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

Chapter 24 - Lara

Even after we were away from the chaos and the police were on the scene, I couldn't calm my shaking.

Regardless of having brothers and a husband immersed in the organized crime world, I had never experienced a situation like that before. I never had my life flash before my eyes so suddenly, aware that it would only take one bullet it kill me or Alex.

While guns were a common sight in this country, that was the first time I ever had one threaten me firsthand, and my mind was struggling to come to terms with it.

I couldn’t understand how anyone could crash a public event like that and target innocent civilians. No matter their affiliations, it was barbaric and cruel, and nobody should have to worry about losing their loved ones while out in the city.

It very quickly reminded me of how cruel the world could be.

I was so used to being protected by my brothers and security that I'd managed to forget, but I had the feeling I wouldn’t let go of that reminder for a while after that experience.

Still rattled by it all, I hardly had time to process as I was swept into Alex’s car, and before I knew it, he was pulling away from the city core, throwing a concerned glance at me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, worry evident in his voice.

Blinking through the haze of it all, I found myself nodding. “Yeah…I’m alright.”

Glancing between me and the road, I knew he wasn’t fully convinced. “No injuries, right?”

I looked myself over, aware that if I had been hit, I likely would’ve been clueless given how numb I felt. Luckily, I didn’t see any blood or feel any pain. If not for Alex and how quickly he got us out of there, I had the feeling that wouldn’t have been the case. At the very least, the chances of that happening would be much lower.

“No injuries,” I confirmed, voice still somewhat shaken up.

Alex let out a relieved breath and nodded as he focused on driving us away from the congested streets. Some sections were blocked off due to the heavy first responder presence, making the drive even slower than usual.

As we sat in traffic, barely crawling along, I couldn’t help it as everything replayed in my mind over and over again, reminding me of how close it all had been. We hadn’t been that far from where the vehicle rolled up, and even thinking about that terrified me.

I knew we were both physically fine, and that was what ultimately mattered, but I still couldn’t shake my anxious state. It was terrifying, and I hated even knowing there was a chance things could’ve ended much worse for us.

Even if Alex was relieved that we were safe and out of harm’s way, there was no missing the irritation stitched into his features. Leaning against his door as he carefully navigated us through traffic, he scrubbed a hand down his face and forced out a breath.

Glancing over at him, I could tell many thoughts were moving through his head at once. He had that usual pensive expression on his face, and I had no doubt it was eating away at him regardless of seeming stoic on the outside.

Finally, he sighed, and it seemed as though he had come to some sort of final decision as resolve filtered into his features.

Forcing myself to speak, I asked, “Do you know who orchestrated that attack?”

After a moment of consideration, Alex nodded. “It was the Gromovs again. There’s no doubting it.”

A bitter chill moved through my body at the name, knowing enough about them to be unnerved. They were the ones who kidnapped me and sold me off at that auction. They had been causing trouble with our families.

“You think they’d stoop low enough to involve the public?”

He nodded simply. “They’re not known for being careful or all that discreet. They’re reckless, and willing to do whatever they have to for the upper hand, even if it brings attention to the underground scene. They’re not above opening fire on civilians.”

My skin felt colder at that, more aware of what Alex and the others were up against. I swallowed hard. “What’s your next step, then?”

Alex, with his eyes glancing between the road and the media display of the car, reached over and clicked his recent calls before hovering over Ari’s name. “I’m going to call your brother and request to have a meeting.”

“What for?”

“To settle everything. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I don’t think I can handle this without your family. Not completely, anyway,” Alex said with at least some dismay at this concession. “We have to stop the Gromovs before this gets worse.”

While I could tell it wasn’t an easy thing for Alex to come to terms with, I was relieved at the thought of them making proper amends and hopefully reaching some sort of agreement. While Ari had promised to give him and the family some grace since we were married and I didn’t want him to act on my behalf, that didn’t mean they had an alliance. It was more like a temporary truce while they worried about the Gromovs and anyone else who might be feeling opportunistic.

But the idea of them reaching a more concrete partnership made me feel more at ease.

I was somewhat nervous about what Ari might say to Alex’s proposition as his number was called and it rang twice, but I knew it had to be done. He had to try if it meant bringing both sides peace of mind.

I hated the idea of my brothers and Alex having to deal with the Gromovs and always watching their backs. At least if they did come to a proper agreement, we’d be able to return to a normal state again.

The thought of having it all behind us was far too tempting to pass up.

“Novikov?” Ari said, voice coming through with a tinge of worry. “Is Lara alright? I heard about the shooting.”

“Yes, we’re both safe,” Alex said with the slightest edge to his voice, aware that Ari’s concern was always for me and not both of us. “We were at the festival, but we got out. We’re driving now.”

“I’m fine, Ari,” I piped up, knowing he wouldn’t be satisfied until he heard from me directly.

He let go of a breath from the other side. “Good. Those bastards are getting too bold. I told you to take care of it, Novikov.”

Alex kept his expression firm as he continued to drive, guiding us onto a quieter street, able to pick up more speed. “I’m working on it. Which is why I was hoping we could have a meeting.”

Even if he didn’t make a sound, I could feel Ari’s reluctance through the phone. “Alright. Get here as soon as you can. Lara can direct you to my place.”

A flicker of relief moved through Alex’s features, and he nodded to himself despite Ari not being able to see it. “We’ll be there.”

After saying goodbye and disconnecting the call, I did as Ari said and gave Alex directions to Ari’s house. Even if it was for a less-than-ideal reason, I was looking forward to going. His place always brought me a sense of comfort.

Aware of what needed to be done, and feeling somewhat at ease that Ari was willing to listen, the two of us sat in relative silence other than me telling him where to go until Alex pieced the rest together, and we eventually pulled up to the house.

Let in through the gates, we parked, got out, and headed inside. As we did so, I noticed the other vehicles in the driveway, aware that my other brothers were there as well.

Once inside, Ari and Vivian were already waiting for me, each of them pulling me in for a hug.

“You’re one more incident away from giving me a heart attack, you know,” Ari said, tone somewhat irritated yet laced with affection as he pulled away from the embrace and put a hand on my shoulder, looking down at me.

Managing a small smile for him, feeling more relaxed in their place, I let go of a breath. “Yeah, I know…it’s not intentional, at least.”

After giving me a faint, reassuring smile, he nodded as he took a step back and put an arm around Vivian’s waist. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I have a driver arriving here soon to take you back home while we talk. It might take a while to go over everything,” Alex said, hand placed gently against my lower back. “You should get some rest.”

While I didn’t like the idea of being apart after the close call, I couldn’t deny how tired I was feeling from the adrenaline.

“At least let your other brothers see you’re alright before you go,” Ari said, gesturing to the living room.

I nodded, and the two of us followed as Ari led the way while Vivian broke off with a small wave before disappearing somewhere else in the house.

Sure enough, Ben, Lukyan, and Kir were sitting around, waiting in the living room. Ben looked up from his phone and stood first, pulling me in for a quick hug.

“For having little to do with this business, trouble sure follows you,” he murmured, giving me a similar look to Ari’s.

Lukyan and Kir did the same, with the latter giving my hair the slightest ruffle despite my grumbling.

“Maybe that’s a sign she’s ready to jump in with the rest of us,” he said with a fond grin before he crossed his arms over his chest.

I scoffed, adjusting my hair absently. “Hardly. The sooner this is over, the better.”

“That’s right. You are going to lay low while we get to the bottom of everything,” Ari said with an air of authority. “And you’re going to somehow turn off that magnet of yours.”

Despite feeling like I was vaguely being lectured even though I had done nothing to incite said chaos, I managed a small smile. “I’ll get started on that right away.”

Even if things were tense overall, given how close me and Alex had come to crossing paths with the Gromovs, there was a collective relief in the room, and seeing my brothers helped me feel reassured.

“Regardless, those bastards aren’t going to keep getting away with whatever they want,” Ari continued, expression turning more serious. “They’ve gotten in the way far too many times already.”

We all seemed to share the same sentiment, and before long, I felt the gentle stroke of Alex’s thumb against my lower back again. “The driver’s here.”

Nodding, I said my goodbyes to everyone, then the two of us headed for the front door.

There, Alex’s hand shifted to my waist as he turned me to face him, looking down at me with a faint smile. His opposite hand went to my cheek, caressing my skin with his thumb. “I’ll take care of things here and head out once we’re done. Make sure you get some sleep, alright?”

I mirrored his smile and leaned into his hand. “I’ll do my best.”

His lips pulled slightly. “And text me when you get home.”

“Done and done.”

Satisfied, Alex leaned in and kissed me softly. It sent warmth through me, causing me to shiver indiscernibly.

His grin as he pulled back made my heart clench, and for a moment, I wished he was coming home with me. But I knew there wasn’t anything either of us could do about it.

“Drive safe,” I murmured to him before he retracted his hands and let me go.

“I will. See you soon.”

With a final nod and smile, we parted ways, and I made my way out to the SUV as Alex returned to the meeting with my brothers.

As much as I wanted to be with him at that moment, the thought of heading home and being able to decompress was far too tempting to give up. When I eventually got in the back seat, the driver pulled out of Ari’s driveway just as the sun started to go down, casting a soft glow over everything.

I watched as the city moved by us while he avoided the congested areas and bustle, allowing me to relax more the further we were from it all.

As much as I wanted to forget about it, my mind kept going back to how aggressively the festival had been taken over, and how terrified I had been. I was so afraid of not only getting hurt myself but of losing Alex, too.

He did everything to put himself between me and that danger, willing to suffer just to protect me.

I appreciated it more than anything, but knowing he’d sacrifice himself for me brought a strange feeling over me.

I didn’t want him to have to do that. I didn’t want that danger following us forever.

Lost in thought, aware that I’d be home soon enough, I didn’t anticipate how quickly everything would change, or how quickly the vehicle behind us was catching up.

Not until it crashed into our rear bumper, and the force of that collision made my body strain against the seatbelt, head colliding with the seat in front of me before everything went deafeningly still.