Page 29 of Forced & Knocked-Up Bratva Bride

As she stood across from me, her eyes locked on mine, the air was charged with tension—on her part, anyway. She blinked a couple of times, fingers fidgeting at her sides, twisting into the hem of her sleeves. Her eyes flickered elsewhere for a second, her head dipping to avoid my face.

“What do you want?” I questioned, my voice cold as ice.

She met my eyes again, and her breath hitched, her expression soft with a glint of plea in her gaze. “I want to raise my son,” she declared, looking right into my eyes. “Please, let me raise him.” Alessia closed the distance between us, hands resting on her belly. “I know you think your fiancée will raise him well. But she won’t because he’s not hers. No woman on the face of the Earth will raise him better than his mother.”

I watched her in silence, noticing how her eyes discreetly roamed my broad torso. My body, stripped from the waist upward, seemed to be a distraction to her—a welcome one.

“What will happen to our son when your fiancée finally has her own child? How do you think she’ll treat him in comparison to her own flesh and blood?” she asked, striking a rather valid point.

“Myson…” I began, my voice possessive as I drew closer. “Will be safe with me…inmyhouse.”

“You won’t always be around Nik,” she said, blinking back the tears in her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t doubt your ability to raise our son. Your fiancée is my problem.”

I cocked my head to the side, loving the sound of that on her lips. “She is, isn’t she?” A crooked grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Her brows furrowed, a faint and fleeting scowl flashing across her face. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Yeah. Right.” I brushed a thumb over my nose and headed toward the closet.

She ignored the sarcasm in my tone and quietly followed after. “I don’t care about her, Nik. I just don’t want her raising my child. She will do a terrible job at that; trust me.” She halted behind me, her gaze lingering.

I heaved a sigh, my eyes fixed on the collection of suits arranged on hangers in my closet. “And you think you’ll raise him better? You think you’ll be a better mother than Helen?”

“Yes,” she replied keenly. “Yes, I will be a better mother, and I will raise him right. Gimme a chance, and you’ll see.”

I paused for a moment, her argument processing in my head. She made such a compelling point that I could not ignore, and now, I was convinced she was never going to back down from this fight. As a mother, her love superseded everything I’dever throw at her, and her relentlessness would never stop until she got what she wanted.

At this point, Alessia left me with two choices: I could either grant her wish and have peace in my own house. Or I could pay a deaf ear and endure her constant complaints until the day the baby was born. Even then, the only guarantee that she’d shut the fuck up and accept her fate was if I put a bullet in her head. And I couldn’t do that, no matter how angry at her I was. It just wasn’t possible.

I turned around, meeting her gaze, watching how she swallowed hard, her throat tightening.

“Mere words don’t move men like you,” she stated, eyes locked on mine, a mask of seriousness etched on her face. “It’s all about deals and bargains with you, isn’t it? Quid pro quo…something for something….”

Again, I didn’t respond. I just stood there, watching, admiring her guts.

“So, name your price, Nik. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of this boy’s life…to raise him myself,” she declared without breaking eye contact. Her voice was tinged with determination, and a hint of solemnity flickered in her gaze.

“Careful, now,” I warned softly, drawing closer to her. “This isn’t a game you wanna play.”

“You underestimate the lengths I’m willing to go for my son, Nik,” she replied, fear creeping underneath the courageous exterior she put up. “I don’t care what your terms are; I’ll do anything, absolutely anything, to get what I want.”

Slowly, I encircled her, smelling the mix of her anxiety, determination, and desperation. Her body stiffened as if bracing herself for my response while I walked back to stand in front of her.

“Anything, you say?” I questioned, raising a brow, amused.

Chin up, with her eyes boring into mine, she replied. “Yes.” Her fingers clenched into fists at her side.

My lips twisted into a wicked grin as I watched the slight shift in her bravery. A fleeting vulnerability danced across her features, an indication that she wasn’t as steady as she pretended to be. Alessia was afraid, and I could smell it on her like a perfume. But she’d come too far to turn back now. Her determination was rather remarkable, and in all honesty, I was impressed by her.

“I’d like you to say it again…what you said before,” I demanded, my tone smooth and easy as I tilted my head to the side, drinking in the sight of her body.

“I’ll do anything. Just say it, and I’ll obey,” she rephrased.

“Good,” came my response. “Now, strip.”

Her eyes squinted, a puzzled look settling on her face. “What?”

“You said you’d do anything. Is that right?” I asked, my gaze never leaving her eyes. The confusion in their depths was hilarious, and I almost burst out laughing.

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