Page 58 of Forced Bratva Bride

Dom's jaw tightened. “Of course they’ve been looking, Larissa. Where have you been? Who hurt you?”

I used this time as he spoke to slide my hand into my pocket and activate the camera recording on Gio's phone. It would pick up all the noise.

“I'm in danger everywhere, Dom. There are people angry out there at our family.”

Dom’s eyes scanned the crowd as he leaned in. “Are you being followed?”

“Maybe,” I lied through my teeth. “Dom, I need to know what happened that day when we went for errands. Why did my brothers send you and me for errands when they never do? Was it genuinely necessary, or did they…need us for something else?”

I tried to get him to admit the truth to me. If he suspected my brothers’ actions had something to do with me being taken, now would be as good a time as any to have told me. If he gave me a clue, any clue, that our visit wasn’t innocent, perhaps I could get him to tell me if they’d planned an attack that day. I needed to prolong this conversation, for just a few more minutes before I made my escape.

“It's more complicated than that,” Dom started, but his eyes suddenly focused on something over my shoulder. His face hardened. “We need to go. Now.”

Before I could react, a familiar scent enveloped my senses. It was his perfume I smelled before I turned and saw a furious Gio storming toward us.

And from that look on his face, my knees turned to jelly. His eyes were glazed over with pure rage as he eyed Dom. Not once did he look in my direction.

“Dominic,” he hissed. “What an unexpected surprise.”

“Lebedev.” Dom's hand disappeared beneath his jacket, and my breath caught. I knew what lay there.

“I wouldn't,” Gio warned softly. “There are at least four of my men in this crowd, and none of them are as patient as I am.”

I glanced around, suddenly noticing the strategically placed men in casual clothes, their attentive eyes and tense postures giving them away. How had Gio found me so quickly?

Dom's hand reappeared empty. “This doesn't concern you. I'm taking her back to her home.”

“That's not happening.” Gio's eyes never left Dom's face as he slid his hand through mine. It wasn't a comforting touch—it was possessive, a warning. “Larissa is under my protection now.”

“Protection?” Dom laughed harshly. “You took her, didn’t you, bastard? You kidnapped her. I’m not letting her get away.”

Dom reached for me, but Gio pulled me behind his back, his eyes flashing with fury. “Careful, Dominic. The next words out of your mouth may be your last.”

I felt the tension building, saw the potential for violence. Mall security would be powerless to stop what was coming. Innocent people would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.

“Gio,” I said with worry, tugging at his arm.

“Larissa.” Dom's voice was urgent. “Think about what you're doing. Gastone—”

But before I could say another word, Gio’s men flanked our side, two of them standing with their backs to us. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of metal and realized they were holding a gun to Dom’s abdomen.

“Gio, please,” I begged, my eyes traveling to the gun, then to Dom. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Let’s go,” he growled, pulling me away, ignoring my words. He guided me through the crowd, his body a shield between me and anyone else. His men moved all around us.

Outside, a black SUV idled at the curb. Gio opened the door and practically shoved me inside, his movements radiating anger. He slid in beside me, and the car pulled away from the curb before he'd even closed the door.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded once we were moving.

I met his glare with one of my own. “I was getting answers.”

“Like hell you were! Without backup? Without telling anyone where you were going? If any other enemy had found you, do you know what they could have done to you?” Each question was sharp and rapid, not giving me time to answer.

“How did you find me so quickly?” I asked, trying to deflect just so I could think.

“You took my personal phone. All my devices have tracking enabled.”

Of course. Of course he would have tracking on his devices.

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