Page 113 of The Billionaire's Baby
"I know." I hang my head. I had lost a mother, but he had lost his wife, his other half. He'd sworn he'd never marry again. He'd devoted his life to being a good father to all of us. He'd tried his best... In the only way he knew how, and here I am, throwing it back in his face.
"I am sorry, Papa." I hang my head. "I shouldn't have said that. I am really upset that, despite trying to leave my past behind, here I am, slap bang in the middle of it again."
"The more you try to run, the more your issues are going to follow you. The only way out is to turn around and face them."
"And here I am." I blow out a breath, "So, are you going to finally tell me what this is all about?"
"May I?" Arpad asks from next to me.
My father frowns at him. The two lock gazes, something passes between them, then my father leans back. Huh? ThePakhanof the Bratva never allows anyone else to take over his meeting. Certainly, not an outsider.
But then, Arpad is no longer an outsider, is he? How long has he been in touch with my family?
Arpad leans forward. "Karina, there's something you should know."
Now what? My heart begins to thud, my throat closes, sweat beads my palms and I squeeze them together. I sit upright, tilt my head in his direction. "What is it?" I ask.
"You see, this is not the first time I’ve been in touch with your family."
"No shit," I snort.
"No," he shakes his head, "you don’t understand."
"You’re the hotshot financial wiz, so why don’t you explain it to me?"
"That’s the thing." He reaches for my hand and I pull it away.
"Say it." I scowl. "Just do it already."
He draws in a breath, glances up at my father, then back at me. "I am not who you think I am."
"I could have told you that for free." I chuckle, then wriggle around in my seat. "Well, go on then, what is it?"
He reaches down, and closes his hand around mine. I try to pull away and his grasp tightens.
"I am one of you."
"What?"
"I am one of the Bratva."
39
Karina
I throw back my head and peals of laughter spill from my lips. If I sound hysterical, it's because that's not far from the truth.
"Sparks, you okay?" Arpad scowls.
I wipe the tears from my cheeks, then sit back in my chair. "Why shouldn’t I be? I mean, just because you can say any damn thing that comes into your mind, doesn’t mean I am going to believe it, right?"
Arpad glances between my father and brothers, then turns to me. "Sparks, I—"
I hold up my hand, "You...you can't be part of the Bratva. You don’t have the tattoos—"
"If I may?" Niko asks Arpad, who nods.
Niko taps his fingers on the table, "If you'd bothered to keep in touch with us, you'd have known that, along with the times, we too, have changed. From a business standpoint, we understand how important it is for the brotherhood to blend in with the mainstream. So, the tattoos are not compulsory anymore."
