Page 102 of Baby for the Bratva King

I fight whatever substance he has injected into me, forcing my eyes open. I see three of my father, before I lose sight of him completely and let the black hole take me.

27

FELIX

I try Saskia’s phone again, but it goes straight to voicemail.

She’s pissed. She probably thinks I lied up there.

I clench my hands into fists. I’ll skin Vesper alive for tainting Saskia’s perception. She thinks I’m lying. Of course she does. She grew up under a man who was all talk, who said what he needed to in front of the cameras to save himself.

I swill the scotch around in the glass, considering going over to her place. I never made it to Vesper’s office. I was done after the press hounded me. I needed to sit in silence and drink scotch—the next best remedy after Saskia.

The front door bursts open, causing my heart to clench in unfamiliar ways. I stand up, rushing through into the lobby, only to be met with Gabriel.

Talk about anticlimactic.

“The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree,” he says, noting the almost empty glass of scotch in my hand. He doesn’t need to know about the other two glasses.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Pleasure?” Gabriel sniffs a laugh, ironing out his suit jacket. “I think you’ve had enough of that for one day.” Gabriel glances pointedly at my glass again. “You announce your love to the world. You officially stopped people from guessing.”

“What difference does it make? My love life and Bratva operations are now entwined, no thanks to that lanky marathon runner.”

“He’s doing you a favor.”

“He’ll be doing me a favor when he’s rotting away underground.”

“You hold too much resentment for a man you never even knew.” Gabriel folds his arms over his chest. “That was until Saskia entered your life. You brought this upon yourself, bratan. And all for what? Because she awakens the old heart and makes you fall back in love with life?” He levels me a look. “We both know what happens when you mix the Bratva with reality.”

“I’m not interested in your counsel,” I grumble, finishing the rest of the scotch.

“No, of course not. You’re interested in Saskia. Too fucking interested. The woman is walking all over you, and you’re letting her.” Gabriel walks closer, and for a split second, I see fear cross his eyes. We all lose if I fuck this up. But causalities happen when you rely on another person.

“Saskia is using you to create her own image. Check out her social media.” Gabriel slips his phone, flipping it around. “See for yourself.”

“Already seen, thank you.” I push the phone away, taking out my own in case I missed a call from her. Still nothing.

I tuck my phone back into my pocket, met with Gabriel’s unimpressed face.

“My point exactly,” he says.

“What are you moaning about?”

“She ignores you the second you give her what she wants.” Gabriel slides his hands into his pockets, pacing around the lobby. “Just like the rest of them.”

But Saskia was never like the rest of them. She wanted the money at first…

Then her cheeks started going red when I entered the room. She started running away, doing anything to avoid me. I scared her.

And then she heard me moaning her name in the shower. I knew from that day things would change. You can’t reverse the damage. All you can do is keep rolling with the damage until the consequences catch up.

I lived too hard. I fucked Saskia even harder. She taught me how to love unconditionally, and now it will be my undoing. Love is death, and I’m moments away from meeting mine.

I stare at my phone screen, manifesting a call from her, but Gabriel is right—Saskia has what she wants.

She never wanted me long term. I was someone she related to. We came together and understood each other’s hurt. I slid my cock into her and felt whole.