Page 84 of The Bratva's Auctioned Bride
“Yes, he fucking called me, what the hell is going on?”
“Bardil came after Angelika this morning, and I threatened him. He obviously ran to Marlen with a very one-sided view of events and…”
“Bardil came after her? Where the hell were you? You’re already proving you can’t protect her now, causing the entirePopov family to want to hunt her down. How can I let her stay with you when Marlen is coming after her?”
“Jaro, I already have a plan,” he says, confident and in control.
Jaroslav sighs. “It better be a fucking brilliant plan,” he scoffs.
“We found out that Bardil is in debt to another family, one I have connections with, so I can get in touch with them and tell them he can’t pay. We’ll team up with the family and make it clear to Bardil and Marlen that we won’t back down until he stands down.”
“A standoff,” Jaroslav huffs. “Fine, do it, but in the meantime, bring Angelika home until this has blown over.”
“No, she’s staying with me. And you need to stop underestimating your sister. She’s the strongest, bravest person I know. Hands down. I will protect her with my life, with everything I have, but she doesn’t actually need protection, Jaro. She’s fucking brilliant.”
Jaroslav trips over his response, taken aback by the way Diomid stands up for me so firmly.
“Uh, ok then, she can stay with you. Call those guys now and update me when it’s done.”
Diomid doesn’t waste any time getting to work. As soon as he hangs up with my brother, he dials his contacts.
I stand behind him, placing my hands on his shoulders. I lean over him and kiss his cheek. “I’ll make us some dinner and let you work,” I whisper against his ear. He touches my hand, pulling me back before I leave.
“I’ll never let you go, Angel. You’re my entire world. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I smile, then walk away, heading into the kitchen.
While I make stir fry, I listen to Diomid. He calls the family that Bardil owes money to. They’re more than happy to team up with him, and while they agree that they don’t want an all-out war with the Popovs if it can be avoided, they think it’s a great idea to use the strength of two families to force Marlen to back off.
“Three families,” I hear Diomid say. “Yours, mine, and the Shevchenko family.”
It makes me smile.
***
After setting up the agreement and forming a new temporary alliance against Bardil and Marlen, Diomid calls Marlen.
The guy is furious. Livid. Tear his own hair out, kind of mad. But there’s nothing he can do. Even he knows that he’s outnumbered.
He screams at Diomid, swearing, cursing him, but by the end of the call, he’s admitted, as reluctantly as it comes out, that he will not be pursuing his threats against me or Diomid of our families.
The last people Diomid calls are my brothers, to let him know that things are sorted.
It’s late by the time he tosses his phone aside and flops down onto the sofa next to me.
“I never want to hear that thing ring again,” he laughs.
“But you did it, it’s over,” I smile, crawling onto his lap.
“For now. Marlen is angry; he’ll find another reason to come after us. But he won’t do it for a while.”
“Alright then, seeing as we have some time… do you want dinner… or do you want to take me to bed?” I grin, scrunching my nose at him.
His cock is instantly hard.
“Princess, you already know the answer.”
He scoops me into his arms and carries me upstairs, lying me down on the bed and pinning me beneath his gorgeous, massive body.
