Page 4 of Secret Bratva Baby (Dubrov Bratva #16)

I refuse to sit down or accept that I’m staying here.

He kidnapped me. And he’s planning on keeping me a prisoner.

How can he say that so calmly? How can he look so uninterested in what is going on right now?

This is unbelievable. This must be some sick joke. It doesn’t make sense. Why would men be after me? Why would I be in danger? I haven’t done anything.

In my arms, Lily stirs, and I whisper to her, trying to soothe her back to sleep. She’s getting heavy at three years old, and my arms are tired. My whole body is tired. My mind is tired. I could collapse onto a bed now and sleep for a year.

But when I close my eyes, even briefly, I see Luka killing that man.

I see the knife slice across his neck, his skin splitting open, and blood gushing out of the wound.

I see Luka, so casual, as he steps aside to avoid the blood splattering his jeans.

He looks calm, as though he’s killed before.

The whole thing makes my stomach churn, and I quickly open my eyes before the nausea becomes too intense.

The Luka sitting on the sofa in front of me is not the same Luka I was in love with four years ago. He’s not the same Luka I have been in love with since the day he pushed me away.

He was cold and cruel, and his actions made no sense.

I begged him to tell me what was going on, but he forced me out, then blocked me in every single way possible. He knew I didn’t have family I could lean on. He knew I was alone. But he did it anyway.

Luka was always intense. He always had that dark, bad-boy spirit. His eyes are so black they look like coal, deep and dark and full of secrets. He’s always been gorgeous and mysterious, but the Luka I met tonight…he’s a whole different level of dangerous.

It wasn’t until after he pushed me away, a month later, that I realized I was pregnant with his baby.

I spent the entire pregnancy waiting for him to show up, to tell me he changed his mind, and that he would want to raise our baby together.

Then I spent the first year of her life wishing that he would surprise me, come back into my life.

But on the day of her first birthday, I decided I couldn’t live like that. I couldn’t be in love with a man who was capable of discarding me so easily. For my daughter’s sake, I did everything I could to stop loving Luka. I did everything in my power to push him from my thoughts.

Of course, that’s not fully possible. And I still think of him far more often than I should.

But again, I look at Luka, the one sitting right in front of me, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s changed. And regardless of who I knew back then, this isn’t the same man. This man is dangerous.

This man killed someone in front of my eyes, and this man has kidnapped me.

“Luka,” I say, carefully, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, Lily weighing heavily in my arms. “Please, let us go.”

He huffs in annoyance and glares at me with those midnight-black eyes. “Rose, you are testing my patience,” he growls, standing up. He grabs his glass and walks back towards the bar along the side of the living room.

While he pours himself another drink, I stare at his broad shoulders, his muscular back, and remember the first time I ever saw him.

It practically shattered my world the day I met him.

I’d never seen someone so beautiful in my entire life.

This man, tall, muscular, devilishly handsome—the way his smile curved into dimples on his cheek, his square jaw line shadowed with stubble.

He was so sexy, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

The first time I ever met him, my knees went weak, I forgot how to speak, and I practically ran away to hide.

The second time I met him, he was incredibly flirtatious. I kept telling myself not to fall for the traps of this gorgeous man. He was only interested in one thing, and I wasn’t willing to give that out to just anyone.

He was ten years older than me, experienced in life, and I didn’t want to be manipulated.

I tried to keep my distance, but I was lying to myself, because I was so fascinated by him—and even more fascinated by the fact that he wanted me .

Of all the girls in the world, he could’ve had anyone.

Every single girl I knew was obsessed with him. But he chose me.

And day after day, he pursued me. He went out of his way to see me. He brought me flowers, beautiful gifts, took me to places I had never been, and slowly, his persistence paid off—and I fell in love.

It was beautiful.

The most beautiful six months of my life.

I thought I was the luckiest girl in the universe. I had his full attention; he smothered me in adoration and every moment of every day. All I wanted was to be in his arms.

I thought he felt the same about me.

Until the day he decided he was bored with me. Everything changed. I was so shocked, I didn’t know how the real Luka was.

Was it the man I’d known for the past six months, or was it this heartless monster standing in front of me, telling me to leave and never come back?

He broke my heart. He shattered it.

And then he ghosted me so well that no matter what I did, I wasn’t able to find him again to tell him about his daughter.

And so, I became a single mother, raising her on my own without a stitch of help from him.

Anger bubbles inside me as I stare at him.

It’s crazy because I can tell from his reaction that he has no idea Lily is his daughter. He never tried to look me up. He never tried to reach out.

He has no idea he’s a father. He has no idea what he forced me to go through alone these past few years.

I wouldn’t change having my little girl—not for the world. I love her more than life itself. But if I had a little help, her life would be better. My life would be better. I could spend more time with her, and I wouldn’t have to ask the neighbors to help raise her.

This man abandoned me; he doesn’t deserve even a second of my adoration.

“Let me go,” I snap, fueled by the resentment building inside me.

“We’ve been over this, Rose. I am not letting you go,” he sighs, turning to face me, his drink filled.

“You have to let me go,” I shout, louder than I intend to.

“No, actually, I don’t,” he snarls, his dark eyes full of warning as he glares at me.

I can’t believe I thought he was the one.

I thought he was the love of my life. The only man I’d ever love. I was so naive. So stupid and young.

“Luka, I’ll scream so loud every neighbor in the vicinity will hear,” I warn him.

He chuckles, dry and disinterested. “Go ahead. These walls are soundproof, squirrel.”

“Don’t call me that,” I blurt out, my heart flip-flopping in my chest.

“You used to love it when I called you that,” he says, amused by my discomfort.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I say, my throat becoming tight as tears burn my eyes. I see a flicker of something in his face—concern? Is he concerned that he’s making me cry? What an asshole. How about being concerned that he’s holding me prisoner and won’t let me or my daughter leave?

Lily blinks, lifting her head, roused by the increasing volume of our argument.

I quickly reach up and touch her cheek. “I’m sorry, cupcake. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“She looks just like you,” Luka says, staring at her, his face softening.

I turn her away from him, still angry with him for taunting me with the endearing name he used to call me when we were in love.

“Mommy, what is it?”

“What is what, my sweet girl?” I ask, glancing nervously at Luka.

“Where we? Want to go home.”

“Me, too little one, but um—um, we’re sleeping here tonight.”

“Sleepover?”

“Yes, baby. A sleepover, like you have at Lily’s house.”

She grins, her eyes red with sleep. “I like sleeping over.”

“I know you do, my sweetheart,” I smile at her.

My eyes drift to Luka. I don’t want to scare Lily. After everything that’s happened tonight, I want to just get her to sleep, and maybe we can figure this all out in the morning.

Luka clenches his jaw and shifts his weight from one foot to the other as he shoves his hands into his pockets.

“Follow me,” he says, tilting his head towards the passageway leading off the living room.

He walks ahead, and I follow a few paces behind, unsure of what to expect from him.

Where will he make me sleep?

Is he going to make me share a room with him? Or do prisoners get dumped into cells? I don’t know what to expect at all.

When he pushes open a door and gestures for me to go inside, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s just a normal bedroom with a big, king-sized bed in the middle.

Then I realize, dammit, he’s going to stay in here with me. But he takes a step out of the bedroom.

“The bathroom is through that door. You’ll find everything you need in there. Tomorrow I’ll have someone bring things for your daughter—uh, Lily. Some clothes or whatever—you can make a list, whatever kids need,” he shrugs. I can’t help but wonder how he’d react if he found out she is his.

“Thank you,” I mutter. For now, I’m just grateful that Lily and I have our own room, and it’s comfortable and way fancier than my room at home.

Luka clenches his jaw, his eyes lowered to the floor.

“Goodnight, Rose,” he says, without looking at me.

“Goodnight, Luka,” I reply.

He pulls the door shut, and I wait a few breaths before letting myself relax. “Mommy, who that?”

“It’s a friend of mommy’s from a long time ago.” I smile, setting Lily down on the bed. She wiggles, crawling across it, giggling.

“Oh, no, we aren’t playing now. Get your little butt underneath these blankets and close your eyes.”

“But I want a story,” she pouts.

“I can tell you a story. But only once you’re tucked in. Do you need to wee?”

“No.” She shakes her head seriously. I tilt my head and put my hands on my hips. “Lily Ann, do you need to wee?”

She giggles and scrunches her nose. “Yes.”

“Come on.” I laugh, lifting her in my arms.

The bathroom is tiled in black, fitted with gold trimmings, and a giant crystal chandelier. It’s like something out of a movie.

Lily is enthralled by it and keeps running from corner to corner to look at everything.

“Lilly Ann Harper, you have five seconds to wee and get your butt into bed, or there will be no story.”

She squeals in delight at the challenge and lets me sit her on the toilet seat.

I wait until the tinkling stops.

“Done?”

“Done.”

Back in the bedroom, she’s snuggled against my side, her soft curls brushing against my cheek as she listens to the story.

“The princess wasn’t sure if she should say yes to the prince, but his smile was so beautiful, and his eyes so kind, that her heart fell madly in love with him,” I said softly. The lights are all off, and the room is peaceful and quiet.

“What bout dragons?” Lily whispers, already drifting off to sleep.

“Oh yes, she had a pet dragon named Tickles. He was gold and pink, and he could breathe beautiful pink flames when he needed to protect the princess. Tickles the dragon was her best friend. They’d known each other their whole lives…”

I peek down at her face. She’s fast asleep.

I let out a long, slow breath of relief. I can barely keep my eyes open.

Closing them, I snuggle into the pillow with my arms wrapped safely around my daughter.

Tomorrow I’ll have to figure out why Luka is holding me prisoner.

I need to get to the bottom of this if I’m going to escape.

Sleep doesn’t come easily, even though I’m exhausted. My visions are plagued by scenes of Luka murdering that man—and that man trying to drag me towards the dark van.

What is going on?

Why are they after me?

When I do fall asleep, I have horrible dreams, and wake breathing heavily with my heart racing.

I squint at my watch. It’s two in the morning. Letting out a soft breath, I pull Lily close to me again and close my eyes.

I can’t get back to sleep, though, so I start planning.

I’ll explore the house the moment I get a chance.

I’ll look for any clues. Maybe I can find a computer and get internet access.

Luka took my purse with my phone in it, so that’s no use to me. But maybe I can find where he hid it. I guess I’ll just start by looking everywhere. It’s all I’ve got. That little sliver of hope.

Everything is going to be okay because I have to keep Lily safe. No matter what happens, that’s my sole concern.

I lie in bed for another hour, unable to sleep, before I decide I should just start looking now.

Luka will still be asleep, as is Lily, and this might be my only chance.

I slip my arm out from underneath her and very carefully get out of the bed. Tiptoeing over the soft carpet, I don’t make a sound. I’m tense, half expecting Luka to leap out from the shadows and catch me sneaking around. Tentatively, I reach out and wrap my fingers around the closed door handle.

The bedroom door isn’t locked, which surprises me. I don’t know why I assumed it would be, and that I was taking a chance. I push it open and glance up and down the dark hallway outside. It’s quiet. Terrifyingly quiet.

It’s now or never, Rose. You can do this.

I slip out of the door, closing it behind me. Turning left, I head deeper into the house to see what I can find, and hopefully not bump into Luka.