Page 35 of Knocked-up Bratva Bride

Except now, I stood between him and my best friend, who was still not aware of my encounter with this mysterious Russian stranger.

“Who do we have here?”

His question confused me, but it left me even more baffled when I realized that it was directed to Katya.

They know each other?

My head snapped to her, and I worried more when her smile faltered, the edges twitching with uncertainty. She glanced between us, brows barely knitting before she plastered on a phony sunnier grin.

“This,” she said, her hand gesturing toward me, “is Elena, my best friend.”

Then, she looked at me, and my stomach dropped.

No, hold on….

“And this is my…father, Elena.”

I almost dropped the glass.

Her pause before “father” was barely a heartbeat, but it landed like a brutal punch to my gut, knocking all the air out of my lungs.

Father.

The same one who abandoned her when she was just a girl. The one who’d spoiled her with all the finest and most expensive things and opportunities life could offer. The one who should have been someagingcorrupt politician who favored his wealth over his daughter.

The one I detested?

It washim? Damien…Yezhov?

“Ah, so this is the Elena I’ve heard too much about.”

Slowly, I looked back at him and swallowed hard, heat creeping up my neck.

I’d kissed this man, fantasized about him, and almost willingly lost my virginity to him in the heat of passion. And he turned out to be my best friend’s freakingfather?

Of course, he looked old enough to have kids, but seven or ten-year-olds, and not a full-grown woman like Katya, for Christ’s sake!

Damien didn’t flinch, didn’t blink. His expression didn’t give away a thing, but I was dying inside, still feeling the ghost of his mouth against mine.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said smoothly, offering his hand.

I couldn’t even look at it the same without remembering the pattern of ink curled underneath his sleeves and how rough they felt against my cheeks when he cupped them.

But I—like a complete idiot—took it.

“Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Yezhov.” My fingers trembled just slightly against his. Katya didn’t notice. But he did. “I’m sorry, I…Kat, I need to go grab another drink.”

And I walked away without another word, my heart beating like crazy in my chest.

Chapter 11 – Damien

“Perimeter sweep complete. All entry points secure. No unauthorized personnel on-site….”

The earpiece crackled to life with more status updates, static punctuating the transmissions while my gaze swept the crowd.

Against Fedor’s insistence, I requested one of the radios to receive direct feedback from the patrol. It wasn’t my night; I didn’t need to be in the spotlight. Tonight, the attention was all for Katya.

My primary job was to protect her, especially after considering the Dalys’ recent attack, and I’d planned to do just that, until herbest friendmade an entrance.