Page 50 of Forced Pregnant Bride

And her tears stopped, though I saw the question in her eyes, wondering how I’d made it out alive. If it were up to me, I would have carried her away in my arms back to our home. But there was unfinished business to take care of.

“Timur,” Enzo drawled, spreading his arms wide like he was welcoming an old friend. “I wondered when you’d show up.”

“No, you didn’t, you sick old fuck.” I left her side, crossing the room with my gun in a firm grip. “You thought I’d died in that stupid fire. You couldn’t even get that right. Just like you haven’t gotten anything right since you became fucking Don. How about this: When we’re done here, I’ll teach you how to set proper explosives. You can be my test subject if you want.”

“Not before I torture you first,figlio di putttana.”

I knew enough Italian to recognize the insult:son of a bitch.

“If that’s how you want it, so be it.”

I didn’t waste time with words. I signaled to my men, and chaos erupted.

The first shot shattered the standoff, sending one of Enzo’s goons sprawling to the ground. The room exploded into violence, gunfire ricocheting off the walls. I ducked behind an overturned table, firing off calculated shots, each one aimed to neutralize the threat. My men moved with precision, flanking Enzo’s team and forcing them into a corner.

One of his guys rushed me, a knife glinting in his hand. I sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and slamming it against the table edge until the blade clattered to the ground. Serena screamed behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder quickly.

Swiftly, I made my way to her side, grabbing the wrists of one of Colombo’s men. Pulling him close, I sent two bullets through his forehead, and a quick uppercut followed by a solid punch to his gut sent him crumpling.

Another came at us, a bat swinging for my head.

“I need you to find a place to hide,Pchelka.Now.”

I couldn’t have my eyes on her while she ran for safety, but I ducked just in time, grabbing the bat mid-swing and yanking it free from his grip. A quick swing of my own, and he was down, groaning on the floor.

My men held their ground, cutting through the rest of Enzo’s crew with a ruthless efficiency I’d come to expect. But Enzo? The bastard was slipping away, edging closer to the door while the gunfire grew more rapid.

I growled, vaulting over the overturned table on the floor and cutting off his escape.

He turned to face me, his grin finally faltering. He lunged, a knife in his hand, but I was ready. I caught his arm mid-strike, twisting it until the blade dropped. He swung his other fist, but I ducked, slamming my shoulder into his gut and driving him against the wall.

“Like I told your daughter, your family really should learn how to keep their noses out of other people’s shit.”

He struggled, but I pinned him, my fist connecting with his jaw once, twice, until his body went slack. My men finished off the last of his team, and the room finally fell silent except for Serena’s ragged breaths.

I turned to her, and her wide, relief-filled eyes met mine. I motioned to Arlo, who came up to me. He secured Enzo and bound his hands tight as I moved past the bloodied floor and heaps of bodies, heading to Serena.

Planted in a corner was her fucking brother.

The room suddenly felt too narrow for the weight of my anger. My fists clenched at my sides, and I ached to do something—anything—about the slouched figure standing a few feet away. Jay. I recognized him instantly.

Despite the mess around us and the subtle hint of fear in his gaze, he still displayed the same defiance in his stance, the same audacity that had already cost me more patience than I was willing to spare.

I kept walking, every step deliberate and controlled, even though my blood was boiling. I could feel his eyes on me, could practically hear the mocking tone of whatever nonsense he was ready to spew. I threw him a glare sharp enough to cut, making sure he understood the danger he was in. If Serena weren’t pregnant—if she weren’t in such a delicate state—I’d have done what I should’ve done the first time he crossed me, when he tried to run away with his sister.

The boy thought he had balls? I was willing to show him who had the gun.

But I didn’t stop. I didn’t let the temptation win, though every fucking fiber in my body screamed for it. Serena’s face flashed in my mind, the way she cried when I walked into the room, the way she rested her hand protectively over her stomach as if she already knew how much I’d fight for them both. Icouldn’t risk upsetting her, not now, not when she needed calm and stability more than anything else.

Jay knew it, too. He had to.

That was why he was standing there, unscathed, still breathing. He thought Serena’s condition gave him immunity, that I’d hold back because of her. And maybe, for now, he was right. But he should’ve known better than to mistake restraint for weakness.

My steps slowed as I passed him, my glare locked on his, letting him see every ounce of the promise I wasn’t speaking aloud. One wrong move, one more reason, and I’d make sure he regretted ever setting foot in my world. But for Serena’s sake, I’d wait.

For now.

“Timur….”

---