Page 33 of The Bratva's Secret Baby

My cousin Vlad had sent Andrei here when he heard about my attack, he had insisted that I get extra protection.

"Fyodor can't do this alone," Andrei said.

Fyodor was one of the best men I ever had, but Andrei had the greatest experience. I welcomed his presence very much, especially because my mind was a little preoccupied.

Rosanne.

My eyes wandered to a whore who was writhing around a pole just a few feet from where we had settled in the club. She was pretty. Her red hair fell like a waterfall down her back. She had the body of a seductress: slender and curvy, just the way I used to like it.

A few years ago, my cock would have craved her, and I would have taken her right here in the club. But whores disgusted me now, Rosanne was the only woman who could make my cock come alive.

I threw my head back and took a sip of my whiskey. Anger boiled up in my chest, and my muscles tensed at the thought that someone had dared to ambush me.

Fuck, and while I was with Rosanne!

She could’ve been hurt or killed. And I would have torn the fucking world to pieces until I found the people responsible. Even now, my gun pulsed in my breast pocket, craving the blood of whoever was behind the attack.

Fyodor glanced at me from across the room, his eyes reflecting the neon lights. “Nobody knows you’re in New York, boss.” His tone was insinuating as if he suspected who was responsible but didn’t dare to say so.

I leaned back in my seat and stretched out my hands on the headrest of the sofa. As much as I enjoyed spending my free time in New York, this was Vlad’s territory, which meant I had no enemies here, as there was no competition for possession of territory. The only enemies I had were the ones I inherited from my cousin — the Italians. And even then, they would not attack me without a warning first.

The Circle was the only illegal business I ran here, and I had set it up with Vlad’s permission — not that I needed his permission, but it was the right thing to do if I needed his protection when I was around. I ran my fingers through my hair, my mind clouded with deep thought. “Who do you think is responsible for this, Fyodor?”

“It's got to be that girl, boss. Rosanne.”

A shiver ran down my spine at the mention of her name. Rosanne had been with me during the attack; there was no way she would have put herself in such danger just to harm me. “You thought wrong.”

“Boss?” He let out an angry yell. “This could have been a trap. How else would anyone have known where you were and who you were with?”

Andrei stared back and forth between us. “Rosanne. What did I miss?”

At the time, only a handful of my men knew about Rosanne and her snooping around our business. I had promised them I would take care of her, but after our night together and seeing her with Bella at Vlad's, I had no choice but to send her away. But now she was back. Fuck Why??

“She’s the cunt who stuck her nose in our business.”

My brain shut down and my muscles ignited with rage. Rosanne was mine. I wouldn’t put up with disrespect from anyone toward her, not even my closest confidant.

“Don’t you dare, Fyodor!” I growled, and my legs were seconds away from carrying me across the room to him and burying my fists in his mouth.

He paused, and a hint of fear flashed in his dark eyes. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. “Sorry, boss.” He reached for his drink and poured it down his throat, wincing. “While we’re on the subject, there’s something you should see.”

My anger hadn’t quite dissipated. “What is it?”

Fyodor reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture. He slammed it down on the table so that the colorless back side faced the ceiling, then slid it over to me. “This was taken earlier today.”

My chest tightened as I looked at the picture. It was a picture of Rosanne standing in the lobby of her apartment building, smiling. She was still wearing the same outfit as earlier — a black skirt and a crisp white shirt. She looked stunning in her work clothes, and an image of her in the courtroom flashed through my mind. I imagined her being as fierce as she was confident. She was even more beautiful than ever. The heat coursing through me went straight to my cock, and my heart leaped. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling until I saw Fyodor’s frown out of the corner of my eye.

I had instructed Fyodor to send out some men to follow Rosanne after the attack. First, to make sure she was safe. And second, to make sure she wouldn’t go to the police.

With a rival breathing down my neck and the police meddling in my affairs, the last thing I needed was additional unwanted attention from the police.

Returning my gaze to the photo, I lowered my eyes to the man standing directly in front of Rosanne. The gold in his hair was as ridiculous as the smile on his face. I noticed the two girls standing next to him holding hands. Both girls were about the same age — one of them had the same golden hair as him and the other had raven black hair.

My stomach was boiling with something strange and weird.

Jealousy.

I wanted to know who this man was, and more importantly, why he was standing so close to Rosanne. Was he, her boyfriend?

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