Page 50 of Bratva Daddies for the Single Mom

ANNIE

Had I done the right thing? I thought so. I didn’t belong in Viktor’s world. My daughters deserved a safe life without all the drama and possible harm that might come to all of us if I allowed the relationship to continue. I’d slammed the door in Ilya’s face, fully expecting him to come barging through and prove he was the bully I first imagined. Instead, he’d walked away. What was I supposed to do with that?

“If you’d sit down for two seconds and talk to me, whatever is bothering you might not seem so bad.” Tina’s voice held concern and a bit of a laugh. She patted the cushion beside her. “Want to tell me why you’re not at work?”

“I don’t feel well.” It was a copout, my go-to excuse to get me out of any situation without questions. Except Tina knew about the pregnancy and knew I’d not experienced morning sickness in weeks. I flopped onto the couch, my spine finding an exposed spring. The resulting gouge into my back forced me sideways for a more comfortable position. I trusted Tina enough to tell her the truth… right? By the time I’d taken the girls to school and Tina came home from her shift at the bar, I’d started to regret pushing Ilya away.

I opened my mouth, ready to tell her everything. My phone rang, the school’s number flashing in bold black letters and sending my heart flying into my throat. “Hello?” My breathless answer caused my vision to waver. I palmed the arm of the couch and pushed to my feet, shaking my head until my vision cleared.

“Miss McIntosh, this is Bertie Bell from the elementary school. I’m calling to inform you that a man stopped by claiming to be your girls’ father. He wanted to pick them up.”

“No.” I shot the word out with every bit of breath in my lungs. “Do not let them leave with anyone except me or Tina.”

“Of course. We checked the files to make sure. We take security seriously here at Boyd Elementary. It’s another reason we called. Would you like us to call the police and report this incident?” Bertie remained calm and precise.

I used her practical manner to calm myself. “What did the man look like?” Had Ilya taken my rebuttal personally and gone after the girls? I hated that my thoughts took me straight to my Bratva men, but who else would even know where the girls went to school or bother trying to take them?

“I’m afraid that’s not information I can give you over the phone.” Bertie’s voice turned muffled. She must have covered the speaker with her hand to talk to someone else in the room.

“I’ll be right there.” I waved at Tina. “Let’s go.”

“What happened?” She whisper-shouted the question at me.

I grabbed my keys and bolted for the door, shoving Tina out ahead of me and locking the door, checking twice to make sure I’d secured it. “Bertie, I’m hanging up now, but I’m on my way. If anyone else comes by, if they even ask about the girls, call me back.”

“Of course.” Bertie ended the call as I dropped into the driver’s seat.

Tina put a hand on my arm. “Are you okay to drive? You’re shaking.” She looked me over and shook her head. “Scoot. I’mdriving.” She used her elbow and knee to nudge me across the console and into the passenger seat while holding out her hand for the keys. “What happened to the girls?”

“Someone tried to pick them up from school. A man.” I tripped over the words, my lips going numb. It made no sense. “I told Ilya I didn’t want to see any of them ever again. I threatened to call the police if I saw them anywhere near me. What if they’re trying to get to the girls to punish me?” Speaking my fear into the void brought it all crashing down around me. A chill invaded my bones. My body shook with tremors, my teeth chattering despite the warm air and sunshine.

“You’re in shock.” Tina reached into the backseat and dragged one of the girls’ blankets up and around my shoulders. “Slow, deep breaths. Long exhales. You don’t want to hyperventilate.”

The next thing I knew, we were pulling up in front of the school. I yanked my seatbelt off—when had I put it on?—and ran up the sidewalk. The locked door stopped me in my tracks until Bertie buzzed me in.

“Where are they?” I worked to calm my fractured breathing, knowing full fucking well that nothing was going to help until I saw my girls, held them in my arms.

“I’ll have them brought up.” Bertie led me and Tina into the office. “We didn’t even call them out of class since no one recognized the man.”

“Did he leave a name? What did he look like?” Tina peppered Bertie with questions.

Bertie took it all in stride. “Middle-aged. Looked like a businessman. He wore a suit and tie but no jacket. Spoke with an English accent.”

“English?” My thoughts stalled. No one would mistake the Bratva men’s Russian accent for English. Did that mean it wasn’t them? Who, then? My heart threatened to burst, my pulse racingout of control. They could have hired someone. “I need to see the girls. I’m taking them home.” The end of the school day was close enough that it made sense. Plus, I had no intention of leaving the girls here when an obvious threat strolled right in the front door.

Bertie pressed a button on the intercom system. “Miss Molly, send the McIntosh girls to the front, please.” She released the button and faced me. “I know how difficult and frightening this must be. I want to reassure you that all safety protocols were followed.”

“Thank you.” I believed her. They’d kept my girls safe. It didn’t stop the fear coursing through me. I knew how persuasive Viktor could be. He’d stop at nothing once he set his mind to something. If he wanted the girls, he’d get to them. The fear shifted, turning to white-hot rage. He’d have to go through me first.

I stood at the glass wall that separated the office from the rest of the school. Polished brown linoleum stretched toward rows of lockers. Two hallways spread out to my left and my right. I’d been down them often enough on my way to the gym for special school events to know they converged at the other end, a third hallway creating a square. I’d picked the safest school available to the girls. A school with good teachers and safety protocols like not allowing anyone to pick up children unless they were on a secure list filled out by the parents at the beginning of the school year.

The office smelled like cookies, a strange contrast to the chemical smell in the rest of the school that came with the strict cleaning and disinfecting schedule.

Hannah and Hailey skipped up the hallway, backpacks slapping their backs. They held hands and laughed the entire time without a care in the world to ruin their peace of mind. A grateful whoosh left my lungs empty. I filled them with adesperate inhale and rushed out to meet them, scooping both girls into a tight hug.

“You’re early.” Hailey squeezed my neck. “Are we going to a party?”

“Yes.” I made the decision right then. “We’re having a party at home. Blankets, pillows, popcorn. There’s a new movie we can watch, and we’ll spend the whole day playing.”

---