Page 19 of Sexting My Bratva Boss (Mafia Silver Foxes #1)

Audrey

“ I insist.”

I stare at Konstantin, not sure what to make of this. When I texted him earlier in the week to tell him that today was my first ultrasound appointment, I assumed he wouldn’t come.

“There is nothing more important than this.”

The words are like an arrow, making my chest hurt. I hate how much I want him to mean it; how much I ache for him to be here with me. And he is.

We walk into the clinic and it’s clear that they know exactly who he is. The receptionist drops her gaze immediately. I didn’t tell them who the father was, but I didn’t have to—Konstantin had his people make this appointment.

Aurum Wellness, when I looked it up, is exclusive.

Almost impossible to get into. It caters to New York’s elite and has quite a few clients who fly or drive in from across the country.

The interior is flawless, all dark wood and dove-gray walls.

There’s an area for water, espresso, tea—served by a woman behind the counter.

We check in with the receptionist, who shoots a look at Konstantin but is obviously too scared to make eye contact. Konstantin is looking around as if inspecting his soldiers. He’s critical, intimidating, and cold.

They don’t ask for his identification. Instead, the receptionist whispers to me, “If you want to, you can just skip the part about the father. Unless… there are any genetic, um, issues you feel should be included.”

Her voice gets higher, more nervous, when she realizes that Konstantin has heard her.

He stares her down. But she has a point, and when we sit to fill out the paperwork, I murmur: “ Is there anything I should know about? Any chronic conditions…?” When he’s silent, I prompt as a peace offering, “My mom’s side of the family is prone to diabetes.

I dodged that bullet. Also… we have weak ankles,” I joke, stifling a smile when he only raises a brow.

Gently, he takes the clipboard from me and purses the section on the background of the father. He makes a few short notes; nothing crazy, but I scan the information and see that he’s checked off asthma, high cholesterol, and no drug or alcohol use.

“You had asthma?” I ask, the question popping out of me in surprise.

“My brother,” he says gruffly.

“I… didn’t know you had a brother.” There’s a pull in me to ask more. To find out where his family is—if he’s still in contact with them. If he misses them. I haven’t heard anything about Konstantin Martynov’s family; not even rumors, which is suspect.

But now isn’t the time. The door opens and a nurse calls us in, brings us into a small but comfortable room, and lets me know how I should undress and arrange myself.

It’s… awkward, to say the least. Konstantin doesn’t avert his eyes as I slip my underwear off under the button-down dress I’m wearing and slide onto the exam table, covering myself in the drape before pulling the skirt up.

He reaches out, a warm hand on my knee under the drape.

“You’re comfortable?”

I nod, taking in my surroundings. I get regular annual visits, but I’ve never had an ultrasound before. The machine looks surprisingly small, but complex, with a little roller ball in the middle of a bunch of buttons. I glance at the dark screen, and my heart starts beating, hard.

There is a baby growing in me, right now. And I’m about to see it.

I smile tremulously at Konstantin, and he opens his mouth to say something, but then the door opens. The tech introduces herself kindly and professionally before walking us through what the appointment will entail. She’ll take measurements and photos, then hands us off to the doctor.

I glance over to see Konstantin sitting stiffly in his chair once things get started. Leaning back, the pillow is insanely comfortable and takes my mind off of how cold the ultrasound gel is. The screen looks like a videogame from the nineties, which would be funny if I wasn’t so nervous.

A little blob appears. Barely noticeable, and I’m not sure, but…

“Is that… it?” I ask. The tech smiles, her eyes still on the screen as she clicks and rolls.

“Yes. And it looks like you’re about seven weeks along… so, a little early to be seen by us, but that’s fine. The doctor will tell you when she wants to do the next checkup.”

I glance over at Konstantin and then do a double-take. He’s staring intently at the screen with an expression I’ve never seen on his face before.

It’s almost… infatuation. But softer.

If this is how he feels about our child, then I feel much better about the agreement. I’m suddenly second-guessing my decision to move out west, but if I have to leave my— our— baby behind, at least I know that Konstantin will do anything for them.

I’ll give you everything. I’ll destroy myself, for you.

His words echo in my head. Somehow, I’d tucked them away, even in the throes of passion. Of course I doubted them; they were just something for a man obsessed with fucking a baby into me to say, mindless babble while he plowed into me over and over.

But now…

A strange mixture of elation, sadness, and grief wells up in me as I stare at the screen. The tech explains the measurements she’s taking, and she prints a few images for us to take. I hand them to Konstantin, and he stares down at them reverently.

The rest of the appointment goes by in a blur as I try to keep my emotions at bay. Over and over, I have to stop myself from touching my belly, from cradling our child.

When the doctor leaves the room briefly to print out our care sheet, Konstantin grips my thigh with one hand.

“Are you okay?” he asks, eyes boring into mine.

I do everything I can to keep the tears back.

“Yes,” I choke out, giving him a watery smile. “I’m fine, just—it’s a lot.”

He nods, agreeing, his eyes misting over. With what, I wonder? Is he worried? Regretting this? Scared, like I am?

I don’t regret this. I know that. But one thought keeps coming back to me over and over… I wish she was here.

In the car ride home, we’re both silent. I’m lost in thought, but whenever I pop back into the present, I can tell that Konstantin is watching me closely. He has the driver stop at a realty office and he disappears inside for a short time before returning.

Driving through the city, we take a turn and all of a sudden the feeling of things being vaguely familiar coalesces into recognition.

I gasp, covering my mouth, eyes filling and spilling over.

“Audrey.” He reaches over, unclicks my seatbelt, and slides me across the backseat to him. I press into his side, ashamed of the tears. “What’s wrong?” he murmurs, beard tickling my forehead.

Glancing over his shoulder, out the window, I take in the familiar street—the familiar home.

“I used to live here,” I whisper, voice trembling. “With my Nana. That was her house.”

Before it went into foreclosure.

Before I had to scramble to find the apartment on Magnolia, with Sal’s help, though now that memory is bitter.

Konstantin’s large hand cradles my head against him. I let the tears and the grief come, in waves, soaking into his perfect, bespoke suit. By the time we’re out of the city and almost home the feeling of hopelessness has receded.

“Leave us,” he tells the driver once we’re parked. The man gets out and walks down the street, lighting a cigarette. I wonder what the neighbors must think.

For what feels like a full minute, Konstantin only watches me. I wipe at the damp trails, self-conscious and finally giving in to gently covering my belly with one hand.

“You’re alone,” he says finally.

I nod. Today has been overwhelming, to say the least.

And if I’m going to do this, I need Konstantin to understand some things about my situation—about how hard this will be for me.

“It’s been one year, today, since my grandmother died.”

His eyes widen in realization as I continue: “She raised me. And I wasn’t ready for her to leave… I didn’t realize how sick she was. She was good at hiding it.”

I don’t need to remind him of my angry, forced confession—that I borrowed the money from Sal and his boss for my Nana’s home care. That fear and love are why I’m in this situation.

“And your parents…?”

I shake my head. “My mom, Nell, she’s an addict. Always has been. She dropped me off when I was three months old and I’ve only seen her a handful of times over the years. I have no idea where she is. My father…” I shrug, giving him a hopeless look. I have no idea who my father is.

He nods slowly, taking that information in. Then something occurs to me: “Didn’t you, I don’t know… do research on me, or anything? Before deciding…?” I gesture at my belly, and Konstantin reaches out, ghosting his fingers over my curves, a small smile on his face.

“No,” he admits. “It wouldn’t have mattered; I only wanted you. Not your past. Not other’s mistakes.”

The declaration calms something in me. The grief isn’t gone, but it’s lessened.

Konstantin carefully unfolds the ultrasound images from his wallet and hands them to me. We bend close, heads over the tiny blob that will be our future.

“My family,” he says quietly, almost a whisper, “I lost them, too. My brother… he passed away. After I left Russia.” Clearing his throat, he pulls away and looks out the window.

I reach out, but stop shy of touching him, not sure if he wants comfort.

“My mother didn’t want me. Only the money.

And, well, it looks like neither of us have a father to blame for our misfortune. ”

His smile is beautiful and sad all at once.

I can’t help myself. I lean forward, practically crawl into his lap, and take his face in my hands. His beard is thick, much darker than his silver hair. For a moment I imagine what a younger, desperate Konstantin would look like, new to America. Fighting for a future.

My lips press against his gently. Konstantin relaxes into the kiss, covering my mouth with his, sucking teasingly on my bottom lip. He squeezes my hip, presses his other hand to my belly.

“You’ll never be alone now, Audrey,” he murmurs. “You’ll always have me, and our child. Always.”