Page 6 of Forced Bratva Bride

My brothers would mobilize every resource they had to find me. It was just a matter of time.

But how much time? And what would happen to me in the meantime?

We finally reached winding roads lined with trees. The houses grew larger, farther apart, each hidden behind gates and hedges. At, we turned into a gate manned by armed men and drove down a long driveway, finally pulling up to a modern mansion made of glass and stone.

When the car came to a stop, my fear returned full force. There were armed guards everywhere. Running from here seemed near impossible. Not to mention, I was completely isolated. Even if I screamed, the grounds were so large I knew my voice wouldn’t travel to any of the neighbors.

He cut the engine and turned to me. “We're going inside now. Don't try to run—there's nowhere to go, and you'll only make this harder on yourself.”

I glared at him, anger temporarily overcoming fear. Of course I knew that, but I didn’t want him to think so.

He exited the car and came to my side, opening the door for me. When I didn’t move, he leaned down and gripped my arm, pulling me out to him. His grip didn’t hurt, exactly, but it was firm enough for me to know there was no point fighting it.

He guided me through a door that led directly into the house. Inside, I noticed, it was just like him: cold, expensive, and minimalistic. It looked more like a hotel than a home.

He led me to the living room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking manicured grounds. “Sit,” he instructed, gesturing to a sleek sofa.

I remained standing, crossing my arms. Small acts of defiance were all I had left. “Tell me why I'm here.”

He studied me for a moment, his blue eyes unreadable. “Interesting. You’re in my house, at my mercy, and still trying to protect your precious brothers?”

I felt a flicker of indignation. I knew what our family did, but my brothers had chosen not to follow in our father’s footsteps. They kept to themselves and played things by the book. In fact, as far as I remember, they never crossed a line.

So what the hell could I be protecting them from?

This whole thing was a mistake.

“My brothers mind their own business,” I said defensively. “If you have some kind of vendetta because you’re jealous—”

He moved suddenly, and the next thing I knew, he stood inches away from my face, glaring down at me. I flinched but stood my ground.

“Mind their own business?” He laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. “Is that what you’re going to do now? If you think you can lie your way out of this, you’re delusional.”

My cheeks burned. “I'm not naive,” I snapped. “I know what my family does, yet have no reason to lie. What would I be lying about anyway?”

“What would you be lying about?” His eyes flashed dangerously. “How about you start by explaining why you were following me today? You and that dog of yours, Dom. You had surveillance on me, didn’t you? Did your brothers put you up to it?”

I stared at him, genuinely confused. “Spy on you? I don't even know who you are!”

“Stop lying,” he screamed. “Did Gastone think he could put you up to it because you aren’t on my radar? Did he think I would hesitate to act because you're a woman?”

My mouth fell open in genuine shock. “I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never spied on anyone in my life!”

“We'll see how long you maintain this act,” he said quietly. “But you won’t win. One way or another, you will tell me everything you know about your brothers' plans for my territory.”

I stood there frozen in shock, my jaw half-hanging as I tried to process this unbelievable situation. He thought I was spying on him, that my brothers had put me up to it, that somehow they wanted his… territory? None of it made sense to me, but the one thing I knew from the look on his face was that he believed it.

And that made him all the more dangerous. Especially since I was alone with him, in his house, and no one knew where he’d taken me, let alone who he was.

For that matter, neither did I.

At last, I sank, and dropped my head in my hands, the fatigue overcoming whatever fight I had left in my body.

Chapter 3 - Gio

I watched Larissa gravitate to the couch, dropping her head into her hands. Her blonde hair cascaded down her face, twined through her dainty fingers, and for a second, she looked like a fallen angel.

In that moment, I felt myself weaken at the sight of this delicate woman struggling to make sense of her situation. Had she been anyone else, I might have been more inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt.

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