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

Chapter 27 - Alexander

The thought of anyone taking my wife and assuming they could have her all for themselves was enough to send a never-ending rage through my system, but knowing it was Matvey Gromov thinking that made it even worse. All the harder to stomach.

No part of me could ever accept that, and I’d never give up on her just because it seemed like a hassle to get her back. I didn’t want her to assume that just because it had taken us some time to get the report and head out. Time was critical, and I was angry I didn’t know about it sooner.

I was furious with myself for even sending her out on her own. I should’ve been with her, or better yet, I should’ve let her stay at the house while I handled everything with her brothers. It was a critical mistake, and I couldn’t help but beat myself up for it.

I was well aware of Matvey’s intentions with her. He was greedy and slimy and wanted the status for himself. He wanted to take everything from me, down to the woman I married.

It was perfectly clear, and I knew damn well he wasn’t bluffing. Which meant I had to get to her as fast as possible and end that nightmare for her.

As Damien drove as fast as he could, focused on the road ahead, I sat in the passenger seat, stewing over everything. I was pissed beyond belief, both at Gromov and myself.

While I told him I’d drive, he wouldn’t accept it. He knew where my mind was, and he wasn’t willing to risk it. I had cursed at him initially, but a part of me knew he was right.

The other three were in the back, all silent yet ready to spring to action. When we were all together, there was normally no shortage of smart-ass comments and bickering, but given the gravity of the situation, nobody was willing to say a word.

They knew almost anything would set me off, and rather than cause more tension, they kept quiet.

A part of me was glad, seeing as I could only think about getting Lara back at that moment. Instead, I watched as our vehicle traveled towards the small pin on the GPS, knuckles squeezed so tight that they ached.

Glancing in the side mirror, I watched as the Levovs followed us, along with several other units behind them. We made up a convoy then, and at the very least, we had more vehicles up ahead that were en route the moment we gave the word.

The plan was for them to hit first and establish what we were dealing with. Then, we’d head in and find Lara.

As reluctant as I was to admit it, their quick thinking got us on the road fairly quickly, and with the location secured by tracking Lara’s phone, which it seemed the Gromovs completely overlooked, we didn’t have much room left for guessing.

Instead, we had the Gromov location pinned down, and soon enough, I’d get the chance to show Matvey exactly why he chose the wrong person to shadow for years.

Soon enough, the distance between us dwindled and the time grew shorter and shorter until we came up to a secluded warehouse outside of the city—it looked like it was in the middle of nowhere, yet the space was vast, including a large parking lot, several smaller buildings, and even a hangar. The latter gave me pause, then sent another wave of urgency through me.

I had to get her back before anything could happen. Before Matvey could put his resources to good use and pull her away from me for good.

If he managed to get her phone off her and fly her out of the country, I’d be completely screwed.

The moment the vehicle slowed close to a stop, I shoved my door open, finding myself among both Novikov and Levov men. Our vehicles had the place surrounded, and already, gunfire was ringing out through the property.

My brothers were surrounding me, and soon enough, Ari was next to me, gun drawn. Seemingly focused and unshaken due to his experience, he looked at me firmly.

“The place is tightly guarded, as you can see, but we have the numbers to wipe this place out. Leave it to us—we’ll get her out.”

As nice as that sounded, no part of me would allow that. I shook my head.

“No. Clear what you can of the external guards, but I’m going in myself. If she’s in there, then I’m going to find her,” I said, full of unshakable resolve.

Ari seemed like he wanted to argue, but whether he knew time was limited, or that I couldn’t be convinced otherwise, he let go of a breath and nodded. “Alright then, Novikov. Our guys will gun the guards down, and when there’s a clear path, you go in. We’ll be right behind you.”

Glad it was sorted, I agreed silently, and for a moment, I could’ve sworn I caught a gleam of respect in his eyes before we focused on the scene.

Observing the chaos initially, the shoot-out was well underway as the guards who swarmed the front of the warehouse were picked off in the shower of bullets. One by one they went down, causing the others to either hunker down or retreat further into the warehouse. It seemed their orders were to attack rather than turn tail, so most guarded the warehouse with their lives, only to lose them.

What bullets they managed to fire at our guys were either deflected by a row of defensive shields or caught in Kevlar, yet our forces were too much for them to handle, and they were quickly overwhelmed.

With a push, our guys went in, and the moment they did an initial sweep, I gestured for Damien to follow, along with Ari and a few of his guys.

I grabbed a rifle from one of our men and moved forward, leading our small group as another wave of guys surrounded the other sides of the warehouse and all exterior buildings.

Wasting no time with my heart in my throat, I forced myself to keep my concern and fear down, aware that Lara couldn’t afford any kind of hesitation from me. I wasn’t willing to let her stay in their clutches for a moment longer than necessary.

Hurrying inside, storming the place with my wife at the forefront of my mind, I could only think about getting her back and making sure she was safe, sure to never let this kind of thing happen to her again.

As our group rushed through the warehouse, it didn’t take long to find our guys surrounding the center of the main floor, guns poised on the scene ahead.

At first, I silently questioned why they didn’t shoot, given how Matvey and his brother Rurik were there, but with another glance, I immediately knew.

It wasn’t just a matter of taking the kingpin out—not while Lara was cuffed to a chair in the middle of the room with his gun pointed at her head, face hard as he, too, was pinned. In another bid for pressure, the barrel of a rifle was pointed against Rurik’s head, causing him to hold his hands up in defense.

Regardless of his brother being at gunpoint, Matvey didn’t seem to care. His entire focus was on Lara, as well as myself, once he spotted me.

The look of pure, uninterrupted fear on Lara’s features was enough to stir anger toward myself and Matvey all over again. Wide-eyed and trembling faintly with the gun pressed against the back of her head, she was more terrified than I had ever seen her before.

I just wanted her back. I wanted to make things better.

But the Gromovs were in the way.

With my gun trained on Matvey, I looked at him as my face set with a hard expression.

Pulling in a discreet breath, I urged myself to play it cool, to stay calm despite how my protective urges were going haywire within me. I needed to get her back. I needed to keep her safe.

Despite the heat on him, Matvey grinned, eyes laced with a hint of recklessness. “Novikov. It seems we finally meet again.”

Every part of me wanted to open fire on him and take him out right then and there, but I couldn’t. Not without risking Lara’s life in the process.

I was in a tough spot of wanting to act, but needing to think things through—to be patient and hope that it wouldn’t all be for nothing.

“You have nowhere to run now, Matvey. It’s over,” I told him firmly, keeping the pressure on him.

Surely, he knew that. Even in the stillness of the room with all our guns fixed on him, the sound of his forces being taken down throughout the other buildings and outside filtered in through the steel walls. There was no mistaking that massacre.

Between the combined Novikov and Levov forces, as well as the group of us holding him hostage, there was no way he could escape the warehouse unscathed. Even if he had Lara in his grasp, he wouldn’t make it far.

I would ensure that never happened.

But Matvey butted the barrel of his pistol against the back of Lara’s head, causing her to flinch. “It might look that way, but it isn’t over until I say it is.”

It seemed even while completely surrounded, he was still just as arrogant.

“Let her go and we’ll see if that’s true.”

He only laughed bitterly at that. “You truly think I’m that much of an idiot? Give me some more credit than that, kid.”

Kid .

He still saw me as a newcomer on the scene. As if there weren’t years in between then and now.

Ignoring his attempt at belittling me, I adjusted my grip on the rifle and kept my hard gaze on him.

“What’s idiotic is you assuming you’ll ever make it out of here,” I returned sharply, patience wearing thin. “Let her go.”

Matvey sighed as if considering a tiring concept. “I don’t think I will. I’m quite interested in trying this one myself…and you wouldn’t risk accidentally killing her. Better yet, you wouldn’t risk me accidentally shooting her, right?”

My teeth ground at that thought, wishing I could shut him up right then and there. But he was right.

As surrounded as he was, I couldn’t do anything with Lara in his grasp.

After a moment, Gromov hummed, grinning as if he had already won. “And here we find ourselves. Face-to-face, yet neither of us will make a move. How long can you resist that rage of yours, Novikov? Either way, I’ll be taking something from you, and that’s all that matters.”

Matvey had no regard for his brother’s life, nor even his own. He was hell-bent on ruining me, even if it meant dying for it.