Page 83 of Brutal Bratva King

My heart flips happily. I’m so glad she opened up to me and now we can help her sort it all out.

I park near the entrance of the mall. The two security guards followed us in their own car, and they park close by. My live location on, Rodion is happy, and everything is fine.

We wait at the side of the car until the security guards join us. They will stay mostly out of sight, but it’s comforting to know they are there. I rest my hand over my tummy, not really showing yet, but I’m still one hundred percent protective of my baby.

“Let’s go explore a little,” I say happily, leading Ruslana into the mall.

We are shopping up a storm, choosing cute dresses and even exploring baby stores and all the weird and wonderful things I didn’t know I needed until I saw them. Ruslana is almost back to her old self. The fun, bubbly girl I first met and love. It’s so good to see her like this again.

She holds up a black knit sweater. “What do you think?” she asks.

“I love it, but what about the grey—to bring out the color in your eyes.” She grabs it and holds it against herself. “Mm. Well, now I think I need both.” She laughs.

After a while, my body is starting to ache with tiredness, and I demand a coffee break. We sit at a small cafe inside the mall and watch the people walking back and forth, enjoying their day or rushing past with a fowl look on their faces. For a while, we laugh and comment on what each of them might be doing. But I still want to talk to Ruslana a little more about what has been happening.

“Ruslana, I’m really glad you told me about that guy who has been bothering you, but I think you need to sit down at talk to your brothers, too.”

She sighs, sipping her coffee and rolling her eyes a little. “I know. I agree with you. The one I was most scared to tell was Rodion. And he knows. So, the worst part is over. I promise I will speak to all of them myself.”

“Sooner rather than later?”

“Yup. I’ll do it tonight and tomorrow. It’s hard to get them all in the same place at the same time, but I can talk to whoever is around.”

I’m relieved she isn’t going to fight me on this. Her family needs to know what’s going on with her and it's best if it comes directly from her.

“Also—“ she says, and I look up, catching the serious expression in her eyes, “I wanted to say to you, and I’ll tell my brothers the same thing—I’m really sorry about all of the trouble I caused. I mean—the drinking and whatever weird rebellious stuff I was going through. I don’t know why I did it—but I’m done with that rubbish now. I’ve missed my family. I’ve been feeling so alone without them,” she sighs.

“They were never far away, Ruslana. They were always there for you—you just had to see it for yourself.”

She nods.

“Ok, enough serious stuff. Let’s finish our coffee and then I want to go and find a new jacket. It’s getting a lot colder at night and I saw the most magnificent yellow coat at that boutique in the middle of the mall.”

“Sure, I also want a new coat—one that can fit around my stomach when it starts getting as big as a balloon.”

After coffee and some chocolate muffins, we head to the boutique. The bodyguards are close by. I see them waiting just outside the entrance of the store when we go in. I nod and smile as I walk past.

Ruslana and I are not in the store for very long. She is madly in love with the yellow coat and buys it.

The lady at the cashier’s desk is busy packing it into a paper bag for us when we hear a loud scream outside the shop.

My heart freezes in my chest and I spin around to see what is going on.

Ruslana grabs my arm, her eyes wide with fear.

I take her hand and we run towards the door.

Both security guards are dead. They are lying in a thick, spreading pool of red. Surrounding the entrance of the store are five men.

Ruslana screams when she sees the scene in front of us. She grabs me so tightly her fingers dig into me arm. I take her hand, squeezing it gently. “It’s going to be ok,” I whisper.

“Hello, Ruslana,” one of the men says, stepping forward.

I’ve seen him before. He is the one from the club. The one who Rodion fought.

I hold my breath, my mind is racing, looking everywhere for a way out, but we are completely surrounded by his men.

“Declan, what are you doing here?” Ruslana gasps, her voice tight and her hand shaking in mine.

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