Page 59 of The Bratva's Hostage Bride

Asher smiles at me. “It’s a great doctor, I promise.”

“Okay,” I say hesitantly. “You’re not going to sell me for body parts, are you?”

“Luka would kill us,” Asher says with a grin. “But no, we don’t sell sisters for body parts.”

“Let me go grab my purse,” I say. “Oh, what about the kids?”

“They’ll come with us, don’t worry,” Asher says. “We’ll go get them while you grab your purse.”

I hurry upstairs and grab my purse, putting it in a handbag before I head downstairs. They are, as promised, waiting in the foyer with their strollers. Samuel is awake now, but Jade is still asleep. Samuel looks at me curiously and then bangs his hands.

“Not now, Sammy, we’re going out,” Penny purrs. She pushes his stroller forward, and we go to the family van parked outside. That is not at all how I picture mafia queens riding around.

They’re so normal.

I follow them out and watch them buckle their babies into their car seats. Jade stirs for the briefest moment and then goes back to sleep. Once they’re buckled in, I climb into the seat behind theirs, and Asher climbs into the driver's side and Penny in the passenger side.

Asher starts to drive, and I see their guards following us in a vehicle. “Don’t you guys hate being followed by guards all the time?”

“You get used to it, and if you make friends with them, it’s easier.” Penny turns in her seat to look at me over the kids. “Yours is Jonah, right? He’ll be in the car with our guards. It’s important we’re safe at all times.”

“But don’t you hate living like that?” I ask curiously. “It’s such a rubbish way to live.”

“It’s easier because we love our husbands,” Asher says. “We’re madly in love with them, so it’s easy for us to entangle our lives with theirs. As long as they don’t bring us into their shady dealings, we don’t mind much.”

“Do you love Luka?” Penny asks curiously.

“I… I don’t know,” I say quietly. “I feel something.”

“Something is good,” Asher says. “Something is a start.”

We arrive at a private clinic and get out of the car, putting the babies awake now in their strollers.

“We don’t need an appointment. Someone will see you straight away.” Penny walks next to me with her stroller.

“I’m kind of nervous. Would you come in with me?”

“Sure, we’ll come in with you,” Asher says.

We walk into the clinic, and we’re greeted by a friendly receptionist who sends us into a room just behind her. We hover around until a doctor walks in, thankfully a female doctor, and she smiles. “Who’s the patient today?”

“Hannah Milov, meet Dr. Anthony,” Penny introduces us.

“Hannah, what’s wrong today?” Dr. Anthony asks me.

I follow her to an examination table. “Headaches mostly. Some back pain and I had some cramps in my legs the last couple of days.”

“Are you exercising more than usual?” she asks.

“I started lifting weights with my husband, but we’ve been at it a while.” I sit on the examination table, and she looks me over.

“Okay, we’re going to draw a quick blood sample and send that to the lab. The lab is on-site, so we’ll have your results in a matter of minutes if you want to hang out here for a few moments.”

“Great,” Penny says. “We can feed the kids.”

They busy themselves with getting bottles prepared for Jade and Samuel while Dr. Anthony takes some of my blood. She smiles. “Be right back.”

I watch as Penny feeds Samuel his bottle, holding him in her arms.

---