Page 3 of The Bratva King

“Gabriella, it’s me.”

My body sags when I recognize Greg’s voice.

“He’s dead.” My voice is raspy, my throat painfully dry.

Greg reaches down, and in a move that belies his age, he lifts me and starts walking. I hear him talking, but I feel like I’m floating.

When I open my eyes again, I’m lying in a bed in a dark room.

“There she is,” Greg says from a chair next to me.

“Where am I?”

“Boston.”

“What?”

“I had to get you out of the city. We’re in a safehouse for now.”

And then I remember everything. Matteo. The explosion. He’s dead. I’m free.

But it doesn’t feel real.

Pain rolls through me. “Ow.”

Greg gets up, moves to the bed, and sits on the edge. “You’re okay,” he says. “You have a concussion. Some bumps and bruises. A few cuts. One on your arm required a few stitches.”

My hand moves to my stomach.

He notices. “The doctor checked, and things appear to be fine. He assures me that at this early stage, the baby is well protected. He checked for a heartbeat.”

“He did?”

He smiles. “You’ll need a full exam. I got to hear the little nugget’s heart pumping along. He or she is very strong. We’ll make sure you get all the prenatal care you need. Doctor said to watch for signs of bleeding, but he didn’t see any issues.”

A tear slides down my cheek. He pats my leg under the blanket.

“How did I get here?”

“I heard the explosion,” he says. “I had a feeling… I found you on the sidewalk. Do you remember?”

I look at his arm and see the gauze. “Sorry.”

He smiles. “No worries. You were fighting. I loaded you in my car and drove away. Called my doctor friend to check you over. We’re off the books here.”

“What about wit sec?”

“We’ve had to change plans.”

“What?”

“They know.”

My head hurts so damn bad. I can’t think straight. “What do you mean?”

“Someone leaked,” he says. “My source tells me the don found out about the RICO case. He was afraid Matteo might flip, so he had him taken out. They’re looking for you. My source will be getting out soon.”

“How did they find out?” I ask.