Page 83 of Bratva King's Secret Twins

“I would never. I promise. I’ll take good care of him,” I say, gently pushing open the door to the bedroom where she and Gio are staying. The room is dimly lit, the soft glow of a night light casting shadows on the walls. I lay Mia down in her bed, tucking the blanket around her small body. She snuggles into the pillow, her eyes already drifting closed.

“Goodnight, Mia,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

“Goodnight, Daddy,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible as sleep takes over.

I stand there for a moment, watching her, feeling a strange mix of emotions—relief, love, fear, and that ever-present guilt. I quietly close the door behind me, leaning against it for a second to steady myself.

Then my phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me back to reality. I pull it out, a sense of dread washing over me as I see the message notification. I swipe the screen and feel my stomach drop. It’s a photo of Gwen.

Her face is battered, one eye purple and swollen, a cut running across her cheek. I seethe with rage, but before I can break the phone in my hand, another message follows immediately after:

Ready for a trade?

42

NIKOLAI

“If he wants to strike a fucking deal, then make the fucking deal,” I snarl through my teeth.

“No,” Aleksandr snaps, hunched over the opposite side of my desk. His eyes are sharp and deadly, grilling me to the spot. “He wants his freedom or your death.”

“He has Gwen, so we make the fucking deal.” My voice rings of finality, but the laughter from Nadia forces Aleksandr and I to snap our necks in her direction.

Nadia sits side saddle in a chair, filing her nails with an annoyed look on her face. “Oh, don’t look at me. I didn’t hide your children for the last five years and then weasel my way back into your life just to get myself kidnapped.”

“Watch your mouth.” I slam my hand on the table, growling out my words.

Nadia’s eyes narrow on me and feral sneer spreads across her lips. “Make me,????.”

“Enough.” Aleksandr steps between Nadia and I, breathing heavily with a look of apprehension on his face. “We cannot make a deal if that means he gets his freedom. It’s that simple.”

“And letting Gwen die is not an option,” I counter.

“So we kill him,” Aleksandr agrees.

Nadia stands with a look of horror on her face that makes me roll my eyes in annoyance. “No.”

“No?” I lean closer to Nadia with narrowed eyes. “So what do we do, Nadia? What do you fucking want me to do, if I am not allowed to murder the man who has my woman looking like this!” I toss my phone onto the table with the picture of Gwen bloodied, with a swelling eye and a busted lip.

Nadia doesn’t look down at the phone and flares her nostrils at me. Her voice comes out softer than I expect it to. “He’s our father.”

I swallow dryly and look down at my hands. “He is your father.”

Nadia sighs. “Nikolai, please.”

“No,” I cut her off. “He is not my father. He may not be yours either.”

“What are you talking about, Nik?” Aleksandr questions evenly, his shoulders rolling back with tension.

I pause, running my hands together, avoiding both of their eyes.

“Spit it out, Nikolai,” Nadia seethes.

The room is thick with tension, the air practically crackling around us with charged energy. I glare at Nadia, her words echoing in my mind like a curse.He’s our father.The phrasechurns in my stomach, and I want to swallow the words back, just say I am bitter and consumed with the grief of missing Gwen, but I can’t bring myself to lie when the truth is so close.

“He’s not my father,” I repeat, my voice low and cold, my tone grates against the fury simmering just beneath my skin. “He may not be yours either.”

Nadia’s expression shifts from annoyance to something darker, more volatile. Her eyes narrow, her fists clenching at her sides. She leans closer to me across the desk, her lips twisted, fury dancing across her eyes.

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