Page 65 of Brutal Bratva King

I step into the kitchen and pull the fridge door open to find the burger patties. A wave of dizzy nausea washes over me and I grip the fridge handle tightly to steady myself.

I’m not good at handling continuous stress like this, but I don’t usually get sick over it. Right now, I feel like I need to curl up in a ball on my bed and hold myself.

I feel horrible.

My body is aching, and my stomach is churning at the thought of having to cook now as well.

I swallow hard, trying to ignore the horrible feeling and I manage to push it away.

I’m just tired, that’s all.

Gathering all of the ingredients to make the burgers and laying them out on the kitchen counter my stomach starts churning again.

Maybe it’s more than just being tired.

I sigh.

I fight my way through making the burgers. I know the guys must be as stressed as I am with everything that’s going on at work. I want to make them food. Once it’s done I can go up to bed and get some sleep.

I carry the burgers through to the living room and set them down on the coffee table. “Are you guys ok to eat here?” I ask tightly.

“What’s wrong, you look really pale?” Rodion says, standing up.

“I’m just exhausted. I’m going up to bed.”

“Did you eat something at least?”

“I made myself a burger, but I’m not actually hungry. Don’t worry. I just need a good night’s sleep.”

I say goodnight to Rodion and my brother and leave them downstairs talking.

I don’t even have the energy to shower, so I climb into my comfy pajamas and slip beneath the covers in Rodion’s bed. Lying there alone in the dark, my mind is too busy to let me sleep and my body is aching in ways I’ve never felt before.

I toss and turn for ages, fighting to fall asleep.

After a long time Rodion climbs into bed next to me. “You’re still not sleeping?”

“No,” I huff, overtired and annoyed.

“Come on,” he says gently, pulling me into his arms. He starts stroking his hand up and down my spine and I close my eyes, letting go of a tight breath I was holding.

His presence next to me is soothing and I find myself drifting off.

But then, in a shocking realization, my body jolts and my eyes shoot open.

“Jeepers, what’s going on?”

“I—um—,“ I stammer. “I just had one of those falling dreams,” I lie, because what I just realized is not something I know how to say out loud.

He chuckles, holding me tighter. I lean my cheek against his chest, panic rising inside me.

It’s been over two weeks since I was supposed to start my period.

I think I’m pregnant.

And there is no way for me to confirm it until tomorrow, when I can sneak off to a pharmacy.

Rodion falls asleep with his arms wrapped around me, but I’m wide awake. Exhausted but overflowing with too many thoughts to control.

---