Page 60 of Kept By the Bratva
“Or should I even bother to try?” I muttered aloud to myself.
It seemed far too lonely and empty in here, but someone knocked and entered just then, to hear me talking to myself.
“Should you bother to try what?” Mila asked. In a simple dress, she looked ready for bed, yet not.
I shook my head, smiling and glad I had someone to talk to. Musing about my feelings for Nik was giving me a headache. “Nothing,” I said, not wanting to speak about my truest feelings for Nik with anyone besides him.
“Hmm.” She stopped at one of the high-backed chairs, setting her hands on the top. “Are you busy?”
“Too busy overthinking.”
She smiled, tipping her head toward the door and beckoning me to get up and follow her. “Me too. Anytime I know Alek is off on a dangerous task, I worry.”
I wanted to ask where she was leading me, but it hardly mattered. Her company was a lure in itself.
“That’s natural,” I commented as we strolled along the hallway.
“I couldn’t sleep, and I had a craving for something crunchy. They saved quite a bit from dinner, and I was hoping you’d join me for a late-night meal. I mean, snack.”
I nodded, eager to explore this huge place with her. Everywhere I looked was an ornate detail I wanted to admire, but I stuck with her pace. “I’d love that.”
She caught me scoping out the hallways leading toward the biggest dining room. Murals had been painted on the ceilings. Arches confined sweeping crown moldings that had been handcrafted. Beneath our feet was the plushest, smoothest carpet.
“Are you… adjusting all right?”
“To what?” I glanced at her. “To this enormous building? Nik’s personal wing? The fact that I’m having not one baby, but two?”
“To all of it, I suppose,” she said as we reached the dining room. She sat, indicating for me to do the same.
“Alek and I knew we wanted children someday, but I was surprised how quickly it happened.” She served some pieces of the warmed-up dinner onto her plate. Staff bustled in and out of the kitchens to bring more things in without interrupting us.
“I recall the day the test turned positive. I was so excited and thrilled.” She pressed her hand to her chest and sighed. “So much had been changing in our lives, and it was a rush—meeting Alek the way I did, not having to marry his cousin, and then…” Her smile was slow and suggestive.
“Were you married for long?” I asked, hoping that wasn’t too intrusive.
“Not really,” she admitted with one of those shit-eating smiles. “I was born into a rival Bratva Family. I’ve been raised with the expectation to be a Bratva woman and serve the men however my father saw fit. But the Valkovs are nothing like my father’s organization. Here, I’m respected and loved, and it was an adjustment for me.”
I nodded, taking my first bite. “With this being my first experience with any kind of… uh, violence, it’s been a verybigadjustment for me.”
“And I hope you know I will help you, as much as I can. It isn’t easy. There are good days and bad days, like anywhere else in life, but you are in good hands here.”
I nodded, eating a few bites and glad to appease the slight hunger pang that had kicked in. No smells bothered me, and I was overjoyed to have an appetite without any conditions to it.
“What did you do before you met Nik?” she asked. Her question was direct, but not nosy.
“I was a vet tech. I had a job at a clinic.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
I nodded. “I did. At least, parts of it. The customer service duties weren’t so fun, but I love animals.”
“Me too. Are you a dog person or a cat person?” She mocked a pensive look, tilting her head. “I think I’d prefer a cat.”
“Both. Either.” I glanced around the room, lavish and sophisticated as the rest of the place. “I can’t see a pet being in a house like this, though.”
“Eh. Of course, a pet would fit into this chaos. Although, maybe not yet. A babyanda puppy or kitten? That might be a bit much.”
I laughed lightly. “Even with all the help?”