Page 1 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

Chapter 1 - Damien

There was no denying how everyone seemed to work on Levov time.

Regardless of status or connections, they had a way of making anyone fall into line, as irritating as it was. Whether for meetings, family gatherings, or anything else in between, if they were late to something…no they weren’t—you were just too early.

That very concept still applied as I found myself with my brothers in Levov territory once again. Tucked away in a conference room above one of their businesses, we sat around their big glass table while we waited for them to show up and get the show on the road.

Apparently, some sort of issue came up and they needed our help with it, but of course, they didn’t let us in on the details any sooner than the meeting. Even if it could’ve been a phone call, of course, they wouldn’t make it that simple.

Given their numbers and authority in New York, it was a bit surprising. But ever since Alex and Lara mended the bridge between our two families, Aristarkh wasn’t shy about asking for favors when he felt like it.

Regardless of our own position in the city, we weren’t prepared to fight what he or the other Levovs wanted. Especially not when they were technically our family, and it was certainly in our best interest to stay on their good side.

Alex was busy texting, and I could only assume it was Lara, while the rest of us leaned back in our seats. Daniil had his chair turned around as he looked out the bay windows while Valentin and Yuri chatted aimlessly together.

I forced out a breath. “Would it kill them to be on time for their own meetings?”

Alex didn’t look up from his phone as he murmured, “I can’t say we’d be any more punctual.”

I sighed. “At the very least, you’d think they would already be here, given how they called the meeting.”

“What, have somewhere to be?”

Scoffing, I shook my head. “Nowhere in particular…but time is money, right?”

Val chuckled. “I think we’re doing fine in both regards.”

“Unless, of course, you have a little someone waiting for you,” Yuri suggested with a lift of his brow as one of his curls fell just above his eye. “Then I’d understand why you’d be anxious to get out of here.”

“Oh, shut up.”

The twins both chuckled, then returned to their aimless chatter.

Before long, the big doors opened and Aristarkh was the first to enter the room. Benedikt and, to my surprise, Gemma were in tow, followed by the rest of the group.

While it was a relief to see them in the meeting at last, there was an unmistakable sense of tension that always seemed to linger between us. Not from animosity but from the nature of our work and the stressors that came with it. It was hard to let your guard down completely.

Like us, the Levovs took their business dealings seriously, and regardless of the mended relationship between our families, it was still a delicate ropewalk. We had to maintain our own integrity and the level of professionalism required for the situation.

Given how Ari called us all in, I had the feeling he wasn't going to be inviting us to some sort of family get-together.

"Novikovs," Ari said as they all filed in and took up the empty seats around the table.

"Levovs," Alex returned evenly with the slightest hint of expectancy in his tone. "You called this meeting pretty suddenly."

Ari nodded as he adjusted his cuffs and was handed a folder by Benedikt. "I did, and for good reason."

"And what was that reason?"

"We've been experiencing some security issues lately, and it has gotten to a point that we can't ignore it anymore," he explained, expression as stoic as always while discussing business. He gestured to his brother on his left side. "I'll let Ben and Gemma take it from here."

It was strange seeing Gemma there, given how none of their wives had anything to do with the business. However, it seemed that she was an important piece in whatever was going on.

Benedikt sighed. “Someone has been pressing their luck by trying to infiltrate our warehouses and trades. We don’t know who it is, but they’ve managed to hit some vulnerabilities we didn’t think anyone would’ve found.”

With a brow cocked, I couldn’t stop myself from letting go of a breathy chuckle. “Vulnerabilities in Levov defenses? I thought you had a handle on those a while ago?”

He forced out another breath after throwing me a vaguely irritated expression. “Regardless, nobody should’ve been able to crack any of our warehouses…that’s the problem. Somehow, some way, someone has been tipped off, and we need to find out who is responsible.”

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