Page 49 of Secret Bratva Baby
“Thank you,” she says, almost a whisper.
The warmth in her gaze sends a wave of joy shooting through me. A massive smile spreads across my face, and I feel my cheeks flush with heat.Since when do I blush?
I quickly look away, and Rose giggles.
“I mean it, though. With everything that’s happened, she could easily be stressed and having nightmares, but instead, she’s dreaming about fairy houses. Thank you, Luka, for making her feel at home. ”
“I love having her here, Rose,” I say, my heart pulling tight, fearing the day she might leave.
We spend the afternoon setting up the two new houses we’ve built, hiding one under the willow tree and the other at the tall monstera next to the pool. Lily marched around the garden three times with us following her, waiting for her to make her choice regarding location.
By the end of it, Lily is exhausted, and Rose takes her upstairs for an afternoon nap.
I’m happy.
Today was incredible.
There was finally a breakthrough, and Rose is letting her walls down, one brick at a time, but I’m patient. I can wait, however long it takes.
At dinner, she brings Lily down to the dining room to eat with me instead of hiding in their room.
I ordered takeout, sushi for the adults, and Chinese noodles with stir-fry vegetables for Lily. I also got us each a fortune cookie.
She devours the stir-fry eagerly.
“I had no idea she would enjoy stir fry this much,” Rose says in shock.
“Did you guys never get Chinese?” I ask, my brows furrowing.
She laughs, shaking her head. “We couldn’t afford takeout, Luka. Most of our meals were potatoes or ground meat, and carrots. It was good food. Healthy, but not fancy.” She smiles tightly.
My heart aches for her. “I’m sorry, Rose. I wish I could have helped, even then. I have so many regrets. I know I can’t change things now, but I hope you might one day understand how sorry I am for how it all happened.”
She presses his lips together and waves her hand to dismiss the conversation. “It’s fine. Um. We were fine,” she says quickly, hiding the emotion in her eyes. Guilt eats at me. Theyweren’tfine. She’s just too strong to admit it.
We eat quietly for a while until Rose starts chatting about work.
“I am still interested in doing the paperwork for those businesses,” she says, looking up at me with hope.
“You are?” I say in surprise. I thought she would have been scared away from the whole thing after Romain threatened us. I assumed that she was just waiting for the day she could get away from me and anything to do with the mafia.
“Of course. I’m excited, actually. It’s something new. I never enjoyed my last job. It was because of the boss, mostly. He was a proper asshole,” she laughs.
“So, the nature of the business doesn’t bother you?” I ask cautiously.
She sighs, letting the air slowly expel from her lungs as she considers her answer.
“The world out there isn’t a fair one. People do things to survive and make a good life for their families. I spent years doing the best I could for Lily, working myself to the point of exhaustion and never having time with her. She needs her mother. She needs a safe life, but she also needs her mom to be there to teach her about things. Life isn’t black and white. Good and bad. There are gray areas. I understand gray areas.”
My eyes study her face. Her expression. The softness of her lips and the warmth of her gaze.
What she’s saying is a good description of how I view the world as well. It’s not black and white—it’s not as simple as being good or evil. I live my life in those gray areas she’s talking about. I try to be a good man, make good choices, and not hurt people who don’t deserve to be hurt.
Nodding, I smile at her. “I’ll arrange things tomorrow. You can get started as soon as possible.” I’m pleased she still wants to do this. It strengthens my ties to her. It keeps her connected to me.
Her face brightens at my words.
A sting of worry tightens in my chest. “Rose, you understand the risk?”
