Page 65 of The Bratva's Knocked-Up Bride

I couldn’t just do nothing. It was getting us nowhere. Regardless of having no experience, I couldn’t just sit by and wait for the situation to somehow resolve itself.

Mustering up as much determination as I could, I maintained Damien’s gaze, then glanced at Raf before looking back at him.

At once, I watched as recognition filled his stare, and he too glanced at the man holding a gun against his head.

Even if Raf had been fairly confident in his job, and seemingly in Esidor’s successful plan, something shifted slightly in him all the while his boss continued to rant, going on about his sister and how ungrateful the Levovs were. How angry he was about not being taken seriously.

That doubt surrounded him in uneasiness, and the longer it lingered, the more I realized it could be exploited.

Both of them were losing their initial resolve, and I wasn’t about to lose my opportunity to make a difference in how the confrontation might end.

As our eyes met again, Damien gave me a subtle nod.

“A legacy is the only thing that outlives a man…that precedes him and immortalizes his achievement…his life. And you took that from my father. You took it all from us so carelessly to further your own gains. As if you don’t have enough already…as if you can’t spare one goddamn shred of that notoriety.”

Damien didn’t say anything. Instead, he discreetly prepared himself and kept his eyes on me.

“He’s already dead…and you want to shit on his name even more by refusing me…by refusing this. But mark my words, you’ll fall eventually. Every last one of you will feel what my family felt. You will know that pain and humiliation. I swear on my life—”

In the blink of an eye, Damien pivoted and cracked his hand against Raf’s arm, securing the gun and disarming him before he drove his elbow into his face in a brutal sweep.

At the same time, I swung backward and kicked a leg up to hit his dominant hand, sending the gun flying from his loosened grip. Once he staggered back, caught off-guard by the sudden movement, I dropped myself down onto the couch in time with two shots ringing out in the room.

Two bodies hit the floor…one dead and the other bloodied.

Immediately, there was a flurry of movement all the while my ears rang and I struggled to process what just happened. With my wrists still cuffed, I could only lay there while I caught my breath and tried to make sense of it all.

Within seconds, I felt Damien’s arms on me as he pulled me up into a sitting position and immediately worked to get the cuffs undone.

There was no describing how great of a relief it was to see him there…within reach and unharmed. I could barely believe it, especially since both of us seemed to be unscathed.

“I’m so sorry,” Damien murmured to me once he finally got the cuffs off and reached for my wrists, gently massaging them while he looked at me with an expression I had never seen on him before. There was so much care and relief, along with a mix of remorse and guilt. “This never should’ve happened…”

I could hardly manage the words, far too rattled by it all to focus on anything but the fact that we were safe.

While the others took care of securing the rest of the building and making sure everything was handled, Damien got me to my feet and pulled me away from it all.

It was all happening so quickly, moving by me in a blur until I felt the cool night air against my skin and Damien’s hands on me.

“You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Even when I shook my head, he continued almost frantically. From my arms to my stomach, down to my waist and my back, his palms mapped my body until they returned to my cheeks, eyes full of concern.

“You’re absolutely sure?”

“I’m sure,” I managed gently, throat still sore from being choked earlier. Otherwise, I was untouched.

Damien studied me for another moment before he let go of a breath and nodded. His thumbs gently brushed against my skin, and he kept his voice quiet. “Good…I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting you. But we don’t have to worry now…Neither of them will be able to try.”

Feeling that weight lift from my shoulders, I nodded and leaned into his touch.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Raf never should’ve had the chance…” he trailed off, sighing as he looked away for a moment before holding my gaze again. “That was the most terrified I have ever been, and every second you weren’t with me was pure agony. Not knowing if you and the baby were alright…I thought I was going to go insane.”

“The whole time…” I began, letting go of a shaky breath. “The whole time I was with them, I just wanted you. I wanted to be back home…just the two of us until the little one arrives. That was all I wanted…all I still want.”

Damien’s gaze softened at my words, and he carefully pressed his forehead against mine while he held me close. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll go home and we’ll be just the two of us until everything changes. We’ll always have each other, and Ipromise I’ll never let anything like that happen again. You have my word.”

His words felt like a blanket draped around my shoulders, and before I could second-guess myself, I leaned closer until my lips brushed against his.

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