Page 101 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
“They’re playing you.”
“I don’t care!” My voice cracked as I shouted it. “If they hurt her—”
“They won’t.”
“You don’tknowthat.”
“I know if you leave this house alone, there’s no guarantee I can get you back. And I’m not losing both of you.”
“Please, Federico,” I begged in panic. “You don’t understand! I have to go. They specifically asked me to come alone. Don’t you get it?”
“I’m not letting you walk into a setup with two hundred thousand in cash, pregnant and panicking, while they sit out there with God knows what kind of plan.”
Tears welled in my eyes, unbidden. “They said she was crying, that she called for me. What am I supposed to do? Abandon her?”
I tried to sidestep him, but he caught me by the shoulders gently.
“Autumn. Stop.” The command in his voice froze me in place. “We will get her back. I promise you. But you rushing in with cash will only get you both killed.”
“They said I have to come alone,” I choked out. “Two hours. They gave me two hours!”
Federico’s eyes never left mine as he gently pried the duffel bag from my grip and set it aside. His hands returned to my shoulders, steadying me when I felt like I might shatter.
“That gives us time,” he said. “Time to think. To plan. Come with me.”
Before I could protest again, he was guiding me toward the living room, one arm around my waist like he half-expected me to bolt for the door the second he let go.
And honestly? He wasn’t wrong.
“I don’t need to sit down,” I argued as he directed me to the couch. “I need to get my sister.”
“We’ll find her. Together. But first, you need to sit and listen to me,” he said firmly.
I was trembling but stood firm. Obstinate. Still trying to be brave. Still trying to keep from falling apart.
“You don’t understand,” I whispered, my voice splintering.
“I do,” he said softly. “You’d trade yourself for the people you love. I know that. I’ve done that. But this time, Autumn,you don’t have to.”
That broke me.
The tears slipped free as I sank onto the couch. Federico crouched in front of me, his hands on my knees, eyes locked on mine. He reached for my cheeks, wiped away the tears.
“Tell me everything,” he said. “Every detail. What exactly did they say? When did they call? Where are they keeping her?”
I took a shaky breath, trying to organize my thoughts through the panic. “They called twenty minutes ago. Said they picked Megan up outside her dorm. They—” My voice broke. “They let me talk to her for a few seconds. She was crying, Federico. She took Igor Petrov’s name but they snatched the phone away. It was the loan shark and his cronies. She sounded so scared.”
Federico’s jaw tightened, but his eyes remained steady. “What else?”
“They want two hundred thousand dollars. Cash. I have to bring it to an abandoned warehouse on the south side.”
His jaw tightened. “They sent the location?”
I nodded.
“Show me.”
I handed him the phone with the message still displayed on the screen.
