Bratva Bride (Bratva Series Book 1)

Knock, knock.

‘I’ll get it!’ A soft voice yelled from inside the house.

Illayana.

After dragging Diego’s ass to the dungeon located beneath our house, I left immediately for Las Vegas. Vin was going to call me the second he found Marco and then we were going to torture them together. One of them would talk eventually. It was their job to monitor the money coming in and out of the drop houses. Even if they weren’t directly responsible for the theft, they failed in protecting the money and they would pay the price for it. They could no longer be trusted with anything of importance. The missing $50,000 proved that.

The front door swung open and instead of Illayana, I was greeted by Lukyan.

Fucking delightful.

‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ he sneered. ‘And who the fuck are they?’ He waved his hands at the twins standing behind me.

‘Where is she?’ I asked, ignoring his questions.

‘Not home.’ He started closing the door and I wedged my foot in the entryway to keep it open.

‘Now see, why don’t I believe you?’ I barged through the door just in time to see Illayana running quickly down the stairs.

She was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a long-sleeved white t-shirt. Her long black hair was tied up in a ponytail, swaying from side to side as she walked.

I shoulder barged past Lukyan and made my way over to her, meeting her in the middle of the foyer.

‘Hey!’ Lukyan exclaimed, almost losing his balance.

My eyes roamed up and down her body, looking for any sign of injuries. “You okay?”

“Yes, I told you I was fine. You really didn’t have to come all this way.”

“I agree,” Lukyan cut in. “So, why don’t you just leave? Nobody wants you here,” he said, holding the door wide open.

“Lukyan! Shut up,” Illayana snapped.

“You shut up,” he barked back.

I rolled my eyes. Lukyan was so much like Vin it was actually a little scary.

Illayana looked over my shoulder as the twins walked through the front door and stood behind me.

‘Who are they?’ she frowned, her face scrunching up in confusion.

I moved to stand beside her, sweeping my hand out in front of me. “This is Christian and Luca D’Arco. They’ll be shadowing you from now on.’

Christian and Luca took a step forward and bowed slightly. ‘Ma’am,’ they said at the same time in that creepy way of theirs.

They were both dressed in identical black suits, making it even more difficult for people to tell them apart. Not that I ever had that issue. I’ve always been able to tell them apart.

‘She doesn’t like being called Ma’am,’ Lorenzo’s stony voice called out as he stepped into the foyer. He moved quickly to stand beside Luca, dressed in his usual all black attire.

‘Boss,’ he tilted his head in a greeting.

“If she doesn’t like being called Ma’am,’ Christian began.

‘Then what do we call her?’ Luca finished, cocking his head to the side, studying Illayana. They had a tendency to finish each other’s sentences like that.

Lorenzo shook his head and gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘How about her name, idiota’s?’ Idiots?

Christian and Luca exchanged a look with one another, ‘Riggggght. Her name,’ they said in unison, their brows drawn together in concentration.

I shook my head and chuckled slightly. They were great fighters, loyal to the bone. But, common sense sometimes eluded those two.

‘No offense to you guys, but I’ve already got bodyguards, I don’t need anymore. I’m fine with Lorenzo and Adrian.’

‘It’s non-negotiable,’ I stated firmly. ‘You’ll take them, and I’ll hear no more on the matter.’

She turned and pinned me with an icy glare, her anger starting to slowly surface. ‘Arturo. Four guards is excessive. Not to mention the fact they don’t exactly blend in,’ she said, running a hand through the air in front of the twins.

Okay, she did kind of have a point. They were big blokes. And I wasn’t too insecure to admit they were handsome dudes, too. They gathered quite a bit of attention when we walked on the streets. Men and women ogled them constantly like they had never seen identical twins before. Not that they ever seemed to mind. Still, I trusted them with my life and I knew if the situation ever called for it, they would die to protect me. Just like I know they would do the same for Illayana.

‘I don’t care. You’ll do what I say. You don’t go anywhere without Christian, Luca and Lorenzo. Do you understand me?’

Lukyan laughed. A full blown, top of the lungs, shrieking like a damn monkey laugh. We all turned to look at him, confused as fuck. Well, everyone except Illayana. She was giving me a mean death glare, her brows drawn together and her face turning red. I could feel the heat of that gaze burning a hole into the side of my face.

Lukyan continued to laugh, hunched over and slapping his hands on his thighs like he just heard the world’s funniest joke.

Christian looked at Luca, his face contorted in confusion and mouthed what the fuck.

Luca shrugged.

Suddenly, Illayana turned and speed walked out of the foyer without so much as a glance at me.

‘Illayana!’ I called out, but she continued walking.

The twins and Lorenzo exchanged an awkward glance with one another while Lukyan continued to laugh. My temper spiked. I felt a flash of irritation flow through my body.

‘What the fuck are you laughing at?!’ I snapped, pinning my anger on Lukyan. Seemed like the perfect outlet to me.

Lukyan’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he straightened and looked at me, his body still shaking with laughter. ‘There’s only one man…one man in this world who can tell my sister what to do. And you ain’t him.’

I narrowed my eyes. ‘And who is that?’

Lukyan inclined his head behind me and I turned to find Dimitri striding towards me. He was dressed in a tailored light blue suit (weird for one o’clock in the morning, but alright) and black tie. Aleksandr and Nikolai were at his side, stony expressions on their faces.

‘You’re not even here for five minutes and you’ve already pissed her off. Not a smart move,’ Dimitri said, stopping in front of me.

He ran his light blue eyes over Christian and Luca. They both stood up straighter and puffed out their chests as Dimitri examined them. It was clear he was assessing them, determining their worth. They may have looked young, but they were deadly. And I’d never come across a set of people who worked so well together.

After he scrutinised them for a few more seconds, he gave a subtle nod of approval. ‘I’ll make sure she accepts them, but she won’t be happy about it. She’s never needed guards before. I taught her how to protect herself, so she’d never have to rely on anyone.’

Christian scratched the back of his head, his brows pulled together in a frown. He leaned over and whispered into Luca’s ear.

‘Something to say, boy?’ Dimitri said, arching an eyebrow.

The twins immediately separated, standing up as straight as they could. ‘No sir.’

Dimitri tsked, shaking his head in disappointment. ‘I don’t like liars. Care to try that again?’

Christian and Luca looked at each other intently. To anyone else, it would look like they were having a staring competition, but I knew better. They had this uncanny ability to be able to communicate without using actual words. Like they could read exactly what the other was thinking by just looking at their face. It’s what made them so lethal in a fight.

Luca grabbed Christian by the arm and shoved him forward.

‘Uhm, we-‘

Luca kicked him in the shin.

‘Ow, fuck!’ Christian scowled at his brother, rubbing his leg. ‘I mean I – was just a little confused about something you said, that’s all.’

‘Let me guess,’ Lukyan interjected, ‘you don’t believe she can protect herself?’

Christian looked down at the ground, not answering.

‘Show them,’ Dimitri commanded.

Nikolai moved instantly, heading down the long corridor and disappearing into a room. Aleksandr motioned for us to follow him as he made his way through the house. He led us to the kitchen and took a seat at the large wooden table in the middle of the room, gesturing to the empty seats.

Lukyan plopped down next to him, kicking his feet up onto the table. The twins, Lorenzo and I all exchanged looks with one another before slowly sitting down on the opposite side of the table. Dimitri stayed standing.

‘Want some advice?’ Lukyan asked, leaning back casually in his chair and humming softly.

‘Not really, but I have a feeling you’re going to give it to me anyway,’ I replied.

‘She’s fucking crazy. Get out while you can.’

Aleksandr slapped him on the back of the head. Lukyan grunted and scowled at his older brother, massaging his head.

Christian and Luca snickered.

Nikolai came back into the room carrying a laptop, his square jaw clenched and eyes narrowed in concentration as he typed away. He placed it down in the centre of the table.

‘The alleyway Illayana and Lukyan were attacked in had surveillance. The owner of the convenience store on that block installed a camera after his staff got attacked while taking out the trash one night. I hacked into the CCTV system and deleted the whole thing. But not before I made a copy.’

He clicked a button on the laptop and took the empty seat next to Aleksandr. Christian, Luca and I leaned forward, watching as a video started to play. The quality wasn’t very good, the video grainy and heavily pixelated. But the second Illayana and Lukyan stepped into view, I forgot all about it. Adrian and Lorenzo were following close behind, right on their tails.

Suddenly, five men sprung out from behind a dumpster and stood in front of them. One of the men stepped forward and started talking. Of course, there was no fucking sound though.

Cheap ass camera.

Another five men came from where they entered from, essentially boxing them in. Raw anger shot straight through me at the events unfolding before my eyes. Even though I knew she was okay and wasn’t hurt, it was still difficult to just sit here and watch.

In an instant, the men pounced. Four on Lukyan, three on Adrian, two on Lorenzo, and one walking slowly towards Illayana. Rage pulsed through my veins as I watched him slowly descend on her.

Oh god, what the fuck was going to happen?

My eyes flicked quickly to Lukyan, who had a broad smile on his face.

Is that a good sign or bad sign?

Just as the man got within reach of Illayana, she attacked. She moved quick, so fucking quick – and she didn’t hold back. She dealt out blow after blow, the man stumbling back as each shot connected with his body. She finished with a solid roundhouse kick, sending him sprawling to the ground.

‘Holy shit,’ Christian and Luca whispered, their eyes never leaving the screen.

‘Oh, oh, watch this part. Ready?’ Lukyan said in a cheery voice.

Illayana walked over to the man on the ground and after a few seconds, she picked her foot up and slammed her heel into his throat.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Quick as a cat, she spun around and ran towards Lukyan. Without hesitating, she jumped onto the back of one of the men, wrapping her legs around his body like a goddamn spider monkey. She brought a knife to his throat and swiftly cut his throat.

‘Daaaaaaaamn!’ One of the twins cheered. I had no idea which one. All of my focus was on Illayana.

She’s fucking amazing.

Lukyan and Illayana moved as one towards Adrian and Lorenzo. She jumped into the chaos with ease, swiftly striking out at one of the men’s legs, bringing him to his knees. She jammed her knife deep into the man’s back and kicked him to the ground. And then it was over. All that was left was a ground littered with bodies and blood.

‘As you can see, my daughter doesn’t need your protection. She can protect herself. That’s how I raised her.” Dimitri looked me straight in the eye as he spoke. ‘However, I find myself agreeing with you and not her. Strange,’ he said, voice low. ‘Even though this altercation ended in our favour, I can’t help but think about what could have happened if she didn’t have back up.’

I nodded. ‘Me too.’

‘She will have guards from this point forward. She will go nowhere without them. That, I can guarantee you. Once she’s in New York, it’ll be your responsibility to make sure she doesn’t slip them.’

‘Slip them?’ I asked, frowning.

Dimitri chuckled. ‘Believe me, she’ll try it.’ He leaned over the table and paused the video on the man that Illayana stabbed in the back. ‘This gentleman is the guest we have waiting for us in the pit. Shall we go see him?’ he asked, a wrathful smirk on his face.

I smiled broadly and rose to my feet. ‘I would love to.’

Dimitri held a hand up in the air, halting me. ‘I suggest you talk with your fiancé first, Arturo. It is never a good idea for a woman to go to bed angry. Especially a Volkov woman.’

Aleksandr, Nikolai and Lukyan all started nodding enthusiastically, like they had firsthand experience with an angry Volkov woman. Hell, they were probably fucking experts.

‘Good idea.’

‘Dining room, third door on the left.’ He pointed a finger down the corridor. ‘Be quick. I’ve waited long enough for you.’ With that said, he turned and started walking further into the house.

Aleksandr got to his feet and walked around the table, his bulky body moving effortlessly. ‘I’ll meet you here in five minutes and I’ll take you to the pit. Take any longer and my father really will start without you.’

I nodded and looked at Christian and Luca. ‘You two, stay here. Don’t fuck with anything,’ I said, narrowing my eyes in warning.

‘We won’t,’ they said together.

As I made my way out of the kitchen, I heard Lukyan’s voice address the twins. ‘So, you guys wanna see something cool?’

Oh, lord. Please don’t let them break anything.

Once I reached the dining room, I quickly opened the door and stepped inside. Illayana was seated at the table, her feet up, leaning back casually in the chair. Her blue eyes connected with mine as soon as I entered.

Okay, she doesn’t look too angry. That’s good.

As I walked further into the room, she picked up a knife that was on the table and started twirling it between her fingers. It was freaky how much that move reminded me of Vincenzo. She kept her eyes on me as the blade moved effortlessly through her fingers.

‘I warned you, Arturo,’ she said menacingly.

I froze. ‘Warned me about what?’

‘I told you from the get-go that I hate being told what to do and I hate being disrespected.’

I cocked my head and arched an eyebrow. ‘Okay, I’ll concede to the whole telling you what to do thing, but I’ve never disrespected you.’

‘The way you spoke to me out there. Your tone of voice, the words you used, the way you just dismissed what I was saying . . . that was disrespectful. Especially in the presence of others. I’m your fiancé, soon to be wife. Not one of your goddamn soldiers you order around,’ she scowled.

I groaned, rubbing a hand down my face. ‘I’m not going to apologise for that. Your safety is and always will be my number one concern. You can be pissed about that. I don’t care. But I will keep you safe, even if you don’t want me to.’

I could see her anger spiking, her fist clenching tightly around the hilt of her knife.

Fuck, of course I’d be making it worse. Comforting women wasn’t exactly my strong suit. If they got upset, I’d just leave. Never had to give a shit before.

‘I’ll admit, I shouldn’t have spoken to you so abruptly in front of others, so I will apologise for that. Next time, we’ll disagree in private. How does that sound?’ I asked, giving her the smirk I know she loved so much.

Her grip loosened slightly on her knife and her face started to soften. ‘I understand why you want me to have extra guards. I do. And I’m willing to concede. Just don’t talk to me like you own me.’

I gave her a wicked smile as I walked slowly towards her. I ran my eyes up and down her sexy body, stopping a little too long on her breasts and enjoying the way colour rose to her cheeks at my perusal.

‘But I do own you, kotenok,’ I said seductively as I moved behind her. I lowered my lips to her ear, loving the fact her breath hitched as I slowly ran my tongue over her earlobe. ‘I own every single inch of you.’ I ran a finger down her arm, watching as goosebumps rose all over her skin. ‘And soon, everyone will know it.’

She moaned as she unconsciously started moving closer to me. “Why do you keep calling me kitten?” she asked breathlessly.

I tilted the chair back so it balanced on two legs and spun it around so she faced me. I picked her up by her hips, shoving the chair aside so I could plop her right on the edge of the table. She gasped in surprise. “Because that’s what you are. A vicious little kitten that will claw my eyes out the second I piss you off,” I whispered over her lips. “And I fucking love it.”

“Do you?” she purred, wrapping her legs around my waist and arms around my neck.

I gripped her chin roughly and kissed her. Devoured her. Smothered her with my mouth and tongue as I held her completely still with my finger and thumb, digging into her skin. She moaned and gripped my hair tightly, pulling me closer as she ground against my cock unashamedly.

I was already hard, rock fucking hard, and her movements made pleasure shoot down my spine. I grunted as she picked up speed, moving faster and faster, dry humping the fuck out of me like her life depended on it while her lips moved against mine, fighting for dominance, for control. Her body shuered as she chased her pleasure and I knew by the way her breathing turned rapid that she was close to achieving it.

I ripped her fingers from my hair and shoved her back until she smacked into the table, pinning her hands above her head. She mewled, exactly like a fucking kitten and fought my hold, trying to reach out to me, to touch me, but I held her in place firmly.

“Uh, uh, uh,” I taunted, squeezing her wrists. “Something you need to learn early, kotenok,” I murmured, staring down at her. “I’m in control here, not you. You’ll get your pleasure, but only when I allow it.”

Her eyes turned to ice and she glared at me. “Are you fucking serious?” she hissed, like the angry little kitten she was.

I smirked and slowly trailed a hand down her body, keeping her wrists firmly secured in my other hand. I cupped her pussy roughly, grounding my palm against her clit. “This here is mine now, which means your pleasure is mine, too. You come when I say you can come, not a moment sooner.”

“Then tell me to come.”

I chuckled and licked her cheek slowly, dragging my tongue over her skin. “You’ve got to earn that first.”

“How the fuck do I do that?!” she snapped angrily.

“By being a good girl.”

“Oh, you son of a-”

I slapped her pussy. Hard. She jolted and yelped in surprise. Lust burned in her eyes.

“Name calling isn’t being a ‘good girl’, is it kotenok?” I whispered against her skin.

“No,” she groaned, squirming under the weight of my body.

I pressed her deeper into the table and bit her neck lightly, just enough for her to feel the slight sting of my teeth. “It’s important you understand exactly what kind of man I am in the bedroom, Illayana. That’s the one place I will not accept disobedience. But don’t worry, you’ve got plenty of time to learn what’s expected of you.” I gave one more quick nip and then pulled back completely, removing my body from hers and stepping back. ‘Now, I have an appointment with a guest you have in the house.”