Page 21 of Secret Bratva Baby (Dubrov Bratva #16)

Morning light spills warmly over my face, and I pull Rose closer, snuggling beneath the blankets, not wanting to wake up yet.

“I’m going to make coffee,” she says softly, surprising me because I thought she was still sleeping.

“No, stay here a bit longer,” I grumble, my voice deep from sleep.

“Mm. No,” she replies, shifting out from beneath my embrace. I groan again, louder this time, rolling onto my back.

I squint at her, wondering why she’s so eager to get up when we have nowhere we need to be.

Rose’s eyes catch mine, and she smiles, but it’s a stiff smile, not her usual, genuine, eye-glittering grin.

“You okay?” I ask, sitting up, leaning on my elbows.

“Mmhmm.” She nods, slipping a robe over her shoulders and tying the cord in front.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yep.”

Why are her answers clipped and short? Lily is a terrible morning person, but Rose is different. She’s bright and happy most mornings.

I sit up more.

“Rose, is something bothering you?” I ask, getting worried.

“Don’t be silly.” She waves her hand vaguely in the air, attempting to dismiss my concern. “It’s still early. Go back to sleep till I bring the coffee.”

I can read her face. She’s holding something back. Something that’s bothering her.

“If something happened last night—if I did something…” My brows knot together as I try to figure out what it might have been.

“No,” she insists. “Last night was fun. It was fun.” She nods as though she’s trying to convince herself.

Fun?

I thought it was so much more than just fun.

“Okay,” I say, confused.

She hurries from the room, not letting me in on what’s actually going on.

I can’t lie in bed with a knot in my stomach, so I get up and scratch around for my jeans and a T-shirt.

Yesterday was the best day of my life.

It was the perfect example of the future I am determined to have. My family. My beautiful daughter and the woman I love, laughing and sharing the most valuable asset we have—time.

Down in the kitchen, Lily plods in barefoot, rubbing her eyes.

“Good morning, little monster.” I lift her into my arms and cradle her sleepy little face against my shoulder.

She closes her eyes and lets out a tragic sigh.

“Is life difficult in the morning?” I tease her.

She ignores me, drifting back to sleep.

I walk over to Rose, where she’s busy making coffee, and I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close to kiss the curve of her neck. “Good morning,” I whisper against her ear, then kiss her cheek, too.

“Morning,” she replies politely.

My frown returns. Why won’t she tell me what’s wrong?

“I was thinking we could go to the giant toy store near the park. Lily can pick out a few things, then we can get ice cream or hot dogs, and she can feed the ducks in the park?”

“Sounds great,” Rose answers.

I clench my jaw.

I don’t like this at all.

It’s time for me to step up my game plan and win her back.

It’s time for me to make her mine again.

Actions speak louder than words.

Sneakily, I make arrangements for a surprise for Rose.

While we are at the park, I’m having a new Range Rover delivered for her. They’re pulling a few strings because I wanted a specific shade of blue at very short notice. But the guys are making it happen for me.

I’m excited to spoil her. After having to struggle for so long without me, this is how I can prove to her that I am able to—and want to—take care of her. I don’t just want to be a dad. I want to be her man. Her support. Her home.

Lily runs ahead of us through the park, with a fist full of bread tightly gripped in her little hand. It’s probably so mushed it’s almost dough again, but she’s happy, and that’s what matters.

She lobs the ball of dough at the nearest duck, and it squawks angrily, flapping its wings, lecturing her about basic duck-feeding manners.

Rose laughs, and I step closer to her, slipping my arm around her waist. Instead of leaning into me, her body stiffens.

I do my best to ignore it, but it worries me. All day she’s been off. Distant and polite. For some reason, she’s building that damn wall again.

Just when things were going well, we have been enjoying the most incredible family days together—why does she want to shut me out now?

I’ve tried to ask her a few more times since this morning, but she brushes off my questions. Despite her reassurance that nothing is wrong, I’m not blind.

I sigh, stressed, wanting that connection with her.

All I have to do, though, is wait till we get home. She’ll see her surprise and she’ll understand what she means to me.

I smile, glancing from Rose’s beautiful face to my daughter’s.

Lily is sitting on her haunches, pressing the bread dough ball into the grass while several ducks hover around her.

“Wherever we take her, she ends up getting covered in dirt,” Rose muses.

“That’s how kids get strong. Healthy immune systems and lots of life experience.”

She nods, falling quiet again.

***

As we drive into the mansion, my heart flips with excitement. The Range Rover is parked in front of the house, with a giant red bow around the hood.

Rose frowns at it.

I grin and climb out of the car, hurrying to her side to open the door.

I pull her out; her face is one of confusion.

“What’s going on?” she asks tensely.

I lift the keys from the ribbon and hand them to her.

“If you don’t like the color, we can change it, but I thought it would match your eyes.”

“This is mine?” she blurts out, not looking pleased at all.

I trip over my words. “Y-yes,” I reply, unsure of myself.

“Luka, why would you buy me a car?”

“It’s safe, Rose. It’s a really good car. You don’t have a car, and now when you and Lily go out, you can be safe,” I murmur. This is not the reaction I was expecting.

“Oh,” she mutters quietly. “For Lily.” She lets me place the keys in her hand. She nods, smiling. “It’s lovely. Thank you, Luka.”

But the gift wasn’t meant to be for Lily . That wasn’t what I meant. I chew at the inside of my cheek.

It’s okay. She likes the car. But I will get her something else that is unmistakably just for her.

The next morning, I wake up extra early to open the door for the delivery I’ve arranged.

I work quietly to set the living room up with Rose’s gifts. Dresses, jewels, handbags, shoes, perfume, chocolates, roses, a new watch—everything that I think she needs to make her feel like the princess she is to me.

I spread it across the room, flowers everywhere. It’s completely over the top, but it’s perfect. She’s going to be thrilled.

It’s a grand gesture, right from my heart.

Repositioning the flowers closet to the entrance just as I hear her voice, as she comes down the stairs, chatting to Lily, gently teasing her awake, I quickly turn to hurry out of the living room.

Meeting her at the bottom of the stairs, I take Lily from her arms. Lily immediately rests her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes.

“Good morning, beautiful,” I smile, leaning down to kiss Rose.

She smiles and gives me a quick peck on the lips.

“Morning.”

We walk through to the kitchen together.

“Mila is coming today, she’ll be here any minute. I thought we could do something together?” I say.

“Oh, okay. Lily enjoys her time with Mila. It’ll be nice for her to see her.”

“I’ll get some warm milk for Lily; otherwise, she’s going to be half-asleep when Mila arrives.”

Mila’s voice carries through from the entrance as she greets the guards.

“Too late,” Rose smiles, shrugging.

Mila breezes into the kitchen. “Where is my favorite little sleepy head? Hi guys,” she says, smiling at us. Lily perks up, squinting at Mila.

“Hi, baby girl,” Mila says gently, holding her arms out towards Lily.

“Miiila,” Lily mumbles excitedly. She flops out of my arms with full trust that Mila will catch her.

With Lily in good hands, it’s time for me to spoil Rose.

This moment is about her, and I asked Mila to come for the day so that I could let Rose fully enjoy it.

She’s the most incredible mom, but sometimes she deserves to let go of that and purely enjoy something entirely for herself. I want to give that to her.

I turn to Rose as Mila carries Lily toward the cereal cupboard to sort out her breakfast.

“I almost forgot, will you go and check the living room? Something was delivered for you this morning.”

“For me?” Rose asks, completely confused.

It’s so difficult to hide my smile, but I manage somehow.

“Yes, so strange, I thought you’d maybe know what it’s all about….”

She walks out of the kitchen and turns towards the living room. I follow behind her.

Rose stands gawking at everything.

I bite my lip, waiting for her reaction. The massive smile on my face gives away how pleased I am with myself.

Rose hasn’t said a word. Her posture is so stiff I’m starting to worry.

“Rose?”

“What is this?” she snaps, hissing, keeping her voice down.

“It’s, uh—I wanted to spoil you.”

She shakes her head, her brows knitting.

“Yesterday the car, and now this ?” she gestures over the living room. “What the hell is going on?”

“I—I wanted to spoil you,” I say defensively. This is beyond confusing.

“So you just bought things. Like money can solve all problems? Did you think I wanted all of this? There are many more important things in life that I long for.” She’s so angry her face is scrunched up.

“Rose,” I gasp, hurt by her reaction.

“I don’t want material things,” she snaps. “Stop buying me gifts, Luka. I don’t want any of this. ”

Rose storms off, out into the garden, I assume to get away from me.

I’m standing like a lost idiot among the presents I chose for her. I have no idea what happened, but Rose has made herself clear.

She doesn’t want what I have to offer.

She doesn’t want any of this.

She doesn’t want me.

It’s a hard truth to swallow. My heart drops down to the pit of my stomach as I swear angrily beneath my breath.

How did I get this so wrong?

I thought every woman wanted security. Evidence that the man she’s with can take care of her and spoil her, and treat her like a princess. Apart from my intense, but brief, relationship with Rose in the past, I’ve only ever had flings. A woman who comes and goes and gushes over gifts.

I stare out of the open doors towards the garden. Rose is pacing around the pool, shaking her head, angry. Does she want me to follow her? No.

She clearly wants space.

Right?

Otherwise, she would have stayed and talked to me. Right?

My jaw clenches so tightly it aches. I have no idea what to do.

In the end, I decide to give her space.

Lily is with Mila for the day.

I end up in the gym for a few hours, trying to work off the confusion and frustration, and Rose does everything she can to avoid me.

I’m usually pretty good at being patient, and I keep telling myself that tonight when she comes to bed, we can talk, but that night Rose doesn’t come to my room. She goes to Lily’s room and falls asleep before Mila has even put Lily to bed.

It breaks my heart when I peek through the half-open door and discover Rose already tucked in for the night.

She really meant what she said.

She doesn’t want any of this.

She must be angry because I was putting pressure on her for it to be something more serious between us. I pushed too hard.

Quietly, I step away from her door and walk with a heavy heart to my own room.

I refuse to give up.

I can’t.

It’s not an option. The pain that threatens to explode inside me is a warning of how I’ll feel if I lose her for good.

No.

I just need to rethink things.

Clearly, she’s not ready to be with me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t change her mind over time—slowly.

In the past, I made the choices for her—I left without discussing anything, even forcing her to be a single mother. That’s why I can’t push her now again. She has to choose this for herself.

Fuck.

I’m such an idiot. I really hope I haven’t messed this up too much.

Lying in bed, I stare at the ceiling.

My thoughts are looping horribly.

I feel movement at the end of my bed and sit up in fright.

Lily is standing there, just her eyes peeking over the top.

“Hello,” she says.

“Hello,” I grin.

She reaches up and throws a book onto the bed.

“Help,” she mutters, trying to grab at the blankets and pull herself up.

“What are you doing, little one?” I ask, reaching to lift her up onto the bed.

She grabs the book, crawls to the top of the bed, and flops into my arms. Saying nothing at all, she hands me the book.

“You want me to read you a story?” I ask, my heart warming. “Did your mommy send you here?”

“Mommy sleeps already.”

“Okay, so Mommy couldn’t read you a story,” I chuckle.

“No, I not ask Mommy. I want to wake Daddy.”

“Oh.” Her innocence aches inside me. Her beautiful, sweet little smile. She has no idea her mother and I had a fight today. Mila must have tucked her into bed for the night next to her mother—and Lily must have had other plans.

I have no intention of chasing her away. The thought of my sweet little baby crawling into my bed for a story is so incredible, I’m fighting tears, but I have to ask her all these questions to try and understand—

It’s too incredible to be real.

She was lying in bed, ready to sleep, and instead she thought to herself I want Daddy to read me a story.

I clear my throat, pushing away the lump forming there.

“It’s way past your bedtime,” I say with my brows raised. “Won’t your mommy be upset that you aren’t in bed?”

“I am in bed,” she grins, slapping the blankets next to her.

“Your own bed?”

She shakes her head and snuggles closer to me.

“I want to stay with Daddy tonight.”

My smile is so wide it hurts my cheeks.

Lily is lying over my chest when I open the book and start reading.

This is everything to me.

I want this.

And the understanding that Rose might not want the same thing makes my stomach knot so tightly I’m sick.

I have to win her back.

There is simply no other option.

She belongs with me.

She has always belonged to me.