Page 66 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
For the first time, I was afraid of what would happen if I let myself feel more.
Chapter 28 —Lev
I stood in the living room downstairs, waiting for Ravyn to finish getting ready. Taking her to some of my business meetings had become a norm nowadays. I mean, why not? She was smart, intelligent, and gorgeous in every way.
Whenever I arrived at any meeting or gathering with her, she would always draw attention to herself. Her movements were graceful, like a pageant queen on a runway. Heads often turned when she moved, and whenever she spoke, she spilled nothing but wisdom.
It was hard to find beauty with brains these days, and Ravyn was the full package. My associates in the Bratva business never understood why I always brought her to a men’s meeting despite their warnings.
Perhaps if their wives were half as beautiful and brilliant as mine, they’d do the same thing.
Ravyn had finally slid her way into my stone-cold heart. She occupied my thoughts all day and night, constantly reminding me of how lucky I was to have her as a partner. Because of her, I was gradually becoming a different version of myself—especially when she was around me.
I hadn’t admitted it yet, but she brought out the good in me—the humanity that I thought I’d lost decades ago. So far, it had been quiet around the house, and the only noise around here was her blissful laugh. I noticed how free she’d become nowadays—she smiled more often, laughed genuinely, and mingled with the staff without discrimination.
My life was nearly perfect—almost. The only issue was that I hadn’t yet dealt with Viktor. I kept telling myself I would handle it, but I hadn’t. I had been so focused on my wife that I ignored the looming threat outside these walls.
Perhaps deep down, one of the reasons I always took her out with me was because I didn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe. To protect her.
Viktor was my brother, and quite frankly, that was the only reason he was still alive. His betrayal was punishable by death, but he was still walking about with air in his lungs. Because I allowed it.
Perhaps I was looking for a better way to dissolve this problem without lifting a gun. That was Ravyn’s method—even though I hadn’t run this by her yet. She believed that violence wasn’t the only option, that there were other ways to approach a situation without raising hell.
She was absolutely right, and I wished that I could think of another way to solve this without bloodshed. There wasn’t. Viktor had crossed the line when he sent those men after us. He chose to make an enemy out of me—and so I should react the way I would normally react to a threat.
I’d given it so much thought—imagined the several possible ways this could end. And in my head, there was only one thing all those scenarios had in common. Violence.
The scent of her perfume drifted into my nostrils, but when I turned around to admire her angelic beauty, the unexpected happened. The front door swung open, and Viktor burst in with his men, all armed to the teeth.
Yakov, ever ready for trouble, withdrew his gun without hesitation, signaling the other to cover me. About five other guards rushed forward and flanked around me, guns held up in front of them.
Viktor and his men stood across from me like they were willing to lay down their lives for their cause. My brother stepped forward, his eyes burning with fury, a pistol in his hand.
“Hello, brother,” he said, his voice deep and venomous.
I glanced at his men. There were a lot of them, about twenty or so, not counting the ones outside. He’d come prepared, but for what exactly?
“Viktor,” I called softly, my expression dark and unreadable. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Lev?” Ravyn’s voice was laced with a hint of fear.
A guard tried to keep her from getting too close to the volcano about to erupt. But she wouldn’t listen.
“Get out of my way!” She pushed through the guards and stood by my side, her gaze shifting across my brother and me. “What’s going on here? What’s with all these guns?”
“Wouldn’tyoulike to know?” He snickered, his tone laced with disdain.
“You don’t barge into people’s houses with guns, Viktor, what is wrong with you?!” she snapped, unafraid of the consequences of her actions.
“Nothing’s wrong with me, but everything’s wrong with him!” He raised his voice, pointing a finger at me.
“I’d brittle my tongue if I were you, Viktor,” I said calmly, but with a clear warning, fanning the tension in the air.
He chuckled lightly. “See, brother, that’s the problem. You’re not me. You’re not evenyouanymore.”
Ravyn’s eyes squinted, confusion flickering in her gaze. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She frowned at him.
“What it means is that my brother is a traitor who went behind my back to marrymygirlfriend and then ended up being controlled by her.” He let out a soft scoff. “How the mighty have fallen.”
