Page 4 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
Her shoulders slumped. “I know. But I’ll figure something out.”
Something shifted inside me then. A decision formed before I’d even consciously considered it. I’d built my success byfollowing my instincts, and right now, mine was telling me not to let this woman walk away.
“I have a proposition for you,” I said, tucking her card into my pocket.
Wariness replaced the despair in her eyes.
Smart girl.
“What kind of proposition?” she asked cautiously.
I held out my own card. “Federico Lebedev,” I said. “I own several businesses in the city.”
That was technically true, although most of them existed primarily for money laundering.
“Uh-huh.” She looked confused, staring down at my card.
“I’m also in need of a wife.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes snapped to meet mine. “Excuse me?” Her voice was a near shriek.
“You need a place to live. You need financial stability. I need a wife just to get well-wishers off my back.” Also true,in a way. The old guard respected family men more than bachelors. “Marry me, and I’ll take care of all your problems.”
She stared at me like I’d sprouted a second head. “Are you insane? I don’t even know you!”
I shrugged. “Of course, you don’t know me. I don’t know you either. Think of it as a practical arrangement,” I said. “Nothing more.”
She looked me up and down, and I knew what she saw. A handsome man. Money. I was used to women responding to me positively. Used to getting what I want with minimal effort.
Which is why her next words caught me completely off guard.
“No. Absolutely not. I’d rather live in my car.”
She turned on her heel and walked away.
I stood there, actually stunned. Women didn’t say no to me. Especially not women in desperate situations.
She walked off in a near-run, as if she couldn’t wait to get away from me. As for me, I couldn’t help but think that Autumn Malone turned me down.
Despite all the problems she was having, she turned down a knight in shining armor.
And I didn’t know what else to do except respect her for that.
I was wrong.
She wasn’t just a firecracker.
She was the only real thing I’d seen in years.
I smiled again, looking down at her card, knowing she’d call. She might not have money, but she certainly had pride, and I somehow knew she’d be calling around to pay off her debts.
Chapter 2 - Autumn
I hit submit on my fifteenth job application for the day and slammed my computer shut. My head ached, and my back felt like it had whiplash. I groaned and leaned back, sinking into Chloe’s couch, which also served as my pull-out bed these days.
It had been three days since I packed my bags and moved out of my apartment. Thank god I never looked back at my crazy ex and equally crazy roommate. Thank God for my best friend, Chloe, who not only demanded that I come live with her but also lent me three hundred—very much needed—dollars.
I needed a job, and I needed one fast. I hadn’t stepped out of the apartment since I arrived. Day and night, all I thought about, did, and breathed was job applications. So far, I had zilch to show for all my efforts.
