Page 49 of The Bratva's Sold Bride

That meant the expansion wasn’t going to happen, and the original plans for the resort on the land I just bought weren’t going through. To hell with that.

It took a bit of cajoling from Ivan and me, because the two men had been scared shitless by whoever didn’t want me in the area. It wasn’t anyone from town, because they were already buzzing about all the new jobs and tourists the place was going to bring once it was completed. Someone outside the area was trying to stage a takeover. So, what would a regular, everyday businessman do in this situation? Run away?

Thankfully I was still in the Bratva, and once we got some answers, Ivan and I took off to find the leader of this rogue gang and see if we could shake some sense into them. We could work together, or I could destroy them, it made no difference to me.

They were holed up in a little shanty town about twenty miles away from our village. The place was nothing more than about a dozen shacks and trailers, so calling it a town was generous. My men had met up with us and followed, but I ordered them to hang back to see if diplomacy would work first.

It didn’t, and before we even learned where the leader was, Ivan had thrown several punches, I’d taken a hit to the jaw and had to break someone’s thumb, and finally had to put another guy in a chokehold as my team burst through the doors with their guns out.

The only man on the opposing side who’d managed to draw quickly put his gun away. Ivan strode over and grabbed it,tossing it out a window, and I slowly let the guy I was choking have a breath.

“So now do you want to tell me where I can speak to your boss?” I asked the room at large.

Before any of them answered, a burly guy with greasy hair and a scar down the side of his neck charged into the ramshackle place. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Your English is really good,” I said, nodding toward my brother, who had his gun trained on this new guy’s head. “I also speak Spanish if that’s more comfortable for you.”

“Whatever language you speak, you’re an outsider.”

“Is that your problem with me, or is it that you can’t come up with ideas of your own? If you’re trying to steal my land, it’s a bad idea. If you’re trying to come in and take a cut when I’m finished developing, that’s an even worse idea.”

“You don’t know shit,” he answered.

I realized he wasn’t the head honcho after all, and trying to reason with him was a waste of time.

“Why don’t you just tell me where I can reach the person in charge of your little mission?” I asked, giving Ivan a discreet glance.

The man he was holding back went down when Ivan knocked him out with a swift blow from the butt of his gun. As soon as he slid from his grasp, Ivan leaped over him, and roundhouse kicked the man closest before he could scramble behind a counter and possibly pull out more weapons. I clipped the mouthy one in the knee, and the man I had been choking immediately started to beg for mercy as screams of pain tore through the small space.

Aiming my gun at the so-called leader’s head, I ground my foot into his fresh bullet wound, waiting for him to stop howling before I spoke again.

“Look, it would be a shame if I had to kill anyone here today,” I said. “But I will if you don’t tell me who I need to talk to about getting my land deal through with no more problems.”

The man sneered at me through his pain, laughing maniacally even as tears flowed down his cheeks. “What would be a real shame is if something happened to your pretty wife. Don’t you think?”

I froze, keeping my gun aimed at his face as I looked at my brother. My heart pounded hard enough to break my ribs at the mere mention of Olivia.

“Take care of this,” I said, already halfway out the door.

He nodded, and I shouted at my guards to help Ivan round everyone up and get answers as I jumped into my car and aimed it toward the village.

What the hell did they know about my wife? God help every one of them if she was in danger. My mind went blank with rage and fear, and all I could do was jam my foot on the gas, desperate to know that she was all right.

Chapter 29 - Olivia

Andre sat outside, but even though anyone who didn’t know why he was there wouldn’t suspect anything, he kept a watchful eye on me. Of that, I was certain. He was one of the less insufferable guards in Dima’s crew, but he was still completely loyal. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that I could ever flip him to my side.

That left Zoey.

I was impatient, but I had to bide my time to get my new friend on my side. As I sipped on my cinnamon cappuccino, it was hard not to burst out with pleas for help to sneak me out through the back and into Zoey’s rental car to get far, far away.

Acting too rash might get me caught and then Dima’s trust would be lost forever. I couldn’t risk that because then I might find out what it was like to be really locked up.

“How’s the writing going?” I asked instead of begging for help like I wanted to. And I was curious, since I never knew a writer in real life.

She frowned. “Don’t ask, because it’s not going at all. Every time I sit down to start, Ivan shows up and suggests something more fun.”

“Yeah, he’s fun all right,” I said, but she missed the sarcasm, smitten by my brother-in-law. I couldn’t exactly warn her not to get involved, though. Or could I?

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