Page 57 of Arranged to Marry the Bratva

"Do you really think so?" Anoushka lifts her head, searching my face. "That we have forever?"

I cup her cheek, gazing into her eyes. "Forever is only just the beginning,” I place a hand on her stomach and look down, leaning forward to kiss her belly. “This is the start of the rest of our lives.”

Her eyes shine with tears as a radiant smile lights her face. "You're going to be an amazing father, Nikolai."

"With you by my side, I wouldn’t dare be anything but the best. You might whip me if I falter,” I joke, and she playfully smacks my arm. I laugh and brush my lips over hers, tasting her joy and wonder.

“Well, I might whip you soon enough,” she says through our kisses.

“Oh?” I ask, worried now that I did something wrong.

“I’m starving,” she exclaims at last, pulling away and lying back on the bed with a blush on her face. Then, I hear her stomach rumble.

“Of course,” I chide myself for being so short-sighted. “You’re eating for two now, after all.”

I pick up the cordless phone, and call for some tea service.

***

The next morning, as we prepare to leave the spa, a prickle of unease crawls up my spine. My instincts have been honed through years of surviving dangerous situations, and right now, they're screaming that we're being watched.

I scan our surroundings discreetly, not wanting to alarm Anoushka, but catch no obvious signs of surveillance. Still, the feeling persists, like an itch I can't scratch.

"Are you ready to go?" Anoushka asks, mistaking my tension for eagerness to leave.

I force a smile and take her hand. "More than ready."

We make our way to the exit, and I note the locations of each security camera and guard along our path.

“You called for your security detail?” Anoushka looks up at me, worried. She’s quite smart, and has figured something must be off for me to have called for back-up.

“Was feeling lazy,” I explain nonchalantly. “Didn’t feel like making the drive back to the city.”

She nods and, fortunately, doesn’t ask more questions. Everyone appears relaxed and unconcerned, yet my heart pounds with each step.

By the time we reach our car, my mouth has gone dry. I glance over my shoulder before helping Anoushka inside, but the lanes around us are empty.

Once I'm seated beside her, I draw a steadying breath. I could be reacting to nothing more than my own paranoia. Anoushka's safety is my priority now, and I won't subject her to undue stress without cause.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Anoushka asks, resting her hand on my thigh.

I place my hand over hers and squeeze gently. "Every moment with you is a gift." It's the truth, even if not the whole of it. I enjoyed our time at the spa, watching movies all night, ordering in, and getting another massage this morning, but my enjoyment was tempered by the gnawing sense of being watched.

As our convoy drives us away from the spa, my eyes remain fixed on the rearview mirror, searching for any vehicles that might be following us. While no vehicle does, I believe I see a figure disappear into the shadows by the trees. Could I, perhaps, be mistaken?

I can’t risk not taking this seriously, even if it is just paranoia. I have a child on the way. In my mind, I'm already calculating our next moves to determine if we're actually in danger or if this is a false alarm. The safety of my family depends on my ability to distinguish between the two.

And besides, it’s better to be a scared chicken than a dead duck. No matter what, from this point forward, the security around Anoushka and my entire family, god damn it, will be ramped up.

Chapter 24 - Anoushka

My eyes flutter open as sunlight filters through the curtains. Nikolai lies beside me, his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. I carve the outlines of a chiseled chest, the perfect V of his abdomen jutting out from the elastic of his boxers. My body tingles with arousal at his proximity, heat pooling between my legs. I want him; pregnancy be damned.

I slide closer, trailing my fingers down his sculpted abs and placing gentle kisses down his neck.

He stirs, cracking one eye open. "Good morning, beautiful," he murmurs, trying to pull me into a cuddle.

Instead, I sit atop him, straddling him between my legs. Now, he’s wide awake, his fingers gently tracing patterns across my waist.

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