Page 19 of Knocked up by the Mafia

"It’s not happening,” I say as we drive toward our home in the woods.

“Give me one good reason why I can’t come with you,” she snaps.

“You’re fucking pregnant, Natalia,” I roar. I drive through the woods, and it’s already mid-afternoon when we reach the house. She follows me inside the shed, where I start to gather weapons.

“I do this for a living. I am not some random person playing a shooting game. I’m a killer for the Volkov family.”

I turn around and grab her by the shoulders. “Stay. I’ll be back in a few days once I’ve delivered Ana to your cousin. I need you to trust me on this.”

“I trust you.” She looks into my eyes, and I can’t help myself; my emotions are heightened from arguing with her. I passionately kiss her, wrapping my arms around her and crushing her against me. She wriggles her arms out of my hold to grasp my face, kissing me back just as passionately.

I knew it. I had seen the difference in how she spoke to me, how she sat closer to me, and how she looked at me. She feels the same way about me that I feel about her. After a few minutes, I break the kiss and whisper against her lips, “I promise I’ll pleasure your every need when I’m back. I will be back.”

I look into her eyes, our foreheads pressed together, and she nods. She looks so unsure, but she slowly lets me go.

“Get inside and look in my room, bottom shelf of my closet in the safe. The code is your birthday—the date we met. There’s a spare phone in there. Keep it close. It will notify you if any of the perimeter sensors go off.” She nods.

“I’ll be right here, waiting for you.” I know she means it, and I kiss her again. “Go. I must concentrate and can’t think while sharing the air with you.”

She nods and hurries out. I take a deep breath and open the cupboard with a light touch. It swings open, revealing a hidden cache of weapons. I load them into a bag I get from the back and then look at my watch.

Fuck. I’m going to have to call him.

He will be pissed when he learns I’ve been using the house.

I wait until I’m in the car and driving away from the woods before I dial his number. It rings, and I wonder if he wants to speak to me.

He answers the phone laughing, chuckles, and says, “Hello?”

“Hello, Ronan.”

He snorts, “Little brother, it’s been a few months. What can I do for you?”

“No questions?” I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.

“Of course, I have questions, but first, I want to know what you need.” Ronan pulls the phone away from his ear and yells, “Shut it; I’m on a call with Danny Boy.”

I try not to groan out loud. It doesn’t matter that I’m in my early fifties. The man will always call me boy.

“I need a favor. I need men and some leads, and it involves the Volkovs.”

“Helping them or hindering them?” Ronan asks. He’s moved into a quieter area, probably his office in the back of his pub.

“Helping,” I admit.

He goes quiet for a moment before he speaks again, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “All right, Danny, I’ll help you with whatever this is if you rejoin the family and work for us. Come home.”

I sigh. “I’ll consider it, at the very least. There’s a lot of extenuating circumstances in my life right now.”

“All right, what do you need to know?” Ronan asks.

“Who has the Volkov heir, and where are they keeping her.”

“Anastasia Volkov has been kidnapped? I feel sorry for whoever took her,” Ronan chuckles.

“Because her father will have them killed?” I play his game, knowing I need his help.

“No, she’s a ruthless bitch. She’s going to give them shit every second. I’ll call you back. It won’t be hard to figure out who took her. I’ll get Robbie to hit the street contacts now.” He hangs up without another word.

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