Page 42 of Impregnated By the Bratva

Blood had stained his grey shirt. But there was too much to be his. “Makari,” I breathed out heavily. “What happened?”

Glancing at me through one eye, he somehow managed to smile. His tone was deep as he responded. “Not much, my tigress. I had a little argument. You must see the other guy.”

Shaking my head, I stood aside as Pavel directed him to the lounge. “Have him sit,” I said, lightly touching Pavel’s shoulder. “I’ll get the kit to clean his wounds.”

Returning with the first aid kit, I gave Pavel orders as I kneeled down beside the couch. “Get a bucket of water and towels.”

I watched Pavel rushing out. Turning to Makari, I lifted his head. “What have you done?” I asked softly.

“What I had to,” he huffed, couching.

Pavel placed the bucket of water next to me and handed me the towel. First, I cleaned the cut on his face to see the damage. It wasn’t as serious as it first appeared. After cleaning the wounds and giving him two stitches, I stood and pulled off his shirt.

I inspected his arms, hands, chest, and back. There didn’t appear to be any other wounds. He was bruised on his sides and had some abrasions, but no other cuts or holes. His breathing had normalized as well. “Thank you, Grace,” Makari said as I got up.

Leaning over, I kissed his forehead. “It’s a pleasure, but please try to stay out of these situations,” I replied.

Makari rose to his feet. He pulled me into a tight hug before speaking again. “I’m going to take a shower, and then we can eat, okay?”

“Right,” I replied, watching him stumble out. “No problem.”

Pavel assisted in cleaning up the mess before we headed back to the dining room. We had just set down the last of the food when Makari entered.

He looked better, but we ate in silence. Having a better understanding of what they did and why was one thing. But living through this was harder than I had anticipated. I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I would be attending to his wounds.

After supper, he took some aspirin and headed to bed. I cleaned the dinner dishes before turning them in. I had not only gotten comfortable living with them, but I was falling for Makari.

Laying in bed, I closed my eyes and imagined returning to my old life. It was hard, as every memory somehow involved Makari.

I woke up to an empty home. Heading down to the kitchen, I checked the rooms. Both brothers were out this time, not only Makari. Entering the dining room, I saw the note on the table. It was sitting on a covered plate. Opening it up, I read it out loud. “Enjoy your breakfast. See you in a while. Thank you.”

Lifting the plate cover, I smiled. The plate was layered with yogurt and berries. I sat down alone and ate. I spent most of the day reading, swimming, and sleeping. When they got home, I was about to lose my mind from boredom.

“Evening,” Makari said as he came in carrying Chinese take-out. “This is going to be a hectic week. Will you be okay staying alone?”

“Yes, sure,” I replied, taking out plates. Makari took his supper into his office. I decided to have mine in the entertainment room. I watched a movie I started earlier. Once it was done, I went to bed.

The next three days were more of the same. I spent my time looking for work and sending my papers to companies. On Thursday, Pavel arrived home before lunch.

“Is my brother here?” he enquired as he stormed into the kitchen.

Turning to face him, I wondered what had happened. “No, I haven’t seen him yet,” I replied, raising my brows.

“Shit,” Pavel huffed, slamming his fist on the counter. He turned and headed out again.

“Pavel,” I called after him. “What’s going on? What happened? Why do you sound so worried?”

He was about to open the front door when I grabbed his shoulder, swinging him around. “Nothing happened!” he grumbled, lightly pushing me back.

“Pavel, please talk to me. Tell me what happened?” I asked desperately. It felt like floodgates to the ocean had opened in my stomach as waves crashed around in it.

He lowered his head and took a deep breath. “We were ambushed and then split up. I lost Makari and don’t know where he is,” he said softly.

Tears instantly burned my eyes as they threatened to run free. Blinking, I tried swallowing the mountain growing in my throat. “What do you mean you don’t know where he is?” I questioned.

Pavel shuffled to the lounge. His shoulders sagged, and he looked like he might collapse at any moment. He flopped down in one of the chairs. Placing his head in his hands, he spoke. I had to kneel to hear him. His tone was faint and slightly jagged. “This was a big mistake.”

“What was a mistake, Pavel?” I questioned in a flat tone. I tried to keep my emotions in check to try and calm him.

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