Page 39 of Surprise Bratva Daddy

“You think they’ll come after him, then?” I ask.

Zane’s eyes flash at me in the rearview mirror. “If they did, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance of getting away. He was limping like crazy, hobbling along half the speed he should’ve been going. That stab wound is definitely not properly healed. I’ll bet he rushed out of the hospital to get to us.”

“The real question is, how did he know we’d be at the bar?” Kiro says, tapping the blue book against his forehead. “You think he knows about the book, too?”

“Impossible,” Zane replies. “Unless he’s been in my house and put cameras all over my library, he doesn’t know about the book. I suspect what he really wants is Monroe, since she’s with me now.”

“If he tries anything, I’ll shoot him,” I say, holding up the gun Zane gave me.

“Woah, who gave her that?” Kiro exclaims, throwing his hands up and letting out a laugh.

“I wouldn’t mess around. She might actually shoot you,” Zane says, smirking at me in the mirror.

I give him a playful glare, though inside, I'm still shaken by everything that's happened. The reality of our situation is just starting to hit me. Zane was so close to death, but he acts like it’s just another regular day for him. I wonder how many times something like this has happened.

Kiro looks back at me, a reassuring smile on his face. “Don’t worry, Monroe. We’ve been through worse. Maksim’s got nothing on us.” It’s like he can read my mind.

I nod, though my anxiety doesn’t ease. The weight of the gun in my hands feels oppressive, so I put it back down on the seat beside me.

Zane takes another sharp turn, and we find ourselves in a quieter part of town. The adrenaline starts to wear off, and exhaustion sets in.

“We’ll lay low at the safe house for now,” Zane says, pulling into a secluded driveway.

“You have another house?” I ask, looking out the window.

“I have several,” he replies as a gate rolls shut behind us.

26

Zane

Monroe hasn’t said anything about the words I spoke to her before I left the car. I meant those words with every ounce of my being, but I understand that there are other things weighing on her right now. I’m not going to bring anything personal up until she’s ready.

Right now, she needs to sleep. Her face is pale, and she drags her body into the house like a tired puppeteer.

I watch her settle on the couch, her eyelids fluttering shut as exhaustion claims her. Every protective instinct I have screams at me to keep her safe, to make sure she never has to go through anything like this again. But I know that’s not the world we live in. Not with Maksim out there, always lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Kiro joins me in the kitchen, his expression a mix of relief and tension. “What’s the plan, Zane?”

I glance towards the living room where Monroe is sleeping. “We need to make sure none of Maksim’s men have the opportunity to strike again. Move some of the guards to the safehouse, and get in contact with Andrey again. We need better intel this time. We were too late to bust Maksim at the hospital.”

Kiro nods, already moving to check the locks and windows. “And the book? Should I start doing business?”

“Yes,” I reply. “This house has a computer. Connect to a VPN and go ahead and start moving money into the brokerage accounts. Stagger the buys. Different stocks in different accounts. They need to all look like they belong to unrelated people.”

Kiro opens the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and handing it to me. “You look a bit shaken.”

I crack the seal and take a sip. “I’ll be honest with you, Kiro. I am. The stakes are pretty damn high right now. Monroe… she’s, um, well, she’s pregnant.”

Kiro looks at me with his eyebrows all the way up to his hairline. “Seriously? That’s pretty big news.”

“Huge, but don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t want any announcements until after the wedding.”

He chuckles. “Going the traditional route, I see.”

“If I can convince her,” I say, taking another sip of water. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was until now. “I’d like her to settle in a bit, and I think we should take out Maksim first. We’re so close that I can taste it.”

Kiro nods, but doesn’t say anything, and I return to my water. I’ve already finished half the bottle.

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