Page 53 of The Bratva's Plus-Size Bride

By then, we knew how to sniff out anyone who wanted to expand and dominate the space more than we were willing to let slide, and if it posed any sort of risk to our own business, then we ensured our longevity by restricting their influence with our own.

And given how I didn’t want the Ivanovs to believe they won in any capacity, unwilling to even remotely share that space with them, I couldn’t let them rise. They needed to be snuffed out, as there was a high chance they would just keep pushing and pushing.

After the trouble they caused and their underhanded method of trying to corner us into making a bargain, I had no interest in conceding to them.

“If you can manage to meet those terms swiftly, then we’ll hand over your precious wife. No problem,” Alina added, sounding sure about some kind of impending success.

Her faint grin was smug despite the lingering seriousness underneath—the faintest display of just how much they were depending on our cooperation.

From what I could tell, they were in a difficult position. Seeing how they wanted us to boost their reputation with the other families, they had been hurting after the article came out. It made sense since it was highly likely the others would distance themselves to maintain their images.

Even if they felt like they had the upper hand in the situation with Gemma being in their possession, they were desperate. They needed this bargain to stay afloat.

As much as I wanted to believe they would be true to their word, since they were in no position to take us on, I still couldn’t trust them, and I never would.

They weren’t business partners I wanted to keep—that much I was certain of.

“While the redacted article I can swing, you’ve lost me with the second part,” I said, unwavering. “You crossed the line by encroaching on our territory and pushing your luck. We gave you ample warning, and you gave us your word you’d pull back. Blame that article all you want, but it wasn’t what triggered all of this. It’s in our right to put you back in your place.”

As I expected, neither of them looked pleased with this response, their smugness dropping completely.

Adrik shook his head and clenched his jaw, visibly angry. “That isn’t enough. Even you should know that, Levov.”

I gave the slightest shrug of my shoulders, not budging regardless of what they thought. “It’s all I can do. We’ll take that target off your back, but beyond that, it’s up to you to either sink or swim. Final offer.”

As composed as Alina had been, I caught as that confidence slipped slightly, and she exchanged a glance with her brother.

While I expected her to be the one to hold out, determined to make the best possible deal with us, a look of consideration moved through her. Her eyes betrayed that moment of weakness.

“We do need the heat off us…” she murmured as if trying to convince him to agree with her. “With the article gone, we’ll stand a better chance at getting out of this.”

But Adrik scoffed as he scowled. “It isn’t enough—you know that. Our reputation has been dragged through shit ever since that article was published, and the other families will never take us seriously now. To them, we’ve been compromised. We need their confidence, and only the Levovs can make that happen.”

Alina wasn’t impressed with his outburst, and she snarled back, “It is enough. Having the article redacted was our original term, and it’s fine. We can make do.”

While she seemed more than ready to put the whole situation behind them, Adrik certainly wasn’t.

“No,” he muttered, backing up until his gun was pressed against Gemma’s temple, grabbing her arm roughly. “Why take measly crumbs when we can have the entire buffet?”

At her wince, I stiffened and pointed my pistol in his direction, eyes focused completely on him. Ari stood his ground too, unwavering in his presence.

“Don’t move another muscle,” I growled, teeth gritted in warning.

His physical threat put me more on edge, aware that his angered state made him more volatile.

Without a doubt, I was feeling that pressure.

Gemma was my first priority, and I had to make my next move without compromising her.

Chapter 27 - Gemma

Seeing Ben there was both relieving and terrifying, knowing that we were both caught up in such a dangerous situation.

If something were to go wrong, it had the potential to be devastating.

I didn’t even want to consider the possible outcomes, but it was hard to ignore the glaringly obvious ones. The very thought of that moment potentially being the last one we might share made my heart ache.

After everything we managed to accomplish and overcome together in terms of our relationship, dying there beneath that underpass, or losing him much the same, was the last thing I wanted to experience.

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