Page 63 of The Bratva King's Pregnant Bride

“I can’t take it anymore,” Asher says.

I look up from my magazine and raise an eyebrow. “Take what?”

“You! You’re not telling me why you’re fighting with Kervyn. You guys were so in love at the baby shower and so excited for the announcement, and then you rock up here out of the blue after he insists I have to come there every time to visit you…” she huffs.

I have to think quickly. “Well,” I say, “I needed to get out of the house for a bit. It was getting a bit like cabin fever. And this was the only place he’d let me stay.”

Asher frowns at me but shakes her head. “Look, I’m not going to lie. Since we became friends with the Milov family, things have been looking up for me. Luka does me favors that have boosted my career. I get into exclusive clubs. I’m meeting all the right people. It has a lot of benefits.” She flips the page of her magazine. “I’m just saying that it can’t be all that bad.”

“I don’t think it is all that bad,” I say calmly. “I just think there is a lot about them we don’t know, and we should get to know them more.”

“You’re marrying him in six months. You’re having his baby in two and a half. What more do you need to get to know?” She shakes her head. “You’re crazy. That man is drop-dead gorgeous and worships the ground you walk on. You’re like the luckiest person alive.”

“Hey!” Luka calls from the front door. “It’s me.”

“This isn’t over,” Asher murmurs. “We’re in here,” she calls.

Luka comes in. “I believe we’re having lunch downtown before we find some more party favors?” He looks at me. “How are you feeling, mama?”

I blush. “I’m fine, thanks. You can tell Kervyn I’m fine.”

Luka smiles. “Later, maybe. If he’s good. Come on, ladies. Let’s get going before the day gets going without us.”

I get up and get my purse, following them out of the house with Leon and Freddie following behind us.

Currie drops us off downtown, and I turn to Luka. “I’m in the mood for something spicy. Any good restaurants that’ll cater to that?”

“There’s a nice little sandwich shop around the corner. Gourmet sandwiches, mind you. They should have some spicy meatballs.” Luka grins and I nod. “Spicy meatballs sound good.”

Asher groans. “Luka is obsessed with this sandwich shop, seriously.”

Luka leads us down the road. He pauses when his phone rings. “Ladies, stand right here. I have to take this. I won’t be long.”

He walks further ahead and answers his phone.

“I hate the whole secretive thing,” Asher comments. “I mean, that is one thing I hate. That we can’t really discuss, you know, what they do in private.”

I nod, but I don’t answer. The one rule is not to discuss family business.

I turn around and see Rita walking toward us, my old manager. She meets my gaze and then stops. “Penny?”

“Oh man,” I mutter to Asher. “It’s Rita”

“Penny! You just up and left after the whole promotion thing. I knew you wanted it, but I didn’t realize it would cost us such a good employee. You should come back. We can rebuild and restock, and maybe we can get you that promotion after all.”

She beams at me and then at Asher. “I mean, we’re a bit tight right now, so you’d have to take a pay cut.”

I scoff. “You can clearly see I’m pregnant. Do you really think I would work for a pay cut?”

“Well, I mean, Carmen said you were pregnant, and the dad was a deadbeat.”

Asher snorts, and Rita gives her a look, but I cock my head to the side and smile widely. “No. He isn’t. As usual, Carmen is spreading her little lies, and you’re lapping them up because shelooks the part. Yes, I know you didn’t give me the promotion based on my weight. So here’s the thing: maybe if you had, you wouldn’t be filing for bankruptcy and begging everyone to buy you out. If you had picked the person who deserved it over the person who was more thecompany image,maybe you wouldn’t have reaped such bad luck.”

Asher looks like she wants to punch the air. She steps away from me, trying her hardest to contain herself.

Rita looks down her nose at me. Suddenly, she points a finger in my face. “You can’t speak to me like that, you little rat. I made you who you are. You are nothing but a groveling little twit who happens to be good with people. You were not the right look, and I stand by that decision. You’re probably with some sugar daddy who pays you for feet pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were that desperate. You learn to speak to me properly because when this company turns around, you’ll comegroveling back for a position, and I might not be so generous that day.”

I smack her hand away and step right up to her. I can sense the guards approaching, and she must notice them because there’s fear in her eyes. “Wha…”

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