Page 56 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

Something wasn’t right.

“Yeah, I was…it seemed they took their time,” he mumbled, lacking more of that friendly demeanor.

When his words didn’t seem quite right, my brows furrowed slightly. “Are you sure you don’t need anything else while you wait?”

The moment he looked at me fully and showed me that almost smug expression on his face, my stomach clenched.

“Yes, actually…you.”

A chill moved down my spine, and instinctively, I took a step back, feeling more and more alarmed as he spoke. “…what are you talking about?”

“More specifically, you’re exactly what my boss needs to bring the damn Levovs and Novikovs to their knees once and for all,” Raf uttered, grinning almost triumphantly.

At first, I tried to process what he was saying…assuming he meant Gemma at first before it all clicked into place.

The mention of both families was the catalyst that helped it all make sense, and at once, that clarity was startling enough to knock the wind from my chest. Him waiting around…the rat…the attacks on the Levovs.

With wide eyes on him, my expression slowly shifted into a confused mess of realization, fear, and anger. “You…you’ve been the spy the whole time.”

Raf scoffed. “Unfortunately…yes. I’ve been parading around as an eager journalist in this godforsaken place…but at least now I don’t have to keep the charade up. Thanks, by the way.”

My brows furrowed again, all the while I stared at him in disbelief, tense while I tried to come up with what I should do…with how I would get away from him.

He chuckled at my obliviousness. “For getting knocked up by that meathead. Now, we have the perfect leverage.”

The perfect leverage…

As the words seemed to stain my mind, I couldn’t help but briefly think back to what Damien had said before about wanting to keep me safe. How he was watching me because things at work weren’t as squeaky-clean as they seemed. Followed by him admitting to seeking out a spy, and him wanting to shield me from the dangers that could arise.

Damien made it clear from the day I told him about my pregnancy that he would safeguard me from any danger…from the opportunistic actors in the organized crime syndicate who would jump at the opportunity to use me in whatever way they might see fit.

It all hit me at once, and that fear made me feel unsteady on my feet.

I was the package deal at that moment. Me and the growing baby were something to be used against Damien and his family, as well as the Levovs.

I was what Raf and the Pesci family needed, and I walked right into his trap.

“Don’t look so bummed…where’d that ‘girl-boss’ energy go, hm? I thought you could handle it all.”

Within the span of a few seconds, I considered my options. I could try to run and call Damien, but I likely wouldn’t make it far enough, and my heels would only slow me down more. I could scream, but we were in the parking garage after hours…by the time anyone might get to me, the chances of Raf catching me anyway were too high to risk it.

I didn’t have options. I didn’t have time. I was on my own, and I didn’t know what to do. How to save myself…

Before I could do anything, Raf was on me in a blur, wrapping an arm around my neck as he tried to hold me in place.

Eyes wide with fear but unwilling to just let it happen, I flailed and squirmed, trying my hardest to fight him off. I even sucked in a deep breath, prepared to scream, but his opposite hand clamped over my mouth before I could.

The shock of it nearly made me choke on my breath, and I was forced to breathe deeply through my nose while I thrashed in his grasp.

Despite how I tried to pull against him, using what I could of my elbows and knees to hurt him in return, he was too strong for me.

He didn’t look like he would have it in him, but the crook of his elbow clenched tightly around my throat as I tried to suck in those breaths. As I tried so hard to get free.

I didn’t want to be caught like that…forced to admit that I missed all of the signs and misstepped. Forced to admit that I wasn’t as careful as I thought, and I let my guard down.

I didn’t want to know what might happen to me after being caught and taken away.

All the while, I struggled, trying to cry out despite his hand covering my mouth, my face began to burn from the emotions that welled up in me, and I could only think about them.

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