Page 14 of Pregnant Bratva Hostage (Dubrov Bratva #17)

It’s early on Saturday evening, and I’m anxious as all hell.

I couldn’t figure out what to wear, what the theme of the dinner might be, or how fancy or relaxed I needed to dress.

I hauled everything out of the closet and was still clueless.

The panic set in around six in the evening when I realized that if I didn’t decide then and there, I was going to make us late.

And last night, Arkady’s brother sounded furious about him always being late.

I’m already, clearly, not seen as anyone good in their eyes. I don’t want to make it worse.

I’m still dreading this. How am I supposed to go to an event where everyone hates me?

Rose will be there. I love seeing Rose, but her kindness after what I did to her makes me feel worse. It makes the guilt heavier.

I’m kneeling on the floor next to a pile of clothing.

“Hey, you still haven’t decided?” he’s leaning against the door frame, watching me toss clothing aside.

“I don’t know what to wear. What kind of a party is it? I don’t know what other people will be wearing,” I blurt out, my voice almost a squeak of panic.

He chuckles, calm and amused. “You should have asked me. I’ll help you figure it out.”

“Really?” I narrow my eyes in confusion.

“Anytime, darling.”

He crouches next to where I’m kneeling on the floor.

“This one is nice. You wore it the other day.” He chooses a black dress. “Or maybe this one.” A blue dress. “It’s a bit cold tonight, so this one might work better. Stand up.”

I stand up, and he holds it against me. “It’s gorgeous. And it brings out the gold in your eyes.”

He reaches out and touches my cheek. “This is a relaxed family thing. It’s not something you need to worry about,” he reassures me. My skin warms under his touch.

“Thanks, Ark,” I smile, holding the dress.

He grins, his eyes drifting up and down my body before he leaves me to get dressed. “I’ll be downstairs,” he calls over his shoulder.

I tug at the pretty blue dress, pulling it straight.

It’s gorgeous. Tightly fitted against my body, long and simple with clean lines and long sleeves, and a high slit to allow comfortable movement. It’s perfect for the colder weather, but still incredibly elegant.

I bite my lip while I stare at myself in the mirror.

I’ve put my hair up into a high, messy bun with a few curls hanging loose around my face.

I chose flat shoes, my white Nike sneakers, and I’m expecting Arkady to tell me to change them as soon as he sees them.

My uncle would never let me get away with this little self-expression of style.

But hey, my uncle’s not here. Only Arkady.

Well, there isn’t any more time to stress about this. It’s time to go, and whatever happens, happens.

With one last deep breath, I turn away from the mirror and head downstairs to where Ark is waiting for me.

I’m walking down the stairs towards him, and he’s looking up at me with that gorgeously wicked smile on his face. He starts to chuckle, low and divine, sending a thrill racing through my body.

“Cute,” he muses.

“Sorry?” I say, not quite hearing him.

“The shoes. I love it. You look great.”

“Oh.” I grin, pleased with myself. I press my lips together to stop my smile from taking over my whole face.

Ark reaches out and wraps his hand around my waist as I step off the last stair. “You look gorgeous, darling. Are you ready? Do you want a shot of tequila to calm your nerves before we go?”

I giggle and shake my head. “No, thanks. They’ll think I’m an alcoholic. I’m as ready as I can be.” I shrug, swallowing nervously.

“Don’t look so worried. They’re all good people,” he says.

***

Ark leads me through the garden to the gate along the property line. His brother’s place is right next door. We walk through the park, and I’m so happy I chose to wear my sneakers. It’s a beautiful evening, and the walk is lovely.

We arrive a little late, at quarter past seven. No one says anything, though. Ark guides me into his brother’s mansion with his hand on my lower back. I walk into the party with anxiety flooding through me.

“Tania, Ark,” Luka greets us with a friendly smile. “Can I get you guys something to drink?” he asks.

“Sure, I’ll take a vodka soda.”

They both look at me.

“Anything will be fine,” I smile.

“She’ll have anything pink,” Rose says, hurrying towards me in a gorgeous pink velvet dress with her arms spread wide.

She bowls into me with a tight hug. “Oh my word, I’ve missed you,” she says, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

I laugh and wrap my arms around her. “You too, Rose. It feels like forever.” For a moment, neither of us lets go, and I’m fighting tears.

I can’t let go of how badly I betrayed her, and how easily she forgave me.

Rose leans back and looks at my face. “Oh my goodness, none of that. This is a party.” She giggles and hugs me again. “Ark, I’m stealing her. We’re going to get pink drinks.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me to follow her.

Ark grins and nods for me to go. I’m reluctant to leave him. He’s my safety net lately. I need him.

But Rose is being so welcoming and warm that I follow her through to the bar where she introduces me to Serafina, Jade, and her husband, Radmir Kuztnetsov, Tatiana, and a few other people—there are too many names to remember in one go, but I’m doing the best I can.

The party, which I thought was just going to be the immediate family of the Andreevs, is actually a party for the Andreevs and Kuznetsovs.

There are even a few Dubrovs around. These are all my family’s enemies.

People I should be terrified of. People who should hate me just because of my name, never mind what I’ve done.

Every person I’m introduced to, I wait for them to glare at me with judgment or disapproval—but every single one of them smiles and either hugs me or takes my hand.

They’re all treating me like a welcome guest. Even his brothers, who were so angry last night. They’re friendly and sweet to me. Well, except for Yulian, who was a bit cold when he said hello and has thrown me a few angry glares since.

The evening goes on, and I watch everyone mingling.

The vibe is incredible. The place is lit up with string lights all over the garden.

Soft glowing white lights that hang from tree to tree and around the patio.

Inside, they’ve got colorful lights around the bar, and soft, arty lighting in the corners of the living room.

I’m standing at Ark’s side, listening to his brothers riling him up, teasing him, and giving him a lot of shit.

He keeps arguing back, but it’s all friendly and playful.

After last night, I thought they were furious with him, but now all they’re doing is ripping him off for being his predictably unpredictable self, which is apparently funny to all of them.

I’ve never been to a bratva party like this one.

Here, people are relaxed, socializing, and enjoying their evening.

At my uncle’s parties, I was always so tense, and so was everyone else.

It was like they were all walking on eggshells around him, scared to say or do the wrong thing.

I know I was. And on a number of occasions, I’ve witnessed him blowing up at one of his guests who apparently insulted him in one way or another.

The more I see a different side of the world, the more I realize how fragile my uncle’s ego is.

And what a complete asshole he really is—the depth of it is astounding.

I was permanently on eggshells around him, but there was a good reason for it. He is a nasty, short-tempered man.

I thought that was what a bratva family was. The tension. The brutal lessons. The control.

Looking around, I don’t see any of that—this is so completely different from everything I’ve ever known in my life.

I’m blown away by it, a little confused, a little overwhelmed.

I’m struggling to process that this might be what normal looks like, and what I went through was not normal at all.

Ark pulls me close to his side. “Are you doing okay, darling? You’re very quiet.” His voice is a whisper against my cheek that sends a shiver down my spine.

“I’m okay,” I smile as reassuringly as I can.

“It’s okay if you’re not okay. Just stay close, I’ve got you.” His arm slips further around my waist, and I lean into him, my safety, my comfort.

He smiles in approval and returns to the conversation he was having with his brothers and two of the Kuznetsovs. I wish I could remember their names.

“Tania is a brilliant translator, aren’t you?” he says, rubbing his hand over my side, pulling me into the conversation.

“Really? We need one for a document we’ve received. Maybe you can take a look at it for us,” the Kuznetsov says.

“Rodion and his brother, Ruvim, are starting up a side business. Some of their clients are from Japan,” Ark explains, gesturing to each of them, thankfully reminding me of their names.

“How did you know I could translate Japanese?” I say in surprise.

“It’s my job to learn everything about you, darling.” Ark chuckles.

“Trust me, there’s nothing you can hide from an Andreev,” Rodion muses.

My uncle had me learn Japanese from a young age; he knew it would be an asset in business, so he pushed me into it. At the end of the day, I’m happy I learned; it is a beautiful language, but I hardly tell anyone that about myself.

“Japanese, that’s very impressive,” Ruvim says, his brows raised.

“It’s easy when you start really young,” I smile, blushing.

“I can speak a little Spanish.” Rodion grins. “Si.” He raises his brows jokingly.

“Is that it?” Ark laughs.

“Yeah, that’s all I got,” Rodion shrugs.

We’re all laughing, and I’m starting to feel a lot more relaxed. With Ark standing at my side and gently pulling me into conversations, the evening is relaxing and fun, and every time Rose, Jade, or Aly comes to say hi to me, they bring me a fresh drink.

I’m much tipsier than I should be, but it’s helping me relax.

I’m sitting on the outdoor sofas on the patio with Ark next to me, our bodies close, sharing warmth.

“I can’t remember when last I had this much fun,” I say, swirling my cocktail, watching the strawberry bob around in it. The edges of my vision are a bit blurry, and I have a silly smile on my face.

When I look up at Arkady, he’s smiling at me, his eyes warm.

“Your brothers give you so much shit,” I grin.

“Oh, that’s normal,” he laughs. “And it’s always been that way.

I can’t remember a time in my life when they weren’t giving me shit.

They’re rip on me constantly—but I do the same to them.

It’s just how we show affection. And when it really comes down to it, every single one of us knows that the others will be there for him.

No matter what. I can rely on them for anything. ”

I watch his expression as he talks about his family. I can see the love in his eyes, especially when he glances towards Luka and Yulian chatting nearby. Even Yulian eventually warmed up to me this evening.

“They’re all amazing,” I say, my voice suddenly tight.

“What’s wrong?” Ark says, immediately noticing my change in mood.

“I feel silly even saying it, but the truth is that it hurts to see a family so full of love. The type of love I’ve never understood—and never experienced.”

My cheeks flush pink. I hadn’t meant to be so honest with him.

I giggle, waving my hand through the air to dismiss my words. That topic is way too intense for tonight.

Ark narrows his eyes at me.

“Ignore me. I think I need another pink drink,” I grin, standing up and hurrying away from him, towards the bar.

I can feel his eyes following me through the crowd of people, and when I glance over my shoulder at him, he’s smiling as he watches me. I smile back, my heart filling with happiness for the first time in a long time.