Page 13 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
Dad picked up the sheet of paper, unfolded it, and his eyes widened in terror. Whatever was written on there must’ve scared the bunkers out of him.
Lev continued, “What you’re holding in your hand paints a picture of a man drowning with no shore in sight. Tell me, how do you intend to pay all of that within three weeks now that you’re poorer than a church rat?”
“Hey, don’t talk to him like that!” I snapped, a frown on my face.
His pale eyes flicked to me for a brief moment before returning to my dad. “You don’t teach respect in your culture?” His tone was calm, but with a hint of something sinister.
Dad left the paper on the table, fingers rubbing his eyes. He had more pressing concerns right now than my little display of defiance. “Lev…” he began, his voice low and helpless. “Please…there has to be another way. I can’t…I can’t raise this amount.”
“You should’ve thought about that before coming to us.” He lit a cigarette and took a drag. “That’s your bill over there. And you’re gonna pay every penny within the next forty-eight hours.”
“Forty-eight hours?” Dad and I chorused in disbelief.
“This is ridiculous!” I sprang to my feet as though there was something I could do about the situation. “It’s not fair. He just told you he can’t raise the money in three weeks, and now you want him to raise it in two days?” The words came out in an angry, nervous rush.
He let out a puff of smoke and responded with his usual, pesky calmness. “All is fair in love and war, princess.”
My expression darkened, my scowl deepened, and my tear glands were fully charged. A mix of rage and sadness coursed through my blood, making it difficult to focus on one emotion.
“You. Are. Wicked,” I said to him, my words coming out one at a time, each dripping with venom and disdain. “You’re evil—you’re a vulture circling what you think is already dead.”
“Ravyn, that’s enough,” Dad cautioned me, his voice weak and shallow. He looked at Lev and said, “You might as well just take my life because there’s no way I can get your money in two days.”
“What? No!” I objected, my pulse quickening.
Lev signaled the two men beside him, and they both withdrew their pistols.
My heart stopped, eyes wide with terror as I rushed to stand before my dad, arms spread wide. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Ravyn, get out of the way.” He tried to move me, but I stood there, rooted in place.
I looked straight into Lev’s eyes, ignoring my father’s pleading behind me. “If you kill him now, you’re never gonna get your money back. What satisfaction can you possibly get from ending his life if your millions of dollars will still be in the wind?”
He paused, holding my gaze with a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. The air was thick with tension, and I could almost hear the sound of my own heart in my chest.
A part of me wanted to believe that he was bluffing. But men like Lev Tarasov never bluffed, especially when money was involved. I could only hope and pray that he would consider my words and give us some more time.
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure we could raise the money in the next three months. But right now, all that mattered was saving my old man’s life.
Lev signaled his men, and they lowered their weapons. Slowly, he paced back and forth, smoke curling around his face. “Since you’re so desperate, I have a solution that can help you.”
Help? That was strange, coming from a man who enjoyed our suffering.
He continued, his eyes fixed on my Dad. “There’s a way to cancel your debt—all of it—make you a free man again.”
I lowered my arms, sensing foul play here. Lev Tarasov was neither generous nor known for his kindness. There had to be a catch—a price to pay, a really expensive one. The man was definitely up to no good; his willingness to let go of all that money was rather disturbing.
Dad and I exchanged looks, wondering what this magical solution was to our twenty-eight million dollar problem.
“What are you proposing?” Dad asked him, tilting his head slightly to the side, his voice tinged with skepticism.
“Marriage,” he declared.
My brows arched, confusion settling on my face.
“I…I don’t understand,” Dad stuttered.
Lev turned to me and said, “Become my wife, and the slate will be wiped clean. All will be forgiven.”
