Chapter 28 —Lev
I stood in the living room downstairs, waiting for Ravyn to finish getting ready. Taking her to some of my business meetings had become a norm nowadays. I mean, why not? She was smart, intelligent, and gorgeous in every way.
Whenever I arrived at any meeting or gathering with her, she would always draw attention to herself. Her movements were graceful, like a pageant queen on a runway. Heads often turned when she moved, and whenever she spoke, she spilled nothing but wisdom.
It was hard to find beauty with brains these days, and Ravyn was the full package. My associates in the Bratva business never understood why I always brought her to a men’s meeting despite their warnings.
Perhaps if their wives were half as beautiful and brilliant as mine, they’d do the same thing.
Ravyn had finally slid her way into my stone-cold heart. She occupied my thoughts all day and night, constantly reminding me of how lucky I was to have her as a partner. Because of her, I was gradually becoming a different version of myself—especially when she was around me.
I hadn’t admitted it yet, but she brought out the good in me—the humanity that I thought I’d lost decades ago.
So far, it had been quiet around the house, and the only noise around here was her blissful laugh.
I noticed how free she’d become nowadays—she smiled more often, laughed genuinely, and mingled with the staff without discrimination.
My life was nearly perfect—almost. The only issue was that I hadn’t yet dealt with Viktor. I kept telling myself I would handle it, but I hadn’t. I had been so focused on my wife that I ignored the looming threat outside these walls.
Perhaps deep down, one of the reasons I always took her out with me was because I didn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe. To protect her.
Viktor was my brother, and quite frankly, that was the only reason he was still alive. His betrayal was punishable by death, but he was still walking about with air in his lungs. Because I allowed it.
Perhaps I was looking for a better way to dissolve this problem without lifting a gun. That was Ravyn’s method—even though I hadn’t run this by her yet. She believed that violence wasn’t the only option, that there were other ways to approach a situation without raising hell.
She was absolutely right, and I wished that I could think of another way to solve this without bloodshed. There wasn’t. Viktor had crossed the line when he sent those men after us. He chose to make an enemy out of me—and so I should react the way I would normally react to a threat.
I’d given it so much thought—imagined the several possible ways this could end. And in my head, there was only one thing all those scenarios had in common. Violence.
The scent of her perfume drifted into my nostrils, but when I turned around to admire her angelic beauty, the unexpected happened. The front door swung open, and Viktor burst in with his men, all armed to the teeth.
Yakov, ever ready for trouble, withdrew his gun without hesitation, signaling the other to cover me. About five other guards rushed forward and flanked around me, guns held up in front of them.
Viktor and his men stood across from me like they were willing to lay down their lives for their cause. My brother stepped forward, his eyes burning with fury, a pistol in his hand.
“Hello, brother,” he said, his voice deep and venomous.
I glanced at his men. There were a lot of them, about twenty or so, not counting the ones outside. He’d come prepared, but for what exactly?
“Viktor,” I called softly, my expression dark and unreadable. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Lev?” Ravyn’s voice was laced with a hint of fear.
A guard tried to keep her from getting too close to the volcano about to erupt. But she wouldn’t listen.
“Get out of my way!” She pushed through the guards and stood by my side, her gaze shifting across my brother and me. “What’s going on here? What’s with all these guns?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He snickered, his tone laced with disdain.
“You don’t barge into people’s houses with guns, Viktor, what is wrong with you?!” she snapped, unafraid of the consequences of her actions.
“Nothing’s wrong with me, but everything’s wrong with him!” He raised his voice, pointing a finger at me.
“I’d brittle my tongue if I were you, Viktor,” I said calmly, but with a clear warning, fanning the tension in the air.
He chuckled lightly. “See, brother, that’s the problem. You’re not me. You’re not even you anymore.”
Ravyn’s eyes squinted, confusion flickering in her gaze. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She frowned at him.
“What it means is that my brother is a traitor who went behind my back to marry my girlfriend and then ended up being controlled by her.” He let out a soft scoff. “How the mighty have fallen.”
My fingers clenched into fists at my sides, my blood boiling with rage.
“Word in the street is that you’ve grown soft, that your wife has made you weak,” he said to me, his words sharp as a razor blade. “You know the rules, brother. Weaknesses are to be eliminated.”
I paused for a second, feeling the weight of my men’s gazes on me. “Is that why you sent those men to kill me?”
Ravyn’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
Viktor hesitated for a second. “Not you.” His gaze shifted to Ravyn. “Her.”
My jaw tightened, my scowl deepening as I glared at him. Ravyn’s breath hitched in her throat, a mix of shock, fear, and disappointment flickering in her gaze.
He continued, “But you decided to take a bullet for her because your stone-cold heart has somehow developed feelings for her.”
Ravyn’s eyes misted, her nose flared, and her chest heaved slowly. She probably never expected that the man she once loved was capable of sending assassins after her.
“Look, brother, I don’t even care that you stole her from me. I’m trying to save you from her,” he said through gritted teeth, a glint of something deadly flashing in his eyes. “From becoming like Valarian Tarasov!”
Ravyn’s jaw tightened, her expression shifting from fear to anger.
Good. Very good. The last thing I wanted was for her to show any sign of weakness. Viktor didn’t have the right to see that side of her. No one else in this room did.
Yakov was boiling with rage, patiently waiting for me to say the word. He and the guards were ready to paint the walls red with Viktor’s blood. However, there would be no gunshots tonight, not in my house.
I stepped forward, toiling with my cufflinks, my voice calm and unshaken. “You put my wife’s life in danger because you think she makes me weak?”
“Does she not?” he asked, unapologetically.
“Have you not proven that you would always put her first, that she’s more important to you than your duties to the Bratva?
” His eyes narrowed, his voice rising higher than usual.
“You fucking take her with you to sacred meetings with the Elders, goddamn it!”
I watched the brat vent like an idiot, unaware of my own plans. Coming here to threaten me was a big mistake—but he hadn’t realized it yet.
He placed the barrel of his gun on my forehead, eyes blazing red. “I will not sit back and allow you to bring shame and disgrace to the family. So, here’s what’s gonna happen: You have two options. The Bratva. Or the girl.”
The room fell silent, tension thick in the air as everyone anticipated my response. I could almost hear the sound of Ravyn’s racing heart, and when she looked at me, there was something vulnerable in her eyes. Just a flicker of it.
“The girl is my wife, and she will always come first,” I answered.
His face contorted into a frown. “I knew it. She’s made you weak. She’s made you soft!” he barked the last statement in my face.
“If that’s what you truly believe,” I began, “then prove it to everyone. Fight me.”
Silence.
His men exchanged glances without saying a word.
“Since I’m such a weakling, kicking my ass shouldn’t be a problem. Right?” I added.
He knew he didn’t stand a chance, but his pride wouldn’t let him admit that—not in front of all these people. Viktor didn’t realize that this was a trap, and he was about to walk right into it.
His biggest problem has always been his inability to think things through. He always acted on impulse, and this time, it would cost him a lot more than he imagined.
I caught the faintest edge of fear in his eyes, but he was quick to mask it.
“Fine,” he said, clenching his jaw. “I’ll text you where and when.”
Viktor signaled his men, and they retreated with slow, deliberate steps.
I hadn’t realized that Ravyn had been holding my hand until now. She squeezed tightly against my fingers but didn’t say a word.
Viktor was mistaken if he thought that he could endanger my wife’s life, embarrass me in front of my men, and still get away with it. Our actions had consequences; he should’ve known better.
Now, he’d sealed his fate.
I could only hope that he’d be ready when the time came, because I wouldn’t hold back.