Page 5 of Trapped by the Bratva (The Valkov Bratva #5)

HANNAH

I t was all gone. Vanished. Stolen.

No matter how many times I checked back on my balance, it remained low. Startlingly low. Almost empty. The zeros that I’d been so excited to see building in the balance now showed after the decimal point instead of in the several spots before it.

“I can’t believe it,” I repeated to myself as I walked out of the hospital after my shift’s end.

Head down, eyes glued to my phone, I exited my workplace with a haze of anger fueling my every tired step.

It was all gone, and every time I uttered those works of pure shock, I wanted my screen to show me something different. I wanted to believe my eyes were playing tricks on me.

But they weren’t.

The bank account that I started separate from the one I used as a checking account for the purpose of paying rent and bills was gone.

Practically depleted.

I glowered as I swiped my thumb to the call log, showing all the times I'd tried to file the withdrawals as fraud.

No one helped me there. Because Melissa had been cunningly sneaky about it. She’d taken out the money each week, changing up the amounts so it wouldn’t be flagged. She’d also gone onto my account settings and changed the account notifications to go to her email instead of mine.

All while I was sleeping.

“I can’t believe you’d stoop this low.” I clenched my teeth and looked back again at her messages.

Melissa: Get over it.

Melissa: It’s not like you won’t make more money.

Melissa: It’s your own fault. You shouldn’t have been hiding money from me to start with.

That last line nearly pushed me over the edge. Steam could’ve been trailing from my ears. That was how mad I was.

This morning, when I caught her snooping in my room, with my phone in her hand, I woke up so fast I was dizzy. What I learned nauseated me.

She hadn’t tried to lie about it. If anything, she’d looked so smug and proud of herself as she explained it all.

Devin picked the lock on my door because he’d convinced her that I was hiding cash that they “deserved” for being the older adults in the apartment. Finding no cash—because I had learned years ago that she would hunt for anything I stashed for myself—she got my phone.

It was a blessing and a curse how much banking we did digitally.

A curse for me, because she’d held my phone up to my face for the facial recognition unlock.

That was how she’d found my secret account.

For the last month, I’d been working all the extra hours I could to make more.

Aside from rent and utilities, I put aside everything else to finally break away.

To leave. To ditch her. To start a new life anywhere else.

She’d taken it all, screwing me over again.

Sick of feeling stuck and abused, used and manipulated, I said enough was enough and started an action plan to run away.

And now? I was fucked.

“Hannah?”

I looked up just in time before I collided with someone walking in the opposite direction. My phone almost fell to the sidewalk, but I caught it before it could shatter.

Glancing up at the woman who’d said my name, I blinked. Then blinked some more. Once again, I wondered if my eyes were deceiving me.

“Becca?” I asked incredulously.

My vision was fine. It wasn’t a trick or illusion. My former friend and boss stood right there.

“Oh, my God! Becca!” I squealed and lunged at her for a hug.

As I did, a stern-looking man in a suit stepped forward. He’d waited behind her, at a slight distance, but my sudden launch at Becca had him on edge.

I furrowed my brow, confused, but Becca hugged me back just as tightly.

“I’m so happy to see you,” she exclaimed.

“Me too. I mean, I’m glad to see you! And you!” I grinned, open-mouthed with surprise, as I stepped back and looked her over. “Look at you!”

She was radiant. And so happy. I saw it in her eyes. They didn’t look guarded and worried, but full of joy. No dark bags lined under them. A stylish new cut emphasized how gorgeous her red hair was. And her belly protruded ever so slightly.

“I… Wow.” I was speechless, running into her out of the blue like this. “Congratulations.” It was horrible manners to ever assume a woman was pregnant, but with her slender figure, it was so obvious.

“Thank you.” She placed her hand over her bump and smiled wider. “Five months along now.”

“Oh, my gosh!” I hugged her again, feeling brighter just to have her arms squeezing me tight right back. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks, Hannah.”

“And you look so…” I gestured at her, amazed at the makeover she’d somehow given herself. It wasn’t just that she was dressed nicely and looked pampered, but also the overall glow she exuded. Elated, content, and unstressed. “You look so happy.”

“I am.” She smiled wider. “I’m very happy.”

I held her hand, looking at her from an arm’s length. “And so healthy and just wow !”

She laughed lightly. “Emily and I are doing very well.”

“Oh, I miss seeing her. I missed both of you. How is she?”

“Oh, she’s a handful, as ever.”

I smiled, overjoyed to hear it.

“She seems excited to have a new baby brother or sister, but I bet there will be an adjustment period.”

I laughed along with her. “Oh, I’m happy for you. Congratulations again.”

“How are you doing?” she asked. While she still smiled, some of the enthusiasm in her gaze dimmed. Worry replaced it.

“I…” I nodded then shrugged, breaking eye contact with her for a moment. Humiliation rose within me. Shame and sadness, too. I never liked to waste my energy on emotions like jealousy or envy, but they crept in. It was hard to keep from frowning.

Seeing her so unexpectedly threw me off. And witnessing how happy and content she was hit a sore spot. I was already so down from discovering Melissa took my secret savings that I was perilously close to breaking down.

“I…” I sighed, hating the burn of tears behind my lids. I blinked faster, trying to hold them off. I never cried. Ever. Life was too short to spend them in tears.

“Oh, Han,” she said, lifting her arms to wrap me in another hug.

I shook my head, sniffling and looking between us. She looked so pretty in a new dress, her hair so smooth, makeup on point. I felt frumpy and filthy. Still in my scrubs and the messiest bun ever, I felt too grungy to accept her compassion.

“It can’t be that bad,” she said. “Can it?”

I wiped under my eyes, hating the moisture there. “Yeah, actually, yeah. It is.”

She settled for taking my hand and squeezing it. “Come sit with me.”

I focused on steadying my breath as she led me to a bistro table near the hospital. The outdoor café area was way too pricy for me, but I bet no one would kick a pregnant lady out of sitting down for a moment.

“Is it your sister?” she asked once we sat.

That suited man followed us over, but he stood off to the side again. I furrowed my brow, glancing at him and wondering what was up.

“Is that your boyfriend?” I pointed at him.

She laughed once. “No.”

“Then who?—”

She reclaimed my hand and held it in hers. “Don’t change the subject.”

“I wasn’t. Not really. If he’s stalking you or something, then I’ll…” I frowned at him again. He was close enough to hear me and still looked stoic about my discussing his presence.

“You always changed the subject when I asked about Melissa,” Becca said. She spoke firmly, like an older sister could, but not meanly.

“Because I never want to talk about her, much less think about her.”

“She’s still the same, huh?”

I lowered my gaze, ashamed again. “No. Even worse.” I’d never hesitated to tell Becca about my sister. She was easy to confide in. But these were my problems. Not hers. “I don’t want to drag you down. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry?” She rolled her eyes playfully but with sarcasm. “You never cry.”

I shrugged. “I’m just burned out, stressed from working so much.”

“And studying?” She smiled. “You’ve got to be so happy this close to graduation.”

I shook my head. “I dropped out after the…” I swallowed. “The incident. When Emily was taken.”

Even though this topic was bothersome, I got excited. I can ask her who that man was! Just knowing his name would help somehow.

“Are you serious? Why?” She grew alarmed.

“Well, my head hurt for a while and it was hard to read and study.”

“Are you okay now?” She leaned closer, peering at me with concern.

“Oh, yeah. From that, I’m fine. It just took time. Recovery always does. I was patient with the headaches and mental fog, but my professors were not.” I shrugged. I wished I had finished becoming an RN, though. I could make more money faster.

“I was told you were okay, and it’s been… hectic. I am so sorry I didn’t reach out sooner.”

“No, hey. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m not your responsibility.”

“Of course, you’re not my responsibility. But you are my friend.”

I forced a quick smile.

“And as your friend, I expect to know the real reason that’s making you so close to tears.”

I pulled my lips in my mouth and hesitated. She was always so easy to talk to, though, and I couldn’t keep it all bottled in. “I just… I just want a new start on life. You know?”

“I did know.” She nodded.

Before that fateful night when she didn’t come home and Emily was almost kidnapped, Becca had been in a similar position as me. Overworked, without support.

“Not anymore. You look amazing. New job? Are you not making art anymore?”

“No. No art for now. Not while I’m pregnant and Emily is determined to run me off my feet.” She smiled.

“I can see it.”

She cleared her throat, sobering up. “But that’s why I’m here.”

“Huh?”

“I had to wait a while before I could try to reach out to you, Han. I have a new job—that of being a stay-at-home-mom—but I’ve met someone too. Someone very special.”

“Aww. You deserve a good guy.”

“And he is. The best. The best man for me. But…”

“Oh, no. A but shouldn’t follow that statement.”

She smiled. “ But my boyfriend, fiancé, actually,” she said as she showed me a ring, “can be… protective.”

The man standing nearby grunted a laugh. She smirked at him.

“Protective, huh?” That didn’t sound so bad.

I could use some protection from the cruelties of the world, like my sister.

The last time I saw or met a protective man was that guy who’d shown up the night of Emily’s kidnapping.

I supposed I couldn’t say I met him when I didn’t even know his name.

Becca’s cryptic words confused me. What wasn’t she saying?

“But he is very, very loyal and generous,” she added.

“He’s good with Emily?”

She grinned. “He adores Emily.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“He has a relative who’s been wounded recently, and I told him that I would be happy to contact you and see if you might be interested in coming to help him recover at home.”

I furrowed my brow. “I’m not a registered nurse.”

“Close enough.”

“Uh, technically, I guess, but…”

She shook her head. “Trust me. I vouch for you. You’re skilled, competent, and patient.”

“Okay…” This was the last thing I was expecting to hear.

“He needs confidential care at home,” she added.

“Well, sure. Lots of people probably do better in the privacy of their homes.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“But have you looked into referred home care services? Real nurses?”

“Like I said, I vouch for you.”

I appreciated the vote of confidence, but I was hesitant. “I’d love to help. You know I would, but I don’t want anyone to think I’m some qualified expert.”

“You’re a perfect solution.”

“Um…” I giggled quickly, bewildered by this impromptu offer. “Wow. It’s a lot to consider on a whim. What shift would this be?”

“It’s a live-in position,” she said. “He really needs constant supervision.”

“Oh, wow.” It’s probably some old dude. “End-of-life, hospice kind of care?”

“No, no. Not at all.” She shook her head. “And your salary will more than compensate for your willingness to help.”

“I’d have to quit the hospital…” I grimaced. “And I need all the hours I can get. I…” I blew out a harsh breath. “ That’s why I was near tears, Bec. Seeing you so happy and all, and I’m feeling the opposite.”

“What happened?”

“Melissa took it all. I was hiding an account, a savings, to just get up and run away from her, and she found it.”

She firmed her lips in a hard line. “She’s still taking advantage of you?”

I nodded. “Never stops.”

She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and scribbled on it. “Well, fuck her then. Run away, or hide, with us. Would this be a good start to replace that savings she stole?”

I glanced down at the paper and opened my eyes wide. The advance was three times the total I'd saved up. And the salary was far more than I could ever expect to make at the hospital as an LPN or RN.

“Are you serious?”

She nodded. “Ivan, my fiancé, is too. What do you say?”

I licked my lips, bowled over with hope. I clung to it and fought the urge to do a happy dance.

“You’re serious? Like, really serious?”

She nodded again.

I could hide this from Melissa. Hell, I wouldn’t even have to see her to secret it away. Becca said this was a live-in position, so I wouldn’t be coming to the apartment Melissa lazed around in all day and night.

This was a ticket to escape.

I only had one answer, and it was in the form of a question.

“When can I start?”

Becca smiled. “Yusef and I will come with you now to get whatever you want to bring.”