Page 2 of Royal Bargain (Royals of the Underworld #3)

ANNIKA

A s I gently bounce my little girl in my arms, I feel a deep dread settling into the pit of my stomach. It was a huge risk going to speak to Liam like that, but I honestly, genuinely thought he would help.

The Brannagan family preach loyalty and honor, and I figured that he wouldn’t be able to say no to his own child.

But when he’d asked me for time to think, I panicked and now here I am, two days later, on the verge of a breakdown because Lily won’t stop crying, and I worry I won’t be able to stay here much longer in this safehouse with her, alone.

Agitated wails echo through the cramped space, slicing through my skull like a knife.

I squeeze my eyes shut and rock her in my arms, shushing her with soft noises as I press her head to my shoulder.

Her little body trembles and she yanks her head back, screaming harder, face red and scrunched tight, tiny fists shaking as though she’s pissed at the world.

I don’t blame her for being upset. The two of us are stuck in this strange new place, the anxiety of everything weighing down on us. We’re waiting to hear back from Liam, hoping that he’ll help us out.

The peeling wallpaper curls at the corners, stained with years of neglect. The air around me reeks with the stale scent of cigarette smoke, lingering like the ghosts of the past.

Tears prick at my eyes as exhaustion weighs me down, the urge to close my eyes for just a moment overtaking me. It’s been days since I’ve gotten more than a couple hours of sleep at a time and my body is starting to shut down. My muscles are sore right now, my brain foggy and sluggish.

The problem is, I don’t know what’s wrong with my poor, sweet girl. I don’t know how to help her. I don’t know what she wants.

And I’ve tried everything—feeding, burping, changing her diaper, holding her close, wrapping her tight in a swaddle. Nothing has stopped the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

God, I just need her to stop crying for five minutes!

I glance at the front door, half-hoping it’ll burst open. Half-hoping Liam will be on the other side, standing there like some kind of reluctant savior. But that’s stupid. He’s not coming. He made that clear.

A sob catches in my throat, and I press my lips together, forcing it back. I can’t fall apart. Not now, when I’m all she has.

Lily lets out another sharp cry, and I clutch her tighter, pressing a shaky kiss to her forehead.

“It’s okay, malyshka ,” I whisper, even though I don’t believe it. “Mama’s gonna fix this. I promise.”

I rock Lily harder, desperation tightening my throat. It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was supposed to be stronger than this. But then, I'd been so sure about ending things with Liam, too. That hadn't exactly gone as planned, either.

I think back to my time with my friend Clary—before I screwed everything up with my lies. She’d advised me to stand up for myself after I’d vented to her about the sorry state of my relationship and I’d taken it to heart, seeking out Liam that very day.

“We need to meet,” I’d said, my fingers shaking as I clutched phone like a lifeline. “You and I, we need to talk.”

There was a pause on the other end before Liam’s voice came on. “Is everything alright?” I could hear the worry in his tone, the hesitation, but I’d plunged onward anyway.

“I’ll see you in an hour,” I’d said, trying hard to shut off my emotions as I hung up.

An hour later, my heart was pounding as the two of us stood there on the sidewalk outside our usual coffee spot.

“I think we need to break up.” The words came out almost mechanical sounding, belying the fact that I’d practiced this in the mirror before coming here.

Liam’s eyes had widened, shock written across his features. “You’re still angry I canceled on that date?” he asks, brow furrowing as he jams his hands into his pockets.

“It’s not just about the canceled dates,” I say, a tinge of frustration in my voice as I straighten my spine. “I don’t think you prioritize our relationship anymore. You seem distracted whenever we’re together.”

“You know why that is,” Liam says, his eyes narrowing, a growl in his tone.

“You’re right,” I say, a sad smile crossing my features. “We’re from totally different worlds. We tried to make it work, but it obviously can’t. We just weren’t meant to be.”

Liam runs a hand through his messy blond hair, taking a step back. “You can’t be serious, Ana. What about all the good times we had? We could be so good together. C’mon, please?” His blue eyes stare deeply into mine, holding my gaze.

This isn’t going how I planned at all, and I don’t know how to get us back on track. “Please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” I beg. “I thought about this for a long time. I even talked to a friend about this.”

Liam looked shocked, eyes widening, a frown on his face. “You told someone about us?”

“Not exactly. I kept the details vague,” I insisted, waving my hand. “But that isn’t important. What’s important is that my friend made me see that you and I are all wrong for each other.”

Liam’s body had stiffened, his eyes looking down at the pavement. “I guess you’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

“I wish you the best,” I said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He jerked away and stared at me before shaking his head, turning, and walking away.

I stood there for another few moments, trying to come to terms with what just happened before I made my way back home, the sharp reality settling in as I realized that I did it.

I broke up with the man I thought I loved.

Only… I hadn’t counted on how much it would hurt, not talking to him anymore—especially when I found out I was pregnant.

I knew I needed to stay away for both our sakes. It was the right thing to do. But I hadn’t counted on parenthood being so damned hard . Plus, with the danger of my father and his men looking for me, I had hoped that Liam would help.

Maybe it was for the best this way. He’d never managed to step up before, so why did I think I could rely on him now? Why did I think he’d magically change his ways just because a baby was brought into the equation?

I sway Lily from side to side, trying to get her to calm down, but her cries seem to grow, fists waving angrily as she expresses her displeasure.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m at a complete loss.

I hate myself for it, but for one terrifying second, I want to scream right along with her.

I’d always prided myself on being strong, able to do anything I put my mind to, but a tiny, helpless baby was proving to be my downfall. A bitter laugh rises in my throat at having to turn to my ex-boyfriend for help with all this.

It’s not like I had anyone else I could rely on anymore. It seems as though everyone around me thinks I’m guilty, even my sisters. The only person who even reached out to help was…

Just then, the phone rings, and I glance to down to see his name on the screen.

Aleksey.

My adoptive brother.

Relief washes over me in waves.

Laying Lily down in her bassinet, I hurry back to the living room to take the call.

“I’m here,” I say, voice cracking a little. “Sorry. Lily’s been crying nonstop all day.”

“Shit. I’m sorry I can’t help more,” Aleksey says, his voice low. “I know things are shit. I hope you’re taking care of yourself, sestrichka .”

Aleksey may not be my biological brother, but he’s my brother in all the ways that count. Lily’s cries echo in the background and I wince, guilt eating at me for leaving her alone, even though I know she’ll be fine for a couple of minutes.

“If you can’t handle it, maybe you should think about coming back and throwing yourself on Anatoly’s mercy,” he suggests, as though it were as easy as strolling back into Papa’s office.

Frustration boils up. “I can do this,” I snap. “You know I didn’t steal those files. You know I didn’t have anything to do with Anatoly’s arrest.”

Aleksey is silent for a moment before sighing. “Yeah, I know,” he says, and I can practically see him run his fingers through his thick, wavy, black hair. “That’s why I’ve been helping you. But we’re running out of time here.”

Anxiety overtakes the frustration, my stomach rolling as I think about what could happen to Lily if they found us. Would she be safe? I once thought my father wouldn’t have been the kind of man to kill an innocent child, but that was before he sent Dariy after Clary and her unborn baby.

Now I’m not so sure that he wouldn’t do something to hurt Lily just to get back at me. Which is exactly why I have to stay in hiding right now.

“What do we do?” I ask him. My stomach is in knots trying to come up with alternatives to my current situation.

“You need a new place to hide. We can’t keep you in that safehouse forever.”

“We have nowhere to go, bratan ,” I protest, gritting my teeth as I try to ignore the pounding headache from Lily’s incessant cries.

“Dariy has told us to start searching every single one of our safehouses in the city.” Aleksey drops the news on me like a bucket of cold water. “Once they start looking, it isn’t going to be long before you’re found, sestrichka .”

Fuck. I thought I had more time. I thought they wouldn’t bother checking the safehouses. They’d assume I was too smart to hide out in a known location, but I suppose they’re getting desperate now.

“You need to find another way.” Aleksey’s voice is gentle, but I can hear the tension in his words.

“I’ve been willing to help you so far because I think this entire thing is ridiculous, that obviously, you’re innocent.

But we both know Papa is not a patient man.

Even I won’t be able to protect you if they catch you first.”

I bite my lip, breath catching in my throat. Anatoly has never been capable of patience, not when it comes to something he wants.

“Dariy wants all of us looking,” Aleksey adds. “Starting tonight. Every lieutenant in the Bratva is going to be trying to find you. I can only keep you safe for so long, Annichka. But I don’t want Anatoly thinking that both you and I conspired to betray him.”

I press the heel of my hand against my forehead, trying to think. I’m running out of options at this point, and I’m running out of time. It’s not fair of me to put this all on Aleksey, but I have no idea what I’m going to do.

“Give me twenty-four hours,” I plead, finally finding my voice. “I’ll figure something out, even if Lily and I have to disappear.”

“I’ll do the best I can,” Aleksey promises. “Take care. Give Lily a kiss from her uncle.”

We hang up, and I rush back to the bedroom, picking Lily up as I cradle her to my chest. I feel like I’m about to crack in half from the weight of all the pressure on me.

Tears gather in my eyes as I try to shush her fruitlessly, once again.

I hold her closer, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, breathing in her soft baby scent like it’s the only thing tethering me to reality. She’s all that matters now.

I don’t have time to second-guess myself anymore. If Liam won’t help me, I’ll find another way. But I will keep my daughter safe. No matter what it takes.