“When did he get back from Greece?”
“Last night,” Luka answers. “And that’s not all—Lev called too. He’s also on his way here.”
I exhale sharply, irritation crawling up my spine. Of course. Lev. I’ve been avoiding him for days. He’s my number one antagonist in my marriage to Elara, and it’s all because he knows Sasha won’t be pleased. The man’s become Sasha’s lapdog, all heart and no reason. If she says jump, he jumps. If she says Roman’s an idiot, he’ll likely agree.
“Why the hell is everyone coming here?”
Luka glances around before stepping closer, lowering his voice. “Because the Enforcer’s not happy. Word’s spreading through Bratva and foreign channels—David Chang’s furious. He’s calling in favors, offering money. Some foreign buyers are threatening retaliation if his daughter isn’t returned.”
I hum quietly, jaw clenching.
David Chang. Furious. Threatening.
Good.
“Let them threaten,” I say coldly. “When David learns what’s coming, he’ll realize too late—his daughter is a Rusnak now.”
But even as the words leave my mouth, I feel something twist inside me. This isn’t just leverage anymore. Not a game. Not business.
Elara’s existence—her name, her blood, her fire—has just turned into the spark that could burn everything down.
“Boss?”
I bite back a snap and turn toward the staircase. Another guard hurries down, slightly out of breath.
“The Enforcer is here. He’s waiting in the foyer.”
Of course he is.
I throw Luka a glare. “Thanks for not mentioning that he’salmosthere.”
He opens his mouth to respond, but I’m already walking off. My steps echo through the hallway as I head downstairs, jaw tight.
When I reach the foyer, Adrian’s standing there—towering, rigid, pissed. Jennie’s on the couch behind him, calm as ever, her soft smile a silent plea for me to keep the peace. I nod at her once, then focus on him.
“You should have left Elara Chang alone,” Adrian says without preamble. His voice carries that quiet fury that always precedes a storm. “David Chang is bad news.”
“So what?” I shoot back. “You afraid of David Chang now?”
His eyes darken instantly, shoulders squaring. “I’m not afraid of that bastard,” he growls, “but we have to be strategic about this.”
“What’s more strategic than marrying his daughter?”
His jaw flexes. “Dragging innocents into our world always ends in blood, Roman. You know that.”
I take a slow step forward, the air crackling between us. “She’s no innocent,” I say, voice low. “She’s been sabotaging her father. She chose a side. I’m just making sure she stays on it.”
Adrian studies me for a long, heavy moment, eyes sharp with disbelief. “And you think forcing her into marriage is how you make her stay?”
“I think it’s the only way to keep her alive.”
Jennie exhales quietly behind him. Adrian doesn’t move, but the vein in his temple throbs. For the first time in years, it feels like I’m standing opposite a brother instead of beside one.
“If shit blows in your face, you’ll understand,” Adrian says, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
I’m about to respond—something brutal already forming on my tongue—but Jennie rises gracefully to her feet before I can.
“Enough,” she says softly, but there’s command in her voice. “Both of you.” Her gaze shifts between us, calm yet firm. “A wedding is happening in this estate soon, remember? There’s a bride somewhere upstairs, probably worried sick already. She doesn’t need two Rusnak brothers snapping at each other on top of it.”
