Page 3 of The Bratva King's Claimed Bride

After forty minutes in traffic, I reach the building and pull into a parking spot. I grab my briefcase and coffee and sip on the hot liquid as I walk into the building.

I stay near the front desk, setting my coffee down behind it. I take brochures out of my briefcase. I had them made up to show the full potential of the property to the Milovs. I want them to take the bait and buy the land.

I look up as an older man walks into the building. He takes his sunglasses off. “Arina Maia?” he asks.

“That’s me, you are…”

“Luka Milov,” he smiles warmly. He holds out his hand, and I shake it.

“Pleasure,” I say. I can feel my heart beating in my throat. “So glad you could make it.”

“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for the tip about this property being for sale. My brothers will be arriving shortly.” He looks around. “Can we have a tour of the place once they do?”

“Yes, of course. I would love to give you a full tour so you can see exactly why this place is prime real estate and why I can offer it to you at an excellent price compared to its worth.”

I click my pen in and out. I pick up my coffee and sip it. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to drink my coffee this morning.”

“No problem at all.” He gestures to me. “Go ahead, I won’t stop you.”

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

He’s friendly and warm, which is not what I expected from a Milov. Perhaps they’re just like this when they do business. I won’t fall for it.

I click my pen again and then set it down.

“Would you excuse me? I just need the facilities.”

He nods, and I hurry down one hallway and then another to the woman’s bathroom. I wash my hands and splash water on my face. I give myself a mental shake.

Come on, Arina, you can do this. You have been planning for this your entire life. This is what we have lived for. This is what we have survived for.

I stare into my eyes through the mirror and can see the anger burning behind them. I need to pull myself together. I splash my face one more time and pat it dry with paper towels. Straightening up, I fix my clothes and check my makeup and hair at the same time.

Once I’m satisfied, I turn to leave the bathroom. I walk out confidently and almost immediately walk into someone. “Sorry,” I mumble, but I’m cut off when the guy grabs me and turns me around, clamping a hand over my mouth.

He wraps a large arm around me as I try to fight him off. I struggle as best as I can. It must be the Milovs. They know who I am. This was all a ploy to get to me.

I try to kick the man, but he doesn’t flinch at all.

He produces something from his pocket. I’m about to pull away from him, and he clamps something over my mouth. It’s a rag, and it smells awful.

I get lightheaded and woozy, and my eyes start to close as my body goes limp.

When I come to, I’m in the back of a van. There’s no one in the back with me, but I also realize there’s no way I’m getting out, so the best thing I can do right now is to pretend I’m still out of it until I get a chance to run off. Whoever has taken me can only mean me harm.

Chapter 2 - Igor

I sit behind my desk in my library, where I keep my office. A lit cigar sits on an ashtray to my right, and a glass of whiskey is beside it. I pick up the cigar and take a deep drag. The move from Russia hasn’t been easy on the family. It was tough leaving some of them behind to manage our affairs while I came to this side to establish our family in the US.

The biggest obstacle we face, much like we did in Russia, is our rival family, the Milovs.

They are the leading Bratva family in the US. Since his father died, Kervyn has led with swift, precise decisions and cultivated much power.

I set the cigar down and sipped on my whiskey. We need to strike at the Milovs where it hurts the most, and that’s where their little sister comes into play.

The Milovs value family over everything, and their little sister is the most vulnerable one we can access. We did a lot of research to find her. It wasn’t easy. She was cleverly hidden away under a new name. I wonder how long Kervyn thought he could get away with hiding his little sister.

My cell phone rings, and I pick it up. “Matvey? Is it done?”

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