Page 47 of Baby for the Bratva

“I… I don’t think I can do this,” I say, my voice trembling as I look at his throbbing erection.

I’m scared of him. The power, the dangerous, the sex… Just everything.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but you’re not leaving this room tonight. I have to keep you here for your safety,” he says, his erection wilting a bit as he realizes we’re not going to have sex.

I feel guilty. I shouldn’t lead him on like this, but circumstances won’t allow me to forget about the peril we’re in and succumb to my primitive yearnings. It’s going to get me into more trouble, and that’s the last thing I need.

“You need to tell me everything,” I say, crossing my arms and taking a step back from him. “I want to know what’s going on, and who you really are. Why are there so many people on this boat with Russian accents?”

He chuckles, grabbing his underwear from the floor and putting them on. “Nothing wrong with being from Russian, sweetheart. We don’t get to choose where we’re born.”

“Sure, but it’s more than a little suspicious that you have so many people working for you. They all seem kind of… off. I don’t know if that’s the right word for it, but they’re not regular people.”

He sighs as he steps into his pants. “They’re normal if you’re in the Bratva.”

I frown. “What’s that?”

He takes a few moments to button his pants and zip them up before looking at me again. “Oh, my darling,” he says as he releases a deep breath, “you have so much to learn.”

22

Stella

It’s four in the morning, and I’m still asking him questions about Yuri’s criminal lifestyle. He thought I was going to run from the room screaming the moment I found out he was a mafia boss, but it explains so much about him that I can’t be angry he’s finally admitting it. If anything, it’s going to be a wild story to tell when I get home.

We’re lying in his bed, and I’m still naked while he’s wearing his pants. I’m not sure if he’s in the mood for sex anymore, but the hunger inside me is rising again as he tells me about his life and what it entails.

“Do you do any of the drugs?” I ask, tracing a finger over one of his nipples.

“I used to, but I know that shit is bad for you. It’s a young person’s game, and I have to look after my health.”

“Come now, you’re not that old.”

“I could be your grandfather,” he jokes.

I slap his chest lightly. “Don’t be gross. You’re only, what, ten years older than me?”

“Probably fifteen, but it doesn’t matter. As long as you realize this is only temporary, it’s all good fun.”

Hearing him say the truth we’re both aware of is painful. I actually like him more now that I know who he really is, but it also means I can’t live in the illusion that he would be a good long-term partner.

I can’t go swinging from a toxic asshole straight to a Bratva boss. That would ruin my life.

“Did Chekhov really fall off the boat?” I ask, digging deeper for more answers.

“You think I killed him or something?” he asks, sounding a bit offended.

I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe he tried to screw you over or something.”

Yuri shakes his head. “No, he was as loyal as they come, but someone got to him and convinced him to go outside with him. We caught it on one of the security cameras. There was a woman that lured him out and then she pushed him into the ocean.”

“But why?” I ask.

“Still trying to figure that out. She hasn’t been identified. We have enemies, of course, but things have been getting weird lately. I can’t say everything, though. You’re not part of the Bratva.”

“You have to keep certain things a secret from outsiders,” I reply. I wish I could know more, but I understand where he’s coming from. What he’s already told me was probably too much, and anything more would only put him at more risk.

Yuri pets my hair, his chest rising and falling slowly. “It’s better that you don’t know everything. You’d be in just as much danger as I am if that were the case.”

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