Page 76 of Forced plus-size Bride of the Bratva
Logan holds the stare for a long second. Maybe two.
Then finally, he takes a deep breath—sharp, furious—and steps back.
He’s still pissed. That much is obvious. But he backs down.
For now.
Zalar doesn’t holster the gun, just lowers it a little, eyes still wary.
Logan mutters, “You think this makes you the better man?”
“I don’t give a fuck about being the better man,” I bark at him. “You’re not worth one second of my time. If I were you, I’d pray to Jennie every morning because she’s the only reason you’re still breathing.”
“Then why am I here?” Logan spits, glaring at me. “Why the fuck did you kidnap me like I’m some animal for slaughter?”
I fold my arms and glance at Kaz, then back at Logan. “Someone’s trying to use you,” I say. “To get to Jennie. And through her, to get to me.”
Logan frowns, brows tightening. “Why me?”
“Because you’re the perfect pressure point.” I keep my voice calm, even. “You’re her weakness. And if anyone wants to hurt me, they don’t go for me first. They go for the people I’d kill to protect. Like Jennie.”
Kaz exhales beside me, arms crossed, leaning back like this is all too familiar.
Logan shakes his head. “I haven’t done anything. I didn’t hurt anyone. When I worked with the Rusnak family, I didn’t steal shit. I didn’t take a single dime.”
His voice rises—conviction in every word. “I know you still don’t believe me. But I didn’t steal your money.”
I watch him.
He’s hot-headed. But he’s not soft. There’s steel in his voice, in his stance. He’s a man trying to stand on his own feet in a room where he knows damn well he’s not the most powerful one—and still refuses to cower.
He has my respect. Especially now that I know he didn’t steal my money. We found new evidence that exonerates him and exposes the fact that he was framed. But I’m not about to tell him that yet. There’s still danger around him, and he’s connected to Jennie.
“I want to see my sister,” he says suddenly. “Let me see her.”
“No.”
His jaw clenches. “Why not?”
“Because it’s not safe. Whoever’s behind this—they’ve already tried twice. They bombed my house. They’ve breached our inner circle. And right now, you’re a liability.”
He steps toward me, just a little. Testing boundaries. “You’re keeping her from me.”
“I’m keeping her alive,” I growl.
He flinches but stands his ground. “I can protect her, too.”
“You think this is about fists and bullets?” I laugh once, humorless. “You’re not ready for what’s coming. You’re still thinking like a man who believes in fair fights.”
I lean in, my voice low.
“Out there, there are no fair fights. There are only dead men—and the ones ruthless enough to stay alive.”
He sucks in a breath. “I can help. You can’t just keep me cooped up in here. Let me do something. I can keep Jennie safe.”
“You’re not qualified,” I answer. “Jennie is very important to me, and I’m not about to trust her with you, even if she’s your sister. You want to earn your place? Fine. Stay here. Stay alive. And keep your mouth shut until I say otherwise. You so much as try to sneak out, and I will kill you myself.”
Logan holds my stare. Angry. Humiliated.
