Chapter 29 - Ari

The longer we stayed locked like that, only going in circles as nothing changed, the closer I was to losing my mind. The more desperate I felt to have Vivian back in my arms.

I wanted nothing more than to gun Dante down and take her for myself, but I had to pull on every ounce of self-control I had left. It would be easy to let those emotions get the better of me, but I couldn't. Maintaining that calm facade was the only way I stood a chance of helping Vivian.

But as time went on and more of our men pulled up, vehicles kicking up dust, I could tell it was slowly breaking Elio down. Even if his gun was also aimed at their sister, he looked more hesitant than before.

Surely he knew it was over for them, even if Dante couldn't see it, or at least refused to acknowledge it.

We had far too many men against just the two of them, and despite that, Dante was right. They had Vivian.

Above all else, I had to get her to safety.

Realizing the heavy gun presence was making them both antsy to some capacity, I knew I had to make a choice.

"Guns down," I ordered, watching as I received confused glances from not only our men but from my brothers too. They didn't understand why, but I put a hand out to reassure them. "Do it."

At once, our guns came down in a wave of rustling, but mine stayed.

Dante glanced around, likely wondering if it was a trick. "What about yours, Levov? That doesn't look neutral to me."

"If you think about it, the scale is tipped in your favor," I said, pointing out the obvious. "Your two guns against mine, because that's what this is all about. You and me, Dante."

I watched as his brow furrowed, still holding my wife with such brutal strength I couldn't wait to take him down.

"You think this is supposed to help anything? All that power and influence has surely gone to your head," he growled, knocking the pistol against Vivian's head again, making me wince internally. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you could've just left things alone. But you had to flex that power of yours—you had to beat our father down all to prove a point, didn't you?"

"Don't forget it was your dad who hit us first. It was nothing personal, just business," I returned, aware that he and Elio were still new to the whole thing. If it weren't for me, they never would've found themselves taking over their father's modest empire. "But the moment you decided to hit back—the moment you took matters into your own hands and abducted my wife as if she doesn't share blood with you—that was when it became personal. That was your doing."

Dante scoffed before letting out an incredulous laugh. "If my sister hadn't let herself be used by a Levov, she would never have this false allegiance to you. Her Stockholm syndrome is so strong, she isn't even aware she's been brainwashed by you dogs! Now, why would I care about the blood she has tainted? She is a disgrace to this family, and the only way she can begin to redeem herself is by axing this sham marriage and being with someone whose ambitions line up with ours."

Even hearing him admit his plans was enough to make me see red, wishing I could cut the shit and knock him down already.

Forced to push down that rage, angered by how easily he could disrespect Vivian, I could hardly stand how it brought tears to her eyes.

He had a world of suffering waiting for him if only I could find my angle. If only I could fire without risking her life in the meantime.

"If that is how you feel about her, then just let her go, Dante. Let her be brainwashed. Forget all about her and never come back to this city. But only if you hand her over and leave. That's my one and final offer," I said, stretching that condition to him.

I caught Elio glancing between me and his brother with an uncertain gaze, surely tempted by the offer. From what I could tell, he had a stronger will to live than Dante. He knew there was no escaping our forces unless they took the deal.

But the younger of the two grit his teeth and refused, voice tearing through the space, "You aren't getting it, Levov! Without her, we have nothing. We have nothing to wager—nothing to propel us forward. Without her on the table, we have no leg to stand on with the other heads. All because of you!"

While he claimed to need Vivian in their lives, it wasn't so they could appreciate her or keep her safe. They wanted to use her as a means of tying themselves to another family, and one willing to follow through with a proper trade.

Confusing caring about his sister with the need to do business left him raging before us as the veins in his neck stood on end.

He didn't care about her, and he never had. Which was exactly why I needed to get her away from him.

If I were to let him go to ensure Vivian lived, he would fall back into old habits, or potentially treat her even worse than before. She would be miserable again, forced to be treated like an asset rather than a person.

An object instead of a sister.

The way he thought so lowly of her was shameful, and hell was too good for him.

"Listen, kid. Cut your losses now and get out of it while you can. Take your family and leave. Start honest lives somewhere else, and let the city forget all about you. If selling your sister off is the only way you can stay afloat, then you were never meant to make it in the first place," I said, hoping my calm tone would get to him eventually.

Only the most ruthless could make it in the city's underbelly, and given how he shook with anger and fear, he would never survive long enough to reap the benefits of handing Vivian over to someone else.

Dante shook his head hard as if forcing those thoughts away. Determined and stuck in his stubborn ways, he wouldn't let it go.

"That's easy enough for you to say from the top, Aristarkh. Taking Vivian from you wouldn't make a dent in your empire. But for us, she would make a difference. She would solidify our standing with the greats. She is a temporary blip in your world, but she would change ours completely!"

She was far from temporary to me, and that statement alone made me clench my jaw to hold my tongue.

Adjusting the pistol in my hands, I was itching to make him eat those words.

A wild glaze filled his eyes as he swung her around, loosening his hold with the gun balancing between them. "Don't you see? She changes everything! This whore will make the De Luca name rise in New York and beyond without even knowing it."

Seemingly drunk on his fear and reckless abandon, he was being careless with his hold on her, and with a cocky air, he pulled the pistol away as he held his arms out in a grand display, as if he was untouchable.

"The De Luca name will be infamous. Infamous!"

Time seemed to stand still as I locked eyes with Vivian, watching as her fear softened into comfort long enough to let me feel just how much she loved me. Then, her gaze filled with cold resolve as an idea seemed to strike her, like she knew exactly what needed to be done.

Elio looked hesitantly at Dante, as if questioning his manic shouting, and even allowed his gun arm to go slack.

That was our chance.

"I'm not a De Luca anymore," Vivian muttered, catching Dante's attention as his brow furrowed.

Before he could lift his pistol again, she swung back in a blur, clipping his face with her head before ducking again.

He staggered just as Elio, in a flash of confused momentum, instinctually grabbed Vivian's arm to pull her back.

Within half a beat, I aimed at Dante and squeezed the trigger as our men raised their guns against Elio, making sure he didn't pull a fast one on her.

But as Dante froze in place with complete shock stitched into his features, blood pooling into the fabric of his shirt, gleaming in the darkness around him, Elio dropped his gun.

In disbelief of it all, Dante coughed up blood as his pistol fell to the ground next, unable to fire at anyone. Then, as if the wind had pushed him just enough, he leaned too far to one side and hit the ground in a heap.

As everything came to a head, our men surrounded Elio with their rifles, forcing him onto his knees with his hands behind his head as Vivian was carefully moved out of the way.

Able to breathe again, I was with her in an instant, catching the dazed look on her face as I grabbed her arms and examined her.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concern gripping my heart tighter than ever before.

I was so afraid, not only for her, but for the twins, too. She had been through more than enough trauma, and I needed to know they were safe.

Vivian blinked back at me through her startled haze, eventually managing to nod. As the realization hit her that everything was over, tears filled her eyes as she pushed herself against my chest.

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, breathing in the relief that my wife was just fine.

"You're okay," I reassured her, unsure if I meant it for her or myself. "I've got you."

She went through the motions as I pulled her away from the chaos behind us, eager to get her somewhere quiet again.

I could hardly fathom that she was back with me, and we didn't have to worry about her brothers anymore. While we still needed to check the state of our growing little ones, she was mostly physically unharmed.

But all the same, I was so grateful.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured the moment we were alone, unable to find it within myself to let her go. "I shouldn't have waited so long to take action. I should've put them back in their place before they could ever get the chance to find you again."

With a sniffle, Vivian shook her head and pulled back just enough to look up at me. "Please don't blame yourself, Ari. You're here, and you kept your promise."

Managing a small smile for her, I stroked her hair out of her face before caressing her cheek. "I told you I would, and I meant it."

I could've looked into those damp, yet crystal-clear eyes of hers all day and soaked in her beauty, but our attention was snagged away as orders were given, and a shuffle of movement came from them hauling Elio away.

With ample gun power against him, he had no choice but to be cuffed and led toward one of our blacked-out vehicles to be sent elsewhere. His face was mostly blank, but the last glance he made in Vivian's direction gave away the slightest fear. The regret.

"Please spare him."

My brows furrowed in confusion as I looked back down at her. "What?"

"Please," Vivian insisted, looking alarmed at the thought of not knowing what was next for her brother. "Punish him as you must, but let him live."

I still couldn't believe what she was asking of me after it was all said and done.

"But why? He had a hand in this, too," I reminded her. "He also had a gun pointed at you."

"I know, but Dante was the one orchestrating everything, and Elio was going along with it for the benefits. While he wasn't always the best to me, I could tell he was fighting between who he was and who he thought Dad wanted him to be. He was neglected, too," Vivian explained, showing me her sincerity through her determined gaze. "Elio may have assisted him, but Dante was the worst of them. I believe Elio can learn a different path if he's given the chance."

Taking her in completely while I considered her words, I knew I couldn't say no to her. Instead, I sighed and nodded.

"So long as he's as far away from you as possible, and you believe he isn't completely rotten, then fine," I said, honoring her request. "I'll make sure he lives. But for now, I need to get you home and have a nurse swing by to check on you."

With a faint smile, Vivian nodded and moved back in for another embrace. "Thank you, Ari."

Holding her close, it took everything in my power to not get emotional in front of the others, even if we were some distance away from the scene. "I was scared out of my mind that something might happen to you, but you're safe now, and we don't have to worry about anything. You were brave out there, and I can't tell you enough how glad I am to hold you now."

"I could only think about how much I wanted to be back home with you and live out the rest of our lives together," Vivian murmured against my chest, letting me feel her warmth. "I love you, Ari."

"I love you more," I said, cradling her like I'd never get the chance to again. But knowing that wasn't true, I let a content smile settle on my lips. "Let's go home, sweetheart."