Page 88 of Knocked-Up Bratva Prisoner

He grabs me and shakes me hard.

I shove him and he staggers backwards.

“You knew I was out there searching for her the whole time, andyouhad her?” Yefim comes at me with his fists clenched.

I shove him again.

Oleg and Leon are between us, trying to separate us.

“What the fuck do you even care?” I snarl.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Giorgio is on a mission to tear apart the person who kidnapped his niece, and—you fucking asshole—he has vowed to take down the kidnapper's entire family.Your family, Alexei.”

His words slam into me.

I stop, dead still, frozen in place.

"He’s—he’s after the family?”

“Your family,” Yefim repeats.

Guilt floods into me. Thick, like oil, clogging my veins, suffocating me.

What the fuck have I done?

I didn’t ever mean for my family to be involved in this. I didn’t ever mean to put them in harm’s way. This isn’t what I wanted.

I take a few steps backwards, my mind ringing loudly. I can’t seem to pull my thoughts together.

“Alexei, are you ok?” Oleg steps towards me with his arms out, a submissive gesture. Leon and Yefim are watching closely.

“How could you not realize that, man?” Leon asks.

“I—I didn’t think—" I mumble.

“Yeah. Because you always act impulsively. Fuck, man. We don’t want anything to happen to you, and we need to take care of our family. Us. Anya.”

“Yeah," I nod, mumbling, falling into a heavy silence.

My heart is so heavy I place my hand over my chest to try and hold it in place. It feels like it might topple right out of my chest.

“Can someone take me home?” I ask after a long moment.

“Alexei, we can’t…"

“No, it’s fine. I won’t do anything stupid. It was stupid. It was so fucking stupid of me, guys. I am so sorry. Honestly.”

Leon nods. He can see the genuine pain of my guilt.

“Take him home.”

“My place in the city,” I mumble.

Oleg pulls his car door open again and I climb inside.

I don’t say a word as he drives me home.

Clara is lost to me.

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