The Bratva’s Auctioned Bride (Levov Bratva #10)

Chapter 15 - Alexander

I could still taste her on my lips even as I drove to work and went about my day.

The conversation had been irksome at first, but hearing Lara say that she needed more from me felt like a moment of acceptance from her, her acknowledgment that she could either resist me forever or finally give in to what I had been wanting all along. And it seemed she had decided.

The kiss left me wanting more, and if I didn't have important work that needed my attention, I would've considered coming in late, or not at all if I felt like we needed time.

Instead, I had to continue as if she wasn't the only thing on my mind.

All the while, I couldn't ignore what she had asked of me, or how she had brought up her brothers before. It seemed that she wanted to not only dive into what we could be, but also to see her family again. It wasn't surprising, after all, and it was something I expected.

I knew from the beginning that I couldn't keep her from them, regardless of how tempted I was to do exactly that. Even if that would be the easier scenario in every way, I knew it would only hurt her more.

She cared about them and felt as though she was missing that part of herself. I couldn't blame her.

Plus, if I kept her hidden and never acknowledged her brothers or the situation, I knew they would only come down on me harder. Despite my resources and efforts, I likely wouldn't survive that kind of wrath from them.

After hearing Lara's desire to have more of my time and attention, I didn't want to let that go. I was beginning to see the hope of something forming between us again, and I'd be damned if I was going to be wiped out before I had the chance to reach that place with her.

I spent some time deliberating with myself, wondering how I might address the situation with the Levovs. Eventually, when I grew tired of thinking about it and just wanted to get it over with, I managed to find a number through one of their establishments.

Leaning back in my chair, I grabbed a burner phone from my desk drawer and took a deep breath before dialing it.

My mind was at war with itself. I knew that calling them directly was close enough to suicide, and it meant me risking everything just to make Lara feel better about the situation. There was a chance I could be outing myself and damning not only me, but my whole family to complete collapse and ruin. But at the same time, I couldn't hide her away forever. One way or another, the inevitable would come down on me. It was only a matter of how I handled it, and if I could manage to lessen the blow.

At the very least, I had to try something.

Reminding myself that I wasn't a nobody, and I had not only a business but also a family to protect, I steeled myself against the faint prickle of fear in my system and pressed the call button.

It rang twice before someone picked up, and after requesting to speak with Aristarkh, I waited a moment before I heard a gruff, seemingly exhausted voice on the other end.

“Aristarkh speaking. Who is this?”

A flicker of hesitancy ran through me before I remembered I was doing it for Lara, and I managed to speak clearly through the phone. “I’m Alexander Novikov. You likely haven’t heard of me, seeing as you haven’t killed me yet.”

He paused for a moment before his voice reached me again. “What do you want?”

Despite how serious the situation was, I couldn’t help but smirk slightly at the reluctance and slight edge to his voice. It almost reminded me of myself, aware that we were both leaders of our own operations. Cut from the same cloth, despite not knowing anything about each other.

“I’m aware you’ve been searching for your sister, Lara. Fortunately, your search can come to an end. I have her in my possession, and I’d like to arrange a meeting with you to talk shop,” I began, taking everything in stride as best as I could. “Before you freak out, she’s safe, and she’ll remain that way.”

I could feel Aristarkh’s immediate anger through the phone. “How did you find Lara? Were you the one who took her?”

“Easy, Levov. It’s a long story, but I’d rather handle things civilly. From one leader to another, I’d prefer to spill as little blood as possible. I’m sure we can work something out.”

He didn’t seem interested in what I had to say at first, far too focused on the part about his sister being in someone else’s possession. His words came out rushed and demanding. “If she’s there, put her on the phone. Now.”

I let go of a breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Unfortunately, she’s elsewhere at the moment. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

“And why would I trust someone I’ve never heard of before five minutes ago?” he asked skeptically. I couldn’t blame him, of course. I’d be hesitant to believe some stranger calling from a burner phone, too.

I cracked a faint grin as I spoke. “Because I’m the one who has her at the moment. That should be encouragement enough.”

“If you touch her, I’ll kill you myself, Novikov. I mean it,” he spat through the phone. I had no doubt he would keep that promise, regardless of how I treated his sister.

Suppressing a knowing look at the extent of how far my ‘touching’ her had already gone, I concealed my amusement as best as I could, not letting it come through my voice. “Believe it or not, Levov, I’m doing this for her. If it were up to me, I’d never cross paths with any of you ever again.”

There was a slight pause on his end as if contemplating my words, and after a moment, he returned almost begrudgingly, “Fine. We’ll meet. But I expect Lara to be there. If she isn't, I won’t hesitate. How soon can you get here?”

“My schedule is cleared for this. We’ll move on your time.”

He sighed. “Be here within the next hour, and I’ll find out how legitimate you are.”

Maintaining that grin, despite the slight twist in my gut at the thought of meeting with any Levov, plan or not, I murmured through the phone, “Done and done. Keep your weapons down, and we won’t have a problem.”

“We’ll see about that,” Aristarkh muttered, seemingly not too keen on the idea of keeping things civil despite now having a name to connect with his sister’s disappearance. “I’ll send you the address of the meeting place.”

Aware that there was no escaping it then, I nodded to myself. “I look forward to meeting you, Aristarkh.”

It was partially true. In a way, it felt almost surreal to know I’d be meeting someone as notorious as a Levov, yet I was sane enough to know it wasn’t some kind of fan meet and greet. Just because he agreed to see me, it didn’t mean an immediate and painful death was off the table.

“Don’t be too eager about this. Show me my sister is alive and well, and I’ll decide what happens next.”

It was a threat, no doubt. Of course, it wasn’t unreasonable when I tried to put myself in his position. Still, I knew I had to be guarded about the whole thing. I would be walking straight into their domain, after all.

Someone as prideful and demanding as Aristarkh Levov surely didn’t take kindly to his family being taken right out from beneath his nose, and I was certain he didn’t have much patience for negotiations. Regardless, he would have to deal with it anyway.

Holding on to hope that I wasn’t making a crushing mistake, we eventually ended the call, and before long, I received a message with the location of one of their establishments. That was a good sign, at least. It would be semi-public, and that meant my chance of being brutally murdered in front of their clientele was significantly lower than I expected.

***

The drive back home wasn’t the easiest one, but it allowed me to think over what I hoped to get out of the meeting.

It was one I had anticipated, despite dreading it, and I knew everything was riding on how it went. Not wanting to drag any of my brothers into the situation, I told them what was going on before I left, but didn’t take any of them with me. I’d rather they not get roped into some disaster if it were to go down that way.

If something happened to me, then I needed them to continue the business. I wasn’t willing to risk their lives like that.

I had the feeling Aristarkh was under the impression I set up the meeting with the hope of striking some sort of deal—payment in exchange for the safe return of his dear sister. Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of letting her go. I merely wanted to reunite them for everyone’s peace of mind, and if it went well, we’d return home as expected, on the condition of Lara being on my side and genuinely feeling something for me.

I was putting a lot of faith in such a short-lived connection, but I had no other choice. It was an olive branch, extended with the hope of gaining more of her trust and establishing myself among her brothers and their connections.

Regardless of how my stomach turned the whole way there, I was determined to make it work and to prove to not only her brothers but also to Lara, that I was serious.

My intentions and motives had changed slightly ever since I saw her with my own eyes, and I only wanted Lara to be safe and comfortable. I also wanted what she expressed earlier in the day, even if it meant walking right into Aristarkh’s dominion.

I reached the house with plenty of time to spare, and I quickly made my way to the front door, moving in with ease despite the tightening of my gut at the thought of putting my skin on the line for this.

Before long, I found Lara sitting in the kitchen, pushing food around her plate when she turned to face me. She looked somewhat surprised to see me so soon.

“You’re back early.”

Cutting right to the chase, I took up the stool next to hers and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Listen, Lara. I need to level with you about something. Are you prepared to hear this?”

Lara searched my eyes for a moment, growing slightly more concerned, then she nodded. “What is it?”

Pulling in a breath, I began, “I know how much you’ve been missing your family, so I reached out to Aristarkh—”

Her eyes lit up with immediate surprise. “You did?”

I nodded simply. “Yes. I called him before I left, and we’re going to meet with them today so we can settle things and hopefully ease the tensions between us. I listened to what you said earlier, and I want to take a more honest approach. To do that, I need to soothe your family’s worries and give you the chance to see them again.”

Lara brightened at the prospect of reuniting with them, and she even cracked a small smile for me. That was the only clue I needed to let me know I was moving in the right direction. Seeing that flicker of excitement in her eyes was enough to make me want to witness more of it. “I would love that. I’m sure they’ve all been worried sick about me.”

“Likely more than you know…but Lara, I’m afraid I need to request something of you,” I began, taking a breath to maintain my conviction. “I need your loyalty. I’m not asking you to convince anyone that you’re perfectly committed to me, but for all of this to go smoothly, they need to know my intentions are good, and that you trust me enough to keep you safe. If you turn your back on me, we will all be ruined. Your brothers included.”

Lara’s eyes searched mine again, seeming confused and cautious. “Why would my brothers go down for that?”

“Because vultures like the Gromovs will be waiting for either my family or yours to trip up at any given point, and we can’t risk that. If your brothers decide to off me, then that will leave mine wide open. And if your family is too busy dealing with mine, they’ll be just as vulnerable. I don’t think either of us wants that.”

There was no mistaking the conflict in her eyes as she considered my words, but after a moment, she sighed. “You’re right, I don’t want that. But I do want to see them.”

I nodded my understanding, giving her arm a faint squeeze. “Of course. But before we go, I want you to know that I am in this. I didn’t just want you for the convenience or the benefit. You ensnared me the moment I saw you, and I do mean to keep you safe from all of this, regardless of how your brothers might react. I didn’t marry you for no reason.”

Lara seemed to soften somewhat, and while she didn’t exactly throw down the same sentiment, her nod of approval and soft smile were enough reassurance that I wasn’t completely alone in this. “I’m hoping that’s true, Alex.”

“It is, and I’ll prove it to you,” I promised sincerely. “I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll show you how much I mean that, so long as I survive meeting your family first.”

Seemingly still excited about the idea of seeing her brothers again, Lara’s smile grew a bit more, and she let go of a faint sound of amusement. “I’ll hold you to it, then.”

With everything settled, feeling better about my chances of Lara not betraying me for her family, we headed out and made our way to the meeting place.

The whole way there, I was reassuring myself that everything would be fine, and I just needed to have faith in her, and in us. I had to trust that it would work out and that her brothers would hear me out with her being there.

While my stomach was in knots despite how I concealed it, I couldn’t help but glance over at her, noticing how she seemed to recognize everything the closer we got, and that recognition brought her a sense of joy.

It eased my nerves somewhat, regardless of how they raged within me.

When we pulled up to the nightclub and went inside, seeing the not-so-busy atmosphere, I couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in my gut. I felt like we were walking right into a wolf den, and I had very little to defend myself with.

But it was for her. It was all for Lara.

I wanted her trust, and to get it, I had to take that leap of faith. I only hoped she would meet me halfway.

“They’re likely in one of the back rooms,” Lara said, looking much more comfortable with our surroundings than I was. She obviously knew them well. “Come on, this way.”

I followed her easily enough, staying close by as I kept my chin up and did everything in my power to maintain my own sense of authority.

Leaving the main section of the club, we moved into a dark hallway that led to an exit at the far end, and the only other option was to take a left turn.

The moment we did, I felt the familiar sensation of cold metal pressed against my head, and I heard that unmistakable sound of a safety clicking off. My eyes had closed instinctively, but upon opening them again, letting out a held breath, I found myself face-to-face with who I could only imagine was Aristarkh. Several others were waiting behind him, all wearing the same pissed-off expressions.

I wasn’t short by any means, but he was a big guy. Bigger than I cared to admit. And with his pistol pressed against my head, I wasn’t willing to do anything to jeopardize the situation.

Lara tensed at the realization next to me, breath catching in her throat. “Ari…”

At the sound of his name, her eldest brother’s eyes flickered over to her, and his expression softened by the faintest fraction. He looked her over in one sweep before returning his cold gaze to me.

“You have some nerve walking in here like this…with my sister, no less,” he muttered, teeth grinding. “What’s stopping me from killing you right here, right now?”

I concealed my harsh swallow as best as I could, reminding myself to stay calm as I raised my hands in defense. “I’m not stopping you, but I’d prefer if you heard me out first.”

After a beat, with Ari’s gun still pressed against my forehead and his piercing gaze on me, one of the brothers with a head of loose curls moved forward and reached for Lara’s arms, giving her a look of both anticipation and the beginnings of relief. “Thank god, Lara…are you alright?”

I didn’t miss the tears as they brimmed her eyes, along with that smile of hers that almost looked giddy. She nodded, struggling to find the words at first. “Yeah, I’m fine, Lukyan.”

Heaving out another breath, he pulled her in for a tight hug. “I’m surprised you’re not here in bindings.”

Glancing back at Ari, silently pleading for my life while keeping as much as I could of my dignity, I managed a sheepish look. “No cuffs out of good faith?”

His jaw twitched as he pushed the pistol against my head again. “That doesn’t score you any points, Novikov.”

“She’s here, safe and alive, isn’t she? Shouldn’t that count for something?” I asked. While I wasn’t wrong, I knew I was pushing my luck.

“Don’t forget it was you who did this to her in the first place,” he gritted out, eyes flaring with anger. “You made us fear the worst, all while you kidnapped her and stashed her away, right?”

Before I could say anything, Lara answered first, giving a hug to the last brother who looked closer to her in age before she turned her attention back to Ari. “Alex didn’t abduct me—it was another family.”

Ari’s brows furrowed slightly then, and everyone gathered around us wore the same looks of confusion. But the brother with a visible scar on his shoulder looked down at his sister’s hand and wasted no time reaching for it gently, lifting it to inspect the ring on her finger.

“What’s this?”

Everyone locked in on the wedding band then, and there was no hiding it. There was no room left to stall the inevitable.

I realized then that it was the moment of truth. Unable to move fully, I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, wondering what path she would choose.

She had two options ahead of her. Easily, surrounded by her family and in one of their establishments, Lara could stay with them and leave me for dead—better yet, she could help them exact revenge for everything I had done. Or, she could pick me. Tell them to spare me because she cared and couldn’t stand the thought of seeing me dead.

Either way, Lara would be making a sacrifice, but whichever one felt more worthwhile was completely up to her to decide. As all the oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the room, she finally took a step closer to me and released a breath.

“We’re married. Alexander is my husband.”

Ari’s brows pinched together, and his features twisted with a combination of shock and anger. “What?”

“You heard me,” Lara said, facing him bravely. “So please lower your gun, and we can all talk this over.”

A mutual look of pure confusion and disbelief moved through the group of them, yet I only felt absolute relief.

She was choosing me, and she decided not to pull a fast one on me to spare herself.

Even if I had forced her into a marriage based on nothing more than my selfish desires, she still chose me.