Page 30 of Pregnant Bratva Wife (Vadim Bratva #13)

“No?” I stared at Federico in disbelief. “You didn’t hear them. If I don’t bring the money, they’ll—”

I couldn’t even finish the sentence. My baby sister. I tried to push past him, but he was an immovable wall. “Get out of my way, Federico. I don’t have time for this!”

“They’re playing you.”

“I don’t care!” My voice cracked as I shouted it. “If they hurt her—”

“They won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know if you leave this house alone, there’s no guarantee I can get you back. And I’m not losing both of you.”

“Please, Federico,” I begged in panic. “You don’t understand! I have to go. They specifically asked me to come alone. Don’t you get it?”

“I’m not letting you walk into a setup with two hundred thousand in cash, pregnant and panicking, while they sit out there with God knows what kind of plan.”

Tears welled in my eyes, unbidden. “They said she was crying, that she called for me. What am I supposed to do? Abandon her?”

I tried to sidestep him, but he caught me by the shoulders gently.

“Autumn. Stop.” The command in his voice froze me in place. “We will get her back. I promise you. But you rushing in with cash will only get you both killed.”

“They said I have to come alone,” I choked out. “Two hours. They gave me two hours!”

Federico’s eyes never left mine as he gently pried the duffel bag from my grip and set it aside. His hands returned to my shoulders, steadying me when I felt like I might shatter.

“That gives us time,” he said. “Time to think. To plan. Come with me.”

Before I could protest again, he was guiding me toward the living room, one arm around my waist like he half-expected me to bolt for the door the second he let go.

And honestly? He wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t need to sit down,” I argued as he directed me to the couch. “I need to get my sister.”

“We’ll find her. Together. But first, you need to sit and listen to me,” he said firmly.

I was trembling but stood firm. Obstinate. Still trying to be brave. Still trying to keep from falling apart.

“You don’t understand,” I whispered, my voice splintering.

“I do,” he said softly. “You’d trade yourself for the people you love. I know that. I’ve done that. But this time, Autumn, you don’t have to. ”

That broke me.

The tears slipped free as I sank onto the couch. Federico crouched in front of me, his hands on my knees, eyes locked on mine. He reached for my cheeks, wiped away the tears.

“Tell me everything,” he said. “Every detail. What exactly did they say? When did they call? Where are they keeping her?”

I took a shaky breath, trying to organize my thoughts through the panic.

“They called twenty minutes ago. Said they picked Megan up outside her dorm. They—” My voice broke.

“They let me talk to her for a few seconds. She was crying, Federico. She took Igor Petrov’s name but they snatched the phone away.

It was the loan shark and his cronies. She sounded so scared. ”

Federico’s jaw tightened, but his eyes remained steady. “What else?”

“They want two hundred thousand dollars. Cash. I have to bring it to an abandoned warehouse on the south side.”

His jaw tightened. “They sent the location?”

I nodded.

“Show me.”

I handed him the phone with the message still displayed on the screen.

Federico’s eyes scanned the address. His shoulders squared. He was already working, already calculating, already tearing it apart in his mind.

“Okay,” he said. “Good. We have a lot to work with here. And the timeline?”

“Two hours from when they called. Which means—” I glanced at the clock, “—I have less than an hour and a half now. Federico, please. I need to go. We’re wasting time!”

I tried to stand, but he kept me in place, his hands firm on my knees.

“What you need to do,” he said, his voice low and calm, “is breathe.”

“How can you say that?” I whispered. “Like it’s so easy. Don’t you get it? If I don’t show up with the money, they’ll…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. “Why does it matter? We need to get the money and—”

Federico stood abruptly, pulling out his phone. “I’ll have the money here in twenty minutes. But you’re not delivering it.”

“Yes, I am.” I rose to my feet, squaring off with him. “They said I have to come alone or they’ll hurt her.”

“And you think they won’t hurt her anyway? And you? And our child?” Federico’s voice was harsh now. “That they’ll just take the money and let you both skip away? These people aren’t loan sharks, Autumn. They’re targeting me through you.”

Tears burned in my eyes. “This is Megan we’re talking about. My baby sister. I practically raised her! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

Federico made a quick call to Caspian, updated him, and asked for the money. The quiet hum of Federico’s voice filled the room as I stood there shaking, the weight of helplessness pressing hard against my ribs.

When he hung up, he turned to me with a grim expression.

“Caspian is rallying the troops. The Ajellos are in town and will be joining us. The Ustinovs are sending some fighters. We’ve got this, and you have to trust us. You’re pregnant,” he said quietly. “With my child. I can’t let you walk into a trap.”

“And I can’t let my sister die!” I shouted. “What would you do if it were Beatrice? Or Dante? Or any of your family? Would you sit back and trust people you mostly don’t even know?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’d kill every last person responsible myself, which is exactly what I intend to do. But I wouldn’t send my pregnant wife in alone as bait.”

“Then what’s your plan?” I demanded. “Because the clock is ticking, and all I’m hearing is why I can’t go, not how we’re going to save her!”

He looked at me then, really looked at me.

“Okay. Here’s the plan. We use the time they gave us.

Two hours is enough to get eyes on that location, plan the approach, and position backup.

We have allies in the Ustinovs, the Vadims, the Ajellos.

Three very powerful families. They don’t get to own this situation just because they set the terms. We do because we have more power than they can even imagine. ”

I stared at him, stunned at the calm in his voice. Not detached— controlled . Like he’d stepped into some darker, more dangerous version of himself, and yet, I felt safer than I had all day.

“The real shark in this game,” he said softly, “is me. Not them.”

I swallowed, heart hammering again—not with fear, but something else entirely.

He saw it.

“Talk to me,” he said. “Tell me you agree. Don’t you get it? I can’t lose you,” he added so quietly as his eyes went to my stomach that I almost missed it. “Either of you.”

This was just Federico—scared, like me.

“You won’t,” I whispered, my anger deflating slightly. “But I can’t lose her either. She’s all I had for so long. Please understand.”

He exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping a fraction. “I do understand. More than you know.”

My lip trembled. “Then don’t treat me like some glass doll who needs protecting from everything. This is Megan. I need to be part of this.”

He hesitated. Then nodded once.

“I get it,” he said. “You’re not a passenger in this. You’re family. And we don’t do this without you. I’ll set you up in a control room from which you’ll be able to see everything live. You’ll have access to communicate with our entire team via radio when we hit the floor.”

The relief that flooded me nearly knocked me over.

I reached out and grabbed his hand. Not because I had to.

Because I wanted to.

He laced his fingers through mine.

“I’m scared,” I whispered.

“So am I,” he replied. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t do this. It means we do it together. ”

For the first time in a long time, I believed that.

And I didn’t feel so alone. For the first time, I didn’t feel like someone being dragged through someone else’s world. I felt like I belonged in it.