Page 5 of Born into Blood

Raising a finger, Lou points at the fading bruise on my cheek. “You sure about that?”

I touch my cheek, remembering the hit that I got because I’d delivered the news of our baby too quickly. I should’ve eased him into it. It was my fault. I should’ve waited to tell him.

“This was an accident,” I finally whisper, ignoring the disbelieving look on Lou’s face.

He raises one hand at me while he uses the other to bring his cigarette back to his lips, flicking his fingers at me as he fills his lungs with the smoke before slowly exhaling from his nose.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but you can’t work here anymore. I may not be the smartest fucking man in the city, but even I’m not stupid enough to go against the Melnikovs. I’ve heard enough stories to know I want nothing to do with them.”

Panic claws at my mind, making it hard to breathe. “But I need this job.”

Again he gives me a pitying look. “You’re pregnant, Chloe. It’s not like you could’ve kept stripping for too much longer anyway.” He opens one of the desk drawers and pulls out a couple of hundreds. “Here, take this. It’s not much, but maybe it’ll help.”

I take the money on instinct. Pride doesn’t keep your stomach full or a roof over your head, and I have a baby to think about now.

“Thanks, Lou.” I pocket the money and turn to leave, but I’m not giving up so easily. If the rumors are true, then the baby growing inside me is the only part of Osip I have left, and it’s my responsibility to keep her safe. No one can know she’s his daughter. If the Melnikov brothers really killed Osip, then they’re vicious monsters who would probably just as easily kill his child. I can’t allow that to happen.

Determined to do whatever is necessary, I walk out onto the main floor and weave my way through the crowd, ignoring the men and the topless waitresses, and the music that’s always way too fucking loud. I ignore everything except the balding man who’s currently getting a lap dance from Candy, one of the newer girls.

As soon as he sees me, his smile falters, and when it’s obvious I’m not going to leave, he sighs and slips Candy a twenty, smacking her ass and telling her to give us a few minutes.

“What do you want?”

I stare at the man who I’d convinced myself was going to be my knight in shining armor, wondering what in the hell I’d been thinking. He’s pathetic and small and nothing like my Osip. Taking a seat next to him, I say, “You’re going to get me a job, Ralph.”

He laughs and grabs his whiskey, taking a drink before he answers me. “Fuck off, Chloe.”

Scooting closer, I bring my mouth to his ear, ignoring the stale smell of unwashed shirt and old sweat.

“I know you own the dental clinic you used to work at. I can work the front desk. I need a job, a good one with benefits and health insurance, and you’re going to give it to me.”

“And why the hell would I do that?” He takes another drink, keeping his focus on the dancer on stage, giving a grunt of approval when she drops her top and shakes her tits.

“Because if you don’t, I’m going to have a talk with your wife.”

That gets his attention. He turns his head to face me, looking more pissed than I’ve ever seen him, even angrier than when I’d grabbed onto his legs and refused to let him leave the room after he’d told me we were over.

“You goddamn bitch,” he growls. “Don’t you ever go near my wife.”

I smile at him and pat his beer belly. “I won’t if you do what I want. Be happy I’m not bribing you for money. I just want a job, a chance to make my own.”

He’s still glaring at me when he pulls a business card from his wallet. “Call this number on Monday. I’ll let them know to expect you.”

When I reach to take the card, he grabs my wrist tight enough to hurt.

“Don’t ever threaten me again, Chloe, and if you ever try to contact my wife, it will be the last fucking thing you ever do.”

I jerk my hand away, not giving the slightest fuck about his wife. I just needed the threat to get the job. All I care about is the piece of Osip that’s growing inside me. With a new job in the works, I walk out of Lou’s with my head held high, even if my heart does feel bruised. I tell myself that it’s for the best. Men always disappoint in the end, and this way Osip will always be perfect in my mind. I can remember him how he’d want to be remembered, and I can teach our daughter about what an amazing man he was. I’ll also teach her about the bastards who took him from us. If it weren’t for the Melnikov brothers, we could’ve been a family.

Despite the fact that Ralph probably assumed I’d fail, I work my ass off at my new job. I learn everything there is to know, and when my pregnancy starts to show, I tell my coworkers that my boyfriend, Osip, is thrilled about becoming a daddy. I’m confident none of them are familiar with the nastier side of the city and the secrets it holds, so I’m not worried about his name raising any red flags. The criminals who secretly run this city work hard to keep their names out of the news. You have to know where to look and dig deep to learn anything, and no one I surround myself with now has any interest in doing that. Just to be safe, though, I don’t ever mention his last name.

My work now might not be the most exciting, but I enjoy it, and as soon as I’m able to, I move to a better apartment in a safer part of the city. It’s nothing glamorous, but it’s the nicest place I’ve ever lived, and there’s a secondhand store a few blocks over that must be a popular donation spot for all the rich families nearby because I manage to find a crib that looks brand-new and enough furniture to make the small apartment feel like home.

I don’t stop searching for information about Osip’s death. News about the Melnikov Bratva is hard to come by, but every rumor I hear, I make a note of. They took the man I love, the father of my child, away from me, and I will never forgive them for that.

My focus becomes my revenge and our daughter, and when painful contractions wake me up in the middle of the night, I’m more than ready for them. I deliver our beautiful baby girl alone, but it doesn’t matter, because she’s all I need. With her dark hair and blue eyes, she looks just like her daddy. I name her Lara after my favorite character in Doctor Zhivago, and when I need to fill in her last name for the birth certificate, I write in the name I’d chosen a few weeks ago—Swan, just like the pretty tattoo on his forearm. Osip would’ve wanted her to have his name, but I can’t risk putting her in danger. One day I’ll tell her the truth.

I kiss her chubby cheek and breathe in her sweet scent, enamored with every part of her.

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