Page 20 of Pregnant Bratva Hostage (Dubrov Bratva #17)

I bolt out of the kitchen, dying of embarrassment, but laughing at myself. I can’t believe Luka was there. I’m hardly wearing anything—I’m so embarrassed.

As I walk out the door, though, Luka calls out that he’s leaving now, and I don’t have to worry about getting changed, so I pause, hiding just around the corner to wait for him to go.

I’m still laughing at myself when I hear the brothers keep talking.

“You’re sleeping with her,” Luka says, noting the obvious.

Ark remains silent, not replying to him.

My heart starts racing.

“You’re playing with fire, Ark. As usual. It’s a bad idea to sleep with the enemy. You never know what their true intentions are—and you might end up hurt in the process.” Luka still doesn’t believe I’m on their side? It’s okay. I’ll prove myself in the end.

“Hurt?” Arkady says in disbelief.

“Yeah, when you fall for the girl and get your heart broken.”

I grin. I want him to fall for me. I can’t deny that I’ve been falling for him. We’re getting closer and closer every time we spend time together.

“It’s not like that, man. Tania and I just get on well. This is a fun thing going on between us—when the plan against her uncle is over, she’ll be on her way and I’ll be back to doing whoever it is that I do.”

My heart goes cold.

I can barely breath as my chest closes, a dull, deep ache spreading through my body.

“Are you sure she feels the same way as you do?”

No, I don’t feel that way. I really thought we had something special.

“Yeah, man, this is just a bit of casual fun. Nothing serious.”

I can’t listen anymore, I can’t stand here either.

My heart is breaking.

Casual. Nothing serious. We’ll part ways.

I was so stupid to think it was anything more than that. I warned myself so many times not to fall for him, and I was still dumb enough to do it.

I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I head straight into my own room and close the door. I can’t face Arkady again tonight. If he comes in here, I’ll just pretend to be asleep.

Tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I can barely breathe.

Of course, he doesn’t think I’m good enough for him. Why would I be? I’m just the enemy’s niece. I’m a Krolik.

But I honestly didn’t expect him to think so low of me. That I was just having fun with him. That I would share so much of myself with him without it meaning anything.

All this time, all of our conversations, and all the jokes and laughter and intimate moments—it was all just casual fun to him?

I flop face-first onto the bed and bury my face in the pillow to muffle the sound of my crying. I can’t let him know I heard what he said. And I definitely can’t let him know how much it hurt me.

I’ll look like a complete fool.

An overemotional female who can’t control herself.

“It doesn’t make sense,” I mutter to myself in confusion.

The way he’s been treating me, and his words—it doesn’t make sense. I’ve never had anyone be so kind to me.

Is it maybe that I just don’t know how to read people properly? I don’t have much experience with real connections. It’s just me, taking things the wrong way.

About twenty minutes later, there is a soft knock on the door, and I pull the blankets a little higher over my shoulders, hiding.

I hear him softly call my name. “Are you asleep, darling? Why are you in here?” I ignore it, keeping my breathing even and calm.

After a few moments, he closes the door again, and I hear him walking down the passage.

I would love nothing more than to curl up on his chest tonight and fall asleep in his bed, but how can I do that after hearing what he said to Luka. Everything I do with him now will only make my pain worse, knowing it doesn’t mean anything to him.

***

Over the next few days, I stay with Ark, but I keep a bit of distance between us. I’m not ready to fully accept what happened, so I can’t leave, but I also can’t bring myself to be with him now.

I’m still processing the situation and trying to understand it.

And it’s still hurting.

Luckily, Ark has been pretty busy at work, and on Thursday, I’m home alone again. But my stomach is acting up, I’ve been vomiting for two days, and I’m exhausted.

It must be the stress.

Late morning, I hear Rose calling from downstairs. “Are you home?” followed by a little voice—”Aunty Tia, you home?”—as Lily also calls for me. I lift myself off the bed and trudge down the stairs towards them, smiling, happy to see them.

“Good heavens, what happened to you?” Rose gasps.

“I might have a stomach bug. Don’t come too close.”

“What’s wrong?” Rose asks, pressing her hand against my forehead, ignoring my warning. Lily wraps her arms around my leg, and I ruffle her hair. “Honey, there is a bit of ice cream in the fridge if you want it,” I tell her.

“I scream,” she yells and bolts off to find it.

“Only one scoop. Don’t go crazy in there,” Rose shouts after her. She turns back to me. “Tell me what’s going on,” she demands.

“I’m tired, and my stomach has been weird yesterday morning and this morning. A lot of nausea.”

“Just in the morning?”

“Yes, I’ll go get something for it this afternoon. Just need to get through the worst of it. And rest.”

She tilts her head to the side.

“You don’t have a fever.”

“I know,” I shrug, leading her to the living room.

“And you don’t have any other symptoms?”

“I’m moody.” I laugh. “Does that count as a symptom?” As I say it, I’m fighting tears again over what Arkady said about our relationship.

“Actually, it really does.” Rose scrunches her nose as she looks at me. “You might be pregnant.” She sits down near me.

“What?” I yelp, sitting up straight in the chair. “No, no way. I can’t be.”

She laughs. “You definitely can be. Don’t try and tell me you and Ark aren’t doing things. I’ve seen the way you look at him. And he couldn’t keep his hands off you at the party the other night. Am I wrong?” She raises her brows, and I chew at my lip.

“No,” I huff.

“Okay, well, then it’s simple. I’ll run out quick and get a pregnancy test. Are you okay to watch Lily for fifteen minutes?”

“Of course, but—I don’t know if I want to do a test,” I groan.

“You have to. It’s the only way to know. It’s better than worrying.”

While Rose is out, the panic sets in properly.

I try to distract myself by helping Lily with the massive mess she’s made in the kitchen.

Apparently, you need three bowls and seven spoons to dish up ice cream.

And of course, the ice cream still ends up on the floor even though you have all of those bowls available.

By the time Rose gets back, Lily is happily eating her ice cream in the living room, and I’m sitting anxiously watching her, wondering what the hell I’m going to do if the test is positive.

“I’m back,” she calls out, walking through the front door.

“We’re in here,” I call back.

Rose comes in and hands me a brown paper bag.

“Go on, pee on the stick and then bring it out here so we can wait together.”

I scrunch my nose and let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, I guess there is no turning back now.”

Rose gestures towards the downstairs guest bathroom and gives me a little tap on my butt to send me on my way.

My head is spinning when I click the lid back onto the test stick and pull my pants up. I carry it back into the living room, staring at it, my stomach churning.

“Watching it is worse.” She laughs.

I sit down next to her. “I can’t look away.”

“You have to wait three minutes,” she says.

Nodding, I don’t reply. I can see the liquid moving across the little strip.

One line appears, and it keeps moving.

Another line appears.

I gasp.

Oh shit.

“Honey, are you okay?” Rose asks, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

“No,” I say, barely a whisper.

“Hey, it’s not so bad. Your little one will be family to my little one.” She smiles. “We will officially be family.”

“I love the sound of that—but it’s not that simple or easy. I have to tell Arkady. How in the world do I tell Arkady?”

“The longer you keep this a secret, the worse it will be. Just tell him. His reaction might surprise you,” she reassures me.

“Please don’t say anything, Rose, to anyone. Not even his brother. Please.”

“I won’t tell Luka, but you have to promise to tell Ark.” She presses her lips together.

I nod. “I will, I just need to process it myself first. I have to tell him, I know, but only when I’m ready.”

Rose visits for a while longer, but she can see I’m distracted and struggling with what I’ve just found out.

She leaves, giving me a tight hug and telling me I’m right here if she needs me; all I have to do is call.

I hug her back, even harder—she has no idea how much I need her in my life.

I’m so grateful she forgave me for everything.

And I’m grateful I have the chance to make it right.

But now the problem is that I’m pregnant. And everything I decide and do from this point, I have to consider my baby, too.

In fact, everything else comes second now.

I’m still up when Arkady gets home, even though it’s late. I’m in the kitchen making tea, and he comes straight to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and standing behind me, holding me.

It takes me by surprise because I’ve been so good at avoiding him the last few days that we haven’t been intimate at all, not even a hug.

I lean into him.

“Hi,” I whisper.

“Hi, darling,” he whispers back, his breath hot against my neck.

I turn in his arms to face him, and when I look up at him, his face is shadowed with exhaustion. Reaching up, I trace my fingers over his jaw. “You look tired.”

“It’s been a really long day,” he sighs, hugging me closer.

I smile.

He’s had a long day, and he’s clearly over it, but the first thing he does when he gets home is find me and hold me.

“You look gorgeous as always, but also a little tired.” He brushes his thumb over my lips. It sends a shiver down my body.

“I was going to make some tea and climb into bed.”

“Can I join you? It’s been cold sleeping alone.” His eyes are half-closed as he looks at me.

“Go on up. I’ll make you a tea if you like?”

“Hot chocolate,” he grins. “I can’t remember the last time someone made me hot chocolate.”

My heart warms at the sight of his smile, those gorgeous dimples pressing into his cheeks.

“Go get comfy. I’ll bring it up.”

Lying in bed together, he doesn’t try to push anything more physical from me, but in all honestly, this moment is more intimate than anything else.

He’s sitting with his back against a bunch of pillows, sipping his hot chocolate like a happy kid on Christmas morning, and I’m curled up in the curve of his arm, just as happy as he is.

I already finished my tea, and my eyes are drifting closed.

It’s so peaceful with him.

It’s so easy to fall asleep in his arms.

You should tell him about the baby, Tania. He deserves to know.

I push the thought away from my mind. I don’t want to ruin this moment. And he’s so tired. It’s not the best time to drop really big news like that on him.

So instead of telling him, I snuggle against him until he’s finished his hot chocolate. Then he rolls onto his side and pulls me into his arms, and we fall asleep together, our bodies fitted perfectly against each other. And for the first time in a few nights, I’m happy again.

It scares me how badly I need this. How badly I need him.

And now I’m carrying his baby.

I hope it doesn’t push him further away from me.