Page 22 of Dark Desires (Chicago Bratva #1)

ISABELLA

“ H ey. You OK?

I find Stephania curled up on her bed, her face buried in a pillow.

The sight of her like this makes my heart hurt. Steph’s always been the strong one—the perfect one. Seeing her fall apart feels like the world is upside down.

“Steph?”

She mumbles into her pillow, saying something that I can’t quite hear.

I sit on the edge of her bed. Taylor Swift’s playing from the tiny speaker on her phone. I crane my neck to see that it’s Evermore , her go-to whenever she’s feeling overwhelmed by life.

“Move over,” I say. I follow up my words with a gentle nudge of her shoulder.

She doesn’t respond, so I nudge her again.

“Come on, I’m not leaving until we talk.”

This time, she glances up at me, her big brown eyes red and puffy.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Well, I’m going to annoy you until you do.” I smile, leaning back against the headboard. “So, cry all you want, but just know I’m not going anywhere.”

Stephania lets out a weak laugh. “You’re impossible.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I reply, bumping her shoulder with mine.

She sighs, sitting up slowly and pulling her knees to her chest. “I don’t know what to do, Isa. I love Omar. I really do. But we can’t be together. Not with his father involved. Christian would use it to tear our family apart, and I can’t let that happen.”

I take a deep breath, knowing what I need to ask next.

“Did you have any idea that Omar was related to Christian?”

“None at all!” She sits up, sniffling. I grab the nearby box of tissues and hand it to her. She quickly wipes her eyes and blows her nose. “I mean, it’s not like the name ‘Christian de la Rosa’ meant anything to me back when Omar and I were seeing each other.”

“What did he say about his parents?”

She shrugs. “Nothing, really. Just that his mom died a long time ago, and that his dad lived out of the country. But looking back, it’s like he went out of his way to avoid the topic.”

I let out a puff of air through my nose.

“No doubt that he knew what the name Mancini meant.”

More tears form in her eyes. “It’s so unfair.”

Her voice cracks on the last words, and my heart breaks. I don’t know what else to do other than put my arm around her and pull her close.

“Steph,” I say softly, “you don’t have to carry this alone.”

“What choice do I have?” she asks. “If I go through with the wedding to Alexei, I’m stuck in a marriage I don’t want, and Christian comes for us again. But if I marry Omar, his father has another way to control us. Either way, it’s a loss..”

“OK, let’s take a step back. What do we think Christian wants, exactly?”

“To take over Chicago. He’s rallying the other families against the Bratva. If he gets enough of them on his side, he’ll wipe them out—and us with them, if I marry Alexei.”

Pieces start clicking into place.

I clear my throat and speak. “And that’s why the Bratva wants this marriage so badly. Alexei marrying you is about survival. The Mancinis are their last shot at keeping Christian from taking over completely.”

Steph nods. “Exactly. If we side with the Ivanovs, we stand a chance of keeping Christian in check. And now Christian wants me to marry into his family. Either way…”

She trails off, and she doesn’t have to finish the sentence. We both know what’s at stake.

“OK,” I say. “So, worst-case scenario, you marry Alexei. He’s not the worst guy in the world. I mean, he’s rich, he’s hot, and he’s—well, let’s just say he knows how to handle himself.”

Stephania shoots me a confused look, and I realize I might’ve overshared. “What do you mean?”

Shit. Her confused expression makes me keenly aware of the other dimension to this whole thing—the little fact that not only have I been hooking up with Alexei, but that I’m carrying his kid .

“Alexei saved my life more than once.”

She sniffles. “I know, but he’s not Omar. I just can’t forget about him, Isa. I love him.”

“And he loves you,” I say.

He expression hardens. “But he won’t stand up to his father. And I can’t blame him. Christian would destroy him—and us.”

“You know,” I say after a moment, “it’s not fair that you’re the one stuck with this.”

She shrugs. “What does fair have to do with it? This is the life we were born into.”

“Still, the way my dad’s asking you to give away your whole future… it’s not right.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not about what’s right, Isa. It’s about what needs to be done to keep this family safe. And right now, this is it. Who knows? Maybe Alexei and I will learn to like each other or something.”

I hate how resigned she sounds, like she’s already accepted her fate. But I don’t know how to fix this. All I can do is be here for her.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her close. “Listen. No matter what happens, I’ve got your back. Always.”

Steph leans into me. “Thanks, Isa. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I take a deep breath. “Seriously, Steph, we’re going to figure this out. Somehow.”

“I just wish there was another way.”

“Me too. But if anyone can handle this, it’s you.”

We sit there for a while, the weight of our conversation settling over us. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but one thing is clear: the De la Rosas are playing a dangerous game, and Stephania is caught in the middle.

And I have to keep her safe, no matter what.