Page 53 of The Bratva Bosses' Nanny

It’s settled then. For tonight, they’ll be as safe as we can make them. I’ll make sure of it.

Chapter 20: The Silent Hour

Emma

The clock reads 03:00. Sleep dodges me, elusive as ever. I turn, finding Alina beside me, her grip tight on my pajamas. Despite the swirling chaos, her innocent face is peaceful. It eases the tight knot in my chest, brings a small smile to my lips.

Next to me, Dmitri’s breathing is even, steady. He’s turned away, lost in dreams I can’t reach. For a moment, I watch his back rise and fall, the quiet rhythm a contrast to the silent screams of my own thoughts.

I sit up, the room spins a touch. Too many thoughts, not enough rest. I reach for the water glass, the cool surface a small comfort. The water is cold, a sharp relief. I take a small sip, let it calm the storm inside.

Dmitri stirs beside me, his voice husky with sleep. “Couldn’t sleep?”

I shake my head, the silence in the room suddenly too loud. “No.”

He opens his arms, an invitation. I hesitate, just a heartbeat, before sinking into his embrace. His chest is solid, warm. As he strokes my hair, there’s a lull, a quiet promise in the gesture.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he murmurs. I’m not sure if it’s a reassurance for me or him, but I cling to it, to him. My arms tighten around him, seeking solace in his certainty.

The warmth of Dmitri’s embrace lulls me back into a sense of normalcy. For a moment, I close my eyes and just breathe, letting the steady beat of his heart ease my own. Butas always, the thoughts return like a wave that refuses to be ignored.

“What if everything isn’t okay?” I whisper.

Dmitri’s arms tighten around me, his lips brushing against my forehead. “We’ll make it okay. No matter what happens, we’ll get through it together.”

The words are reassuring, but they’re not enough to banish the fear entirely. I pull away from him slightly, my fingers tracing the contours of his face in the dim light. “Do you ever worry?”

“Worry about what?” he asks, his eyes boring into mine.

“About this life you’ve chosen,” I say softly. “About the danger we’re always in.”

He doesn’t answer immediately, his expression thoughtful as he considers the question. “Of course, I worry,” he admits finally. “But I also know that this is who we are, Emma. We can’t change that.”

“I know,” I say with a sigh. “But sometimes it all feels so overwhelming.”

Dmitri’s thumb brushes over the back of my hand in a soothing gesture.

“I know, but we’re in this together,” he says softly. “And besides, we’ve been through worse.”

“Oh? Can you tell me one of those stories?” I ask, my voice hopeful.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Well, there was this one time Aleksandr decided to cook for a change. He claimed he had this ‘foolproof’ borscht recipe.”

I snuggle closer, eager for the tale. “And?”

“And he set the kitchen on fire. Not the pot, the whole kitchen.” His laughter fills the room, and despite everything, I find myself laughing too.

“The fire brigade showed up, and there he was, standing outside holding this charred pot, looking more upset about losing his borscht than the kitchen.” Dmitri shakes his head, still chuckling. “He didn’t step foot in there for months after that.”

The image of the fearsome Aleksandr, all forlorn over a ruined dish, eases the tension in my shoulders. “I would’ve loved to see that,” I say, a genuine smile spreading across my face.

Dmitri leans in closer, his voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “You know, if you want to see something, I could show you something even better.”

My heart skips a beat at the suggestion, and I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “Oh really?”

He nods, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “I could take you somewhere far away from all this chaos. Somewhere we could be alone together.”

The idea of being alone with him, away from everything else, is tantalizing. I lean in closer, my lips a mere breath away from his.

---