Page 18 of Knocked Up By the Russian

"Everything alright?" her best friend asked, and Amy shook her head before pasting a smile on her face and turning to her mother.

"Actually, Mom. There are a couple of Ivan's associates here; maybe we should get them to come sit down?" Amy suggested, and her mother nodded.

"Of course, sweetheart. Knowing your brothers, they were probably just about to grab a bottle of champagne. The twins have been eyeing it all morning. Trust my luck to have kids who would attempt to drink at fifteen. I'll be back soon, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom." Amy kept her smile until her mother had exhaled heavily.

"What's wrong?" Zia muttered, keeping a pleasant expression on her face.

"I just—I forgot that they'd be here," Amy swallowed heavily as Alexander spotted Lev and squeaked happily.

"Daddy!"

"There's Daddy, Lexi," Zia cooed before turning back to her friend. "You forgot who would be here?"

"The guys who gunned down that one guy at the club," Amy admitted under her breath, and Zia nodded.

"Only Andre accepted an invite," Zia whispered as the man in question raised his glass in acknowledgment. "He's really not that bad once you get to know him. Just a bit harsh—but you've married into the Bratva. Most of these people are hard, Amy."

Temporarily married, Amy corrected in her head, but all she said was, "I know."

"Don't worry. Only an idiot would do something right now," Zia said as she squeezed Amy's arm sympathetically.

They turned their gazes back to where Amy's little sister Ava and her mom were bringing the boys back to the table—they were quickly joined by Ivan, who was carrying two flutes of champagne, and as if sensing their gazes, he turned to meet her eyes and winked.

"Have you opened any of your gifts yet, wife?" Ivan asked playfully as he placed the champagne on the table in front of her and Zia, then held his hands out for his nephew. Amy handed Alexander over, then shook her head.

"No, why?"

"Well," he paused as Ava and her mother sat down, the boys standing behind them. They were all looking at him with curious gazes, and Amy's brow furrowed as she waited for him to speak.

"Well, what?"

Ivan pulled an envelope from his pocket. "I wanted to give your mother this before we opened our gifts."

"What's that?" Amy asked as her mother thanked him, a bright smile on her face as she opened the envelope.

"You shouldn't have," Paisley murmured before reading the letter. Whatever she read left her frozen with an expression of disbelief, and Amy couldn't wait any longer. She snatched the letter, terrified and unsure why, as she read what was inside.

Her breath rushed out of her before she turned to Ivan. "You bought my mother a house?"

Chapter 8 - Ivan

Amy was quiet as Ivan opened his apartment door, and he didn't know what it meant. He'd thought she'd be happy about the house, but she'd been silent ever since he handed the papers. They hadn't seen the place yet, but he knew about it. Ivan had heard from Mikhail that there was a place for sale near his, and considering their circumstances, it seemed like the best option. Safety was crucial, and being near the Pakhan had benefits other places didn't. Besides, he'd seen the place his wife called home. It wasn't much to brag about. With three small bedrooms and a bathroom, it was tiny. None of them had confirmed it, but Ivan had a feeling that they'd been sharing that small space since Amy was young. There'd been one or two instances when Paisley had mentioned a few things her late father had done to spruce the place up a good twenty or so years ago.

Placing his keys on the kitchen counter, Ivan turned to his wife and opened his mouth to say something—anything. But her big green eyes caught his stare and held it; her makeup was smudged again. He hid a smile; he'd gotten so used to that professional mask she hid behind that he almost forgot she was human. The past week and a half had been enlightening. "Are you angry?" he asked.

"About the house?" One of her eyebrows rose in question, and he nodded. Her lips twisted as she looked at the apartment around him. "I don't know. It's a lot."

"Will it help if I explain why I bought it?"

"It might."

"It's two houses down from Mikhail's estate," he explained as she took a seat at one of the barstools on the other side of the kitchen island. "It's a gated residence—you needbiometrics to enter—and your mom will be in between Kostya and Lev. Eventually, that is. Lev's purchase is recent, and I think he's still planning to make a few changes before they move in."

Amy nodded, and he could tell by the pinch in her brow that she was thinking hard. He only hoped it wouldn't lead to another argument. "I don't want my siblings stumbling on Bratva business like I did."

His shoulders relaxed. He could work with that. "They won't. It's the best of both worlds; they'll be isolated from anything Bratva-related, but we're going to extend the security to that property too. Adrian runs the security for the entire area, and he's already put a few cameras up to ensure there's 24-hour surveillance. It's protected. They'll be safe if this thing," he gestured vaguely, "doesn't work out right."

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