Page 6 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession (Vadim Bratva #12)

I stared at Carlo's horrified face, then at Dino's pale one as they stared at me in complete shock. God, I hadn’t thought this through when I took her last night. When they came down here this morning, I realized just how bad I’d fucked up when I kept the truth hidden from them.

Then again, with Elena standing there all happy with herself after dropping this bombshell, I knew I had to come clean. The damage was done.

“She isn't mistaken. We are married,” I admitted.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Dino whispered, slapping his hand to his mouth in such a dramatic manner, I wanted to roll my eyes.

“Stop this madness,” Carlo roars.

“It's already done,” I said with a shrug. “And I can’t just end it and send her back like this was a mistake. It's not just a kidnapping. It's a marriage.”

Carlo’s face darkened. “Have you lost your goddamn mind? Kidnapping a Lebedev? Forcing her to marry you? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I know exactly what I'm doing,” I said, glancing at Elena, who was watching with an annoying expression of triumph and disbelief. She probably expected me to deny everything, and from how happy she looked at the uproar my brothers presented, I wished I hadn’t come out with the truth.

“You know what you're doing?” Carlo's voice rose. “You’re ruining the peace we’ve worked so hard to establish with the Lebedevs. A peace that’s important because they are Larissa’s family now.”

I looked at him in utter disbelief. “You want peace with the family that took my sister?”

“She’s our sister too,” Dino shouts back. “And you know she chose to stay. Why are you ruining everything when we’ve just started making progress?”

“You’re not making progress ,” I spat the word. “You’re surrendering.”

Elena leaned against the doorframe, watching us with those sharp hazel eyes, not saying a word now. How convenient.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Carlo's laugh was bitter. “How long can you hold on to anger? We’re all adapting. Something you used to know how to do before you started drinking yourself stupid every night.”

I felt a flash of white-hot anger. “Watch yourself.”

“No, you watch yourself,” Carlo roared back. “You think you're punishing Giovanni by taking his sister? All you're doing is starting another war and alienating us even further from our only sister.”

“Larissa will come around,” I said dismissively.

“Not if you keep this up,” Dino joined in. “Besides, have you forgotten about the Lebedevs? They’ll bring war to our door, Gastone, and we can’t afford one right now! There’s too much trouble in the business as is.”

Elena cleared her throat. “I'm just going to grab some more coffee while you boys sort this out.” She started to back out of the room.

“Stay right where you are,” I ordered without looking at her. To my surprise, she actually stopped moving.

“Don't talk to her like that,” Carlo said. “Christ, Gastone, she's a person, not a dog.”

“She's my wife,” I corrected him.

“She's your hostage!” Carlo shouted.

I shrugged.

Dino stood up now, too. “This isn't a joke. Giovanni Lebedev will burn this city to the ground looking for her. And when he finds out what you've done—”

“If,” I interrupted. “If he finds out and as long as no one tells him…”

Elena’s eyes widened. “If? You think my family isn't already looking for me? I had security with me at the club. They've probably already told my brothers I left with you.”

I turned to her, annoyed that she'd punched a hole in my logic. “Security that did a piss-poor job of actually securing you.”

She rolled her eyes. “They weren't expecting the don of the Ajello family to kidnap me, you psychopath.”

“Yet here we are,” I said flatly.

Carlo was pacing now, looking like he might tear his hair out. “You have to let her go before this gets any worse.”

I shook my head.

“Gastone,” Dino tried again, “think about this. Think about Larissa. How is she going to feel when she finds out you've kidnapped her sister-in-law? She’s going to be furious.”

That struck a nerve just like it did every time someone mentioned her name around me, but I refused to show it. “Larissa made her choice. Now she can live with the consequences.”

“She's still our sister,” Carlo said quietly. “And she's going to be devastated.”

“Her husband took her from us,” I countered. “Now I've taken his sister. Seems fair to me.”

Elena now walked fully into the room. “This isn't about fairness. This is about your ego. You’re convinced you know what’s better for Larissa, when you don’t.

If only you could see her. She’s so happy, Gastone.

My brother literally worships the ground she walks on, and she knows it.

How can you be mad that she’s exactly where she belongs? ”

My hands curled into fists at my sides. “You don't get to talk about my sister.”

“Why not? She's my family now, too. And unlike you, I actually care about her happiness.”

“She is…happy,” Dino offered.

“More than you’d believe,” Carlo added.

That did it. The last thread of my patience snapped. “Get out,” I said, turning to my brothers. “Both of you. Now.”

Carlo stared at me in disbelief. “You can't be serious.”

“I'm dead serious. This is my decision. I don't need your approval or your permission.”

“You’re nuts,” Dino whispered.

“Maybe I am,” I said coldly. “But remember who's in charge here. I'm still the head of this family, and if you can't respect my decisions, then you can get the fuck out until you can.”

The room went silent. Carlo and Dino exchanged a look, and I knew I'd crossed a line. But I couldn't back down now.

After a long moment, Carlo grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. “This is a mistake, Gastone. A big one.”

“Noted,” I said curtly.

Dino hesitated. “What do you want us to say if anyone asks about her?”

“Nothing,” I said. “You say nothing. As far as you know, she's not here.”

Elena made a sound of disbelief. “You expect them to lie for you?”

“I expect them to be loyal to their family,” I replied, eyes still fixed on my brothers. “Something you Lebedevs clearly struggle with.”

Carlo shook his head in disgust. “We'll go. But this isn't over.”

“I never said it was,” I answered.

They filed out, Carlo not even looking back, Dino giving me one last pleading glance that I ignored. I heard the front door slam a moment later.

Then it was just me and Elena.

I turned to face her slowly, my anger redistributing itself toward its new target. “Happy now? You've successfully turned my brothers against me.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “They were already against you. I just gave them the push they needed to say it out loud. Everyone thinks you’ve lost the plot, not coming to see your niece? Kidnapping me now?”

I stepped closer to her, looming over her shorter frame. “You think you're so clever, don't you? Walking in here, airing my business to my family?”

To my surprise, she didn't back away. Instead, she tilted her head up to maintain eye contact, completely unfazed by my proximity. “I am clever. And I'm not afraid of you, so you can stop with the intimidation tactics.”

“I kidnapped you,” I reminded her. “Forced you into marriage. Locked you in my home. Most people would be terrified.”

“I'm not most people,” she said simply. “I grew up with six brothers in a family not unlike yours. You think you're the first angry man who's tried to scare me into submission?”

I studied her face, noting the complete lack of fear in her expression. It was... unusual. And oddly refreshing. Most people, men and women alike, knew better than to challenge me directly.

“Your brothers have clearly failed in teaching you proper respect,” I said.

She let out a short laugh. “Oh, they taught me plenty. Like how to recognize when a man is compensating for his insecurities with aggression and the size of their cocks.”

I felt heat rise to my face, to hear that word on her lips. “You think I'm insecure?”

“I think you're terrified,” she said, those hazel eyes seeing right through me in a way that made my skin prickle. “Terrified that Larissa choosing Giovanni means there's something wrong with you, not him.”

“You don't know what you're talking about,” I growled.

“Don't I?” She took a step closer, so close that I could smell her shampoo mixed with the coffee on her breath. “You kidnapped me because you can't stand the thought that your sister might be happier without you in her life.”

I grabbed her arm before I could stop myself. “You're crossing a line.”

She looked pointedly at my hand on her arm, then back up at me. “Am I? Or am I just saying what no one else has the guts to tell you?”

Something about her fearlessness made me release her. “You think you have me all figured out.”

“Not all,” she conceded. “But enough to know this little revenge fantasy of yours isn't going to work out the way you think.”

“And how do you think it's going to work out?” I asked, genuinely curious despite myself.

“One of two ways,” she said, counting off on her fingers. “Either my family finds me and there's bloodshed on both sides, or you eventually realize this was a terrible idea and let me go. Either way, you lose.”

“There's a third option,” I countered. “I'll keep you here until your family accepts the situation. Just like I had to accept Larissa's choice.”

Elena shook her head. “That's never going to happen.”

For a brief moment, I felt a stab of something uneasy in my chest. It felt like she was… turning me down. I didn’t like it, not one bit, and the fact that her words meant something made me even more furious at myself.

“This doesn't have to be so complicated,” she said, her voice suddenly softer. “If you don't like how this is playing out, you could just let me go. No harm, no foul.”

I snorted. “Over my dead body.”

“You know that? That can be easily arranged,” she snapped back, angry again on realizing she hadn’t succeeded in getting through to me.

With a final, measuring look, she turned and walked away, her back straight, her steps hurried as though she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.

I watched her walk away, noticing details I had no business noticing, how tight that T-shirt was on her, the fullness of her ass in those track pants.

I found myself unable to look away, turning my idea of her over and over again in my head.

She was unlike any woman I’d met before.

She was made of fire, it seemed, and the way she threw my words back at me without hesitation, the way she rose to meet a fight head-on, told me she’d never go down easy.

Never.

She reminded me of a lioness.

It was... irritating. And strangely intoxicating.

I'd expected tears, fear, maybe even desperate bargaining. Instead, I got a woman who looked me straight in the eye and threatened to arrange my death. Part of me wanted to laugh. Another part wanted to grab her and—

I cut that thought off abruptly. This was business, not pleasure. A means to an end. The fact that Elena Lebedev was beautiful when she gave as good as she got was irrelevant.

Completely irrelevant.

I told myself this as I got back to work, trying to ignore the lingering scent of her perfume in the air.