Page 19 of Forced & Pregnant Bratva Bride (Tarasov Bratva #13)

The look in his eyes when he realized that he was going to be a father. Priceless. He was shocked, confused, and weak in the knees.

But wait, was he really going to pull the trigger on me that day? Would he have ended my life over trying to escape this hellhole if I hadn’t spoken up about the baby?

Egor was a monster—a cruel one.

However, maybe he wasn’t as cruel as I made him out to be, considering that I was still breathing. He could’ve easily snuffed my life out, and no one would’ve even found my body.

Yet he didn’t. Not just because I was carrying his child—he could have another one with another woman—but because beneath his anger was a glint of something vulnerable.

It was faint. Even so, I caught a glimpse of it in his eyes. He may or may not have ended my life. But in any case, I was glad he didn’t; there was still a lot to live for, people to live for. He was pissed at me for tricking him and hated me for almost outsmarting him under his own roof.

Nonetheless, this baby and the growing emotions he tried so hard to mask were the key reasons why he hadn’t punished me yet.

Days felt like years, each one stretching longer than the last. Egor had been gone for some time now, leaving me with the guards and the maids. Perhaps he was taking care of some personal issues, but he hadn’t been home these past few days.

It was a good thing—at least I didn’t have to wake up every day having to deal with his suffocating presence. I already had enough on my plate, and it was nice to have some space to breathe.

The weight of this situation was pressing down on me, the walls of the mansion closing in on me every single day. This was a bigger mess than I thought, and I was trapped in it with no hope of escape. I had one chance—one chance only—and that was blown now.

I did everything I could to keep Grigory out of this scandal.

I never mentioned him as part of my escape plan—though Egor never asked who in the mansion helped me with the burner phone.

I wasn’t entirely sure why he hadn’t looked into it yet, but the fact that Grigory still drew breath was a clear sign he hadn’t been exposed. Yet.

The old man was only trying to help me—he didn’t deserve the punishment for betrayal. In this world, loyalty was non-negotiable, and men like Egor never let offenses like this slide under the rug. Grigory knew the risks when he decided to get involved in my plans.

However, I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything bad happened to him because of me.

So, I kept my mouth shut and did all I could to keep his name out of this whole situation.

And so far, for some reason, neither Egor nor his lieutenant, Simon, had bothered looking into who else had assisted me with my plan outside of Liam.

Liam!

Oh, my God, Liam!

He must be wondering why I never made it out of here—or maybe he’d realized that the plan went south. I could only hope that he was okay, seeing that his name was all over the burner phone.

Wait.

Egor couldn’t track him down, right? I mean, there were a million people named Liam in Chicago. How could he find the exact one? He couldn’t. Right?

I knew it was possible, but I was too afraid to let myself dwell so much on that—I was terrified of what I’d find at the end of that thought. There was no telling the extent to which Egor would go to punish his enemies. And right now, anyone who aided me in my plan was an enemy to him.

I lay on the bed, hands on my lower belly, gazing absently into space. My heart felt heavy, and my eyes were glassy—swollen from those nights I cried myself to sleep.

Why me? What did I do to deserve such punishment? Does God hate me? Why am I so unfortunate? Why is everything around me filled with pain and misery? Is it my destiny to suffer? Is there even an end to all this agony?

Tears streamed down my cheeks—hot, relentless—soaking into the pillow beneath me.

My body trembled, shoulders shaking with each choked gasp.

My face was twisted with the kind of grief that had no words.

That silent kind that stole my breath, crushed my ribs, and shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces.

Maybe I was cursed. Maybe I was never meant to know what happiness felt like. That was the only explanation; it wasn’t logical, but it was all I had.

The worst part of all of this was that I was alone—no one to hold my hand, no one to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I was on my own, alone with my demons, the demons threatening to rip my mind to shreds.

I was used to handling things on my own, but for the first time in a long time, I felt…helpless.

The knock on my door snapped me back to reality, and my eyes instinctively darted toward the entrance. My heart skipped a beat, thinking it was Egor, but then I remembered he never knocked on the door to his room. No one did, really.

It had to be one of the maids or the guards.

I drew a deep breath and wiped the tears from my eyes. The knock came again, louder this time—more urgent. Tossing the sheets to the side, I rose to my feet, heading toward the door with sluggish strides.

I grabbed the doorknob, and it creaked open after a gentle pull. On the other side was Grigory, standing quietly with a hint of horror in his eyes.

My head turned both ways, scanning the hallway to be sure no one was watching. “What’re you doing here?” I slapped a palm over my eye, wiping away the remnants of tears; my voice was a low whisper. “We agreed we shouldn’t be seen together—it’s too risky.”

“I know,” he answered with the same tone. “But Egor’s back, and from what I heard, he didn’t go easy on Liam.”

“What?” I goggled, brows arching in shock.

“Apparently, he found him,” Grigory said, shooting nervous glances over his shoulders. “Egor had him beat up—it’s bad because I know how he works. Liam’s in a pretty bad shape.”

“No, no, no, no….” I shook my head, tears spilling freely again, the news striking me like an arrow to the heart.

“I just thought that you should know,” Grigory said.

I locked my jaw, rage taking over my pain and hurt. “Where is he? Where is Egor?”

“In his office,” he answered, squinting. “Why?”

Without a word, I stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me, heading straight to confront him.

“Leona!” he called, his voice a strained whisper. “Don’t do it.”

I didn’t listen, just kept going, fueled by my rage. Grigory cursed at himself behind me, probably pissed at my impulsive move. I wasn’t thinking straight, and this may have been a bad idea, but Egor had crossed a line, and I wasn’t going to keep quiet about it.

The doors yanked open, slamming hard into the brick wall as I came barging into the office like I owned the place.

“You monster!” I cursed, every syllable trembling, eyes blazing with fury. “He was just a boy trying to help me, and you hurt him—why did you hurt him?” The words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush.

Calm and collected as usual, he stared at me from behind his desk, his expression unreadable.

“What’s the matter? Can’t talk now?” I folded my arms across my chest, my intense gaze unwavering.

Simon stood in front of Egor’s desk, his brows knitted into deep furrows. He looked at me as if waiting for the okay to put me in my place. But I didn’t care—he didn’t scare me.

Egor spoke to him in Russian, telling him to excuse us, and he did without a moment of hesitation. Simon stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

“Answer me,” I demanded, my scowl deepening. “Why did you hurt Liam?”

“Be careful how you speak to me,” he said, his tone low but tinged with warning. “People have lost their lives for far lesser crimes than that.”

“And you’re proud of that? You should be ashamed,” I blurted, fuming.

His eyes narrowed, and quietly, he rose from his chair, fingers adjusting his cuffs. “There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity.” He walked over to me, his menacing footsteps slow and deliberate. “Don’t mistake one for another.”

My heart sank into my stomach, my palms greasy all of a sudden. However, I wasn’t going to let him see past my anger. I summoned all the courage that I could muster when he towered over me with a frown on his face.

“You don’t scare me, Egor,” I said, looking up at him, my voice dripping with venom and disdain. “Not anymore.”

His hand shot out, fingers gripping my chin so tightly it hurt like hell. I flinched, steeling my body as he leaned in, his face mirroring mine.

“I may not be able to physically hurt you because you carry my baby,” he began, fingers digging into my jaw. “But don’t tempt me. There are a million different ways I can make you suffer without even lifting my hand to touch you.”

I swallowed hard, biting down on the inside of my cheeks. With a reflexive move, I hit my hand against his—and surprisingly, the impact was strong enough to knock his grip off my jaw.

His eyes narrowed as his hand dropped from my face, a glimmer of shock flashing across his features.

“So that’s why you hurt Liam? To make me suffer?” I spat, my blood boiling with anger. “How can you be so evil that everything you touch you destroy? What is wrong with you?” I pushed against his chest, but he remained rooted to the ground, unfazed by my attack.

His lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk.

Son of a bitch.

“I hate you!” I snapped, trying to shove him again.

In a single swipe, he seized my hands mid-air, trapping them both in one of his. “Yes, you,” he said, “but there’s nothing you can do about it—you belong to me.”

My face twisted into a frown, my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths as sheer hatred coursed through my blood. I managed to squirm out of his firm grip—although that was only possible because he let me. I couldn’t beat his strength. I’d never be able to do so.

I looked him dead in the eyes and said, “Go to hell.”

Then came that pesky little smirk that I hated so much.

“I can’t do that, princess,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “We’re already there.”

His words—cold as ice—pierced through my soul like an arrow, reminding me of my harsh reality. I was still alive, yet in hell. My expression darkened, jaw locking in anger and frustration.

In a split second, he grabbed my waist and pulled me to himself. I flinched at his sudden move, both hands instinctively flying to his chest, not out of habit, but to shield myself against him.

His finger yanked my chin up, my gaze meeting his face. Beneath the stillness in his eyes was a glimpse of hunger, the kind that ignited a flame within me.

The air shifted to something darker. Something more sexual. My thighs brushed against each other in an attempt to kill the sensation between my legs, my heart gradually swelling with desire..

His fresh breath was warm against my face, the scent of masculine cologne stirring up something primal inside me.

No, no, no….

I couldn’t give in to this temptation.

And why the hell was I so weak and vulnerable all of a sudden? Where did all that anger and frustration go?

My nipples hardened, and my fingertips tingled when his erection grazed my thighs. He was hard as a rock, and the fire in his eyes was an indication that he wanted me.

I tightened my jaw, trying to pull away, but then his lips crashed into mine. He stole my breath with a hot, passionate kiss that sent tremors down my core. The worst part was that I didn’t only enjoy it; I kissed him back.

However, as soon as things started to heat up between us—his hands already fondling my breasts—I pulled away. I stared at him, a mix of desire and hatred flashing in my eyes. One hand was on my chest, as if to stop my pounding heart from jumping out.

And with the other, I wiped my lips—a sign of my revulsion at his kiss. I glared at him for a moment before turning to leave. His gaze lingered on me—I could feel it—yet I didn’t stop or look back.

This little scandal only proved one thing: Egor and I were still attracted to each other despite our mutual hatred. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, even though I wished I could just loathe him for the rest of my life.