Page 67 of Pregnant Bratva Wife
Maybe it was time to face his—our—life head-on.
The next morning, I barged into Federico’s office. He looked up, surprised to see me.
“Autumn!” He rose, his features softening. “Good morning.”
“Can we talk?” I said boldly, walked over, and took a seat. He hovered above his desk for a few seconds, clearly confused by the unexpected visit, but finally sat back down.
“How can I help?”
“I’ve been thinking,” I started, “I want to understand your business better.”
His eyebrows shot right up. “My business?”
“Yes. The Bratva stuff.”
Federico leaned back in his chair, studying me. “Why the sudden interest?”
“It’s not sudden. I’ve been thinking about it since our dinner. You were honest with me, and I appreciate that. But knowing what you do in theory is different from understanding it.”
“Understanding it won’t make it less illegal,” he pointed out.
“I know that. But I’m your wife, even if it’s just on paper. The other women in your family all know what’s going on. They’re involved, right?” I pressed.
“You want to be involved in criminal activities now?” His voice was skeptical, but there was a tilt of amusement in his voice.
“No!” I said immediately. “The less criminal ones. The parts that won’t get me arrested on sight, anyway.”
Federico’s lips twitched. “Most of what we do could get you arrested on sight.”
“Then show me the least illegal parts.” I leaned forward. “What do you do that’s considered safe waters?”
“Well.” He furrowed his brows. “We have casinos. Bars. Hotels.”
“Perfect!” I clapped my hands excitedly. “Casinos. Let’s start with that. I want you to take me to the casino.”
“You want me to take youwhere?” Federico’s brow arched like I’d just suggested we honeymoon in prison.
“To the casino,” I said, folding my arms. “I want to see how you work. And don’t worry. I won’t shatter just because my mother had a gambling problem. The addiction wasn’t hereditary.”
He gave me a small smile—one part sad, the other still confused—and I knew I needed to nudge him just a little more.
I shrugged. “Look, I’m already here. We’re already married. I already know you disappear at weird hours and carry weapons. I’d just like to understand it. Be useful, maybe.”
That got a reaction. His jaw flexed, but he didn’t immediately shut it down.
I pressed on. “I’ve seen how your family operates. They’re not what I expected. They’re kind. Even Dante said something semi-decent last week, which I’m still recovering from. And you, with that taco stand…” I smiled. “You’re not just some scary mafia boss, you know.”
His lips twitched. “Don’t tell the world. They’ll think I’ve gone soft.”
“Youaresoft,” I said without thinking, and the moment I did, something shifted in his face.In my chest.My heart let out a little skip, as if at last I was speaking the truth.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck like the idea physically itched. But then he nodded.
“Fine. Just for a walkthrough. There’s a casino downtown that we own. It’s one of our cleaner operations. I’ll take you there tonight. And only because you said I looked soft.”
I sat up straighter, in disbelief. “Tonight?”
“Unless you’re busy?” His eyes danced with challenge.
