Page 69 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
All three of us stepped out of the vehicle and into the rain, heading toward the main entrance of the building looming in front of us. I couldn’t understand why Lev had only decided to bring Yakov with him. What happened to the other men? What if Viktor decided to pull a fast one on us? How would we fight his men without backup?
It didn’t matter anyway. I trusted his judgment. He said he had it under control. And I believed him. Period.
The doors swung open, and we stepped inside. The warehouse reeked of rust and decay, each breath heavy with damp air. Rain pounded fiercely on the roof, the sound reverberating through the empty space.
Water leaked through the holes in the roof, dripping into the puddles spreading across the cracked floor. The place was dimly lit by a few fluorescent bulbs flickering above.
Viktor and his men dominated the center of the space, forming a circle around a pile of burning wood.
“You made it,” he said, his voice echoing off the high walls. “And I see you brought your wife with you.” He scoffed, his eyes dark with resentment. “You just can’t stop proving me right, can you?”
We halted before him and his men.
“Let me guess, she refused to stay back. And so, as always, you let her have her way.”
“So much attitude from a man who’s about to get his ass kicked,” Yakov said to him, his voice dripping with venom.
Viktor laughed—that sinister kind that hinted at something even more disturbing. “That’s why you came here with no backup? Because you’re expecting a showdown whereyou’ll humiliate me in front of everyone?” He withdrew his pistol and aimed it at Lev
Oh, no. I knew it. I knew this was a trap.
My heart sank in my chest, and my breath hitched in my throat. But when I looked at Lev and Yakov, the two men showed no sign of fear or shock. They didn’t flinch or blink—not even after Viktor’s men pointed their guns at us.
Their composure was a clear indication that they knew something I didn’t. It was almost like they’d already anticipated this ambush and were prepared for it.
Viktor cocked his gun. “You three made a big mistake when you walked in here alone.”
Lev’s lips twisted into a self-satisfied smirk. “Who said we’re alone?”
I watched as fear crept into Viktor’s eyes; he looked confused and uncertain about everything. His eyes darted around the warehouse as if searching for Lev’s hidden army.
“You’ve always been so predictable, brother,” Lev said to him. “You act without thinking, make rash decisions based on your emotions. You’re a fool, Viktor.” His scowl deepened.
The gun in Viktor’s hand trembled, and his chest heaved with heavy breaths. Confused, he ordered his men to open fire. “Kill them all.”
Wait. Was this part of the plan?
In an instant, I squeezed my eyes shut, flinching at the sound of rapid gunfire. Someone tackled me to the ground behind a pile of rubble.
“Stay low. Stay safe.”
It was Lev.
By the time I lifted my head, he was already walking into the heat of the battle. I covered my ears with my palms, watching Viktor’s men get hit by flying bullets. The gunfire was coming from the warehouse, each shot shattering the glass windows.
That was when it dawned on me: Lev must have had his men stationed on the nearby rooftops. Snipers. I hadn’t seen that coming, and clearly, neither had Viktor.
The slaughter ended as quickly as it began, and when the shooting stopped, all that remained was Lev standing in a pool of bodies. I dared to rise, drinking in the horrible sight around me—corpses, blood-stained walls and floors.
The echoes of violence faded into the dripping silence of the warehouse. My breath ceased for a moment when I spotted Viktor’s body, drowning in a pool of blood.
Lev’s shoes scuffed against the floor as he approached me, his gaze dark and unwavering. “Are you alright?” he asked, stretching out his hand.
I swallowed hard, nodding my head in affirmation.
“It’s over now,” he said, his fingers wrapping around mine as I took his hand.
He placed his hand on my cheek and gently turned my face away from the corpses. He looked at Yakov, gave some orders in Russian, and then walked out of the warehouse holding my hand.
