Page 58 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride

The moment I helped her out and carefully closed the car door behind her, I went to guide her inside the house, but I couldn’t help it. Instead, I put my hands on her waist and leaned in close. She looked up at me, her eyes soft despite everything that happened.

Eyes closing as I leaned my forehead against hers, I pulled in a deep breath and savored how it felt to be near her again, silently thanking every higher power in existence that she was home and safe with me.

Even if she didn’t say anything at first, I could tell something in her was questioning what I was doing, or why I had her gently pressed against the vehicle, so close we might as well have been one person at that point.

After a moment, she loosely wrapped her arms around my waist and allowed me that moment, the time I needed to put myself back together again.

“Alex…” she murmured eventually, tilting her face up a touch, nose brushing against mine. “What are we doing in the garage?”

Eyes still closed, I sighed, feeling like I could break apart at any moment if I didn’t have her near me. “I just…need this right now.”

Despite having every right to, she didn’t protest. Instead, she seemed to lean into my touch more, as if silently understanding what I truly meant.

Then, when given another chance to gather my thoughts, I continued, “I’m glad you’re here…back here with me.”

“It’s all I wanted. All I could think about.”

Hearing her say those words to me was enough to make my heart squeeze. I imagined her thinking about coming back home while Matvey had her captured in his warehouse. I couldn’t imagine how scared she had been, how terrified she was of his intentions after I promised her I’d keep her safe.

“I’m sorry,” I said, voice just above a whisper, unable to manage much more at that point. The swell of emotion within my chest was unlike anything I had experienced before, and in a bid to keep it contained, I gently pressed my lips against her forehead. “For bringing you into this…for putting you in this position in the first place. You never deserved any of this. I’m sorry…I don’t know how I can make this right.”

Lara pressed her head against mine again then, drawing in a shaky breath. Her fingers traced idle shapes against my back. “You want to make it right?”

Pulling back enough to look her in the eyes, I wanted to make sure she could see my sincerity for herself. “I do. Anything. I’ll do whatever you want.”

To my surprise, she cracked a soft smile for me, bringing a hand up to stroke my cheek. “Then don’t let me go again.”

Despite my tumultuous feelings, I mirrored her smile with a nod. “After tonight, I’m never letting you go again.”

“Good,” she hummed, words brushing gently against my lips. “I’m holding you to it.”

The proximity of our lips made a shiver run through me, skin warming at the mere idea of having her, at having the luxury of being so close to her—to her body, her warmth, and that mouth.

Heart squeezing, I closed that sliver of space between us and melded my lips against hers, finally able to relax completely for the first time all night.

Lara responded in kind, leaning into the embrace as her arms tightened slightly around me. She hummed against my lips, letting it linger long enough for everything else to disappear.

With her lips on mine and the events of the night behind us, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off her, and I didn’t mind for a moment.

I had my wife back, and that was all that mattered.

***

I never thought a day would come when an alliance would be formed between my family and Lara’s brothers, but after everything was said and done, that was exactly what became of us.

Finding myself surrounded by both Novikovs and Levovs in a local park on a sunny Saturday was even more surprising.

As a token of good faith, Ari organized the whole thing and invited us out, determined to strengthen the ties between us and to get to know everyone better.

Standing with Lara, Damien, and some of the extended Levovs, including Andrei and Yaro, I found myself relating to them easier than I expected. From a distance, I watched as Daniil and the twins chatted with some others, and while it was strange to see them associating, it was nice, too.

Thanks to the alliance, there was no need to be tense around one another, and it was a complete relief given how almost unbearable it had been before.

As Ben, Gemma, and their friend Sky showed up, the girls went up to Lara, immediately greeting her with a warmth I came to appreciate very quickly.

I saw how well she connected with them, and I was glad she had them. As much as I had the urge to keep her all to myself, it was better for Lara to have these outlets, and to give herself a break from me. Plus, they understood feminine things a lot better than I did, so I was more than happy to leave that part up to them.

We spent the afternoon talking with everyone, getting to know some of the foundational members of the family, and placing faces to names. It was tiring, but overall, I couldn’t complain.

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