Page 14 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession
Chapter 6 - Gastone
I stared at Carlo's horrified face, then at Dino's pale one as they stared at me in complete shock. God, I hadn’t thought this through when I took her last night. When they came down here this morning, I realized just how bad I’d fucked up when I kept the truth hidden from them.
Then again, with Elena standing there all happy with herself after dropping this bombshell, I knew I had to come clean. The damage was done.
“She isn't mistaken. We are married,” I admitted.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Dino whispered, slapping his hand to his mouth in such a dramatic manner, I wanted to roll my eyes.
“Stop this madness,” Carlo roars.
“It's already done,” I said with a shrug. “And I can’t just end it and send her back like this was a mistake. It's not just a kidnapping. It's a marriage.”
Carlo’s face darkened. “Have you lost your goddamn mind? Kidnapping a Lebedev? Forcing her to marry you? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I know exactly what I'm doing,” I said, glancing at Elena, who was watching with an annoying expression of triumph and disbelief. She probably expected me to deny everything, and from how happy she looked at the uproar my brothers presented, I wished I hadn’t come out with the truth.
“You know what you're doing?” Carlo's voice rose. “You’re ruining the peace we’ve worked so hard to establish with the Lebedevs. A peace that’s important because they are Larissa’s family now.”
I looked at him in utter disbelief. “You want peace with the family that took my sister?”
“She’s our sister too,” Dino shouts back. “And you know she chose to stay. Why are you ruining everything when we’ve just started making progress?”
“You’re not makingprogress,” I spat the word. “You’re surrendering.”
Elena leaned against the doorframe, watching us with those sharp hazel eyes, not saying a word now. How convenient.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Carlo's laugh was bitter. “How long can you hold on to anger? We’re all adapting. Something you used to know how to do before you started drinking yourself stupid every night.”
I felt a flash of white-hot anger. “Watch yourself.”
“No, you watch yourself,” Carlo roared back. “You think you're punishing Giovanni by taking his sister? All you're doing is starting another war and alienating us even further from our only sister.”
“Larissa will come around,” I said dismissively.
“Not if you keep this up,” Dino joined in. “Besides, have you forgotten about the Lebedevs? They’ll bring war to our door, Gastone, and we can’t afford one right now! There’s too much trouble in the business as is.”
Elena cleared her throat. “I'm just going to grab some more coffee while you boys sort this out.” She started to back out of the room.
“Stay right where you are,” I ordered without looking at her. To my surprise, she actually stopped moving.
“Don't talk to her like that,” Carlo said. “Christ, Gastone, she's a person, not a dog.”
“She's my wife,” I corrected him.
“She's your hostage!” Carlo shouted.
I shrugged.
Dino stood up now, too. “This isn't a joke. Giovanni Lebedev will burn this city to the ground looking for her. And when he finds out what you've done—”
“If,” I interrupted. “If he finds out and as long as no one tells him…”
Elena’s eyes widened. “If? You think my family isn't already looking for me? I had security with me at the club. They've probably already told my brothers I left with you.”
I turned to her, annoyed that she'd punched a hole in my logic. “Security that did a piss-poor job of actually securing you.”
She rolled her eyes. “They weren't expecting the don of the Ajello family to kidnap me, you psychopath.”
