Page 90 of Secret Bratva Baby
She nods, leaning back in her chair to get comfortable.
And so I tell Tania about Luka, the man from my past, my little girl’s father—she already knows I lost touch with him all those years ago—but she’s shocked when I tell her he basically kidnapped me to keep me safe.
Her mouth pulls tight, but she waits patiently for me to tell her everything, including my struggles of being madly in love with him—and not knowing how to handle it.
We’re on our second cup of hot chocolate by the time I’ve managed to get the full story out. It feels so good to talk about it so openly, knowing I can trust my friend. A massive weight has been lifted off me, and my thoughts are so much clearer.
“I think you have Stockholm syndrome. He’s brainwashed you,” Tania snaps, looking upset.
I laugh. “No, it’s not like that. He’s a really good guy.”
“Rose, he’sdangerous,” she hisses under her breath. “You need to get out of there. They’ll give you your job back at the office. The new girl sucks. They want you back anyway. We can find you a new apartment, or you can come stay with me in the meantime.”
A frown etches into my face.
Tania is offering me the logical thing a friend would offer. A way out of a situation that’s making me miserable.
But while she’s talking, a realization hits me, making me laugh loudly as happiness spills into my chest.
“What’s so funny?” Tania says, stopping mid-sentence to ask.
“Just talking to you made me see things clearly,” I say excitedly.
“See what?” She mutters.
“I’m such an idiot. All this time I’ve been holding back, waiting forhimto tellmehow he feels. But that’s stupid. I could have toldhimany time that I wanted to. Why was I waiting?” I beam at her, and she still looks confused.
“I get it now. I was scared to take a risk.” I throw my hands in the air. “But I just realized that everything to do with falling in loveis a risk. I have to take a leap of faith and tell him I love him. The worst he can do is say he doesn’t feel the same, but at least then I know. It’s better than saying nothing, not taking the chance—and losing him.” I stand up, already eager to get back home to Luka. My heart is racing.
“Wait,” she stammers.
Leaning over the table, I grab her in a hug. “Thank you so, so, so much. I’ll call you later to tell you how it went.”
“Rose—” she looks horrified, her mouth hanging open.
“Trust me. It’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
Grabbing my purse, I leave a very stunned Tania at the table.
I’m walking with excited energy pulsing through me. I’m ready to face all of it. The past rejection. Being ghosted. I’m ready to trust that he never wanted that, that he really did it to try and keep me safe. I’m ready to let it all go, and it’s such an incredibly liberating feeling.
The street is quiet around me when I reach my car. I parked away from where people could see me. It’s safer to stay out of sight as much as possible.
Pulling the key from my pocket, I drop it as a man bumps into me. I’m shocked because it makes me realize I was so excited to get home that I wasn’t even watching where I was going or who was around me.
“Oops. Sorry,” I mutter, smiling up at him.
But my entire body goes rigid with fear when I see his face.
He’s unmistakably mafia.
“Hi, Rose,” he says coldly.
I turn to run, but there is another man behind me.
If you can’t run, fight. You know how.
But just as I think this, three more men climb out of the car that’s pulled up in the street next to us.
