Page 11 of The Bratva's Plus-Size Bride

While not everyone shared that same ideology, it was enough for me, and that was what mattered.

Finally, Gemma sighed and averted her eyes, as if it were too embarrassing for her to concede. “Fine. At least the first option won’t make my coworkers think I am dead.”

With a satisfied smirk, I stifled an amused sound. “Already thinking like a Levov.”

Of course, that didn’t sit well with her as she scowled and shook her head. I could tell she just wanted to get it over with, likely aware that she had no other choice.

She had done her research, after all. She, more than most people, knew how my family operated.

“If it’s any consolation, you made the right choice, Gemma,” I said, hoping to ease the sting somewhat, mostly so that I didn’t have to deal with any kind of resistance from her. “Freedoms are easy to come by, and yet, they are taken away even more easily.”

Overall, it was the right decision. She could have a semblance of free will, saving me from having to act as her jailor, and I’d have my wife and a way to cover up the information she managed to dig up on us. Plus, another crime family would take the fall for us.

It was a win-win.

My words didn’t seem to be of any reassurance to her, but it didn’t matter. She agreed, and that was enough.

“With all that being said, let’s get started then,” I hummed, far too proud of myself for orchestrating the whole thing.

At that, Ari stepped into the kitchen from the living room with the officiant in tow—the very one he brought to marry him and Vivian.

My brother, while supportive of the ordeal, given how it would help the family’s image, held only the slightest doubt in his eyes. Maybe he saw a bit of himself in my rashness, though he wasn’t going to protest since he had been no better himself.

Gemma flashed me a confused look at their entrance, startled, as she surely assumed we had been the only ones there.

“This is my eldest brother, Ari. He’s here to witness the ceremony,” I explained, watching as the reality of the situation seemed to set in for her at the sight of them.

Ari pulled a faint reassuring smile for her as he waved awkwardly. He may have been big and domineering most times, but when it came to women, especially prospective brides, joining the family, he always did his best to temper his intimidation factor.

I had to admit, it had seemed like an easier idea to wrap my head around when it was only that—an idea. A theory that hadn’t been brought into physical fruition yet.

The slightest part of me questioned if I was doing the right thing at all. It was no secret that I wanted a wife, and my brothers could testify to that, but in that moment, it struck me what that really meant.

I didn’t know Gemma, and we didn’t have any kind of connection outside of her misfortune that brought her to our club. I didn’t even know the first thing about what she liked. Regardless, I was binding her to me, mostly against her will, and if I eventually learned something I didn’t like about her or decided the marriage just wasn’t going to cut it, I’d have to face the consequences of that.

While divorce was certainly always an option, it was messy and caused more fuss than I wanted to deal with. Besides, I didn’t want to ever concede to the fact that I potentially made the wrong choice.

I would look like an idiot for even putting us through this rigamarole in the first place.

My pride was on the line, but I failed to see that beforehand, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it now. Reminding myself that it was for the good of the family, I followed through with it.

With Ari as our witness, the officiant got right to it. He ran us through everything, completed the half-assed ceremony, and had us sign the papers.

When Gemma wasn’t required to speak, she simply didn’t. Instead, she went through it with a half-startled, half-blank expression as her hand guided the pen numbly while she signed the legal forms and accepted the wedding band I slid onto her finger.

Before long, everything was done. Gemma was my bride and officially a Levov.

I had hoped to garner more satisfaction from the process, but it was like something in me knew something was missing. While all my bases were covered, that one thing necessary to make a marriage work just wasn’t there.

We didn’t know each other, and yet, we were officially husband and wife.

But at the end of it all, it didn’t matter. I could swallow it back and shoulder that responsibility so long as it meant keeping the family image intact. We all had to bear certain things for the family. For the business.

The moment we were finished, Gemma wasted no time leaving the room in a rush. She hurried away, and while her expression didn’t give away her true feelings or any indication of breaking, the quickness she moved with betrayed her.

I knew it would be a lot for her to process, so I let her go.

Even I was feeling whiplash from how quickly it all played out, and I was well aware that she had more to come to terms with than I did.

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