Page 9 of Scarlet Sins (Yegorov Bratva #2)

He blinks twice. I don’t say things like that, I never do. But I’m on the edge of a precipice. The man doesn’t want that scene and he’s confident I’m not going to do a runner. And even if I wanted to, he’ll have enough eyes on me to stop that happening.

Imagine if he knew I was knocked up.

A shiver rides down my spine. I still haven’t told him and right now I don’t want to, so I leave it at that.

“ Lyubimaya ,” he says, “Erin, you need to rest?—”

“I can’t rest while this is going on. You do you, Demyan. I’ll see you when I get back. ”

His eyes narrow. “Erin…”

“Go back to what’s obviously important to you. Now, I’ve one of your cars waiting. I’ll see you when I see you.”

I turn on my heel and stomp off to the foyer, where a bouncy Sasha is waiting with Olga. There’ll be hell to pay later. But right now, I don’t care. I’m not even sure how to feel.

Except that hurt.

Kara hugs me tight. “I’m so mad at you. Lucky you bribed me with Sasha.”

We’re near a park and Sasha’s clinging, but Kara holds great appeal to him. She’s one of his favorite people.

“It’s a nice day. We can go to this fancy place,” I say, nodding toward the cozy Italian restaurant that Magda suggested, “or we can get something to go take Sasha to the park.”

Kara starts laughing and Sasha stares up at her and laughs, too. “This little monster in a fancy place?”

“He’s a well-behaved little monster.”

“That place looks stuffy.” She scoops Sasha up. “Wanna get French fries, a juice, and go to the park?”

His eyes get big and he basically smacks her in the face in a loving gesture. “Yes! I love you, Kara.”

“And I love you, Sasha.”

Then he reaches for me. I take him and she raises a brow.

We get coffee, juice, and some takeout from a hole-in-the-wall café across from the park.

Sasha holds a juice and a chocolate chip cookie as we go to the park, his gaze heading to the food truck at the park’s edge.

There aren’t many kids out today, but Sasha’s happy to sit down at our feet, pulling out some of his toy cars and trucks as he eats his cookie.

I fill her in on everything that’s happened and Kara smacks a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, Erin. No wonder you have three gorillas watching you.”

There are probably more and while I know if we were in the restaurant we’d have more of a feeling of privacy, they’re not too close. Demyan’s men are more interested in clocking and eliminating any threat that might come for us over listening in.

I sip my coffee as Kara fills me in on her life. Her latest disastrous date, how she got a promotion, but it isn’t the same now that we’re no longer planning our own business.

“We’ll return to it,” I say. “In time.”

She sighs. “Really?”

“Really.”

“There’s something else, though, isn’t there. I feel it, and it’s not some dude kidnapping you, which sounds horrifying, by the way.” But she ruffles Sasha’s hair as he comes in to press against us both, like he’s checking we’re still there. “And he rescued you. Which is… romantic.”

“I’m the mother of his child.”

“Come on.” Kara looks me up and down. “There’s more to it than that. I feel it.”

“Who are you, Spider-Man?”

“Spider-Woman, thank you.” But her laughter fades. “What’s up?”

I fill her in on Stefina. She sucks in a sharp breath. “Ooh boy, Erin. You sure like complicated.”

“But I don’t. I hate it, and I want to hate him and… am I mad for standing by Demyan when he’s promised himself to another woman?”

“Only you can answer that. But…” She pauses, sips her coffee as Sasha climbs up onto the bench, chocolate smeared on his face and he puts his feet on Kara and his head on my knee.

She rubs his calves. “But from what you said, it sounds like he only agreed to this marriage in order to save you. And you said he’s trying to find a way out of it. ”

“Yes, but…” I look at her. “It still hurts.”

“I can see that, and I’m not gonna lie. I’d be hurt, too.

But he did it to save you. That’s got to count for something.

Maybe give him a chance to prove himself.

If he said he’s going along with it but trying to get out of it, see how that plays out.

It sounds like it needs to be handled carefully. ”

“Yeah. But…”

“You don’t have to like it,” she says. “Just give him space to see.”

Suddenly, Sasha pops his head up. “French fries?”

“French fries it is.” Kara picks him up. “Come on, let’s get you fed.”

Maybe she’s right; maybe I just need to trust Demyan’s got a plan. I don’t have to have sex with him through this. I don’t think there are rules. But he saved me and it’s clear he’s not a fan of Stefina. So… a chance.

Kara has to head back to work after the fries we all share. I know I should go back, but I can’t, not yet. First, I want to see Ilya.

When we get to the hospital, my heart plummets. He’s still unconscious and in a stable but critical condition.

I’m not sure in normal circumstances we’d be allowed to see him, but Demyan’s name has clout and Sasha and I are led into the private room where Ilya’s hooked up to a whole bunch of machines.

“Mama? What’s wrong with him?”

“Uncle Ilya was hurt by some bad men.”

His eyes are round and his chin quivers. “Will he be okay?”

“I hope so.” I hug him tight as I will Ilya to open his eyes .

I go to him and hold his hand.

“Demyan got me back,” I tell him, voice scratchy as Sasha climbs on the chair next to the bed to be closer to Ilya. “Don’t touch, baby.”

He looks at me, nods, and then looks at Ilya.

“Uncle Ilya…” And his chin quivers. I hold him against me, my free arm around him.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, “I feel terrible. This is all my fault. If I’d listened to you, then you wouldn’t be here.”

“No, Mama. Not your fault.” Sasha’s small voice makes me smile. I glance at my son, his worried little face, and I know he wants to touch. But he doesn’t. “Uncle Ils get better. Mama will bring you soup.”

Sasha babbles at him, telling the unconscious man a story that’s so outrageous it breaks my heart. When he’s done, I say, “Demyan got him back, Ilya. And me. So you come back to us.”

The nurse appears and I know it’s time to go, but I promise we’ll be back. In the hall, I turn to Sasha. “Don’t you worry,” I say. “He’s strong.”

He nods vigorously and I start to lead him down the hall, the smell of antiseptic stinging my nose. I’m thinking maybe we could have lunch somewhere so Sasha can cheer up a little when my phone rings.

“Demyan.”

“Where are you?”

“You know exactly where I am. Your drivers are the ones ferrying me around, and your goons are watching me.”

“I trust you; they’re just protection.”

I didn’t say a word to him about trust, but I just say, “I can look after myself. Next time, I want a car I can use. And I don’t want your entourage. I’m not your wife. I’m not anything but the mother of your son, so since you eliminated the threat, I can?— ”

“I’m coming to collect you and Sasha. Myself. Stay there.”

“You have a whole army with me.”

“Maybe I want to see Ilya, and maybe I want to watch you myself. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Watch?” I shake my head. “That’s not a relationship. Am I your prisoner?”

He doesn’t answer that. “You’re my woman, Erin. Mine. I want you safe. Niko might be dead, but that doesn’t mean the danger is gone.”

Demyan hangs up and I shiver.

What the hell does he mean by that?