Page 20 of Hostage of the Bratva

I recognized the name. It was the guy who was with Domique the day I met Skyler. Maybe that was why she looked so worried when I shot him. I concluded that she must be part ofthem as I headed to the room. I felt my anger rise as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. She was lying down on the bed, but the place was a mess. Scanning the room, I realized she was looking for something while I was gone.

There were scratches on the windows and dents in the furniture. In the kitchen, the shelf with the pots seemed to have broken. Next to the chair behind the door lay my bat. I considered that she may have wanted to hit me with it at some point.

“Looks like you had fun,” I said closing the door and listening for the automatic locking. Turning to her, I drop the phone on the foot of the bed. “You have a guy calling you. Three times today I see.”

I pulled the chair standing by the door closer and sat down. Taking a deep breath I continue. “How must I trust you when you say the baby is mine? If there is a baby? When you can’t be honest with me.”

Skyler slowly lifted her head and looked at me. She seemed a bit pale. “Have you eaten?” I asked as I stood up and walked to the small kitchen. “I’ll make us some supper; you must be starving.”

“I ate,” Skyler replied softly behind me. “I feel sick, I think the pickles are off.”

I glanced at her over my shoulder and grinned. “No, it may be nerves causing you to feel ill. But, then again, if you are pregnant, having only pickles to eat might not have been such a good idea.”

I poured her a glass of water and walked back to the bed. “Here,” I said. “Sit up and drink it. Then tell me about this guy who keeps on calling you.”

Skyler slowly sat up and took the glass from me. After a couple of sips, she placed the glass down and pulled her phone closer, looking at the screen. Smiling, she glanced up at me.

“Who is he?” I asked as I took the phone back and stared at the screen. “Is he the real father? Are you playing me?”

“Oh my,” Skyler uttered as she fell back to the bed. “No, Mathieu is my brother.” She admitted, laughing lightly. “He works for a broker firm around the corner, he’s a consultant.” Skyler stopped laughing and held her stomach again.

“Can you tell me more about your brother?” I inquired.

“Well,” she said, wiping at the corners of her mouth. “He’s sixteen years older, and as we grew up without a father, he has always looked out for me. You can say he was the father I never had in a sense.”

I nodded. “And you said he is a broker?” I prodded.

“He has a degree, but he consults. He only advises on best business practices. How to invest and where. Why do you need a broker consultant?” she asked, picking up the water and drinking the last bit.

Grinning at her, I shook my head, “No, thanks. I was just wondering.”

“Really,” she said, moving closer. “I can call him, and you can have a chat.”

I felt her phone vibrating in my pocket. Standing, I took it out and looked at the screen. As if, somehow, Mathieu knew we were talking about him, his name showed on the caller ID.

“I would have to answer him at some stage, or he will know something is wrong,” Skyler spoke as she rose and walked closer.

Killing the call, I pushed the phone back into my pocket. “We will see,” I said as I walked around the table and pulled a bottle of vodka from the drawer. “First, I think we should talk,” I added, glancing at her.

Skyler stood on the other side of the table. I couldn’t quite figure out what she was up to, but I was sure she was working anangel. She placed her hands on the end of the table and leaned forward.

“Sure, what do you want to talk about,” she said, smiling.

I walked back to the bed and sat down on the chair. I felt her watching me as I moved. I patted the end of the bed.

“Come, sit with me,” I said, glancing over my shoulder.

Skyler came strolling over, slowly watching me. She sat down and folded her hands in her lap.

“What I’m about to tell you may sound a bit, well,” I said, pulling the chair closer and taking her hands in mine. “It may sound unbelievable.” I finished watching her reaction.

“I think we are past the unlikely stage, don’t you think,” she said as she pulled her hand from mine and waved it around. “This was already farfetched, I mean, who would have thought you would kidnap me, twice.”

“Okay, I get it,” I replied, standing up and moving to the small kitchen.

Looking back at her, Skyler was perched up on her elbows, lying on her stomach on the bed, smiling at me. “So, how about I make supper while we talk?”

Chapter 14 - Skyler

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