Page 78 of Innocent Bratva Twins

“No, I’m sorry that I put so much pressure on you. That I trapped you like I owned you. My intention was only ever to keep you safe, but I realize just how badly I went about it,“ I sigh, shaking my head.

Serafina watches me with her eyes narrowed. Somewhere in her heart, I can see she wants to believe me, but she’s holding back.

I can’t blame her for protecting herself and the baby.

Sadness settles over me when I think about taking care of such a tiny little thing. My child. My baby.

It reminds me of the responsibly I have towards my younger siblings. The responsibility I have carried my own life. I’ve never regretted a moment of it—until the moment I lost Grigoriy.

I couldn’t keep him safe.

I failed him.

“What’s wrong?” she asks nervously. “Did you not want children? Because if you don’t, it's—“

“No, no, it’s not that at all. I was just…“ I sigh. “I was thinking about my brother.”

“Don’t be angry at Luka. I’m the one who took the keys. It’s not his fault,” she says quickly.

I smile, shaking my head. “Not Luka.”

“Who, then?”

“I had another brother, the youngest of all of us. His name was Grig. Grigoriy.”

“Had?” she asks cautiously. "Did he leave the country?”

“Last year, he was murdered by one of our rivals. He was making bad choices and getting into business with the wrong people. It didn’t pay off—in fact, it cost him his life.”

She takes in a sharp breath, then leans forward to take my hand. “I’m so sorry, Nico. I didn’t know.”

For a moment, I stay quiet, fighting tears of regret and sorrow. Fuck. I miss him so much.

“Every day, I think about him. He was my baby brother, you know. I was supposed to take care of him, and I failed.” My voice breaks.

“You can’t take that responsibility on, Nico. You aren’t the one who hurt him. You aren’t the one who got him involved with the wrong people.”

“I am a part of the mafia world, but I avoid that side of it. I try to avoid all of it as much as I can, and I think that is why I didn’t see what was happening with Grig. I can’t tell you how much it broke us—all of us—when we lost him. We’re still dealing with the pain of that. But as a family, one day, we will get justice for what they did to him.”

She chews on her lip as she watches me.

I shouldn’t be burdening her with this. I don’t know how or why I started talking about this.

Taking a deep breath, I clear my throat.

“Sera, I love taking care of my family. I love being there for them and making them happy. Iwillbe there for you and our baby. I will take care of you and keep you happy. But I won’t hold you prisoner. You are free to come and go as you please. But you must understand that things are dangerous right now. If you can do it, please stay in the penthouse with me until the danger has passed.”

“I’ll think about it, Nico. I’m so tired at the moment, though, that I don’t want to make decisions that are wrong for the baby. That is the most important thing right now.”

“I understand,” I nod. “Are you hungry? It’s been a really long day. I’m going to make some toasted bacon and avocado on that fresh bread. Do you want one?”

“Yes, please.” She smiles gently at me. “I’m getting out soon. Before I get all wrinkly and turn into a mermaid.”

“I think you’d make a beautiful mermaid,” I laugh, standing up and leaving her in peace while I head to the kitchen to sort out some food for us.

Over the next two days, I am sure to be patient, and no matter how hard it is for me, I keep my distance, sensing that she needs the space to think and make her own decisions. For the time being, I am just grateful that she’s still here.

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