Page 47 of Forced & Knocked-Up Bratva Bride

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my eyes. “Look, I didn’t choose the Romano girl just because she’s carrying my child.” My gaze shifted between my cousins.

Daniel’s eyes bore into mine, his face softening, a smile breaking through. “Son of a bitch.” He chuckled. “You love her, don’t you?”

I pursed my lips, struggling to suppress the grin underneath. My eyes left the group and settled on my beautiful Alessia, where she sat, engrossed in a conversation with Scarlett. “Did you know they’re old friends?” I asked, throwing the question at Scarlett’s husband, Daniel.

“It’s a small world, Nik,” he replied, slightly raising his glass.

I’d avoided Daniel’s question about being in love with Alessia. But the look on my face, the fact that I couldn’t tearmy gaze off her, was all the answer he needed. She looked so happy, so genuinely happy, that I wondered if she’d ever be like that around me. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with mirth as she moved her hands here and there while discussing with Scarlett.

The truth was that I cared so deeply for her. And the way my heart skipped each time I looked at her, the flutter that rose in my chest whenever I set my eyes on her, made it clear what I felt.

Love. Pure, undiluted love.

I shifted my gaze back to my cousin and said, my voice mild and gentle, “You’re happily married, Daniel.” I paused for a second before continuing, “As are all the Tarasov men that tied the knot before you.” I stole one more glance at my new fiancée, a genuine grin playing on my lips. “I want that, too.”

Daniel patted my shoulder and raised his chin, about to speak. However, just before his lips could move, I sensed it—danger. It was like an alarm had gone off in my head, and my years of training kicked in. Time stood still as I listened to the muffled voices outside, accompanied by heavy footsteps. Guns were cocked, the familiar sound echoing in my ears.

“Blast that fucking door!”a thick, raucous voice dripping with venom commanded.

My eyes widened, adrenaline kicked in, and in that moment, no one else mattered to me than Alessia and our unborn baby. “Everyone, get down!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, leaping out of my chair.

Breathes ceased, and confusion set in merely seconds before the blast. The front door exploded with a deafening roar, a shockwave of fire and splinters rippling across the space. I was already in motion, sprinting toward my beloved Alessia, when the blast hurled me off my feet, knocking me completely off course. I flew across the room, my back crashing hard against the liquor shelf at the minibar behind me. Glass shattered to thefloor in a cascade of gleaming shards as expensive bottles burst like fireworks.

With the dust settling and the explosion still ringing in my ears, heavy boots pounded into the room. As I struggled to get back up, I watched armed men in black storm in, rifles raised. Instinctively, I rolled over to the other side, seeking shelter behind the counter as bullets tore through the air like angry hornets. I heard the two women screaming at the top of their lungs, terrified of this invasion.

I sprang up the moment the shooting stopped for a split second; it was my window, and I didn’t hesitate to take it. My foot connected with my first victim’s jaw, forcing him to stagger at the impact. Before he could make a move, I’d already struck him in the throat, and while the pain registered, I snatched his weapon and fired twice, two bullets to the chest.

Daniel and Sergei joined me, lining up behind me, and together, we moved like a single shadow, ducking, weaving, and striking. My cousins were fast enough to disarm their attackers and take their weapons. Bullets rained, deafening gunshots ringing out amidst the chaos. The room, once a haven for a good time, had now turned into a fuckin’ battlefield.

Another man lunged at me. Too slow.

I spun, driving my elbow into his jaw, then kicked the rifle from his hands and fired at his forehead. More gunfire erupted in every direction as I fought side by side with my cousins. Our coordination was sharp and precise from the countless battles we’d fought together over the years. This wasn’t our first rodeo, and to us, chaos was just another Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Alessia and Scarlett crouched behind a flipped table, hands over their ears, eyes wide with horror as bullets thudded onto the woods shielding them.

My jaw tightened in rage at the sight of my pregnant fiancée, helpless and in danger. With a precise shot, I fired once,and the shooter’s head jerked back, his blood splattering over the wall behind him. He dropped to his knees before his lifeless body thudded to the floor.

For every man my cousins and I took down, two more emerged.

“Exactly how many peoplearethere?” Daniel’s voice rang out as he fired, throwing kicks and punches.

The real question was, who the fuck were they?

My gun clicked empty. “Shit. I’m out!” I announced, striking my opponent with the base of the gun.

“Me, too!” Sergei said, ducking behind a toppled stool.

Daniel and Sergei both knocked down their attackers and joined me at the center of the room. Just then, a dozen rifles closed in on us, barrels gleaming. The room fell still, thick with sweat and tension.

We were outnumbered—surrounded.

“They say, where two or three Tarasov men are gathered, chaos is not too far behind,” a familiar voice spoke, deep and venomous.

I exchanged glances with my cousins, my head tilting slightly to the side as I watched a figure emerge from the faint smoke that surrounded the front door.

The speaker stepped out into the open, a cigar between his lips. “What’s the matter, Nik? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, wearing a corny, self-satisfied smirk.

“Dante Romano,” I called, my jaw tightening.

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