Page 40 of Bratva Brother’s Bride

“Three weeks.” Lev stands and starts pacing, his jaw tight. “Three weeks is far too long. Anton will use every day of it to undermine your position. He’ll be in the elders’ ears, poisoning them against you.”

“I know.”

“That’s not even the worst of it.” He stops pacing and faces me. “Three weeks gives him all the time he needs to make a move on Vera directly. A woman like that, under your protection? He’ll see it as a challenge. A prize to be won.”

“She’s not a prize.”

“No? Then what is she?” Lev’s eyes are sharp. “You’re treating her exactly like a prize. You moved her into your home without asking. You proposed marriage without giving her time to process. Do you think she’ll thank you for that?”

“I’m protecting her.”

“You’re possessing her.” He holds up a hand before I can argue. “I’m not saying it’s wrong. I’m saying you need to be honest about what this is. You’ve been watching her for three years, Roman. She’ll find out eventually.”

I turn back to the window so Lev can’t see my face. Rain slips down the windowpane in a light patter.

“That was intelligence gathering,” I say. “I needed to know everything about Dmitri’s life if I was going to take him down.”

“You needed to know about his business dealings.” Lev’s voice is quiet but relentless. “You didn’t need to know that his wife’s favorite food is Japanese. Yeah, I know about Kuro-Tetsu.”

I don’t respond. There’s nothing to say.

Lev lets the silence stretch for a moment before continuing. “Look, I’m not judging you. The woman got under your skin. It happens, but you need to be careful. If you push too hard, she’s going to run. If she runs, Anton will be waiting.”

I move back to my desk and sit down. Lev resumes his seat across from me, his expression expectant.

“What about Anton’s support base?” he asks. “The elders who are backing him?”

“I’m working on that, too.” I pull a file from my desk drawer and slide it across to him. “Financial records we found in Dmitri’s private study. He was draining accounts for months before I killed him.”

Lev picks up the file and opens it. His eyes move across the pages, scanning the numbers with the practiced efficiency of a man who’s spent years following my orders. I watch his expression shift from curiosity to something harder.

“Months of withdrawals,” he says. “He was getting desperate near the end.”

“He knew I was coming. He just didn’t know when.”

Lev turns another page.

I say, “Vera found the key to the safe where these were hidden. Under a floorboard in the library.”

Lev looks up. “She’s resourceful.”

“She is.”

Something in my tone must give me away because Lev’s mouth curves into a knowing smile. “She’s more than resourceful, isn’t she?”

“I’m not discussing that.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve known you for thirty years, Roman. I can tell when something’s eating at you.” He closes the file and sets it on the desk. “This is good information. If we can prove Dmitri was stealing from the family, it undermines his entire legacy. The elders who supported him will have to reconsider.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

“There’s just one issue; it’s not the ledger.”

“No.” I lean back in my chair. The leather creaks beneath me.

“Have you looked everywhere?”

“I’ve looked in every obvious place. The mansion, the office, the safe houses.” I pause, considering whether to share the next piece of information. The safe was supposed to be the answer. When Vera found that key, I thought we’d finally done it. So much for that lead.