Page 50 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

“I guess I can’t complain then.”

He grinned faintly. “Gemma and Ben have been tied up figuring some story out and he asked me to bring their favorites over. So, here I am. How’s Sky?”

It was a bit surprising to hear Daniil asking about her so openly, given how he tended to keep to himself on personal matters, but I wasn’t going to complain either. The mere mention of her was enough to make my chest warm.

“She’s doing well…adjusting to the move and everything.”

“I’m surprised she agreed so easily to move in with you. I could’ve sworn she wasn’t your biggest fan,” he added with a quiet snicker.

He and the others knew about Sky moving in and the two of us working on becoming more serious, but I took the liberty of leaving out the pregnancy part. Not that I wanted to hide it, but we were waiting until she was further along to inform everyone.

However, thinking about it kicked me into that excited gear again, and reminded me that it was very real, and not just something I had fantasized about.

She really was pregnant, and I was going to be a dad. It was one of the hardest things to keep to myself.

“There’s a bit more to it than that.”

Daniil immediately cocked a brow at me. “Is there now?”

I couldn’t hold back the grin on my face as I nodded. “That’s right.”

“Well, are you just going to leave me in suspense?”

Considering it for a moment, I glanced up, then took a step closer and kept my voice down while the others in the office moved around us. “She’s expecting.”

I watched as the words sank in, and my brother’s eyes widened. “She’s pregnant?”

Maintaining that pleased expression, I nodded with my arms crossed over my chest. “She is. I was waiting to tell everyone, but I figure there’s no harm in letting you know.”

Despite his shock at hearing it, Daniil managed a smile for me anyway and clapped my shoulder. “Congratulations…I can’t believe you’re going to be a dad.”

Letting go of a breath, I smiled and nodded. “Me neither. But I can’t wait for it.”

All the while Daniil offered me his support, I glanced over at the photocopy room at the sight of movement, noting what looked like the back of Raf’s head while he reached for whatever was waiting for him in the printer. I could’ve sworn he paused for a moment before tapping the small pile of papers together against the table nearby.

Even if he hadn’t done much of anything to warrant my suspicions, I couldn’t help the nagging feeling in my gut whenever I looked at him.

It went beyond the jealousy I had felt previously. I was in a good place with Sky, and I knew she had no interest in him in that way, so that wasn’t it.

Regardless of the lack of incriminating evidence, I had against him, I couldn’t shake the idea that he was up to something…or at the very least, he knew something.

I felt paranoid, but I also knew that kind of hunch could work in my favor when it came to flushing out the rat.

While I continued to chat with Daniil, I let my eyes flicker to Raf while he left the small room and returned to his cubicle, keeping him in my sight again.

By then, I couldn’t be too sure of anyone’s innocence anymore.

Chapter 22 - Sky

Even if my progress had been slow, my assignment was coming together piece by piece thanks to the tip we got from the local man, along with my discussion with Damien about the case. I managed to get a solid lead connecting the Pesci family to the seemingly random crimes unfolding in that specific area of the city.

It was my assumption, along with Damien’s, that the neighborhood had become their turf more recently, and in recruiting more gang members, their unchecked activities were spilling into the general public.

From hit and runs to break-ins and seemingly targeted, spiteful murders, it was apparent that the Pesci kingpin didn’t have enough control over his men, and they were drawing some unnecessary attention to themselves.

Yet, it could’ve been intentional. I had the thought that the leader could be letting it happen on purpose, all in some sort of power display—like a warning for the chaos to come.

It could be a stretch, but given how brazen they had been in trying to infiltrate the Levov and Novikov operations, it wouldn’t surprise me to know they were planning something worse, or at the very least, trying to make their mark on the city.

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