Page 30 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

“How did he die, Nikolai?”

I don’t answer. Because she already knows. She’s smart. Beautiful. And innocent. But not that innocent. Not immune to the sins of the world.

Suddenly, she’s on her feet, the towel dropping as she scrambles for her clothes, her movements hurried, her composure slipping. I reach out, trying to offer some solace, some explanation. “Emma.”

“Stop. Don’t touch me,” she snaps, jerking her arm away, her body trembling. Fear, real and potent, radiates from her, and it twists something inside me.

“Emma, listen to me,” I urge, my voice low, desperate to make her understand. “We had to—”

“Why?”

“He betrayed us,” I say, the truth bitter on my tongue.

“Betrayed you? Betrayed you how? You own a tech company, don’t you? What did he do?” Her questions come rapid-fire, a demand for the truth that’s been lurking in the shadows of every whispered conversation, every careful step.

She needs to know the truth, but then, so do I.

“He sold us out, sold everything we stood for. It was him or us, Emma. In our world, it’s that simple. And that brutal.”

“Sold you... to whom?”

I exhale slowly, the admission tasting bitter. “That we don’t know yet. Not his full name, nothing. He has been after us for years. Knew everything about us at any given moment. We don’t know how that was possible.”

Emma’s eyes are wide, the magnitude of everything she’s learned weighing visibly on her. Her voice is small but determined when she speaks. “I want to go home. Please. Take me home.”

I don’t argue. I don’t reassure her or make excuses. Instead, I pull out my phone and send a quick command to the captain, instructing him to head for shore.

While we glide across the dark waters, I send a text to the brothers, ensuring everything’s settled, that the mansion—and Emma—is safe from any threat tonight. They confirm it is. All is quiet. It should be a relief, but the tension doesn’t ease.

As we dock, and I’m ready to escort her to the mansion, Emma hesitates at the car door. “I want to go to my old apartment. For tonight.”

I pause, studying her profile in the dim light. There’s a plea in her voice, a subtle shake that tells me she’s not just asking for a ride; she’s asking for space, for a moment to breathe and process away from the shadows of Bratva walls.

“Okay,” I say simply, respecting her need without pressing for reasons. Emma’s address isn’t a mystery to me; I know more about her than she realizes.

I drive her to the apartment in silence. She gathers her things, her movements slow, almost reluctant. I watch her, the urge to pull her back, to convince her to stay with me, is a physical ache in my chest. But I stay still, knowing she needs this. She needs to feel normal again, even if it’s just for a night.

She turns to me before closing the car door, “Thank you, Nikolai. For understanding.”

I nod, a curt, tight movement. “Of course.”

She wanted space, and I’ve given it to her. Now all there is to do is wait, and hope she comes back from that space ready to face this world with us again.

After watching Emma disappear into the building, the lingering silence in the car compels me to grab my phone. It’s a quick message to Alex and Dmitri.

Is it finally settled?

Chapter 13: Tough Love

Emma

I lock the door behind me, the click echoing in the small space of my old apartment. It’s familiar, but tonight, it feels different, almost alien. The walls are the same, the furniture unchanged, but there’s a tightness in the air, a claustrophobia that wasn’t there before.

I had sex with a murderer. They’re murderers, yes. And I can’t deny it anymore. The Mafia. God.

My hands tremble as I drop my bag to the floor, the truth settling around me like a shroud. How did it come to this? When did I cross the line from my safe, normal life into a world where I’m entangled with the Bratva?

I sink onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. “Get it together, Emma,” I scold myself. But who knows what else he’s done?

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