Page 25 of The Bratva's Nanny

“Do you miss her?”

“No.”

Alix leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. He saw her nibbling her lip.

“What is it?” he asked, curious as to why she was nervous about one of her questions.

“It’s … don’t worry about it.”

“Just ask me, Alix. Remember I can choose not to answer.” He winked at her.

“Will you have to get married again? You’re the boss, right, and I know that as much as you love Sofia, your … organization will not want a female leader.”

“One day I will.”

“And do you get to choose who you marry?” Alix asked.

Dmitry ran a hand down his face. “I’m the boss. I get to choose who I marry. Who will become the mother of my children.”

“Right,” Alix said. She got to her feet and there was a smile on her lips, but he knew it was forced. “I’m going to check on Sofia.” She moved toward him and kissed his lips. After she did this, she seemed to hesitate, as if she was about to apologize, but then suddenly stopped. Another smile, this time even more fake than before, and he watched her go.

His first wife had been chosen by his father. Dmitry didn’t have a choice. It was good for business, good for the Bratva, but had come with a great cost.

Staring at Alix’s retreating back, he knew his men would be pissed at him taking an outsider, but she was the only woman he wanted. In over two years, he’d not been with another woman, the last woman being his wife, in an attempt to make her pregnant with a son.

He didn’t love his wife, and even though no one was loyal to him, he’d been loyal to his vows and to his title.

Could Alix handle being his wife?

****

Alix hadn’t wanted to ask about his marriage. She didn’t want to talk about his future. The men, his guards all whispered about Dmitry’s future. About his future wife, how he would need a son.

She stood in Sofia’s bathroom and stared at her reflection, knowing in the back of her mind that she needed to tell Dmitry. Her period was late. This had never happened before. Her cycle was like clockwork—always on time, never late—but this month, she was late. Alix didn’t know if it was the stress or all the sex she and Dmitry had been enjoying.

The odds were, she was pregnant. With Dmitry’s baby. A man she had no right to. A man she couldn’t have.

He was a powerful person and would need an equally powerful wife. She was neither of those things. Talking about her past had been embarrassing to her. While Dmitry built up the Balakin Bratva, she had been experimenting and living. That was all. She couldn’t imagine being in a world where you couldn’t trust anyone. Just the thought of it was enough to bring her to tears.

Also, the other tiny, little bitty problem, you’re in love with him.

Yeah, that realization kind of sucked. Alix didn’t know when exactly she had fallen in love with Dmitry, but it had shocked her to the core. Had it been when she spotted that mystery man and she feared for his life? Did she love him because of Sofia? Or the few times they were alone and he let his guard down in front of her? Dmitry only did it sparingly, but it still happened. He allowed her to see parts of him she imagined were not available to anyone else.

Licking her dry lips, she turned on the cold water tap and splashed some water onto her face. It was just sex. She was just the nanny. She had to stop thinking of this being anything more.

Pregnant. That one word kept rolling through her mind, proving to be a pesky little problem. What did she do if she was pregnant? What would Dmitry demand she do?

She cupped her hands beneath the water and splashed more on her face, hoping to clear her mind. The icy-cold water was a shock to the system, but it didn’t help. She turned off the tap, and then dried her face.

She heard Sofia give out a little moan, and Alix left the bathroom, going into the bedroom. Sofia had sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

“How would you like to go out to a theme park?” Dmitry asked, surprising her.

She didn’t even realize he was there.

“A theme park?” Sofia’s tired eyes instantly changed into one of excitement. She shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Yep. There’s one having a last day summer extravaganza, before it closes for fall and winter. I figured we could go.”

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