Page 48 of Bratva Baby

Time crawls by as I remain perched on the bed with tears drying on my cheeks. I debate calling Cecily, but I can’t risk Father intercepting the call and discovering my pregnancy.

Eventually, I lie down, cradling my stomach. The hush of the room feels oppressive. I close my eyes, whispering a silent plea that Grigor returns safely. Because whether I trust him or not, whether he wants this baby or not, I can’t face this alone.

He’s the father of my child, and something in my heart insists that must count for more than the violence overshadowing our lives.

Chapter 20 - Grigor

I shove open the cafe’s door and look around the vacant interior. The worn tables and chairs look like they’ve been gathering dust for years. An unpleasant mix of stale coffee and mildew coats my nostrils, but I tune it out and step forward. My men are waiting outside; this meeting is personal. If Fyodor is telling the truth, I need him to feel confident enough to speak. If he’s lying, I plan to handle that on my own.

He’s seated in a corner booth with a hood pulled low over his face. He glances up when I enter, and from the look of his gait when he stands, that wound from when I shot him is still bothering him. Good.

“Fyodor, you better not be wasting my time.”

He winces as he slides back into the booth. “Sit, Boss,” he manages. “Let’s talk.”

I choose the seat across from him, resting my hands on the table in plain sight. “Make it quick.”

“Remember how you shot me?”

I arch a brow, unamused. “I recall it vividly.”

He offers a bitter laugh. “Figured. That bullet’s still lodged somewhere in my leg, and the docs say it’s not worth digging out. Suppose you left me a permanent reminder.”

“If that’s all you came to say, I’m leaving,” I growl, half-rising.

“No, wait.” He holds up a trembling hand. “I have news about Pavel’s murder. You want the truth, right?”

“Speak.”

Fyodor licks his cracked lips. “You’ve been trying to pin down whether Evan Thorne was set up or if he’s really behind Pavel’s murder.”

“That’s right. And what have you got for me, Fyodor? Because if you’ve dragged me out here for nothing…”

“No, it’s not nothing,” he interrupts. “The thing is, it’s not a setup. Evan’s been involved, more than you ever suspected. And I… I’ve been helping him.”

I blink, sure I heard him wrong. “You’ve been what?” My voice is a low growl, disbelief threading through anger. “You… You have been helping Evan Thorne?”

He straightens his spine and looks at me with a smug pursing of his lips. “We set the wheels in motion long before Pavel died. I reported your movements. He had enough ammo to sabotage your deals, pick off your allies, and sow mistrust among your circle. Guess you never suspected a foot soldier like me could do so much damage behind your back.”

I draw in a deep breath, trying like hell to keep my cool. If I’m going to get as much useful information as possible, I’ve got to keep my head. “Start at the beginning. How did you link up with Thorne?”

“I got fed up,” he responds simply. “I’ve been with the Barkov family for years, following orders. But I was always treated like a dog. No respect, no chance to move up. Then Thorne approached me, offering me money and a chance to prove myself. I gave him scraps of intel at first, stuff about your shipments, your expansions. He used that to sabotage some of your business from behind the scenes.”

My teeth clench on their own. “We did lose a few minor deals. I suspected a rat but never pinpointed who.”

He shrugs, pained. “I was careful. Then Pavel got suspicious, started digging too deep. So Evan arranged the perfect solution—take out Pavel, pin it on the Rossis, or on whoever else, as long as it turned your attention away from him. We set it up to look like a sloppy murder by unknown rivals. You bought it for a while, but not forever.”

A surge of raw fury slams through my chest. “Pavel was family. You murdered him for money?”

Fyodor lifts his chin. “I didn’t pull the trigger personally. But I led him to the alley and gave the hitters his exact location and timing. That’s all Thorne needed.”

My vision darkens. “You scum. You cost me one of my most loyal allies.”

“It wasn’t personal. I had to prove my worth to Thorne. He demanded a big sacrifice to show I was serious.”

“Then you made a fatal mistake,” I hiss, rising to my feet. “You lured me here to feed me what? Another lie?”

He shakes his head, swallowing hard. “No. I was supposed to lure you here and kill you. That’s what I told Evan I would do, anyway.” I slam my hand on the table and he flinches. “But! But, that’s not why I really wanted you here. I need to ask for protection. Evan’s demands keep getting bigger. He turned on me, threatened to turn me in if I didn’t produce more intel. If I help you, maybe you’ll let me walk away alive.”

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