Page 14 of The Bratva's Plus-Size Bride

It made me question if he regretted his decision to marry us in the first place. If that was the case, then there was a chance I might be able to secure a ticket out and back into my old life. That small flicker of hope grew ever so slightly.

From the passenger seat, I snuck the occasional glance at him from the corner of my eye as he drove. He was not only quiet but also somewhat tense. His jaw remained firmly locked, clenching seemingly subconsciously.

As much as I despised him and wanted to continue doing so, it was hard for me to ignore how his arms flexed with his sleeves rolled up every time he turned the steering wheel or the way those icy blue eyes occasionally flickered to his mirrors. Not to mention how his cologne filled the car, smelling like nothing short of luxury.

All of it tied together made something stir within me, and it took everything in my power to ignore that feeling.

He was a brutal monster, even if everything about him seemed so appealing.

I couldn’t lose focus. I had to resist him to keep him from feeling any kind of satisfaction.

Even if I also hated the idea of meeting his family, stepping out of the car once we reached the restaurant gave me the reprieve I needed from being forced to observe and smell those temptations about him.

We went in, and as we walked into the entrance while Ben looked around for his family’s table, his palm just barely brushed against the small of my back.

While the gesture felt somewhat tender, which surprised me, I had the feeling it was merely out of habit, especially as he used that leverage to guide me in the right direction.

Even so, the warmth of his skin sent a shiver up my spine, and I forced myself to blink it back. While it certainly startled me, I didn’t want it to affect me beyond that.

My heart was in my throat as we approached the table large enough to house us and his siblings, making me realize just how many there were.

Despite their faint smiles as we approached, especially from the woman who looked just like a feminine version of them, I didn’t let myself forget who and what they were. A notorious crime family that practically ran the city.

“If it isn’t the newlyweds,” one of them, with a somewhat more youthful look, said smugly as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gemma.”

I managed a forced smile, feeling front and center with all their eyes on me at once.

Ben sighed, ignoring his brother’s shit-eating grin. “This is Lukyan,” he began, pointing to each of them. “Kir, Lara, Ari, as you already met, and his wife, Vivian. Everyone, be nice to Gemma.”

It was a lot to take in, but out of habit, I found myself listening closely and trying to commit their names to memory. Even if I didn’t really want to be there, I didn’t want to be a jerk, either.

“Oh, please,” Lara chided as she sipped her wine while the two of us sat down at the table. “We all know you’re the instigator here, Ben.”

Lukyan snickered. “The tables have turned now, though.”

I caught Ben’s sigh as he seemed to try and compose himself. His usual cockiness waned ever since we reached the table.

Kir smirked. “It must be the newlywed jitters getting to him.”

“Please ignore them,” Ari said as he handed me a menu with the faintest smile of encouragement. “They don’t know how to be civilized at times. But they mean well.”

I pulled a smile for him and nodded, accepting the menu with a quiet acknowledgment.

“Mean well?” Lukyan chided, lifting a brow. “Nah. I just want to push Ben’s buttons tonight. After always pushing his unwanted work onto me, it’s time for some well-deserved payback.”

Ben scoffed and shook his head. “Watch it. There will be more where that came from.”

The others chuckled, proving to me that this was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

While their banter seemed natural, and their teasing was mostly light-hearted, I sat through it and tried to understand how I even got there. How I managed to find myself intertwined with the Levovs.

They were fairly welcoming, yet it was difficult for me to pretend like it was a normal situation. I felt like an imposter, and I had no business being with them.

But as Ben remained next to me, I caught his glances every once in a while, almost like he was checking in on me. Of course, I tried to block him out, not wanting to make it seem like that gesture was the least bit touching.

As we placed our orders and waited for the food to arrive, I had the chance to look around the restaurant and noticed just how nice the place was. From the chic candle centerpieces to the lush white tablecloths, and the romantic atmosphere in general, it was clearly not a place that people like me typically visited.

With my paycheck alone, I’d be eating the table scraps left behind by the other patrons.

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