Page 20 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

I slide into the booth, Victor taking the position at my side. My face remains impassive, but beneath the surface, my blood boils at the sight of this man. The man responsible for putting Gwen through hell, as well as being a royal pain in our asses.

"That's right," I say, my voice cool and controlled. "We're here to discuss terms."

Luther leans back, his grin widening. "Terms, huh? And here I thought you'd be begging for your little friend back."

I feel Victor tense beside me, but I remain still, my eyes locked on Luther. "We're not here to beg," I say. "We're here to negotiate," I continue, keeping my voice steady. "Luka's out of town, but we can discuss potential arrangements on his behalf."

Luther's eyebrows raise slightly, a flicker of intrigue crossing his face. "Is that so? And what kind of arrangements might those be?"

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the grimy table. I begin to feed him with the lies we prepared. "We're willing to consider allowing you to expand some of your operations into our territory. In exchange, you release the girl and agree to cease any further provocations against our interests."

Luther chuckles, a harsh sound that grates on my nerves. "That's mighty generous of you. But how do I know this ain't some trick? Your boy Luka's never given us the time of day before."

"Times change," Victor interjects smoothly. "We've been watching your moves. You've shown ambition.” Another lie, of course. These guys were idiots, not ambitious.

Luther's eyes narrow, his gaze flickering between Victor and me. "Ambition, huh? That's one way of putting it." He leans back, fingers drumming on the sticky tabletop. "All right, let's say I'm interested. What exactly are we talking about here? What kind of expansion?"

I maintain my composure, even as disgust churns in my gut. "We're willing to discuss allowing you to operate a couple of your... establishments in our territory. Nothing too flashy, mind you. A bar or two, maybe a gentlemen's club. We'd need to approve the locations, of course."

Luther's eyes light up with greed, but there's still suspicion lurking beneath. "And in return?"

"You release the girl. Unharmed," I state firmly. "And you back off from any other moves against our interests. No more sniffing around our territory without us knowing.”

Luther's eyes narrow, a calculating look crossing his face. "The girl, huh? She must be pretty important to you boys if you're willing to offer up territory for her."

I keep my expression neutral, not wanting to give anything away. Riley is crucial, but to Gwen, not to us. The only reason there’s such a rush to get her back is for Gwen, so we can move forward with taking every one of the Vultures down. “She's leverage, nothing more. We're simply looking to resolve this situation without unnecessary complications."

Luther leans back, a smirk playing on his lips. "All right, let's say I'm interested. But I'm gonna need more than just a couple of bars. How about we talk about a piece of your fancy casino?"

Victor tenses beside me, but I remain calm. "The casino is off the table," I say firmly. "But we might be willing to discuss asmall stake in one of our other ventures. Perhaps the nightclub on Fremont."

Luther's eyes gleam with interest, but he quickly masks it with a dismissive wave. "A nightclub? That's chump change compared to what we're after."

I lean forward, my voice low and measured. "It's a starting point, Luther. You prove you can handle this responsibility without causing problems, and we can discuss further opportunities down the line."

He scoffs, but I can see the wheels turning in his mind. "And how do I know this ain't some setup? You Milovs ain't exactly known for playing nice."

"You don't," I reply bluntly. "But consider this—if we wanted to take you out, we wouldn't be sitting here talking business. We'd have already done it."

A tense silence falls over the booth. Luther's men shift uneasily, hands inching towards their concealed weapons. Victor remains still beside me, but I can feel the urge to kill emanating from him.

Luther's eyes narrow, his fingers drumming on the sticky tabletop as he considers my words. The tension in the air is palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. I can feel Victor's coiled energy beside me, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"All right," Luther finally says, leaning back with a predatory grin. “I'm interested. But I want more than just a nightclub. I want a piece of your protection racket in the downtown area."

I keep my face impassive, even as anger simmers beneath the surface. This bastard has some nerve, thinking he can musclein on our core operations. "That's not on the table," I say firmly. "The nightclub is our offer. Take it or leave it."

Luther's grin widens, a cruel glint in his eye. "Oh, I don't think so, Milov. I've got something you want. Something clearly very precious." He pulls out his phone, tapping the screen before turning it to face us.

My blood runs cold as I see Riley's battered face on the screen. She's tied to a chair, her eyes wide with fear and pain. Luther's thumb hovers over a button labeled "Live Feed."

The sight makes me angry, but not because of guilt. Because I can only imagine what Gwen’s reaction would be if she ever saw the state Riley was in.

I have to keep her out of the loop for both her safety and sanity.

"One push of this button, and your little friend gets to experience a whole new level of pain," Luther says, his voice dripping with malice. "So maybe you want to reconsider your offer."

I feel Victor tense beside me, ready to lunge across the table. I place a hand on his arm, stopping him. We can't afford to make a scene, not yet.

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