Page 27 of Used By the Bratva

If I left, the enemies would find me, and I couldn’t put my baby in danger. For a moment, I just stared at the test in my hand. I pulled my legs up, turned to my side, and cradled them. What if Ashan became more obsessive? How would I handle all of this?

Laying in that position helped ease the nausea. I had no idea what to do and no knowledge of being pregnant or raising a child. The world had shrunk, and I was left in a little cocoon. I slowly dozed off again, even though my mind scrolled through endless images of life I would never see again. I was startled awake by a knock on the door.

Sitting up, I looked at my watch, it was almost midday, and I couldn’t believe I’d slept so long. I still felt a little tired, but the nausea was gone now. Scooting down to the edge of the bed, I called out. “It’s open, come in.”

Cleo surprised me when she entered, all sunny and smiling. “Good morning, I hope you’re feeling better?”

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stretched out releasing the yawn that just popped out. “Yes, thanks, I am. What is all of this?”

She had brought up lunch. I had to admit that I was relieved it wasn’t Ashan who had returned. Yes, we needed to talk, but with this on top of everything else, I just needed a moment to breathe even though things were settling well.

“We’ve heard the good news,” Cleo stated as she lifted the cover off the plate and poured me a glass of juice.

“Oh, I didn’t know Ashan had told everyone.” My stomach turned as I thought of facing all my newly made friends. “Everyone?” I inquired, glancing up at Cleo.

“Well, I don’t know,” Cleo responded, pushing a golden lock of hair back behind her small ear. “I know he saw the chef and me, but I don’t know who else.”

A sigh escaped my lips as I brought the glass up and sipped at the juice.

“Aren’t you excited?” Cleo asked, raising her brows.

“I’m not sure what to make of all this, to be honest,” I replied, pulling the trolley closer. Staring at the meal before me, I wasn’t even sure if I was hungry.

Cleo sat down next to me. She started asking questions about my favorite color, what kind of tops and bottoms I preferred wearing, what foods I liked, and more. Her line of questioning was a bit weird, and when I confronted her about it, she simply said she wanted to get to know me better. I accepted her answer but couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was up.

As we spoke, I ate some of the food she had brought. My mind strolled to Ana and I just had to know. Turning to Cleo, I asked her. “Tell me, I haven’t seen Ana around. You know why?”

Cleo stood abruptly, glancing around as if she was about to spill the beans. “You haven’t heard?” she whispered.

Shaking my head, I scooted to the edge of the bed.

“Ashan sent her away, she’s no longer working here and I heard from the guards that she wasn’t allowed back here at all.”

Stunned at this revelation I was speechless. Cleo quickly took the trolley and left with a ‘see you later’ as she pulled the door closed.

After having a propper meal for lunch, I felt a lot better and decided to go for a swim and a stroll on the upper decks. I decided that staying would be best for both me and our child. What life would I be able to offer a child anyway? Ashan had a lot more to offer. Besides with Ana out of the picture there wouldn’t be any more issues, of this I was sure.

Vowing to myself to give him a chance to prove his worth, I spent the afternoon on the top deck, sauntering through baby sites online. I admired the furniture and clothing and made a list of items I wanted. It was a bit odd that Ashan wasn’t hovering over me, but I welcomed the time alone. I could focus on myself and the precious life growing within me.

Leaving the suite earlier, I noticed two guards following me. They kept their distance but were there whenever I turned around. So, I was sure he at least knew where I was and what I was doing. Then, my suspicions were confirmed as my supper arrived on the deck. I thanked the waiter and quite enjoyed the supper even though there was an obvious increase in veggies on my plate.

Feeling tired, I decided to turn in early and headed back to the suite. The night went a bit better, and I only woke twice. Getting up the second time, I noticed it was past three and Ashan had not come to bed. I assumed the den was keeping him quite busy as there had been many nights he didn’t come to bed. Not that I minded as it gave me more time and space to do things I loved. Plus, there was no fussing or overprotective to deal with.

The next day, I received a visit from a well-known specialist. It was a surprise when Cleo called me to Ashan’s office for the doctor. Ashan sat with me and had quite a few questions regarding my health and the baby. As the doctor answered all the questions and went through everything with us, I realized that Ashan was genuinely concerned.

He sat next to me, holding my hand the whole time. It was a big change from the man I had seen up until now. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the pregnancy or the present company, but I liked seeing him so caring.

“We’ll need to do some blood tests and have an ultrasound done with our next appointment,” the doctor said, handing Ashan two pieces of paper.

Ashan shook his head in agreement as he replied. “Sure thing, doc. We’ll get these done in the week.”

The doctor discussed meals, exercise, and daily care with us. He also made an appointment date for the next time but asked that we come to his office. Once he left, Ashan saw that everything was taken care of.

He ordered breakfast and asked that the chef come up to discuss my meals. The chef was a reasonably tall man, but exactly what one would expect. He had a big round face, a full head of sleek-back black hair, and a small beard. Even though he was reasonably tall, he had more than enough meat around his bones.

The chef was always smiling and friendly. I had never seen him down or upset. His white coat and hat fit him like a glove. Ashan asked him to sit with us as we had lunch.

“Right then,” Ashan started. “What do you think would be best for meals during pregnancy?” he asked the chef.

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