Page 24 of Secret Bratva Baby (Dubrov Bratva #16)

Luka listens to me explaining what I learned when I was taken. He’s patient and calm and continues to reassure me that it’s all over now and that I’m safe.

It’s strange how it all feels a million miles away from this moment.

It’s like it never happened. It’s over. It’s done.

I might just be in shock, though. I’ve seen in the movies how people only process what happened days later. Sometimes months or years, depending on what happened to them.

But even while I’m talking about this crazy, intense thing that happened—something that should leave me horribly traumatized—there’s something else, more important, on my mind.

I almost died without getting a chance to tell him how I feel.

The entire time I was tied up, questioned, terrified, all I could think about was that he would never know that I’m madly in love with him.

I was comforted by the fact that Lily would have an amazing family; even if I didn’t survive, she would be surrounded by love.

It broke me to think like that, but I knew it was true.

The thing that was bothering me was that I would never have a chance to tell him I love him and that I think he’s an incredible father.

Luka’s eyes are locked onto me. He touches my arm, brushing his fingers over my skin, smooth from the scented oils he put in my bath.

I let out a heavy sigh, and Luka’s frown deepens.

“Was there something else that happened, Rose? Did they do something to you? You can tell me anything. I promise you, I’m here for you.” His question is filled with fear. He is still blaming himself for everything that’s happened, and I want him to stop doing that.

Right now, I’m not even thinking about those assholes anymore—I’m thinking about him , and our future together. The future I wasn’t brave enough to chase before, but now I understand that life is short, and you should take the leap of faith.

I sit up, holding the towel against my chest. My face is set in determination. I won’t hold back anymore. I won’t let fear stop me from trying.

Staring into his eyes, I can see right into his soul. He’s a beautiful, kind man. I’m not wrong about this. And it is worth the risk. He might say no. He might turn me down. But I don’t care. I have to try. If I do this, then at least I won’t leave with regrets for severing knowing.

Luka’s eyes are piercing into me. He’s waiting to hear whatever I have to say. My heart aches for the worry he has for me.

I take another deep breath. Now . Tell him now.

“Luka, I am completely in love with you,” I blurt out.

My heart skips a beat.

No filter, no easing around the words. Just plain, blunt truth.

I hold my breath. Terrified.

For a moment, it looks like he hasn’t heard me. Did I speak too fast?

Oh no.

He’s trying to figure out how to let me down gently.

Oh no.

His expression looks like he’s stuck somewhere between shock and confusion.

He starts laughing. It sounds like he’s laughing with relief.

What is happening right now?

Luka reaches for me and drags me onto his lap, hugging me close.

“Rose, I love you too,” he says.

“You do?” I ask, my face squished against his chest.

He threads his fingers up the back of my neck, through my hair, knotting them tightly. He pulls me back so he can look into my eyes.

“I love you more than life. More than every star that has ever existed in our universe.”

My mouth drops open. “Why—why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought I was suffocating you. I wanted to give you the space to make your own choices this time, instead of me controlling the narrative and forcing you into a situation you didn’t want to be in.

I am so angry at myself for ghosting you in the past. Everything I did—I just wanted you to choose for yourself, Rose.

” Emotion spills through his words. “I thought I lost you tonight. I can’t even describe the fear I felt.

I can’t—” His voice tightens. “ I love you. ”

My eyes fill with tears of happiness.

“You’re an idiot,” I laugh in disbelief. “I thought you just wanted— physical stuff. I’ve never stopped loving you, and I was so scared to tell you because I thought you didn’t want me.”

He shakes his head, pulling my face closer to his.

“I’m an idiot,” he laughs, agreeing with me. “I should have screamed it from the rooftops. I should have painted it in the sand on the beach. I should have had some fancy plane write it in the sky.”

He presses his lips into mine and kisses me.

His mouth moves over mine and my heart overflows. All this time, we both felt the same way. He was trying to give me gifts instead of using words. That’s why he was spoiling me.

I didn’t realize what he was doing.

I can’t believe it.

He loves me.

Luka loves me.

We can be a family. Everything I’ve been wanting can be real.

He pulls away from me and brushes his thumb over my lips.

“You are the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen, Rose. Your heart, your soul, your strength. I would be the luckiest man alive if you’d give me a chance to play a part in your life. To be Lily’s dad, to be with you?”

I nod. “I want that.”

He grins.

***

In the morning, I wake up curled in his arms with a smile on my face. The towels are lying on the floor next to the bed, and I’m naked against his body. His warmth is soaking into me and I could lie here all day.

But my heart flips happily.

“Lily,” I say, sitting up.

He grabs me and drags me back into his arms. “Five more minutes.” He mumbles against my hair. “Lily is having fun at her auntie’s house.”

“Five more minutes,” I sigh, giving in easily as I take a deep breath of his scent.

We ended up talking until late last night. We’ve never talked that much, and Luka has never been that emotionally vulnerable with me before. Even in the past, when we were first together. He was sweet, but last night he let me see every part of his soul.

I didn’t think it was possible to love him more, yet I was proven wrong.

His fingers trace over my back, tickling me, and I giggle and squirm away.

“Okay. Time’s up,” I declare, using all of my strength to try and push him toward the edge of the bed.

“Hey, you terror. It’s only been a minute.”

“Not on my count. Let’s go get Lily.”

“Let’s get coffee,” he chuckles. Fighting back.

We end up wrestling, and things quickly begin to heat up.

“No,” I squeal, ducking under his arm and sliding off the edge of the bed. “I know what you’re after. And it’s not happening. Get dressed. We can get coffee on the way. I want to see my baby girl.”

He throws the blankets off. “I shall have your car waiting, princess.” He smirks as he pulls his jeans on.

We stop at the Starbucks drive-through and get two giant coffees on the way to Jade’s house. It’s like heaven in a cup. Dark, creamy and sweet. I wrap both hands around it, sitting happily in the passenger seat, watching out the window at people going about their lives.

My life changed last night.

It changed in a way that affects my entire future and that of my daughters. She has a father now.

I glance towards him and he smiles, brushing his hand over my leg. “Are you happy? You look so happy it should be illegal.”

“I might be literally the happiest person on this entire planet.”

“Is that so?” he nods seriously. “How do we measure it, because I happen to know someone who claims that they’re happier.”

“Not possible.” I shake my head.

“Trust me. He’s happier,” he grins at me.

I smile and take another sip of my coffee. How did I get so lucky?

Slipping my fingers through his, I hold his hand against my leg all the way to Jade’s house.

As soon as our car parks in her long driveway, she’s already running down the steps towards us.

She grabs me in a fierce hug and refuses to let me go.

Thank goodness I left my coffee on the bonnet of the car; otherwise, it would have been squished between us now.

“I’m so happy you’re okay. Oh my word, we were so scared for you. I’m so sorry you went through that. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She pulls away, holding me at arm’s length, searching my face. “That’s a nasty bruise,” she gasps.

“It’s nothing. Honestly, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

Jade glances at her brother with her eyes narrowed. “Mm,” she says, her lips curling at the corners. “I see. So, he finally plucked up the courage to stop denying how he felt.”

“What?” he says, wanting to defend himself.

“Oh, please. We could all see it. Even Ark, who is as emotional blind as an old, deaf bat.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Luka grins, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me against his side as we walk towards the house.

“Sure, okay. We’ll pretend for you. No problem.” Jade waves her hand in the air, not accepting her brother’s nonsense.

He leans close and whispers to me, “She’s right. I’ve been madly in love with you this entire time. I was a fool. An idiot. I should have told you the moment I set my eyes on you again.”

“I heard that,” Jade says over her shoulder, pushing the front door open to let us in. “The kids are in the back.”

“How has she been?” I ask.

Jade giggles.

“She’s exactly like her father, especially when he was a kid. Wow, she’s— brave . And confident.”

“Please tell me she didn’t drive you crazy?” I ask, scrunching my nose.

“No, the opposite. My little one is quite shy, and she pulled him right out of his shell. It was really incredible to watch them. They are the absolute best of friends now. I don’t know how you’re going to convince her to go home with you,” she teases.

I laugh as I follow Jade out into the back garden and find Lily and her cousins building the most unstable blanket fort I’ve ever seen. Pillows on top of pillows and blankets over chairs and a giant blow-up turtle that they’ve obviously stolen from the pool house.

“They kept demanding materials. I kept delivering,” Jade gestures toward the chaos.

Luka lets go of me and tiptoes towards the kids. They are so focused, they don’t see him coming.

I watch him leap out and give them all a fright, then lift Lily in the air and spin her around, a blanket trailing after them because she’s refusing to let it go.

Tears fill my eyes, and I try to swallow them away, but I can’t.

Jade reaches out to touch my arm. “Honey?”

“I’m okay.”

“It’s okay if you’re not okay,” she says quietly.

“I didn’t think I’d see her again,” I whisper.

Jade wraps her arm around me.

“I thought—I-I’m so happy to be alive.”

Luka sets Lily down, and she spots me, immediately trying to run towards me, but he notices that I need a moment, and he grabs her again and starts tickling her. “That’s my mommy, you can’t have her,” he shouts.

She laughs loudly and scolds him, “No, it’s my mommy.”

I brush the back of my hand over my cheeks.

Jade pulls her sleeve down and wipes my tears away properly, leaving splotches on her sleeve.

“Everything is going to be amazing, Rose. But don’t keep this inside.

You went through something terrifying. Allow yourself to feel it, instead of letting it destroy you. ”

I nod. “You’re right. I need to do that. And I will. But for now, I’m just so happy to be here with all of you.”

Lily bursts away from Luka’s grip and she flies towards me at a ridiculous speed, crashing into my leg, almost knocking me over.

I kneel down and grab her.

She’s just a little girl, a baby in my eyes. But when she looks at me, she looks much older and wiser than I could image. She smiles gently, reaching up she wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me as tight as she can. “Mommy, you beautiful,” she whispers. “I love you.”

“Oh, my sweet baby girl, I love you too. I love you so, so much,” I whisper back to her, endlessly grateful. Overwhelmed with so much love for my daughter and my husband that I can’t stop the tears again.

But these are filled with joy.

And my heart is filled with joy too.

Luka wraps his arms around both of us.

“Who wants ice cream?” he asks.

“Me,” Lily yelps, jumping against him. Her face is a baby again. The wiseness in her eyes is gone, and she’s back to being my little baby girl. I don’t want her to grow up too fast. I want to protect her from that, so it makes me smile.

“I want banana ice cream,” I say.

“Ew.” Luka pulls a face at me.

“Ew, Mommy.” Lily copies him.

“Hey, you can’t say eew until you try it.”

“We’re getting bubblegum ice cream,” Luka tells me.

“Yes.” Lily nods, agreeing with her father even though she has no idea what bubblegum flavor tastes like.

“We’ll get both and have ice cream wars. Whichever flavor Lily thinks is the best wins.”

“We might have to buy one of each of whatever they have.”

“Whatever it takes for a fair competition.”

Jade waves to us from the top step as we pull away from the house.

Lily is humming a song from her car seat, swinging her legs happily.

Everything is perfect.