Page 29 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

Holding on to hope that I wasn’t making a crushing mistake, we eventually ended the call, and before long, I received a message with the location of one of their establishments. That was a good sign, at least. It would be semi-public, and that meant my chance of being brutally murdered in front of their clientele was significantly lower than I expected.

***

The drive back home wasn’t the easiest one, but it allowed me to think over what I hoped to get out of the meeting.

It was one I had anticipated, despite dreading it, and I knew everything was riding on how it went. Not wanting to drag any of my brothers into the situation, I told them what was going on before I left, but didn’t take any of them with me. I’d rather they not get roped into some disaster if it were to go down that way.

If something happened to me, then I needed them to continue the business. I wasn’t willing to risk their lives like that.

I had the feeling Aristarkh was under the impression I set up the meeting with the hope of striking some sort of deal—payment in exchange for the safe return of his dear sister. Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of letting her go. I merely wanted to reunite them for everyone’s peace of mind, and if it went well, we’d return home as expected, on the condition of Lara being on my side and genuinely feeling something for me.

I was putting a lot of faith in such a short-lived connection, but I had no other choice. It was an olive branch, extended with the hope of gaining more of her trust and establishing myself among her brothers and their connections.

Regardless of how my stomach turned the whole way there, I was determined to make it work and to prove to not only her brothers but also to Lara, that I was serious.

My intentions and motives had changed slightly ever since I saw her with my own eyes, and I only wanted Lara to be safe and comfortable. I also wanted what she expressed earlier in the day, even if it meant walking right into Aristarkh’s dominion.

I reached the house with plenty of time to spare, and I quickly made my way to the front door, moving in with ease despite the tightening of my gut at the thought of putting my skin on the line for this.

Before long, I found Lara sitting in the kitchen, pushing food around her plate when she turned to face me. She looked somewhat surprised to see me so soon.

“You’re back early.”

Cutting right to the chase, I took up the stool next to hers and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Listen, Lara. I need to level with you about something. Are you prepared to hear this?”

Lara searched my eyes for a moment, growing slightly more concerned, then she nodded. “What is it?”

Pulling in a breath, I began, “I know how much you’ve been missing your family, so I reached out to Aristarkh—”

Her eyes lit up with immediate surprise. “You did?”

I nodded simply. “Yes. I called him before I left, and we’re going to meet with them today so we can settle things and hopefully ease the tensions between us. I listened to what you said earlier, and I want to take a more honest approach. To do that, I need to soothe your family’s worries and give you the chance to see them again.”

Lara brightened at the prospect of reuniting with them, and she even cracked a small smile for me. That was the only clue I needed to let me know I was moving in the right direction. Seeing that flicker of excitement in her eyes was enough to make me want to witness more of it. “I would love that. I’m sure they’ve all been worried sick about me.”

“Likely more than you know…but Lara, I’m afraid I need to request something of you,” I began, taking a breath to maintain my conviction. “I need your loyalty. I’m not asking you to convince anyone that you’re perfectly committed to me, but for all of this to go smoothly, they need to know my intentions are good, and that you trust me enough to keep you safe. If you turn your back on me, we will all be ruined. Your brothers included.”

Lara’s eyes searched mine again, seeming confused and cautious. “Why would my brothers go down for that?”

“Because vultures like the Gromovs will be waiting for either my family or yours to trip up at any given point, and we can’t risk that. If your brothers decide to off me, then that will leave mine wide open. And if your family is too busy dealing with mine, they’ll be just as vulnerable. I don’t think either of us wants that.”

There was no mistaking the conflict in her eyes as she considered my words, but after a moment, she sighed. “You’re right, I don’t want that. But I do want to see them.”

I nodded my understanding, giving her arm a faint squeeze. “Of course. But before we go, I want you to know that I am in this. I didn’t just want you for the convenience or the benefit. You ensnared me the moment I saw you, and I do mean to keep you safe from all of this, regardless of how your brothers might react. I didn’t marry you for no reason.”

Lara seemed to soften somewhat, and while she didn’t exactly throw down the same sentiment, her nod of approval and soft smile were enough reassurance that I wasn’t completely alone in this. “I’m hoping that’s true, Alex.”

“It is, and I’ll prove it to you,” I promised sincerely. “I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll show you how much I mean that, so long as I survive meeting your family first.”

Seemingly still excited about the idea of seeing her brothers again, Lara’s smile grew a bit more, and she let go of a faint sound of amusement. “I’ll hold you to it, then.”

With everything settled, feeling better about my chances of Lara not betraying me for her family, we headed out and made our way to the meeting place.

The whole way there, I was reassuring myself that everything would be fine, and I just needed to have faith in her, and in us. I had to trust that it would work out and that her brothers would hear me out with her being there.

While my stomach was in knots despite how I concealed it, I couldn’t help but glance over at her, noticing how she seemed to recognize everything the closer we got, and that recognition brought her a sense of joy.

It eased my nerves somewhat, regardless of how they raged within me.

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