Page 102 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
Federico’s eyes scanned the address. His shoulders squared. He was already working, already calculating, already tearing it apart in his mind.
“Okay,” he said. “Good. We have a lot to work with here. And the timeline?”
“Two hours from when they called. Which means—” I glanced at the clock, “—I have less than an hour and a half now. Federico, please. I need to go. We’re wasting time!”
I tried to stand, but he kept me in place, his hands firm on my knees.
“What you need to do,” he said, his voice low and calm, “is breathe.”
“How can you say that?” I whispered. “Like it’s so easy. Don’t you get it? If I don’t show up with the money, they’ll…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. “Why does it matter? We need to get the money and—”
Federico stood abruptly, pulling out his phone. “I’ll have the money here in twenty minutes. But you’re not delivering it.”
“Yes, I am.” I rose to my feet, squaring off with him. “They said I have to come alone or they’ll hurt her.”
“And you think they won’t hurt her anyway? And you? And our child?” Federico’s voice was harsh now. “That they’ll just take the money and let you both skip away? These people aren’t loan sharks, Autumn. They’re targeting me through you.”
Tears burned in my eyes. “This is Megan we’re talking about. My baby sister. I practically raised her! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”
Federico made a quick call to Caspian, updated him, and asked for the money. The quiet hum of Federico’s voice filled the room as I stood there shaking, the weight of helplessness pressing hard against my ribs.
When he hung up, he turned to me with a grim expression.
“Caspian is rallying the troops. The Ajellos are in town and will be joining us. The Ustinovs are sending some fighters. We’ve got this, and you have to trust us. You’re pregnant,” he said quietly. “With my child. I can’t let you walk into a trap.”
“And I can’t let my sister die!” I shouted. “What would you do if it were Beatrice? Or Dante? Or any of your family? Would you sit back and trust people you mostly don’t even know?”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’d kill every last person responsible myself, which is exactly what I intend to do. But I wouldn’t send my pregnant wife in alone as bait.”
“Then what’s your plan?” I demanded. “Because the clock is ticking, and all I’m hearing is why I can’t go, not how we’re going to save her!”
He looked at me then,reallylooked at me. “Okay. Here’s the plan. We use the time they gave us. Two hours is enough to get eyes on that location, plan the approach, and position backup. We have allies in the Ustinovs, the Vadims, the Ajellos. Three very powerful families. They don’t get to own this situation just because they set the terms. We do because we have more power than they can even imagine.”
I stared at him, stunned at the calm in his voice. Not detached—controlled. Like he’d stepped into some darker, more dangerous version of himself, and yet, I felt safer than I had all day.
“The real shark in this game,” he said softly, “isme.Not them.”
I swallowed, heart hammering again—not with fear, but something else entirely.
He saw it.
“Talk to me,” he said. “Tell me you agree. Don’t you get it? I can’t lose you,” he added so quietly as his eyes went to my stomach that I almost missed it. “Either of you.”
This was just Federico—scared, like me.
“You won’t,” I whispered, my anger deflating slightly. “But I can’t lose her either. She’s all I had for so long. Please understand.”
He exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping a fraction. “I do understand. More than you know.”
My lip trembled. “Then don’t treat me like some glass doll who needs protecting from everything. This isMegan.Ineedto be part of this.”
He hesitated. Then nodded once.
“I get it,” he said. “You’re not a passenger in this. You’re family. And we don’t do this without you. I’ll set you up in a control room from which you’ll be able to see everything live. You’ll have access to communicate with our entire team via radio when we hit the floor.”
The relief that flooded me nearly knocked me over.
I reached out and grabbed his hand. Not because I had to.
