Page 46 of Used By the Bratva

I shrug, the guilt overriding the nausea. “I’m hungry; there was just something on my plate that smelled funny.”

“And that’s why you gagged?” Leon puts down his fork and reaches for his coffee mug.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I look away from him and out the window.

This is one of the moments I’ve been trying to avoid.

Ever since I found out about the baby, I was sure I would never tell him. I thought I could return to school, and we'd never see each other again. Pearl is the only one who knows I slept with Leon and got pregnant, but I didn't tell her his name.

School.

“What should I do about art school?” I ask with a pinched tone. “We’re approaching the end of the year. I have to start my final project.”

“I had my people pretend to be Marina and contact them. They were told that there was an emergency and that you would have to return home before the end of the year. Your professors were very understanding. They said your grades were good enough to pass this year; you just need to submit your final art project.”

“So, that’s it then?” My voice breaks as I look at him. “I just have to give up on my dreams?”

Leon shakes his head. “You have your personal art studio in the conservatory. The whole building is made of glass, even the ceiling. Some tropical plants grow in there. I've put some painting materials there for you.”

For a moment, I don’t know what to say to this unexpected stroke of kindness.

I didn’t think that he would make it so comfortable for me to live here beyond providing a bedroom. Even the bedroom was more than I bargained for.

The man sitting in front of me now contradicts the one I have built up in my head. He doesn't act like he wants to kill me, but he wavers back and forth between hot and cold. I don’t know what to think when I look at him, but there is something profound in his dark blue eyes.

Leon eats a few more bites of his food while I poke around in the oatmeal before me. The tension between us is more sexual than uncomfortable, especially when his gaze rakes up and down my white shirt.

“You look good.” Leon nods and stares at my chest. “I was wondering when you'd start wearing the clothes I bought you. Usually, women love it when I buy them new clothes?”

I pause, my spoon halfway to my mouth. “Do you buy many clothes for your women?”

“Would it bother you if I did?” he asks, the grin on his face widening.

“No.”

Yes.

This shouldn’t get under my skin, but it does.

Even though I know that there have been women before me and that this is not a relationship, the thought of having to share his cock with another woman makes me sick to my stomach.

Or it is the morning sickness and the aversion to food.

Leon folds his hands together and leans forward on the table. “You’ve avoided the question long enough. Why didn’t you want the fruit and waffles? You almost looked green in the face. Are you feeling sick?”

I should have an excuse. I should tell him I’m allergic to something on the plate, but things will only get worse when the baby bump shows, and he finds out I’ve been lying to him the whole time.

After how rough he was with me last night, he must also know that he can’t just flip me around and touch me as he pleases. What we did last night won’t hurt the baby, but if he gets any other ideas, it could be dangerous.

“I’m pregnant. I’ve been pregnant for weeks. Since the first night, we slept together.”

His jaw clenches, muscles pulsing as he pushes back from the table, and the chair squeaks on the floor. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me about the baby sooner?”

And there it is. The one question I hoped he wouldn’t ask.

I look at the table and force myself to take a shuddering breath. “I didn’t really want to tell you. I didn’t think you'd care about the baby. And I was worried about the life your family is leading. It could harm our child.”

His nostrils flare. “You should have told me instead of hiding it from me! What makes you think I wouldn’t care for my flesh and blood?”

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