Page 29 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

But then, slowly, Roman’s shoulders slump just the tiniest bit, and he lets out a breath through his nose. I can see the conflict still raging behind his eyes, but when he speaks again, his voice is resigned.

“Fine,” he mutters. “But you’re sticking as close to us as possible. You won’t be alone, not even for a second.”

A small victory, but I’ll take it.

He turns to his siblings, and I notice the way Victor’s lips curl into a smirk. Anton raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised that Roman gave in, but he says nothing. On the other hand, Anya gives me an encouraging smile as if to say, “Well done.”

“We’ll be careful,” Victor continues, his eyes remaining on me suspiciously for a second before he returns to addressing his family. “We’ll scout the location first, make sure there are no surprises.”

Anya crosses her arms over her chest. “You really think this guy is legit?”

Roman’s gaze sharpens. “I don’t know. But if he’s not, we’ll deal with it.”

The room falls into a tense quiet as the conversation shifts back to logistics, but I barely hear any of it. My mind is racing, my pulse still pounding from the confrontation. Roman’s agreement feels like a small step forward, but I can sense thestorm brewing beneath his calm exterior. He doesn’t want me anywhere near this meeting, and part of me understands why. But I can’t let fear control me—not now.

After a while, the conversation starts to wind down. Roman dismisses his siblings, and they begin to make their way out of the apartment, with Anton throwing me a playful wink on his way out.

“You’re braver than most,” he says quietly as he passes me. “Good luck with him.”

I’m unsure if he means Roman or the Vultures, but I nod anyway, feeling a strange camaraderie with Roman’s brother.

As the door closes behind them, the apartment falls into an uneasy silence. Roman turns toward me, his expression unreadable. The tension from earlier still lingers between us, thick and heavy, and for a moment, neither of us says anything.

Then, Roman sighs, running a hand through his hair as he crosses the room toward me. He stops a few feet away, his eyes locked on mine.

“You shouldn’t have pushed me like that,” he says quietly, but there’s no anger in his voice now—just a weary kind of acceptance.

I take a deep breath, trying to ignore the way my heart skips a beat at how close he is. “I had to. You can’t shut me out of this, Roman. I need to be involved.”

He studies me for a long moment, and I wonder what’s going through his head. Finally, he nods, though there’s still a flicker of frustration in his eyes.

“You’re stubborn,” he mutters, a hint of amusement tugging at the corner of his lips. It brings me a sense of ease, a peek at his humor.

“You’re one to talk,” I retorted, crossing my arms, matching the bits of his playfulness.

His face softens for the first time in what feels like forever, and a small, almost imperceptible smile breaks through his usual hard exterior. It’s a fleeting moment, but it’s enough to send a strange warmth spreading through my chest.

“Just… promise me you’ll follow my lead tomorrow,” he says after a beat, his voice low and serious again. “No unnecessary risks. If things go south, we’re getting out of there.”

I nod, feeling the gravity of his words settle over me. “I promise.”

It’s not the answer he wants, but it’s enough to satisfy him. He turns away, heading toward the door, but before he leaves, he pauses and glances back at me, his eyes searching mine for something I’m not sure I’m ready to give. His lips parted, and for a second, the man who I learned to be so sure of himself hesitated for what I could imagine the first time in his life. Then, he cleared his throat to shake away what he intended to say.

“Get some rest,” he says quietly. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

And with that, he’s gone, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and the weight of everything to come.

As I sank back onto the couch, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Tomorrow is the moment of truth—the moment where everything could change. But for the first time in a long time, I feel ready. Ready to face whatever comes, to fight for Riley.

And maybe… just maybe, to face the feelings that are growing between Roman and me, the feelings that, no matter how hard I try, I can’t deny any longer.

Chapter 10 - Roman

The day after the family gathering, I found myself unable to stop questioning my decision. Letting Gwen come along to the meeting with the Vultures? I must be losing my mind. Never in my life have I ever been this lenient. Whenever I wanted something, I got it. If I wanted to make a decision, I made it. But somehow, Gwen has found a way to march past my walls and get under my skin, making me always want to say yes to her, even when every instinct of mine screams no. If it weren’t for the growing concern for her safety—something that has turned into an obsession—I might even find it amusing.

But I have realized that Gwen isn’t someone you can leash. Not that I would even want to if I could. Something about her wild, untamed spirit lights a fire in me. She’s fearless, relentless, and if I’m completely honest with myself… I like it—alot.

The thought sparks an idea in my mind. If she’s going to insist on putting herself in risky situations, then she damn well needs to be prepared. Without overthinking it, I grab my phone and shoot her a text:

---