Chapter 15 - Ari

It turned out that horseback riding suited Vivian, and watching her sheer joy suited me even more.

Buying the stable felt like a small price to pay for the chance to see that side of her come to life, able to take in how comfortable and at ease she was. It was a refreshing sight after only knowing her resentment and vague disinterest for weeks.

Giving in to our mutual attraction seemed to be the catalyst we both needed to open up to one another so that we could better understand each other.

I was glad I heard her out.

She had been missing something that brought her so much fulfillment, and I hoped giving that to her again would reassure her that marrying me wasn't the end of her life.

Even while I sat at my desk at work, leafing through some documents that needed my attention, I couldn't pull my focus away from Vivian and how perfect that day at the stable was.

She smiled so much that it was burned into my brain, and her laughter was so sweet that I just wanted to hear more of it. I wanted to be the reason she did both those things more and to prove to her I treasured every moment of it.

It was easy to see then how much I cared about her, and how greatly she was affecting me.

No woman had ever made me feel that way before, and while it made me somewhat nervous, I also felt more prepared than ever to handle it. To accept her time and affection and savor everything I could.

Even if we were still working on our connection, I was already missing my time with her, and she seemed to take up permanent residence in my mind.

For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely drawn to someone, and I wanted her so badly it almost made me feel sick.

But of course, I couldn't just skip out on my work. I had to at least try and pay attention to what was in front of me, even if my mind was actively back at home, wrapped up in the sheets with her.

I knew I was doing a poor job of concentrating the moment I nearly jumped out of my seat once someone knocked at the door.

"Someone looks out of it," Benedikt said as he strode in with Lukyan behind him. He was quick to steal the seat in front of me, dropping himself into it while our younger brother had to stand. He sighed at the realization but didn't argue with him.

"Watch it," I mumbled, placing my pen down as if I had been busy writing anything at all.

His gloved hands went up in defense of himself, and he gestured to Lukyan casually. "We'll be out of your hair soon enough. We thought you might like to hear this."

With my interest piqued, I looked between them. "What did you find?"

"Ever since you told me to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, I've had some guys out there tasked with monitoring the situation. I recently received a report of someone digging into us and our operations," Lukyan began, holding the black tablet in front of himself while he poked around the screen.

"Digging how?"

"They've been staking out nearby and trying to locate our other warehouses. Our guys have been trailing them, and they have no idea we're actively collecting intel. After running some searches and filtering through our databases, we've narrowed it down to some likely suspects," he explained, flipping the tablet around for me to see it.

"And?" I questioned, brow raised as I sifted through a series of photos featuring vehicles I didn't recognize, along with men clearly trying to hide while they watched our properties.

"We believe it's someone from Vivian's family. I'm assuming it's one of her brothers, given the circumstances. It sounds like Edoardo isn't involved, so it must be one of them. They're likely looking for some kind of in to get back at you for what happened."

Stroking my chin absently, I nodded as irritation flared within me again. It was troubling, but it came as no surprise.

"I suspected as much would happen. I just figured it would take longer for them to recuperate. At the very least, I expected Edoardo to retaliate, not one of his sons," I murmured, mostly to myself. "But it doesn't make sense for one of her brothers to be leading the effort. Vivian told me her dad wouldn't let them have anything to do with the business."

Lukyan shrugged. "Maybe you broke Edoardo down enough to cause him to step back, allowing his sons to take the helm? If that's what they wanted all along, I doubt he would take much convincing at that point."

"That would certainly be an interesting development if so," I returned, silently agreeing that the information was well worth my time. As I swiped through the last of the photos, I landed on one that looked vaguely like one of the brothers who had been there the night we stormed them. "There's one of two reasons why they're doing any of this. One, they want revenge for humiliating them and their dad. Or two, they want Vivian back since she was the one valuable asset they had waiting to be used. They're potentially figuring that if they can get her back, end the marriage, and lock her up in the house again, they'll be able to sell her off to someone willing to pay a pretty price."

"And how would you feel about them trying to take your wife?" Benedikt asked, brows lifted curiously.

Leaning back in my chair as I handed the tablet back to Lukyan, I snickered bitterly. "The bastards will know what the concrete outside tastes like before I let that happen. If anyone thinks they're going to pull a fast one on me and take my wife, they'll find out the hard way. I say let them try."

Ben chuckled and nodded. "As I imagined."

"Besides, there's a special place in hell for any man who treats his little sister like a punching bag. I'm more than willing to send them there myself," I muttered, recalling how she had opened up to me about her brothers and the treatment she faced in the family home.

"They sound like a rotten bunch over there," Lukyan commented, sounding empathetic for Vivian.

"You don't know the half of it," I returned, shaking my head in disbelief. "If they are gearing up to try and get her back, it will only be for monetary purposes. They don't care about her, and they likely never will. Which is why I'm going to do everything I can to stop that from happening."

Both my brothers seemed to understand, and Lukyan crossed his arms. "What now, then?"

"I appreciate the work you've done so far. Keep looking into it, and let me know if you or anyone else finds anything of interest. We need confirmation it's really her brothers before we do anything about it."

Luk nodded. "I'm on it."

"And what about Vivian? I take it she's been enjoying the new ranch," Ben added since he finalized the sale of everything for me. "Are you going to stop her from going if her brothers are on the lookout for her?"

Letting go of a tense breath, I shook my head. "I bought the place as a gift, and to show her she's not trapped like she was at her old place. I can't go back on my word now—not after she loved it so much."

Benedikt gave me a look of surprise as he made himself comfortable. "It seems you've grown soft, brother. You better start yelling to save face."

"If you keep pushing, I'll make sure that happens," I muttered, waving him off. "It turns out that not being a hard-ass all the time actually builds trust."

He laughed to himself. "I never would've guessed. You're making strides, Ari."

Scoffing, I pointed at the door. "Show yourself out, you little shit."

Amused, Ben pulled himself up from his chair and moved toward the door. "Gladly, boss. I was planning on finishing my work early so I can go get myself a wife and find out what it's like for myself."

"Good luck finding one in Andrei's clubs," I called after him as he slipped through the door.

Lukyan roared with laughter on his way out, trailing behind Benedikt as he muttered something I couldn't hear under his breath.

Shaking my head at how ridiculous they could be despite the serious nature of our work, the reality of the situation fell on my shoulders once I was left alone again.

The De Lucas were back on my radar just as everything seemed to be going so well with Vivian, and I couldn't help but wonder how it would all play out.

As I looked down at the paperwork in front of me, I still couldn't bring myself to focus on it, especially not with the news fresh in my mind.

While it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to let Vivian know about the potential situation, I didn't want to alarm her. I also didn't want her sitting at home stewing about it and considering all the bad things that might happen.

Which was why I decided I'd keep it to myself for the time being. At the very least, I wouldn't say anything until I learned more about what was going on.

With us getting closer and Vivian beginning to open up to me, I didn't need anything to put a wrench in it.

Things were good, and I wanted it to stay that way.