Page 31 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

She was choosing me, and she decided not to pull a fast one on me to spare herself.

Even if I had forced her into a marriage based on nothing more than my selfish desires, she still chose me.

Chapter 16 - Lara

There was no greater relief than reuniting with my brothers and letting them know I was alive.

I never thought I'd be separated from them like that, and I was surprised by how soon Alex decided to let me see them again. I had assumed he would try to hide me away from them for as long as possible, but to everyone's relief, he proved me wrong.

My brothers were completely shocked by the revelation about us being married, and while I expected nothing less, it was still jarring to find myself in that position. To see their shocked faces, and to watch as they tried to come to terms with the sudden news. It was a lot to not only explain but also for them to take in.

Ari and the others were understandably angry and still somewhat confused by it all, but we found ourselves gathered in one of the conference rooms, with Alex sitting beside me as they looked between us. The room was somewhat tense still, given the circumstances, but I was just glad the gun had been put away.

Even if Alex was keeping everything together and wearing a stoic look, I had the feeling he was doing his best to not fold under the pressure of being in my family's territory and facing their scrutiny. I could only imagine how difficult it was for him, regardless of how he seemed indifferent.

Ari glanced between us again as he leaned back in his seat, seeming somewhat skeptical. "So, you're telling me you're married out of the blue, and you're both willingly involved in this? Especially you, Lara?"

While I would've denied it before, my mind went to what Alex said earlier about both families suffering the consequencesif I abandoned him, and as much as I didn't want to care, I couldn't help it.

A part of me was still upset with Alex for everything, but the rest was beginning to see another side to him. I could tell that he was serious about everything, especially given how willing he was to request the meeting with my brothers.

He didn't have to listen to my request before, but he did, and it felt like a good first step.

I didn't want his family to suffer, even if I didn't know them that well at all. Something in me saw a resemblance between our situations, even if I was supposed to be removed from the whole organized crime part. I couldn't blame him for wanting to protect his family, as I wanted to protect mine in whatever way I could.

For everyone's sake, I was willing to vouch for him, with the hope of growing closer in the back of my mind.

I nodded, meeting Ari's gaze confidently. "I am. We didn't say anything sooner because of how you probably would've reacted."

Ari sighed and absently rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "You're right about that…but a little peace of mind sooner would've been nice. We were prepared to start turning this city inside out just to find you."

While I hated the idea of them being so worried about me, it also felt reassuring in a sense. Even if they couldn't find me, they were still trying. They hadn't given up on me, they just needed better leads, and Alex was unknown enough to allow him to stay under the radar.

"It didn't help that I needed to keep a low profile after buying from the Gromovs. They were the ones who took Lara in the first place," Alex added, keeping his cool composure.

As Ari heard that name, his brows pulled together with recognition. "The Gromovs, hm? So you're the cause of this new family digging into our business, too...all because you gave them that play money to work with. Things are starting to make sense now..."

There was no missing the annoyed edge in his tone, and he clearly wasn't happy about it.

Alex sighed and nodded. "I never wanted to pay them a dime, but it was a necessary move to safeguard her from being auctioned off to anyone else."

"How considerate of you," Ari grumbled sarcastically as he stroked his chin. "So now, not only is my sister married to you, a relative newcomer from Canada, but now I also have to deal with your hitchhiker. You aren't starting this off on the right foot, Novikov."

The exasperation and exhaustion were clear in Alex's features, but he could only nod and try to stand his ground anyway. "None of this is perfect, but I want you to know that Lara's safety is my top priority. I don't take that responsibility lightly."

"I sure as hell hope not," Ari said, tone firm and nearly demanding. "You've caused us enough trouble, and I don't take lightly to anyone looking to find an advantage, or hoping to get ahead by using our name."

I could feel as Alex shrank by an almost imperceptible fraction, surely aware of how his initial intentions seemed to line up perfectly with that idea. As much as I had been angry about the same thing before, everything felt different now.

It was easier to assume Alex was only using me and my name before, but since he seemed interested in actually putting effort in, I couldn't deny that I wanted to see more of it from him. I wanted to experience just how far his commitment might go.

"I could sit here all day and throw my threats at you, reaming you out for what you've done until I'm blue in the face, but there's one thing I want to make exceptionally clear," Ari began, expression stern and serious. "If you hope to keep your life, then you will treat my sister with the utmost care. If I hear anything about you doing the opposite, I will not hesitate to strike. Keep in mind, I'm not doing any of this for you. I'm doing this for her. If this is what she wants, then I won't get in the way."

I could feel as Alex relaxed somewhat next to me, and I too let go of a quiet breath of relief. Ari was coming down from that outrage little by little, and while my brother was still angry, he was at least containing it a bit better than before.

"And another thing. We'll have a very, very close eye on you moving forward. If you make one wrong step, it's over for you. Cross the line into our business, or try to screw us over in any way, and you're done," Ari warned him, conviction never wavering. "You've already forced my hand with this, but don't assume that means I'll put up with anything else. You're walking a dangerous path, and if you mess up, just know I'll be there when you do. Are we clear?"

I could tell it was a hit to his pride, and I felt a strange desire to ease the blow of Ari's words, yet Alex maintained that steeled expression and nodded.

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