Page 157 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

“Hargrove, his men… Rob,” she says. Her gaze flits to me for a moment when she says my brother’s name. “Twenty in total, maybe twenty-five.”

Aleks doesn’t seem in the least bit concerned. He just nods and continues walking me towards one of the elevators. The three of us climb aboard and stand in an awkward circle.

The whole ride is silent. I stare at my reflection in the polished brass, wondering what the hell awaits us above. The whole thing feels like a bad dream.

When the elevator doors open, Demyan is standing on the other side.

“Took you long enough,” he grumbles.

I have no idea how he got up here so fast, but there’s no time to ask before Aleks is pulling me out of the elevator. He hasn’t dropped my hand once since we walked through the front doors of the hotel.

“Olivia?” Demyan asks, looking at me with concern. “Are you okay?”

I don’t answer. I have no idea how to answer a question like that. I haven’t known for a very long time now.

He exchanges a wary look with Aleks, but it’s Jennifer who steps forward. “Come with me,” she says gently.

“What are you doing?” Aleks barks.

“Look at her, Aleks,” Jennifer says firmly. “She looks like she’s going to pass out. And she’s pregnant. Or have you forgotten that?”

Her tone reminds me of Mia. Protective and authoritative at the same time.

“I don’t forget anything,” Aleks growls. His eyes are as sharp as daggers. If I stare too long, I’m going to be pierced through. Then he sighs and waves us on. “Go on. Take a minute.”

Jennifer grabs my hand and steers me down a large corridor lined with windows that overlook part of the city.

At the end of the hall is a sky bar. As we make for a table in the corner, Jennifer grabs the attention of a waiter.

“Two glasses of water, please,” she says. “Add a twist of lemon in one.”

He nods and hurries off towards the bar. Jennifer forces me to sit down, but instead of taking the seat next to mine, she sits on the wooden table in front of me. She rests her elbows on her knees and takes my hand.

“Liv, you need to breathe.”

“I am breathing.”

“Not enough,” she insists. “Shit. He never should have brought you.”

“I’m fine,” I say, even as my head swims and my vision blurs at the edges.

“This might get dangerous,” she says. “And you’re pregnant.”

“Why do you even care?” I spit.

Her eyes fill with sadness. “I do care about you, Liv. I care about your entire family.”

“Is that why you chose Aleks over my brother?” I ask. “Even though Aleks… Aleks is… is a…”

She grips my hands tightly and forces me to meet her eyes. “Is that what you believe, Olivia?”

“What am I supposed to believe?” I ask. “I found the girl, Jennifer. She was locked up in a room, drugged out. God knows what he’s done to her.”

She sighs deeply and looks down. Then she raises her head back up. “I suppose I do understand why he brought you then.”

I frown. “So he can tie up loose ends and kill me along with Hargrove and my siblings?”

“You really think he would kill you?” Jennifer scoffs. “And his unborn child along with you?”

---