Page 16 of Cruel Bratva King
“Because my conception date matches with the night we had sex, and I haven’t been with any other man since that night.” Words were cheap, and he wasn’t going to buy them without concrete proof. “I asked my gynecologist, and he said a DNA test could be done as early as seven weeks. I’m six weeks along, so we can get one after next week.”
What was I even saying? It was bad enough that I had to break the news to him. I was too exhausted to try and explain more than I already had. He could believe me or not if he wanted.
I heard a weird noise that ended up being a laugh. He laughed, and when I pulled on attention to him, his dark eyes softened, filled with excitement. “You’re carrying my child?”
Was he happy? It looked like it was, but I couldn’t believe it. “I am.”
He got up from his chair and walked to me, then he scooped me up from my seat and placed me on the desk. “I am going to be a father.” He sounded excited, so excited I almost smiled. “I can’t believe this.” He kissed my forehead. “You don’t know how excited I am for the news,moy tsvetok.Thank you so much.”
I shifted back, stunned. “You’re not angry?”
He scrunched his brows, allowing a smile to break free from his lips. “Why would I be,moy tsvetok,huh? A child is a blessing.”
A child is a blessing.
“I’m going to take care of you and this child,moy tsvetok,” he said with an elated voice. “I will protect this child and ensure they never lack anything. We should prepare to get married.”
I pushed him back gently. “Married?” Rather than him, I was the one struggling to process what was happening right now. First, I expected him to be upset, but he was happy. Instead, now he was talking of getting married? “How can we get married when I barely know you? We barely know each other.”
He cupped my face, soothing the confusion swelling in my head with his touch. “What is it you want to know about me?”
“Everything,” I said. “Your name, what you do for a living. Everything.” That wasn’t a guarantee I was going to marry him, though. No. I wasn’t going to marry him, but if we were to raise the baby together, I needed to know all I could about him.
His smile completely dissipates, and darkness replaces the joy that had been in his eyes. “I’m Sergey Vadim,” he said. “Leader of the Russian Mafia ring here in Chicago.”
I smiled in disbelief. “Stop joking.”
“I am not.” He carried me back to my seat and knelt with one knee in front of me. “That is who I am, and this child will be ushered into my world.” He took my hand and kissed it. “But I promise to protect it with my life.”
My forehead moistened with sweat, and every organ inside me felt like they were shifting out of place. His name was Sergey, and he was the leader of the Russian Mafia. I couldn’t think of anything else through the hammering of my heart in my ears.
His name is Sergey Vadim, and he is the leader of the Bratva.I’d heard about him a lot of times. He was infamous for his ruthless nature, and he was the father of my unborn child. How did I become entangled in this mess?
My blood froze to ice. My lips trembled as I opened my mouth to speak. “It can’t be. Tell me you’re lying.”
His silence confirmed he wasn’t lying. He wasn’t bluffing. It made sense, his accent, the darkness in his eyes, and the fear in the bartender’s eyes the night I met him. How could I have missed such obvious cues?
Realization hit me at that moment. “I can’t do this. I can’t raise my child with you.”
“Moy Tsvetok…”
“No. Don’t, please.” I didn’t notice the tears cascading down my cheeks until they dropped on my arm. “It’s dangerous. You’re dangerous. I can’t do this. I can’t stay with you or allow our child to stay either. I’m sorry.”
He kissed the back of my hand and squeezed it in his. “You don’t have a choice,moy tsvetok.You must stay.”
I wanted to. I swear I did. No one had ever made me feel the way he did, and I’d never wanted to raise a child without the father. But I couldn’t. Despite how much I hated it, leaving was my only choice. Sergey grew up in this world. He was used to all the violence and brutality, so he wouldn’t understand.
And I didn’t need him to. All I needed was for my child not to grow up in this dark world. I took my hand from his and stood up. “I’m sorry, Sergey. I have to leave.” I despised the look on his face, something that looked like sadness. It didn’t fit him, but I had no other option.
If I had to hurt him for our child to have a good life, then it couldn’t be helped. “You won’t understand why I’m doing this now, but someday you will, and our child will be grateful for it.”
My legs were numb, but I managed to set them into motion as I headed for the door. Sergey didn’t stop me, and I was glad he didn’t.
This was the best I could do for my child, and I wasn’t going to look back or regret it.
Chapter 8 - Lilianna
“It’s not as bad as you think it is,” Eva said, pacing my kitchen with her hands on either side of her waist. “From what I heard, he’s rich and could protect you. Think about it. All your problems will be solved.”