Page 54 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
But why? Why turn his back on me? Why betray his own blood?
Then it hit me.
Ravyn.
This was the only logical explanation for his betrayal. Perhaps he was trying to get back at me for marrying his ex-girlfriend. He’d endangered both our lives, and all for what? Jealousy?
He never really cared about her in the first place, so why the big fuss that I decided to make her mine? If he hadn’t screwed things up between them, I never would’ve looked in her direction. And besides, I didn’t marry her to spite him; it was a strategic move to destroy her family without raising suspicion.
I was punishing herbecauseof him, and this was how he repaid me?
The second I remembered Yakov was still here, I dismissed him immediately. Without wasting any more time, he nodded once and excused himself. After the door shut behind him, I rose out of my chair, seething in silence.
I paced back and forth, unsure of what to do with this piece of information. My fingers combed through my hair, a million and one thoughts tugging at my mind.
Viktor’s betrayal hit differently because he was family—he was my brother, for Christ’s sake! When I put the pieces together and concluded that someone around me was behind the attack, I never imagined it would be him.
A knot tightened in my chest, and my blood wouldn’t stop boiling. I’d figured Viktor wasn’t cool with the marriage, but I didn’t think he’d take things so far. The son of a bitch sent some men to kill me—to kill her, too. I wasn’t sure which one of us was the target that night, but the point was that he wanted one of us dead. Or maybe even both of us.
That night at the family dinner, when I saw him in the ladies’ room pulling Ravyn toward himself, I warned him to stay away from her. I asked him, as his older brother, if he still hadany feelings for her. Viktor looked me straight in the eyes and said whatever he felt for her was dead. I didn’t see the pun in that statement until now.
Son of a bitch!
Hewas the one who had sent that package to the house—the one with the bloodied knife and the illegible note. My brother’s been working behind the scenes, planning my demise.
Coward!
He should’ve just faced me like a man; he should’ve confronted me about my decision. And perhaps, we could’ve reached an agreement. But no. He chose to make himself an enemy of mine; he chose to turn his back on me and plot my death.
Because of him, Ravyn was entangled in this crazy world of mine—one where her life was constantly in danger. She didn’t deserve this harsh punishment, nor did her father. All of this for a man who sought my death?
The betrayal cut so deep that I was bleeding on the inside. It would’ve been a lot easier if he weren’t my flesh and blood. But unfortunately, he was.
Guilt coiled in my chest, sharp and unrelenting, as I recalled the look on her face the day I dropped the marriage proposal on her like a bombshell. It didn’t erase the fierce possessiveness that had only grown stronger by the day.
Maybe I should let her go now that it appeared that she was just a victim of Viktor’s manipulation. She didn’t deserve to be punished, especially when she didn’t do anything wrong. However, the mere thought of losing her made my throat tighten.
I didn’t think that I could ever let her go—not after I’d already tasted her and enjoyed every bit of it. She belonged to me and me alone; I couldn’t stand the thought of another man laying his hands on her. It infuriated me just thinking about it.
Letting her go was not an option. I’d already claimed her, and there was no way in hell that I’d allow her to walk out of my life. Ravyn wasn’t just my wife; she was peace—the only woman who’d stirred up the humanity in me. She was my better half, the light in my dark. I could never let her go. Not in a million years.
She’d earned her place in my life and occupied a space in my stone-cold heart. Letting her walk would be stupid because I’d just chase after her again and bring her back to me. We might not talk all the time, but the few short conversations we’d had still lingered on the fringes of my mind.
I enjoyed her company more than I cared to admit, and honestly, her presence in the house brought warmth and peace. The place felt more alive than dead with her around.
Quite frankly, I wasn’t ready to part with the woman who had spoken at a Bratva meeting and left everyone stunned by her wisdom. Ravyn was different from the regular girls her age; amongst other things, she was industrious despite being born into wealth.
She was a woman with her own mind and a desire to build her own brand outside her father’s business. She wanted to make a name for herself. The girl had such big dreams and ambitions, which had been cut short because of me.
I’d screwed up when I messed up an innocent girl’s life. But letting her go wasn’t the right call. I’d fix it without letting her out of my sight; it was the only way to kill two birds with one stone.
***
Later that evening, I watched her across the dining table, her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her. We ate in silence as usual, even though deep down we both knew we were thinking about the same thing. The sex.
Neither of us had said anything about the incident at the library—no reviews whatsoever. But the change was evident;Ravyn was more comfortable around me now, and I no longer noticed the tension in her shoulders. It seemed she was beginning to accept her fate—her new reality.
She looked beautiful as always, her honey-blonde hair cascading in effortless waves down her back. Her skin glistened in the chandelier’s warm glow, and her blue eyes had the same sparkle as they had in the library.
