Bound by Brutality

Bound by Brutality A DARK ARRANGED MARRIAGE MAFIA ROMANCE THE ANTONOV MAFIA BOOK TWO IVY DAVIS Copyright 2023 by Ivy Davis - All rights reserved. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher. Contents 1. Alek 2. Katia 3. Katia 4. Katia 5. Katia 6. Alek 7. Katia 8. Katia 9. Alek 10. Katia 11. Katia 12. Alek 13. Katia 14. Alek 15. Katia 16. Katia 17. Katia 18. Alek 19. Katia 20. Katia CHAPTER 1 Alek She betrayed me. Katia stands next to Mikhail, a man I thought I could trust. She tried running away again. But it’s clear on her face that Mikhail betrayed her, too. Good. Let that be a lesson to her. You don’t run from me and not face the consequences. Looking into her eyes, all I can see is ugliness where beauty used to lay. Katia has shamed me. She has angered me. She tried to leave me. I hate her. Yet, I still want her. She’s my wife, after all. I refuse to let anyone else have her. But right now, Mikhail has his arm slung around her shoulders and a gun pointed at my face. Getting her back won’t be easy. I turn to Mikhail, still confused about what’s happening. “You want to take over?” Mikhail smirks. “What does it look like?” It looks like he teamed up with Gabriel Rossi and now wants to kill me and lead the Bratva. More of my men are here, pointing their guns at me. Not all of them, fortunately. There are others I don’t recognize. Probably Gabriel’s men. I look at him with his slicked-back hair and a smug grin. Sleazy fucker. “You went to Gabriel for help, I see.” I keep my posture and expression calm. No need to escalate the situation. “And you recruited some of my men behind my back.” “They’re all tired of how you run things,” Mikhail says. “You’re too cautious. They want to earn more money. I made a deal with Gabriel to will ensure that. Unfortunately for you, it means you need to be out of the way.” “I guess I was right.” I sneer. “Having friends was a bad idea. Never trust anyone. They’ll always betray you.” I toss my glare toward Katia, and she flinches and looks away. She can try to be innocent, but she’s anything but. “But you, Mikhail,” I turn back to him, “you’ve been my second in command for years. I never knew you were unhappy with how I ran things.” “That’s because you’re so obtuse. You only think about your own wants and desires. But I want more than you could ever give me. The deal Gabriel and I made grants me more than you would ever think to toss my way.” “Greedy,” I spit out. “How pathetic.” Mikhail shrugs. “Hey, you said it yourself. You’re a businessman. You can’t judge another businessman for wanting more money and power.” I look at Gabriel. “And what did this fucker promise you? Fifty percent of anything he earns? You know Mikhail’s true colors. He’s a backstabber. Who says he won’t do that to you?” Gabriel smiles in that lazy, smug way of his. “Because I’m smarter than you, Mr. Antonov. If you had just accepted my deal, none of this would be happening right now. Your own hubris has gotten the better of you.” “Wow. Such a big word for such a small, pathetic man.” “I’m not small,” Gabriel says. That’s true—from a physical standpoint. He’s as tall as me. “I wasn’t talking about your height.” I let the implication speak for itself. Gabriel scrunches up his face in anger. “Can we just kill him now?” Mikhail nods. “I’m ready for this to be over.” He slides his fingers down Katia’s arm. “And I’m ready for your soon-to-be widowed wife to be mine. How does it feel, Alek, knowing I’ll get everything you lost?” I look at Katia, who’s staring intently at the ground. She knows she’s messed up. That’s why she won’t even look at me. Fuck her. I stand up straighter and face Mikhail head-on. “Don’t I deserve at least one last word before you kill me?” Mikhail wavers before he shrugs. “Get on with it.” I look around at all the men who betrayed me when they chose Mikhail. “I hope none of you regret this because when I survive, I’m coming back to kill all of you for going behind my back. And as for you, Mikhail, I’m going to kill you slowly with my bare hands. You’re not gaining any power. I’m the leader of the Bratva here. And that won’t change just because a few measly little men decided they wanted to take over. My power extends far and wide. I’m coming for all of you.” Mikhail’s lips form a sneer. “Enough talking. Time to die.” I whip my gun out and shoot Gabriel in the leg. He cries out as he falls to the ground, clutching his thigh, blood gushing from the wound. “Fuck!” Mikhail shoves Katia down and begins raining fire in my direction. Fortunately for me, I know Mikhail’s moves. I’ve fought side by side with him before, so I’m already jumping behind the bar before he can get a shot in. The sound of gunshots is explosive. For a split second, I worry for Katia. What if she gets hurt? Or worse, dies? But why should I care about the woman who fucking betrayed me? She’s with my enemy now. I’m still getting her back. I look around the edge of the bar and see Katia lying on the ground, curled up into a ball. When a bullet lands in