Page 50 of Dark Bratva Christmas
But I can only think of one thing she loves, and that's Mikhail.
Thinking about that, I come up with the perfect idea, and I head directly to 5thAvenue, knowing I'll be able to find it somewhere there.
I find exactly what I’m looking for. A locket, where she can place a picture of the love of her life—the one she lost.
I stare down at it in my hand as I make it back out to where I’ve parked my bike, imagining my brother’s face around my wife’s neck. As much as I know that’s her love, something in my chestachesat the thought of never having her affection like that.
Fuck me. This is stupid.
I shove the locket into my leather jacket, and then head for my bike. I sling my leg over the bike, put on the helmet, and then double-check that the locket is still where it’s supposed to be. I zip it up, and then smile beneath the black visor.
I don’t know what fucking drug Catarina is, but she’s the kind that’s crawled under my skin, and found a home.
And maybe I don’t love her. But I don’t really hate her anymore.
“That’s pretty fucking monumental,” I mutter under my breath to myself as I dig out my key.
However, when I slide it into the ignition, I pause for a moment before taking off.
Something is wrong. It’s too stiff, and the motor feels too hot.
I lean forward to try and get a look at the ignition, and the closer I get, I smell burnt plastic.Shit, shit, shit!
My heart drops and I kick my leg over the side of the bike as quickly as I can, climbing off. I glance around the crowd of people, trying to count how many feet are between the bike and the nearest bystanders.
“Get back!” I shout to a couple of people within a few feet. They take the hint, and run, just as a plume of smoke appears from the tank.
Fuck.
And that’s when it explodes. The blast is enough to knock me forward from nearly twenty feet from the bike, and the boom echoes through the area, causing my ears to ring.
I crash against the asphalt, small pebbles forcing themselves into my scraped palms. Everything goes quiet as my hearing fades entirely.
My heart pounds and my blood rages, adrenaline coursing through me. I don't register the blood on my forehead, the burns on my arms, or how badly I've scraped my knees. None of that fucking matters right now.
I stand up, turn around, and see my destroyed bike.
Someone just tried to fucking kill me.
In the back of my mind, all I hear is Mikhail's voice. His last words. The promise I made.
I have to get to Catarina.
Chapter fifteen
Catarina
I breathe in deep, and then roll over, extending my hand across Matysh’s bed. My fingers slide across cold sheets, and the divot in the mattress where the massive man should be is empty…
I let out a sigh. I’m not surprised.
Last night’s sex might’ve felt different in some capacity, and Matyshmightbe softening up toward me a fraction, but there’s still no reason for me to expect him to be in the bed when I open my eyes.
This isn’t some fairy tale. At best, all Matysh is ever going to look at me as ishis.
I run my fingers across my abdomen, stopping over my stomach. I know there’s a baby there. I know it’s his, andthatis the only reason I have any worth to him.
“But I will still always protect you,” I whisper, my hands resting on the bump that isn’t fully there yet. It will be, eventually.
