Page 29 of Brutal Bratva Boss

“Say something.” My voice is barely a whisper.

Theo’s gaze lifts to mine, and I see the anger swirling just beneath the surface. He jumps up, pacing the length of the sitting room a few times as he runs a hand through his hair.

He stops to look at me and opens his mouth as if to say something before shutting it and resuming his pacing.

When he passes by me a fifth time, I can’t ignore it anymore.

“Theo—”

“You choose to tell me this now?” Theo comes to an abrupt halt in front of me as he shouts, his eyes wide with rage.

I shrink back into the sofa. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I was worried you would try to kill him.”

“You were worried that I would go back on my word and kill the man who is now threatening to kill me?” He scoffs. “How poetic.”

When he says it like that, it sounds ridiculous. “No. Yes. I don’t know, maybe.” I throw my hands up. “I didn’t want you to start a war. And I was worried about how you would react.”

“And how is that working out for you? Did you feel safe looking at the photos taken of us in a place where we should have privacy?”

“No,” I whisper.

Theo shakes his head. He drops it back and looks at the ceiling as his finger taps against his hip where he has propped his hands. “Do you realize the position you have put me in? If you had shared this with me earlier, I could have taken the necessary steps to ensure it did not happen again. I could have had extra men posted outside twenty-four hours a day. Then there would not have been any way for anyone to get close to this place, or to deliver your father’s threats.”

He pins me with an unimpressed glare. “Have you learned nothing?”

“I realize that now!” Tears have started to leak out the corners of my eyes, and I am powerless to stop them. “I was only trying to protect us.” I wave a hand in his direction. “To protect you. My father doesn’t always think clearly, and I didn’t want you to get caught in the middle of his mindless rage. It would result in a massacre! I’m not ready to lose you! I love you.”

Theo’s face softens, and he seemingly takes pity on my sad state. He walks over to the sofa, dropping down opposite me, and opens his arms. Snatching up the opportunity, I slide over and climb into his lap, burying my face in his chest where I cry some more.

All the while he rubs my back in the most tender way. It is unnervingly soothing.

After a few minutes, Theo slides a finger under my chin and lifts my face to his. “Shhh, it’s okay, princess. Everything will be okay.”

I shake my head. “No, it won’t. My father is surely planning to ambush you. Agreeing to meet with him will only give him the opportunity he needs to do that.”

Theo gives me a small smile. “It is only an ambush if I don’t know about it. But now you have told me, so I can be prepared.”

My head is whipping from side to side before he is done speaking. “It’s not that simple, Theo. You know this. It’s only a matter of time before my father makes good on his promises. We can’t stay holed up here forever. Besides, we’ve already established this place is not the safe haven we thought it was.”

Theo is quiet for a while as he thinks. I can almost see the gears grinding in his head.

“I will still go to your father,” he finally says.

“But—”

He holds up a hand to cut me off. “Now that I know what he has planned, I can prepare. I’ll need to see the photos and threats.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat, nodding and pointing to where I left everything in a pile tucked behind some of the books on the bookshelf.

Theo places me softly on the far side of the sofa as he gets up and fetches the photos and letters. I wait patiently as he reads through them and flips through the photos.

“I am going to strike a deal with your father.” He nods to the pages in his hands. “From what I can gather, your father does not seem to know about us being married.” He motions to my belly. “Or the fact that you have my child growing inside of you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think he knows.”

Theo nods. “Then we still have the upper hand. I’ll arrange to meet with him, and I’ll find a way to negotiate the guarantee of your safety, and that of our child.”

“But what about you?”

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