Page 38 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

Since then, I was questioning myself and if I had done the right thing by revealing my hand. Even if I felt like I was close to exploding if I didn’t tell her or try to appeal to her in some way before, I wondered if it had been the right choice, or if I shot myself in the foot without considering the consequences first.

It was difficult to shake just how shocked she looked when I told her, and how she could hardly even speak in return. Knowing that only increased my doubts.

As a result of my overthinking, it was my turn to start avoiding her. It wasn’t like she was jumping up and down to speak to me or anything, but the vague shame and embarrassment I felt about confessing to her so abruptly like that made it harder for me to even look at Sky.

It wasn’t her fault in the slightest, but I needed that chance to heal my pride again, especially since nothing had been sorted out between us during that conversation.

I was just as lost as I had been before, but the only difference was that Sky knew all of my previous actions had been perfectly intentional. That I was helpless against her regardless of how hard I tried to prove the opposite was true.

Even if I didn’t know how to proceed or what to make of it all, it still didn’t shake the fact that I wanted her—needed her.

While it would likely take me some time to recover from that blow to my ego, I knew I still wouldn’t be able to get her out of my head, regardless.

But that distracted headspace of mine came to a halt the moment I noticed someone trailing me on foot through my rearview mirror. Driving slowly while I pulled into the employee parking lot, I pulled into a spot and turned the engine off, then watched. Normally, I’d keep going and park where my brothers did, but I needed to get a better read on the situation.

Given how many men worked for us, it would be fairly easy for someone to confidently pose as an employee of ours, especially if they looked the part. But something about the way that man was looking around and making himself seem suspicious gave me the feeling he wasn’t one of ours.

After a moment, he slipped away, disappearing behind a row of vehicles.

I knew that was my chance.

Smoothly, I grabbed my pistol from the glovebox and made sure it was loaded before I got out of the car and tucked it in my waistband. Walking casually, pretending to not notice, I pocketed my keys and moved through the parking lot, moving through the parked cars.

If he assumed I didn’t catch on to him trailing me, then he’d be completely unaware I was hunting him down, looking for any kind of shadow spilling from beneath one of the vehicles.

Before he could do anything, I was on him.

Darting out from the lineup of cars, I heard the catch of his breath the moment I appeared and swung.

My fist collided with the center of his face, causing him to stagger back and clutch his nose. But before he could get too far, I reached forward and snagged the front of his shirt in my grasp.

“Hey, where are you going?” I asked with a satisfied grin, catching his pained groan and the way he tried to pull away despite my iron grip.

Keeping him in place, I looked the stranger over all the while blood poured from his nose and he tried to avoid me with his hazy eyes. He breathed raggedly from the blow to his face and didn’t utter a word.

I chuckled, eyes darkening slightly as I tightened my grip on him. “You thought you could follow me, hm? That was your first mistake.”

The fear and regret of being caught filled his gaze all the while, he tried to squirm and fight from my grasp, but it seemed that punch had done quite a number on him already, and his head wasn’t working quite right. Perhaps it hadn’t been from the beginning.

Either way, I pulled my gun on him and let go as I gave his back a shove toward the building.

“You’re not getting away from me that easily…let’s have some fun, shall we?”

I could practically taste the dread emanating from him, and something about it only made me grin more.

If the man was someone’s goon, then surely he knew what was coming. That only made the moment feel sweeter for me.

***

“You said you found him following you onto the property?” Alex asked as he stood next to me in the interrogation room with his arms crossed over his chest.

Mirroring his stance, I nodded and watched as Daniil got warmed up, taunting the hostage and giving him a few good hits to loosen him up. “He wasn’t too discreet about it…he seemed almost like a novice if you ask me.”

He considered it for a moment, then hummed. “I guess that means we should amp up our security around here…Aristarkh has been advising me about it lately. Maybe then he’ll shut up about it.”

“Wouldn’t hurt.”

Even if I managed to capture the guy before he could attempt anything against me, or cause any damage to contend with, I was still angry that someone would try to trail me like that. I didn’t take kindly to anyone, thinking they could get the upper hand over me.

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