Page 7 of The Bratva King's Twins

“What the hell is going on? What do you want?” he demanded, at least using his voice instead of a weapon. He was unarmed and completely at my mercy.

That sheen of sweat on his face told me he was preparing himself for the inevitable. He was bracing himself for death, but it wasn’t going to be that easy. I wasn’t there to murder anyone.

“You don’t know who I am?” I questioned, feigning surprise. “That’s funny. Normally, you’d know your opponent before targeting them.”

Through his confusion, recognition came over him, and his eyes widened. “Levov…”

The name rolled off his tongue like something from folklore—a beast to be feared and revered.

That was exactly how I wanted him to see me. By the end of the evening, he would be a fool to not cower and flinch at the very sound of my name.

“Aristarkh Levov, to be precise,” I hummed, relaxing my gun arm to put it down at my side. “Fortunately, I was able to find out your name. I made sure I knew all about you and your family before I decided to come here.”

Fear lingered in his eyes as Edoardo looked back at me, seemingly trying to keep his wits about him. “How did you locate my home?”

“You’d be sick knowing just how far my reach goes in this city. Between the databases, surveillance, and the vast number of men we have on patrol at all times, you could never hide from me. If you got even a glance at how much information I have on each and every one of you, your dinner would make a reappearance.”

Edoardo grimaced at me, surely bearing the weight of that reality. Even if he kept his business low-profile, I knew all about it. He wasn’t an exception to our sheer power.

Gritting his teeth, he murmured, “This is about the recent hit, isn’t it?”

“Correct,” I affirmed, leaning closer to him smugly. “I have to hand it to you, De Luca, it was brave of you to go up against any Levov. Surely, you know about all the other families who have tried before, only to fail as miserably as the others. People call us dogs for a reason.”

“Just don’t hurt my family…please…”

Sighing at how soon he pulled out the family card, I pulled back and chuckled. “Don’t worry, Edoardo. Nobody’s going to die today so long as everyone cooperates. But you will learn how relentless we can be. It’s my hope that by the end of this, you’ll learn every reason you shouldn’t cross a Levov. You’ll walk away from this put back in your place, and you’ll know exactly what I’m capable of.”

“I know I haven’t been the most honest man or the most devoted father, but don’t take your anger out on my family,” Edoardo began, voice shaking. “They had nothing to do with this. Nobody else here knows anything about the business. Not even my sons.”

Rolling my eyes, I didn’t want to hear it. I wasn’t in the mood to be appealed to. “Please, old man, spare me. In fact, you should be delighted, Edoardo. We’re not here to mourn anyone but to celebrate a wonderful day. There’s to be a wedding right here.”

As my grin lingered, Edoardo’s expression slowly fell as more of that confusion plagued him. “A wedding?”

Nodding, I gestured toward the hallway, and before long, an officiant walked in carrying their book. Despite the overwhelming scene of guns and terrified family members, he kept a straight face and did as instructed, stepping forward.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, looking between me and the officiant as if realizing I wasn’t bluffing.

With a cold laugh, I lifted my arms from down at my sides and addressed the room. “In exchange for targeting my warehouse, stealing from me, and assuming you’d get away with it, I’m here to take the one thing you can offer me as payment. Although, that exchange is much cheaper than I’m sure you had been dreaming up in your mind, and I won’t be taking no for an answer. To let you know just how seriously I take my job, and how you will never win against me, I’m going to marry her.”

Pointing at the frightened young woman to my right with her light-brown hair pulled back into a low bun, and her green eyes set on me, I singled out the last bargaining chip he had.

Her eyes only widened like a deer in headlights, completely frozen in place.

While it was a drastic and life-altering decision, I felt pleased she was just as pretty in person as the photos I had been studying for weeks. If not, it would’ve been difficult to follow through.

“You can’t be serious!” Edoardo barked back, suddenly angry as he pushed himself up to his feet. “She is my only daughter.”

But the moment I cocked my pistol and aimed it right at him, the old man fell back in his chair, alarmed by the silent threat.

“Exactly,” I snarled at him, hoping it would cause him as much anguish as possible to know he was losing out on a crucial business deal. “I don’t know if you’ve realized this yet, but I’m not here to be nice. We’re not negotiating or making terms. I’m going to marry your daughter right in front of you, taking away your chance at picking the highest bidder for her, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You picked the wrong man to mess with, and I want you to know that.”

He looked furious as he stared at me, but as I said, there was nothing he could do to stop me.

Looking over at Vivian De Luca, the one I had my sights set on, I gestured for her to approach. “Come here.”

She was frozen in place, taking in nervous breaths as she glanced over at her dad as if silently hoping he’d step in and beg for forgiveness. She wanted someone to save her.

But of course, he didn’t move a muscle.

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