Page 18 of Impregnated By the Bratva

They giggled while nodding. I placed my hand on Grace’s back and turned her towards the group of men. They turned as we got close, and an awkward silence suddenly filled the booth. “Iosif,” I said, nodding at him. “Avgust,” I continued, nodding at him as well before lightly pushing Grace forward. “I would like you to meet Grace.”

Iosif and Avgust stared at her for a second. It felt more like they were trying to dissect her with their eyes. I wanted to take her and run. I didn’t want her to be under their scrutiny. Grace must have felt the shift in the atmosphere as she placed her arm around my waist and held tight.

Pulling her closer, I waited as Avgust finally opened his big mouth and spoke. “So, you’re Grace.” His voice dripped with disgust, and I had to clench my fist at my side to prevent it from colliding with his face.

Iosif must have noticed my shift in demeanor as he moved closer, holding out his hand to Grace. She took it and shook it lightly.

“I’m Iosif,” he said. Glancing over his shoulder, he continued. “This is my brother Avgust, and Lukyan is behind him at the table.” He scanned the room before speaking again. “Then there is also Timofey, who appears to have stepped out. Glad to meet you.”

Looking at me in the eyes, he continued in a calm tone. “He was in the pits with Pavel and should be here any moment.”

“No problem,” I replied, grateful for his calmness.

“What is it you do, Grace?” he inquired suddenly.

She breathed out unsteadily before speaking. “I’m a student. It’s my last year of marketing.”

“Sounds interesting,” Iosif replied.

I wasn’t sure what he was fishing for, but I felt sure if I didn’t step in, it would turn into an interrogation soon.

“How did the two of you meet?” Avgust rudely interrupted.

I felt my anger spiking and had to get control of the situation. Glaring at Avgust, I replied for her. “We met at the university. The one you sent me to.”

Turning to Grace, I pointed at the sisters as I continued to speak. “You can join them. I’ll be there shortly.”

Smiling, she turned and moved away. I watched until she was seated before returning my attention to the brothers. They were both staring at me intently as Iosif spoke. “Is she the witness?”

“Yes, she is,” I replied, nodding.

“Does she know about us?” Avgust questioned abruptly.

“No, how would she know about you? She thinks we came to watch my brother race.” I spat back, feeling my anger and trying to take control. I was battling to keep it suppressed with Avgusts attitude. “She doesn’t even know what I do for a living. How would she know about you?”

“Good,” Avgust breathed out. “Keep it that way, and she might survive this.”

“Alright, weapons down,” Iosif said, touching his brother's shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s enjoy the race for now.”

Avgust puffed up like a toddler whose toy was taken away. He stomped off to the corner of the booth. Nodding at Iosif, I turned and went to join Grace. I noticed she was having what appeared to be a good conversation with the girls as they laughed.

Sitting down next to her, I took her hand in mine. I stared out at the racetrack, trying to calm down. I wouldn’t let Avgust harm Grace. For the first time in my life, I knew what defiance was. Grace squeezed my hand as she leaned in, speaking in my ear. “How long has Pavel been racing?”

Looking at her, I tried to answer in a calm tone. I didn’t want her to know I was upset. “He always had a thing for cars from a very young age. As a child, he would walk around with our father's tools and pretend to fix our bikes and any cars we passed.” I smiled, remembering his eagerness to work on them.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “As we got older, he actually did. He taught himself, and once he was tall enough to reach the pedals, he started driving. Our mother was always worried, and the old man… Well, he never really cared.”

“So basically, his entire life!” Grace gasped, smiling as she looked out at the track.

I pushed down the urge to kiss her and spoke instead. “He started at about six with a go-kart he built.” I laughed, thinking back to his box with wheels. “Since then, it’s only been upgrading his vehicles.”

“He’s been doing it professionally for about five years now,” Misha added, grinning at us.

The booth was filling up with associates of the Chernykhs, and I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t want Grace around these types of people. Moving my chair closer, I placed my arm around her like an invisible shield.

Feeling her movements under my arms as she bubbled with excitement, my senses all lit up. She leaned forward as the cars pulled up to the starting line. Once they revved up their engines, she bounced back, placing her hands over her mouth to muffle her scream. She wasn’t expecting it to be so loud.

I could see the enthusiasm in her eyes and every move she made. “Why are the cars so different?” she asked, tapping my leg.

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