Page 67 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
My fingers clenched into fists at my sides, my blood boiling with rage.
“Word in the street is that you’ve grown soft, that your wife has made you weak,” he said to me, his words sharp as arazor blade. “You know the rules, brother. Weaknesses are to be eliminated.”
I paused for a second, feeling the weight of my men’s gazes on me. “Is that why you sent those men to kill me?”
Ravyn’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
Viktor hesitated for a second. “Not you.” His gaze shifted to Ravyn. “Her.”
My jaw tightened, my scowl deepening as I glared at him. Ravyn’s breath hitched in her throat, a mix of shock, fear, and disappointment flickering in her gaze.
He continued, “But you decided to take a bullet for her because your stone-cold heart has somehow developed feelings for her.”
Ravyn’s eyes misted, her nose flared, and her chest heaved slowly. She probably never expected that the man she once loved was capable of sending assassins after her.
“Look, brother, I don’t even care that you stole her from me. I’m trying to save you from her,” he said through gritted teeth, a glint of something deadly flashing in his eyes. “From becoming like Valarian Tarasov!”
Ravyn’s jaw tightened, her expression shifting from fear to anger.
Good. Very good. The last thing I wanted was for her to show any sign of weakness. Viktor didn’t have the right to see that side of her. No one else in this room did.
Yakov was boiling with rage, patiently waiting for me to say the word. He and the guards were ready to paint the walls red with Viktor’s blood. However, there would be no gunshots tonight, not inmyhouse.
I stepped forward, toiling with my cufflinks, my voice calm and unshaken. “You put my wife’s life in danger because you think she makes me weak?”
“Does she not?” he asked, unapologetically. “Have you not proven that you would always put her first, that she’s more important to you than your duties to the Bratva?” His eyes narrowed, his voice rising higher than usual. “You fucking take her with you to sacred meetings with the Elders, goddamn it!”
I watched the brat vent like an idiot, unaware of my own plans. Coming here to threaten me was a big mistake—but he hadn’t realized it yet.
He placed the barrel of his gun on my forehead, eyes blazing red. “I will not sit back and allow you to bring shame and disgrace to the family. So, here’s what’s gonna happen: You have two options. The Bratva. Or the girl.”
The room fell silent, tension thick in the air as everyone anticipated my response. I could almost hear the sound of Ravyn’s racing heart, and when she looked at me, there was something vulnerable in her eyes. Just a flicker of it.
“The girl is my wife, and she will always come first,” I answered.
His face contorted into a frown. “I knew it. She’s made you weak. She’s made you soft!” he barked the last statement in my face.
“If that’s what you truly believe,” I began, “then prove it to everyone. Fight me.”
Silence.
His men exchanged glances without saying a word.
“Since I’m such a weakling, kicking my ass shouldn’t be a problem. Right?” I added.
He knew he didn’t stand a chance, but his pride wouldn’t let him admit that—not in front of all these people. Viktor didn’t realize that this was a trap, and he was about to walk right into it.
His biggest problem has always been his inability to think things through. He always acted on impulse, and this time, it would cost him a lot more than he imagined.
I caught the faintest edge of fear in his eyes, but he was quick to mask it.
“Fine,” he said, clenching his jaw. “I’ll text you where and when.”
Viktor signaled his men, and they retreated with slow, deliberate steps.
I hadn’t realized that Ravyn had been holding my hand until now. She squeezed tightly against my fingers but didn’t say a word.
Viktor was mistaken if he thought that he could endanger my wife’s life, embarrass me in front of my men, and still get away with it. Our actions had consequences; he should’ve known better.
