Bratva Bride (Bratva Series Book 1)

Ice cold water splashed into my face, jolting me awake. I coughed uncontrollably, my body shaking violently as I tried to catch my breath and get air into my lungs. My vision was blurred, my limbs riddled with pins and needles and achingly sore. Voices spun around the room, too many to count and it was giving me a fucking headache.

I tried to get my bearings. Hazy memories soared through my mind, like flashbacks in a movie. The mall. The arcade. Rayna. That sharp prick of a needle in my neck.

That fucking bitch drugged me.

Another bucketful of water hit my face and I gasped, coughing again.

“Time to wake up, princess,” a deep voice taunted, ripping me from my memories.

I wiped the water from my face, surprised to be able to move my arms at all. They didn’t restrain me.

Stupid.

My eyes travelled around the room, taking in my surroundings. It was a small space, four solid walls, no windows and one door, where a group of heavily tattooed men stood in front of the door.

This doesn’t look good.

I slowly got to my feet, my legs shaking, but I was working hard to hide it. I was already at a disadvantage. I couldn’t afford to show weakness. I looked down at my body. Alright, clothes still in place, boots on, nothing out of place. Reassuring.

A well built man stepped forward, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white buttoned up shirt which he left undone, revealing a tanned, toned chest. He was definitely attractive, with baby blue eyes, sharp features and a neatly trimmed beard.

His stance screamed intimidation, his spine straight, shoulders back. But he wasn’t fooling me. It was a façade. Even though he was twice my size, I saw the fragility in his eyes, the exhaustion on his face. He wasn’t cut out to lead and it was clearly taking its toll on him. Oh, he was trying to hide it, trying to use his massive body to intimate me, but it wasn’t working. When you grew up as the daughter of the head of the Bratva, you knew what real intimidation was. And this man did not have it.

This had to be Nero.

The men at his back were a mixture of Mexican and Italian descent, in various shapes of build from short and stumpy to tall and muscly. How the fuck a man like Nero could gain control of the Los Zetas was beyond me. And not only gain control, but keep it.

“My name is Nero.” He smiled, trying to go for friendliness but I could tell it was forced. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Wish I could say the same.”

I studied everyone in the room. Twelve men, including Nero, and all looking at me like I was their next meal.

Wonderful.

“Aw, I think you’ll like me once you get to know me.” He winked and waved a hand.

One of his lackeys – a bald guy with a huge gap tooth – pulled out a phone and started recording. “Smile for the camera, pretty,” he said, a sick, twisted smirk on his face.

I smiled brightly, flashing my teeth and he faltered, the smirk slipping from his lips.

I bet he expected me to cower, to cry. To beg them not to hurt me and let me go. That’s what any normal, rational woman would do in my position, I’m sure. But I’m far from normal. Or rational. I’d probably end up antagonising them further.

“My bitch of a cousin set this up, didn’t she?”

Nero smiled and walked about the room, hands behind his back like some general in the army. “I’ll admit, I was sceptical when she first approached me. I thought it was some sort of ploy you guys were trying to play. But one look at her face and I could see the hatred pouring off of her,” he laughed. “Never seen a chick that hot look so crazy. I swear, I was a heartbeat away from fucking her til she bled.”

I scrunched up my face. “Lovely. What exactly did she tell you?”

“Oh, lots of things. She was quite the Chatty Cathy once she got started.”

“Don’t believe everything ya hear. She’s a compulsive liar.”

“Funny. She said the same thing about you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course she did. Was she the one who planted the bombs at my wedding for you too?”

“For me?” Nero shook his head, laughing. “Oh, she didn’t do that for me. She did it for her. You see, it was her idea to hit the wedding. I thought it was idiotic, considering the place was going to be full of Bratva and Cosa Nostra men. But when she mentioned the arsenal you guys kept in that house, I couldn’t say no. She suggested planting a few bombs near your reception and timing them to go off at the same time as my men crashed the gates to increase the chaos. Then baddabing, baddaboom. The rest is history.”

“My uncle, he a part of this crap, too?”

“Maybe, maybe not. In all honesty it doesn’t really matter. You’re here for my agenda, not theirs.”

“And what is your agenda?”

He flicked his eyes to the phone and back to me. “To show your father and the Cosa Nostra exactly what happens when they cross me. Once they see the pain I put you through, they’ll be willing to do whatever I fucking want to get me to stop.”

“You overestimate my value to the De Lucas. You think they’d give a shit that you have me? All you’ve done is make yourself an enemy of the Bratva and trust me, they’re a worse enemy to have then the Cosa Nostra.”

“As wife of the future head of the Cosa Nostra, you’re definitely important to them. And the second your father got involved with them, he made an enemy out of me. I not only want Alessandro to see his son suffer the same way I suffered when he stole my wife from me. I also want others to see what happens when they align themselves with the Cosa Nostra.”

“Fiancé,” I corrected. “She was your fiancé, not your wife.”

“Same shit, different name. She was mine, regardless of her status.”

“Clearly not, since she ditched you to marry Alessandro. From what I hear, she couldn’t get away from you fast enough.”

Nero backhanded me. No harsh words, no build up of anger. Just a straight slap to the face with the back of his hand. My head whipped to the side, a sharp sting radiating over my cheek.

I turned back to face him, shifting my jaw from side to side. I wiped the small amount of blood trailing from my mouth to my chin with a finger, my tongue running over the bottom of my lip.

I exhaled in disappointment. “Well, that was uncalled for.”

“You’ve got a smart mouth on you.”

“So I’ve been told. I think it’s one of my best qualities, to be honest. What about Lucian and Theodora? Why try to kidnap them?”

“Why not? They were there, the opportunity to hurt Alessandro even more was right at my fingertips. If my men had succeeded, I would have sent them back to him in pieces.”

Anger tore through me at the mere thought of it. There was no way Nero could be allowed to live after this. He had to die, otherwise the danger to them would never end.

Nero took the phone from Gap Tooth and pointed it at me. “Do you know what I love about technology? It’s always changing, evolving. The things phones can do these days boggles my mind.”

Quite the subject change, but okay. I’ll roll with it.

“Suuure,” I dragged out. “I can see why it might fascinate a Baby Boomer like you.”

One of his men choked on a laugh and Nero snapped his eyes to the culprit. A lanky man wearing ripped jeans and no shirt, a thick bushy beard covering half his face.

“What?” Nero snapped at him.

The man shifted his feet awkwardly. “She thinks you’re like seventy. A Baby Boomer is someone born between 1946 and 1964.”

“I know what a fucking Baby Boomer is,” Nero barked, cutting him a filthy look. He looked back at me. “Like I was saying, technology. Amazing stuff. For example, did you know that you can record videos and people can watch them in real time?”

“Ya, it’s called Live Streaming, Old Timer.”

Nero narrowed his eyes but didn’t rise to the bait.

Disappointing.

I tried to ignore the uneasiness slowly rising within me. The fact he was referring to live streaming could only mean he intended to do it now, if he wasn’t already. I stared at the camera lens, wondering who was on the other side. Arturo? My father? My brothers?

“It’s going to kill Arturo to watch as we all have a taste of your sweet young pussy. What makes it even better is he’s going to watch it as it happens.” He waved the phone back and forth. “Say hi to your husband, princess, while you can still form coherent thoughts. Because believe me when I say that once we’re done with you, all you’ll be able to think about is wanting to die. For the pain to finally be over. You won’t be able to think of anything else.”

He handed the phone back to Gap Tooth and moved to stand in front of a dark skinned man with deep brown eyes and a slim build. “Diego here likes to hold his women down and fuck them with his gun. I don’t think his dick works anymore but he’s found his own way to compensate for that.” Nero moved to the next guy. “Angelo likes to carve his name into his victim’s stomach before taking them up the ass. He’s an ass man.”

I should be scared, terrified, freaked the fuck out at what he was saying, but I wasn’t. There was no way I was going to let any of that shit happen. Or my father, for that matter. He was coming for me. I was 100% sure of it.

“Diego? You wouldn’t happen to be a Cosa Nostra man, would you?”

Nero smiled and answered for him. “Ex Cosa Nostra.”

Something clicked in my brain. “You’re the one who got him to steal the fifty grand.”

Tapping his nose, he winked at me. “Such a smart one. It’s really too bad I have to break you.” He studied me, my posture, the lack of fear on my face and my cool, easy demeanour. “My, aren’t you a brave little one,” he chuckled. “I like it. But don’t worry, after the first few rounds that fiery spirit will be crushed.”

I adjusted my footing, staring him down. I wasn’t going to let him intimate me, get in my head and try to fuck with my emotions. Keeping a clear head right now would be my only saving grace until my father got here.

“Now we’re a civilised lot, aren’t we boys? We have rules, order. So, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to hold a little lottery, to see who gets you first. And then, once we’ve all had a taste of you, we’ll start all over again. Sound good?”

He talked as if he was discussing something pleasant. Not a fucking gang rape.

The fact they were planning to try and take me one at a time worked in my favour though. If they all rushed me at once, I wouldn’t stand a chance. But individually, it was anyone’s game.

My skin tingled with anticipation, my body buzzing with so much adrenaline I clenched my fists to stop them from shaking. Staring hard, I channelled my father, the big, bad Bratva boss, The Bratva Butcher, all the strength and power he exuded.

The training he taught me since I was a child, preparing me for situations just like this, flashed through my mind like scenes in a movie and I cherished it.

Pushing all thoughts out of my mind, I focused on the men in front of me. Reaching down, I pulled a blade from the inside of my boot and smiled. “Alright, so who’s first? Is it you, Nero? Or maybe you, Gap Tooth? Or how about the lil’ shorty in the back?”

Nero laughed, eyeing the knife. “Rawrrrr, this kitty has claws.”

I wasn’t overly surprised to see they missed my weapons. I figured it out when I could still feel the weight of them on my body. Nero might be in control of the Los Zetas, but he was Outfit through and through. They kept women out of the business side of things just as much as the Cosa Nostra did. They didn’t think women were a threat. And that would be their downfall.

“Okey dokey boys, who’s got number one?” Nero asked, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket.

A black-haired guy with a face only a mother could love raised his hand, licking his lips. He was short, about 5’4, and a little on the chubby side. He stepped forward and I watched him, studying how he moved, the way he swung his arms, the way he walked. Everything, filing it all away to use against him if I could.

“Oh, ho, ho, Felix!” Nero clapped him on the shoulder. “Now, make sure to leave enough for the rest of us, okay?”

“No promises,” Felix said gruffly, wiping snot from his nose with the back of his hand. He stepped away from the group and locked those leery eyes on me.

“Don’t forget to look at the camera, pretty.” Gap Tooth shook the phone in his hand. “Don’t want your husband to miss the tears in your eyes.”

I scoffed. As if I’d ever give them the satisfaction of me crying.

With a gesture of my fingers, I beckoned Felix forward. “Let’s go then, short stuff. Don’t got all day.”

The bravado was somewhat fake. I was confident I could take him. Easily. But even I could see the precarious situation I was in. Eventually my luck would run out. I just had to hope that my father could get here before then.

Felix flexed his muscles and strode toward me, confident as a lion hunting a gazelle. I zoned everyone else out and focused on him, waiting for him to get close enough. I flipped my knife and held it in a reverse grip, the blade pointing outwards.

When he got within reach, I stepped forward quickly, swiping my knife across his throat in a deadly, clean cut. I kept walking as Felix dropped to his knees behind me, a gurgled cry slipping from his lips before he fell face forward to the ground. The kill took less than a second.

I smirked, enjoying the way the smiles dropped from all of their faces at the unexpected kill. Well, everyone except Nero. He was smiling.

“The fuck?!” Gap Tooth hissed.

“What? You expected me to just sit back and take it?” I swished my finger from side to side. “Tut, tut, tut,” I taunted, walking backwards, keeping my eyes on them as I side-stepped Felix’s lifeless body until I was back in the centre of the room again.

Nero eyed me excitedly. “Impressive. I guess what Rayna said was true. You can fight. How about we even the odds a little this time round? Who’s got numbers two and three?”

Diego and a guy with a goatee walked forward, a little more apprehensive than before but still reeking with that (oh so fake) alpha male confidence.

I backed up a step, getting back in the zone. I pulled another knife, this time from my other boot, and spread my arms wide at my side, letting the crazy take over. “Oooo, I do love a good double team.”

I flipped both the blades so I held them in a reverse grip – my preferred hold – and strengthened my stance.

They attacked together. Diego came up on my left, swinging high with a big brawny arm and Goatee kicked low. I blocked Diego’s attack with my forearm while simultaneously twisting my body out of Goatee’s path. I lashed out with a kick of my own and hit Goatee right in the face.

“Fuck!” He landed flat on his ass while Diego swung again.

I reared back, avoiding the swing effortlessly. He was slow, his technique sloppy. We locked into a battle of blows. Diego struck again and again and even though his attacks held power, they were clumsy. Lacked finesse. Were easy to dodge, to block.

Goatee rejoined the fight, striking out with the same ferocity as Diego. I blocked attacks from both of them as they worked together to try and take me down, Diego coming at me from one side while Goatee came from the other, punching and kicking in unison.

I could not be any more fucking grateful that my father would make me train by fighting all my brothers at the same time. It truly prepared me for this exact moment, taking on more than one opponent at a time.

I ducked under a powerful swing and stabbed Diego in the thigh. I pulled my knife out just as quick and rounded behind him. I kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Goatee pivoted on his feet and we circled each other. “You think you’re tough shit, don’t you? But you’re just a dirty little slut.”

I laughed. “Oh, I definitely am. But only for one guy.” I looked directly into the camera lens and winked for Arturo.

I could picture him, screaming at me to take this seriously, to stop fucking around. I should probably listen.

“I’m going to enjoy putting you in your place. Showing you who’s boss,” Goatee hissed.

“We both know you ain’t the boss. Run it straight. Let’s see what you got.”

Goatee snarled and ran at me hard, trying to tackle me. I dug my feet into the ground for stability and met him head on, twisting out of the way at the last second. I turned and, using my long limber legs, side-kicked him straight in the back at the base of his spine. He arched forward with a cry and slammed into Diego as he was struggling to a stand and they both toppled to the ground, tripping over each other.

I wasn’t sure how much time I had left. Whether these dickheads behind me would finally realise I was more trouble than I was worth and take me down together instead of this stupid lottery shit. I needed to end this now – and end it quickly. The less I had to fight at one time, the better.

As they both got to their feet, Diego favouring his injured leg and Goatee hunched over at the waist like an old man with a bad back, I sprinted forward and went on the offensive, alternating my strikes between both hands.

A punch directly in the face for Diego, a punch in the gut for Goatee, an uppercut to Diego’s chin, a knee strike to Goatee’s face, me spinning hook kick to Diego’s head.

Every blow made them grunt in pain and pushed them further and further back as I attacked.

I didn’t give them a moment of reprieve. I struck hard and fast, using my blades to cut into their skin as I moved with all the speed I possessed, slicing their flesh over and over again while trying to dodge their attempts to hit me. Gymnastics gave me an unbelievable amount of flexibility, allowing me to bend my body in awkward ways to avoid their strikes, like an acrobat doing flips and turns in a circus.

Goatee managed to land a hard hit to my shoulder and I stumbled, the force of the blow shocking the hell out of me and making me lose my footing.

Fuuuuuck. That’s gonna bruise.

Diego capitalised on it and pushed forward, ramming me with his body and lifting me up into the air in a running tackle. I dug both my knives into his shoulder blades and he roared, trying to throw me off.

I held on tight and spun around his body until I was hanging onto his back like a piggyback ride, ripped out one of my blades from his shoulder and rammed it into the base of his neck. He screamed and flailed but I held on until he dropped to his knees and then I stabbed him again and again, over and over until I was completely drenched in his blood.

I finally let him go and Diego fell forward with a splat, blood oozing out all around him. Panting, I raised my head and locked eyes with Nero. I flung my knife to the side and hit Goatee in the middle of the forehead as he ran towards me, killing him instantly.

My lungs burned. My shoulder throbbed and my body ached. I could feel the bruises already beginning to form on my skin from their attacks. Adrenaline coursed through me like the blood pumping in my veins, making my heart thump so loudly I could hear it in my ears, feel it beating in my chest.

I inhaled deeply to centre my breathing and got to my feet.

Unlike last time, Nero wasn’t smiling. With narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw, it was clear he was pissed about the fact that I killed another two of his men. He wasn’t expecting me to win.

“You wanna know what your problem is, Nero? Where you went wrong?” I asked, pulling my other blade from Diego’s shoulder and wiping the blood on his shirt. “You made the mistake of assuming I was just Arturo’s woman. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I most definitely am Arturo’s woman, through and through. One hundred percent. But that’s not all I am. I’m also the daughter of The Bratva Butcher.”

One of his men gasped in shock and I smiled.

“You’ve heard of The Bratva Butcher, haven’t you? But I bet you didn’t know that he was my father.”

Not a lot of people knew the identity of The Bratva Butcher, unless you were actually in the Bratva itself. But rumours of my father’s mercilessness spread far and wide the day he annihilated an entire family line.

Whispers echoed all around the room, their voices hushed yet filled with so much fear that I revelled in it.

Good. They should be scared.

“One thing you need to know about my father is that he’s incredibly protective. Paranoid too. Like, I’m talking an insane amount. You see, after my mother was kidnapped and murdered, he’s held his children on a bit of a tight leash. The only way he would even let us leave the house was if we agreed to let him put a tracking device in us.” With the tip of my knife, I pointed to the back of my neck. “Since I was ten years old, I’ve had a little microchip embedded just beneath the surface of my skin. One that, once activated, broadcasts my location to my father.”

Nero’s eyes widened in shock just as a huge explosion rocked the building, making the ground shake beneath our feet.

I smiled. “And here he is now.”