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But above all, I won’t let them know how much Nikolai has hurt me.
53
EDEN
The room hasneither light nor air conditioning. I didn’t expect another penthouse or mansion, but this is brutal. I’m a captive and being treated like one, sitting in a hard chair for what feels like hours. I strain my eyes in the dark, hoping nothing lives in here.
My mouth is dry. I’m tired and thinking about my discomfort doesn’t make me feel better. I lean against the back of the chair and close my eyes, trying to relax and imagine how I will feel when this is over.
Suddenly, footsteps approach the door, and keys jingle in the lock. I open my eyes, sit up straight, and pretend like none of this bothers me. The lights come on, and the two brigadiers enter the room.
Where’s the third one?I haven’t seen him at all.
Gunsyn stares at me with an unfeeling expression that makes him look like the rabid dog he is.
“Your life will be spared,” Gunsyn states matter-of-factly. “Because of the child you carry.”
My breath catches, and I cough. “Who told you?” I ask, my voice trembling slightly.
“You’re not the only one who likes to eavesdrop,” replies Alexander, smirking. “Lucky for you. It makes your life worth something to the Bratva.”
Gunsyn walks toward me and stands in front of the chair. He leans down until his bulldog face is inches from mine. “You’ll be safe here,” he says, hardly concealing his queasy smile. “Understand?”
I nod, refusing to speak in case my voice cracks.
Gunsyn straightens up. “However, that doesn’t mean you’re free.” His gaze pierces me. “You belong to us. You and your child.”
“Does Nikolai know?” I ask.
“You mean, does he care?” Alexander replies, taking a seat at the table. He dusts it with his hands, scowling at the dirt.
“Don’t worry about that,” Gunsyn scowls at Alexander, then answers me. “You’ll be taken care of.” He motions around the room as if it’s a deluxe hotel suite. “That’s the heir to the Bratva in your belly.”
His words send a nasty chill down my spine.The heir to the Bratva. I’m carrying the next Starukhin boss, and Nikolai doesn’t even know yet. Or maybe he does. I stare at the men and sit in silence, numb like them as I process everything that’s happening.
“If you try to escape, I promise I can make your life very painful,” Gunsyn continues. “And if you succeed in escaping,Iwill hunt you down and kill you. Slowly.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “What about my baby?” I ask quietly.
Alexander’s too-white smile reminds me of a rat. “Do anything against the Bratva,” he says, “and I won’t hesitate to cut the brat out of you as soon as it can survive on its own.”
I swallow hard, pushing down the fear rising in me. This is the price I pay for my father’s betrayal and my own stupid heart for falling in love with a gangster. “So, you’re keeping me prisoner in a hot warehouse without a toilet or food until I have ahealthybaby,” I reply. “Sounds like a shitty plan.”
“Watch your mouth.” Gunsyn nods to the other two men. “You’re safer with us than with Nikolai. Especially for what comes next.”
My expression goes blank as I realize a horrible truth. I am alone. I have to think rationally and not let my emotions tank me. They’ll hurt me once the baby is born. But Nikolai is loyal to his family, and if he really knew I was pregnant with his child, he would be here.
I look around the hot, stuffy room, which cannot compare to the luxury I was given at the penthouse. And back then, I wasn’t even pregnant. They have to be lying. Nikolai may hate me, but he would never put his child at risk. Would he? I shiver despite my logic. I can’t let these men mess up my head.
I cross my legs. “Nikolai didn’t order you to do this, did he?”
They stare without responding, and their eyes hint at the answer.
Gunsyn glares at me. “It’s better if you forget about Nikolai,” he says as if he knows my constant thoughts. “Spare yourself the pain.”
“I’m here because of my father, or so you say,” I challenge. “And what I want to know is, which one of you pricks killed my mother?” I scowl at them with all the hate in my heart.
Alexander and Gunsyn exchange glances that poorly conceal their shock. “That’s none of your concern,” Gunsyn shouts as if I did something bad.
