Page 53 of Innocently Captured By the Bratva

I move further into the house, my heart pounding against my ribs. The living room is deserted, and a half-empty wine glass is on the coffee table. I check the kitchen and the study, growing more frantic with each empty room.

“Quinn, where are you?”

Panic claws at my throat as I take the stairs two at a time. Our bedroom door is ajar, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway. I push it open, bracing myself for the worst.

And there she is, my beautiful Quinn, curled up on the bed. Relief crashes over me like a wave, so intense it nearly brings me to my knees.

“There you are,” I murmur, crossing to her side. “I was worried sick.”

But as I draw closer, I realize something's off. Her face is pale, her brow furrowed in pain. She clutches her stomach, a soft whimper escaping her lips.

“Quinn?” I drop to my knees beside the bed, my hand finding hers. “What's wrong? Talk to me, sweetheart.”

She looks up at me, her green eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Mark,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “I don’t know...I’m in so much pain.”

My heart stops, the world screeching to a halt around me. “What do you mean? What's happening?”

Quinn takes a shuddering breath, her fingers digging into her stomach. “Cramps. Really bad ones. I've never felt anything like this before.”

I swallow hard, trying to push down the icy terror clawing its way up my throat. “Okay. Okay, we're going to figure this out.” I brush a strand of hair back from her forehead, my hand lingering on her cheek. “I'm right here, Quinn. I'm not going anywhere.”

She nods, leaning into my touch.

Chapter 21 - Quinn

I lie in bed, the remnants of stomach cramps still twisting inside me. Mark sits by my side, his presence comforting. He gently adjusts the covers, tucking them around my shoulders with a tenderness that surprises me.

“Do you need anything else?” he asks, his deep voice laced with concern. He then tucks the hot water bottle under the covers against my stomach.

I force a smile, trying to mask the pain. “Thanks, Mark. I'll be fine, really. You don't need to fuss over me.”

He takes my hand in his, his calloused fingers intertwining with mine. He sits there in silence as moments pass by. I have a gut feeling there’s something on his mind that he needs to share, but he isn’t because he’s worried that I’m not feeling very well.

“How was your day?” I ask, at last.

“It was good. I believe you’ll be relieved to hear about it, actually.”

“Oh?”

“My brothers found out that Charlie was behind the attack against us, just as I had suspected all along. We confronted him, and it’s safe to say that Charlie Letvin is no longer a threat. You're safe now.”

“I…I am?” I ask, not knowing what that means. Mark had made it clear in the past that I was to stay here until Letvin wasn’t a problem. “What does that mean?”

“Well,” Mark said in a teasing tone, breaking out into a smile. “I guess we should enjoy our last few days together, given how you’re soon going to be a free bird!”

I nod, my lips curving into a reassuring smile even as my heart shatters inside. This can only mean one thing. Mark Zolotov no longer needs to be with me. Soon, I’ll be out of here, and we’ll go back to being strangers, just like it was when we started.

How can I tell him? How can I possibly explain that what I wanted once is now my worst nightmare? The thought of this ending alone sends a wave of nausea through me, and I swallow hard, fighting back the bile rising in my throat.

But fight it, I do. Because I knew this day would come. I knew this whole situation was casual from the onset. Even if Mark keeps me around longer, it’ll be because he’s entertaining himself until someone more exciting comes along. Once a playboy, always a playboy, right? He said so himself. We should enjoy our last few days together. I’m a free bird—free to be out and about, free to be with someone else, free to forget all about him.

It’s better if I keep my emotions at bay, heal myself before I break. “Thank you for being here, for taking care of me,” I say at last.

Mark's blue-gray eyes soften, and he brings my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against my knuckles. “Always, Quinn.”

But as I gaze into his eyes, I wonder if that will still be true when our contract officially ends soon. Will he still look at me with such tenderness, or will distance darken his handsome features? The uncertainty eats away at me like cancer spreading through my veins.

For now, I embrace this moment of comfort, a brief respite from the storm gathering on the horizon. I lean into Mark's touch, savoring the warmth of his skin against mine.

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