Page 8 of Secret Bratva Baby
The little girl in her arms lets out a quiet whimper, and Rose whispers something to her that I can’t hear.
I tug the back door open and wave my gun, using it to gesture for her to climb inside.
The little girl curls up on her lap on the back seat. Rose reaches over to lock the seatbelt in place across her legs.
I never wanted to have to force her. But what choice do I have? This is for her own good. She has no idea how evil the people are who have decided to come after her.
From the front seat, I tilt the rearview mirror so that I can keep an eye on her.
She glares at me through the reflection, her eyes filled with anger.
Dammit, she’s gorgeous. Breathtakingly gorgeous.
It’s hard to keep my eyes on the road as I drive away from the scene, trying to focus on getting us somewhere safe, but constantly drawn back to her.
My heart is wrenched in several different directions.
Is she with someone now? Did she meet someone new? Fall in love? Has she moved on from what we had?
Of course, she would have. It’s been almost four years.
Memories fill my thoughts. The first time I set eyes on her, I knew I had to have her. There was no chance I was letting her get away from me, and I pursued her relentlessly.
Back then, my family was just breaking ground in the bratva world, and while we weren’t dangerously entangled in it, I knew better than to let her know who I really was. I introduced myself with a fake surname. It was for her own safety. I kept her a secret, my special secret, from my brothers for months. Eventually, when they found out, I told them they had to stay quiet about it.
But over time, my family became more and more entangled with the darkest side of the mafia—and I loved Roseenough to know that if anyone caught on to the fact that we were dating, they would use her against me.
That’s why I forced her to leave. I pushed her away. It broke me. And I could see how much it hurt her, and I’ve never really forgiven myself for that.
I wonder if Rose ever forgave me. She doesn’t know the real reason I made her leave. But I was ruthless enough that she would never come and look for me again. And then I forced myself to stay as far away from her as possible, to keep her safe.
I never even knew she had a daughter. I have no idea if she’s married. But there is no ring on her finger.
The only reason I knew where she lived was because I found out by accident a few months ago—and then forced myself not to drive past the place.
I still love her.
Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t even know her anymore.
Then why is my heart going so wild in my chest?
I drag my eyes away from the mirror and force myself to watch the road and nothing else. None of that matters. It’s all in the past.
She’s met someone new. She has a child.
She’s moved on, and that’s what I wanted, isn’t it? I wanted her to move on with her life and stay as far away from me as possible.
My loud sigh draws Rose’s attention.
“Where are we going?” she asks nervously from the back seat.
“Somewhere safe,” I reply, not wanting to get dragged into a conversation with her. I don’t know why they want her—if maybe they linked her to my past, or if something else is going on here. But the less she knows, the better.
“Luka, just tell me what’s going on,” she hisses.
I realize she’s whispering because her little girl is asleep again.
I lower my voice as well when I reply, “All that matters is that you are safe. I will keep you safe until all of this blows over.”
