Page 70 of Forced Bratva Bride

“Nothing will happen,” I'd interrupted with a furrow of my brow as I turned to him and cupped his cheeks between my hands. “Not when you’re there.”

He had smiled and sneaked in a quick kiss before Caspian saw. Our situation was no longer a secret among his family, but we were giving them time to adjust to the change.

Just then, I heard some shouts and heard something crack. When I turned, I saw one of the men had stumbled with a heavy crate. Within moments, Gio was by his side, his shoulder braced against the weight from the other end.

“Steady,” he said, his voice carrying to where I stood. “No rush. We do this right.”

The kindness surprised me still, after all these months. There were half a dozen other men who could have helped. But Gio always got into the dirty work with his men. He wastheirteammate and not someone to be feared.

Perhaps that was why his men cherished the ground they walked on. From the moment I stepped onto this boat, big, burly, scary-looking men smiled at me sweetly, offered me lemonade, and asked if I needed anything. I knew they didn’t do this for me, someone they hardly knew, but rather for Gio. I was special to him, so important to them.

Only a good man, a kind man could garner such loyalty. My heart swelled with pride at the sight ofmy manas he now joked and laughed with his crew. When one of them stumbled over a rough wave, Gio immediately reached out, balancing him.

I pressed my palm against my stomach, still flat. Eight weeks, the doctor had confirmed yesterday when I went under the disguise of a general check-up. I hadn't told Gio yet.

I hadn’t earlier because I had been afraid he didn’t trust me, that he might not want the baby. But now, I knew without a doubt that he was willing to fight for me, for us. That was enough for me to know he’d love this baby, our little unit, beyond measure.

Tonight, I'd decided. After the shipment, when we found ourselves alone, I would tell him then. I rehearsed multiple ways to break the news to him, oscillating between jokes and simply laying it out there. I still didn’t know exactly how I’d tell him, but knew without a doubt that I would tonight. I felt a flutter in my heart at the thought of catching that exact moment when his face would transform with joy at the news.

The moon hung low over the water, making it a beautiful, perfect night and I felt a strange peace settle over me. I was fine. Gio was fine. We were together.

I moved closer to where Gio stood at the helm and he sensed me before I spoke, turning with that same small smile that still made my heart stutter.

“Bored yet?” he asked, taking one hand off the wheel to pull me against his side.

“Fascinated,” I corrected, leaning into his warmth.

His thumb traced circles on my hip. “Someday, I’m going to buy you your own boat, since you love it out here so much.”

I opened my mouth to respond, to tell him I would never let him justify such an unnecessary purchase, perhaps even to tell him right then about the baby, when his body tensed beside me.

“What’s happening?” I asked when his hand moved away from the hip.

“Get down,” he hissed, leading me toward the cabin door. “Inside. Now.”

I stumbled, catching myself on the railing. “What—”

The words died in my throat as I saw what he had noticed: small boats emerging from the darkness, their engines cutting through the night's silence. There were too many for these boats to be a coincidence, and from the way they surrounded the boat, it was clear they had come with an intent that was anything but friendly.

“Ambush!” One of Gio's men shouted, and theneverythingdissolved into chaos.

Gunfire shattered the night. I froze as Gio turned for a moment to shoot at some of the engines to halt them in their tracks. “Get in, Larissa,” he screamed over the gunfire, but I was paralyzed, unable to move. Panic clawed at my throat, and my hand instantly reached for my stomach. If anything happened tonight…no. I couldn’t let my thoughts go there.

Instead, I focused on the present, wondering how I could be of help, and watched in horror as the smaller boats surrounded us. Soon, there were men climbing aboard where they weren’t welcomed.

Gio moved like lightning, raising his gun and taking down two attackers in quick succession. His voice cut through the mayhem, ordering his men into defensive positions. For a moment, I thought they might repel the attack.

Then I saw him, Dom, among the attackers. The shock of recognition paralyzed me. Dom, my brother’s most trusted bodyguard. Dom, who always watched out for me.

Our eyes locked across the chaos. His widened at the sight of me and then, to my horror, he broke into a smile. He shouted something I couldn't hear over the gunfire and pointed in my direction.

Two men broke away from the fight, heading straight for me. I finally found my legs then, turning to run, but the deck was slick with blood and saltwater. I slipped, scraping my palms on the rough surface, but caught myself in time on the railing.

A scream tore from my throat as I watched three men corner Gio. He fought hard, but they overwhelmed him when he was distracted by the men heading in my direction. A blow to the head sent him to his knees. Another to his ribs doubled him over.

“Stop!” I screamed, lunging toward him, but strong arms caught me from behind, lifting me off my feet.

Right in front of my eyes, I saw those men continue to beat Gio, even though he wasn’t moving. The rage, the agony I felt at seeing him be treated that way threatened to tear through me. I whipped around and tried to grab my holder’s hair with my fists, but he stepped back.

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