“Guns down,” I ordered, watching as I received confused glances from not only our men but from my brothers too. They didn’t understand why, but I put a hand out to reassure them. “Do it.”

At once, our guns came down in a wave of rustling, but mine stayed.

Dante glanced around, likely wondering if it was a trick. “What about yours, Levov? That doesn’t look neutral to me.”

“If you think about it, the scale is tipped in your favor,” I said, pointing out the obvious. “Your two guns against mine, because that’s what this is all about. You and me, Dante.”

I watched as his brow furrowed, still holding my wife with such brutal strength I couldn’t wait to take him down.

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