Page 58 of Sold to the Bratva
Ever since I started showing, Evie has loved talking to my unborn baby. She says it’s so she’ll be the favorite aunt when the baby arrives. Considering neither Isaac nor I have any siblings, she’ll actually be the only aunt, but her enthusiasm comforts me and reminds me I’ll have a support system.
After we pay and leave the boutique, Evie loops her arm through mine, our bags swaying and our hearts a little lighter. Spending time with my best friend feels good. Isaac must have known. Yesterday, after one of my more emotional nights, he called Evie and arranged today. It’s been perfect.
She casts me a sideways glance. “You’re glowing,” she says with a smile.
“That’s probably just sweat.” I laugh.
“No, seriously.” She levels me with a look. “You’re happier than I’ve ever seen you.”
I pause as we step up to the corner, waiting for the light to change. It hits me how right she is. Despite the whirlwind of the past several months, I feel like I have everything I didn’t even know I wanted. A few months ago, I was terrified of beingmarried to some mafia brute. But Isaac isn’t who I thought he was. He may actually be my soulmate, and I would have missed him if I’d kept digging my heels in.
“I am happy,” I admit. “I never thought I would be. Not with how this started. But Isaac makes it easy. He treats me like a queen.”
Evie nods thoughtfully as we cross the street. “And your dad? Has he come around since you told him you’re pregnant?”
A wave of nausea rolls through me, and it has nothing to do with pregnancy. Nothing explicitly bad has happened with my father, yet something between us has shifted these last few months.
“He’s been busy,” I say offhandedly.
I assume that’s true. We’ve barely spoken, so I can’t say for sure. He’s probably playing good little soldier for Oleg, doing whatever he asks. Since I stopped feeding him updates on Isaac, he’s stopped calling. If he won’t make an effort with me, I’m not making one with him.
I’ll be a mother soon enough. I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to get tangled in his bullshit. My baby and my husband come first, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect them.
“So he forced you into this marriage and then just forgot about you?” she asks, sarcasm dripping. “He really is a piece of work!”
My heart swells. She’s always been such a good friend, feeling upset on my behalf even when I couldn’t care less. When it comes to my father, it is what it is.
“I’m a married woman now,” I answer in an exaggeratedly haughty tone. “I am no longer my father’s property.”
She lets out a laugh so loud it’s practically a cackle, and the weight on my shoulders lifts, if only a fraction.
“Damn right,” she says, still laughing. “Now you’re your husband’s property.”
“It’s so wonderful being a woman,” I say. “All this autonomy and whatnot.”
We laugh as we walk, our steps syncing with the city’s rhythm. Still, a part of me aches when I think of my father, because Evie’s right. He did leave me out to dry. If Isaac weren’t such a good husband, I’d be much angrier. For now I want peace, and my father’s absence has given me plenty of it.
My phone buzzes in my purse. I pull it out and smile when Isaac’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hey, you,” I say, answering with a grin.
His voice is warm, deep. “How are my two favorite people doing?”
“Evie and I are great,” I tease, and I can almost hear him rolling his eyes. “We’re just finishing up. I think this baby has more clothes than I do.”
Isaac chuckles. “That’s a scary thought. Have you eaten today?”
“Yes, Commander Kozlov. Evie bought me a sandwich and a smoothie for lunch. She’d be happy to submit the receipt for reimbursement.”
“I would like that,” Evie yells loud enough for Isaac to hear.
He chuckles again. “I’ll stop nagging for now,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Are you headed home soon? I miss you.”
“I’m just about to meet the driver,” I tell him as we cross the street to the block where my car waits.
“Good. I’ll have Maude prepare something light for dinner. And when you get home, I want you off your feet.”
“You’re bossier than usual today.”
