Page 17 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

Gwen doesn’t say anything.

“Let’s go,” I command her in a voice that leaves no room to refuse. She immediately rushes over to me, clinging onto my arm as I remove it from behind my back. Together, we both turn and move for the door.

“Hey, Roman!”

The leader calls out to me, and I narrow my eyes. I don’t know how he knows my name, and when I turn to face him one last time, his expression tells me he is proud of showing me that he’s found it out.

“Do me a favor,” He says. “Tell your cousin the Vultures would love to do business with him.” He winks. “We own the bar down on Heritage. Give us a call sometime, eh? And then maybe we’ll arrange a way to get that friend of yours home safely.”

I no longer acknowledge him as I leave the bar, Gwen clinging to my arm. When we return to my car, and I start the engine, the air is so thick and tense I can almost taste it. For a minute, we are consumed in silence. I don’t move the car, my hands gripping the steering wheel as I calm myself down. I almost killed someone in there, but more importantly, I could have lost her.

"Roman, I—" Gwen begins, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't," I cut her off, my tone sharp enough to make her flinch.

Gwen swallows hard but is determined to break through my icy demeanor. "Please, let me explain. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was scared and—"

I whirl to face her, my eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and concern. "Scared? You have no idea whatrealfear is, Gwen. Do you haveanyconcept of the danger you just put yourself in?"

She shrinks back against the leather seat, her eyes wide. "I... I just wanted to help Riley. I got a text. I didn't mean to—"

"To what?" I snap. "To stumble into the very men threatening us? To nearly get yourself killed or worse?" My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and my knuckles turned white. "Those men… thosefilthy fuckscould only dream of nothing more than to use you against me. And you almost gave them the chance on a silverfuckingplatter."

Gwen's face pales as the reality of the situation sinks in. "I didn't…think," she whispers.

"No, you didn't," I say. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. My voice is low and controlled when I speak again. Moments later, I turn to face her fully, my gaze intense. "This is the reality of your world now, Gwen. Every move you make, every place you go—it all has consequences."

She nods, her lower lip trembling slightly. "I understand. It won't happen again."

Finally, I pull out of the parking spot, returning my focus to the road.

"You're right. It won't," I say firmly. "Because from now on, you don't go anywhere without me or one of my men. Have I made myself clear?”

Weakly, she mutters ayes.

I inhale sharply. “When we get back, sign those fucking papers. You’re mine now, Gwen.” I turn to look at her, just momentarily.

“And from here on out, you’ll stop pretending like you have the choice not to be.”

Chapter 6 - Roman

The morning sun barely crests the horizon when I slip out of bed. I have a meeting with my siblings this morning, and I don’t hesitate to get going. I dress quickly, donning my armor of a perfectly tailored suit, each movement precise and controlled.

When I arrived, my siblings were waiting for me in my office at the Diamond Casino, eyes sharp despite the early hour. The air is thick with the acrid scent of the cigarette Victor, who leans against the wall behind my desk, is smoking. Anton, Anya, and Boris sit in the chairs and on the sofa surrounding my desk, perking up as I enter. My brothers nod in my direction, and I nod back. Anya smiles, and I smile back.

“Roman,” Victor greets as he slides a manila folder across the polished mahogany desk. "We've got names.”

I flip open the folder, and on the first page, three faces stare back at me. As I study their features, my jaw clenches, committing every detail to memory.

“The Vultures,” Victor mutters, rubbing his chin, bringing up the name that I (unexpectedly) found out for them yesterday. “A small-time Vegas family, but they’ve been making moves lately. Expanding their businesses. Trying to take a bigger slice of the pie. They thought you were an easy target.”

“Which proves they’ve underestimated me,” I say, my voice cold. I look back down at the pictures and mugshots that match each of the faces of the men at the bar. Underneath are three names: Mark, Luther, and Jason Winchester. Three fuckers who would soon be buried 6ft deep for daring to put their filthy paws on my wife.

Anton leans back in his chair, arms crossed. “Like he told Victor, Luka’s had his eye on them for a while. They’vebeen sniffing around our territory and his businesses, trying to muscle in on some of the smaller operations he controls. He never gave them any attention, and I suppose that angered them. They saw you and assumed you two were connected. This kidnapping? It’s just their latest attempt to get our attention.”

“Well, they’ve got it,” Anya says, her voice clipped. She faces me. “What’s the plan, Roman?”

I glance around the table, weighing my words carefully. As the eldest, Victor has always had the most power in the family, but since stepping up, I’ve made it clear that my say matters just as much. I’m not here to be the second-youngest brother in the shadows anymore. This is my fight.

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