Page 16 of Pregnant Bratva Wife (Vadim Bratva #13)

I stared at my phone for a solid couple of minutes before I worked up the courage to call Megan. I needed to check up on her. To hear her voice.

But it had been too long. For three weeks, I had ignored every call. Sent back half-sentence messages along the lines of, busy now, will call back.

The truth was, I missed her more than anything in the world—but I was terrified that talking to her meant lying to her. And some secrets just shouldn’t exist between sisters.

But that day, I decided I couldn’t keep her in the dark forever. There were some things she deserved to know, starting with where the hell I’d been.

At last, I called.

“Autumn?” Her voice filled with relief. “Oh my god, you’re alive!”

“Hey, Megs!” I said excitedly, trying to sound as normal as possible. “Sorry, I’ve been MIA.”

“MIA? You’ve been a ghost! I thought something happened to you!” The worry in her voice made my chest ache. “I was about to file a missing person report.”

I tried to laugh it off as a joke. “Don’t be dramatic.”

“Dramatic? You disappeared! No calls, barely any texts beyond ‘Will call you back.’ What was I supposed to think?”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. God, how did I explain any of this? “Things have been... complicated.”

“Complicated how? Are you in trouble? Do you need me to come?”

“I got married,” I blurted out.

The silence that followed lasted so long I literally winced and closed my eyes. She was furious. I could tell.

“Megan?”

“You what?” she hissed.

“I got married.”

“To whom? When? How?” Each question shot out like a bullet. “Autumn, you weren’t even dating anyone!”

I gathered my courage. “His name is Federico. We met about a month ago. It was... sudden.”

“Sudden? That’s what you call eloping with a man you’ve known for a month?” She sounded like she was hyperventilating. “Wait. What does he do?”

“He... owns businesses around New York. He’s quite well-connected and wealthy.” I bit down on my lip, knowing this was the first lie. I couldn’t exactly tell her he was in the mob, could I?

“And you just married him? Out of nowhere? What is this, a Hallmark movie gone wrong?”

I took a deep breath. “We met, there was a connection, and everything happened really fast. I know it sounds crazy—”

“It sounds insane!”

“—but it felt right at the time.” Another lie to add to the pile. I gripped the phone tightly. “Anyway, he wanted to help me with your tuition, which is why you got that money.”

Another long pause.

“That was from him?” Her voice was softer now, bewildered. “I thought it was a bank error. There was a hundred thousand dollars in my account, Autumn. A hundred thousand.”

My heart raced. “I know. It was... a loan I got from him. I’m paying him back. He’s helped me get a great job in retail sourcing, and the salary is so good, Megan. This way, you won’t have any loans from the bank.”

“That’s—that’s too much,” she stammered. “I already donated most of it to the children’s hospital. I kept enough for this semester’s tuition, but the rest... I thought it was dirty money or something. Like I’d get arrested if I kept it.”

“You donated it?” I couldn’t keep the panic from my voice. That money was supposed to cover her entire education, and she only covered a semester?

Federico would have to transfer more, which meant I needed to stay. Needed to keep up my end of the bargain.

“Wasn’t I supposed to? I mean, who keeps mysterious money that appears in their account?” She paused.

“I know,” I sighed, even though I was reeling inside.

“Autumn, what’s going on? This isn’t like you at all.” Her voice softened with concern. “You’ve always been the responsible one. The planner. And now you’re married to some rich guy I’ve never met?”

“I know how it looks.” I got up, pacing the room. “But Federico is... he’s good to me.”

I flinched at my own words. Good to me. Sure, if you overlooked the criminal empire and the murder.

“When do I get to meet this miracle man?” Megan asked, skepticism heavy in her voice.

“Soon,” I promised. “Maybe I can visit campus next month?”

“Or I could come to New York this weekend?”

“No!” I said too quickly. “I mean, not yet. We’re still settling in. Getting used to married life.”

Megan sighed. “I can’t believe you’re married. My big sister, married to a stranger.”

“He’s not a stranger to me,” I said softly, and was surprised to realize it was true. After what I’d seen, what we’d done, Federico was many things—but a stranger wasn’t one of them.

“Well, I want to meet him soon. Promise?”

“Promise.” I closed my eyes, willing the conversation to end before I slipped up. “How’s school going?”

She let me change the subject, telling me about her classes, her roommate’s annoying boyfriend, and the research project she was excited about. Normal things. Safe things. For fifteen minutes, I could pretend my life was normal, too.

“I should go,” she said eventually. “I have a study group in ten minutes. And Autumn? I’m going to pay you back. Or Federico directly. Whichever.”

“Megan, please, I’m your sister,” I whispered. “Just…there’s no need to pay me back, okay? I swear, my new job is six figures, and Federico doesn’t let me chip in around the house. I’ve got more than enough. Don’t ever think of keeping score between us, okay?”

She hesitated, but finally said, in a voice so small that it reminded me of when she was little. “Okay. Thank you.”

Call me tomorrow?” I asked.

“Every day until you start picking up regularly again,” she warned. “Love you, sis.”

“Love you too, Megs.”

The call ended. I’d lied to my sister—the one person I’d always been honest with.

But what choice did I have?

I couldn’t tell her I’d married Federico to erase our family’s debts and that he was a criminal. She’d have insisted I end this immediately. Would have insisted on finding a way to pay him back somehow.

So I had to lie.

I sighed heavily. Megan had donated the money. That meant she’d need more for future semesters. Which meant I’d have to ask Federico, and I wasn’t asking for a favor. I wanted to earn every dollar. I needed to keep playing the perfect wife, attending family functions, and keeping up appearances.

Which meant that tonight, I had a family gathering to attend.

I could do this. For Megan.

***

Federico’s face lit up when I descended the stairs that evening in a simple black dress. He didn’t try to hide his happiness, which made it harder for me to remember that I was supposed to be keeping my distance.

“You look beautiful,” he said, and for once, didn’t offer me his arm.

Thank God.

He knew I was still upset. Yesterday morning, he’d found me in the dining hall. And I could see the nervous flicker in his brows when he asked if I’d be up to join him for dinner at his brother Caspian’s today.

I said I’d think about it. But talking to Megan changed everything. Although I needed to maintain boundaries, I also had to play my part.

The drive to Caspian’s house was quiet. Federico talked a little, but I wasn’t in the mood.

The truth?

I was petrified I’d laugh. Petrified, I’d look in his direction. Petrified, I’d want him like I wanted him when we had sex.

We pulled up to a large, traditional white mansion. Beautiful cobblestoned pathways, lush bushes, and vibrant flowers all around. Gorgeous fountains and trees covered with fairy lights.

“Ready?” Federico asked as he helped me out of the car.

I nodded, not having found my voice just yet.

I took a few hesitant steps up the steps to the double-doored front door. Dreaded what I would find tonight. While I had briefly met his brothers at the wedding, I hadn’t known they were mobsters back then.

The Bratva.

Now that I knew, I wished I were walking into a different night, with different people.

Keep your tongue tight tonight, Autumn, I told myself. I didn’t want to bring any more trouble to my door. These were violent men.

Caspian’s wife, Kate, met us at the door, pulling me into a hug as if we were old friends.

“I’m so glad you came,” she whispered in my ear. “We’ve been dying to meet you properly.”

I pulled back, surprised by her warmth—wasn’t she supposed to be a mob wife, not a hugger? But Kate was already turning to greet her brother-in-law, that warm smile turning even warmer.

She led us in, and I prepared myself for cold stares and—I don’t know, men cleaning guns?

What I found instead caught me completely off guard. Caspian rushed towards us, hurried us over to the bar.

“Drinks! You must have something—red?” He turned to me with a frown, inquiring.

I smiled, trying to politely decline. For some reason, I didn’t want to be getting drunk around the Bratva. “I’m good, really.”

His eyes widened slightly. “No? Okay, okay, what do you like?” He was already pivoting, opening the wine cooler with a furrowed brow, scanning labels like it was a test he hadn’t studied for.

“White? Rosé? Something sparkling? Sweet? Dry? We’ve got—hold on, I think there’s a Viognier somewhere…

Please.” He turned to me. “You must have something!”

I opened my mouth to politely decline, but something about his face stopped me. That eager, slightly nervous energy—like if I said no, he’d somehow fail some invisible test.

“Actually…” I softened. “Sure.”

He grinned and muttered to himself as he rearranged bottles, clearly determined to find the perfect glass, like making sure I had a drink in hand was the most important thing for him.

“Caspian, really, anything’s fine,” I called after him.

“No!” he insisted. “It’s your first time in our house!”

Beside me, Federico tried to tell Caspian he’d like a scotch. When Caspian ignored him, still hunting for a bottle I might like, Federico groaned and helped himself.

Finally, Caspian turned toward me with a flourish, holding a bottle of white wine. “This is one of my favorites from France. You must try it!”