Page 65 of Bratva Prince
“You will get an abortion.”
I narrowed my eyes, staring my father down. “I dare you to try it. You can’t force me to have an abortion.”
“No, but I can tranquilize you until the procedure is over.”
My eyes grew wide, and I couldn’t suppress the choked sob that escaped my lips. “You can’t!” My voice was a shriek as I fought for my baby’s life.
“I can, and I will,” he spat, staring hard before he turned away. “But, if you agree to help me, then I may choose to let you keep your child. The first rule of politics, Willow.”
I remembered it well, considering he’d always drilled it in my head. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” I muttered.
“Exactly. All you need to do is call Ivan and tell him to meet you. Then, and only then, can you keep your baby.”
“No! I won’t call him. I refuse to play this sick game.”
He sighed, staring at me with no emotion in those dark, corrupted eyes. “I figured you might react as such. I’ll tell you what, since I’m such a good father, I’ll give you some time to think about it. I’ll return later for your answer.”
He walked over to the door, turning the knob, but pausing before he left. “Willow, I would strongly urge you to make the right decision. Remember whose life is at stake here.”
The door closed, leaving me to crumple into a sobbing mess on the floor. A sobbing, dry heaving mess.
My mother came to check on me shortly after, and I explained to her everything that happened. I told her about my feelings for Ivan and our baby that was growing inside of me. I couldn’t lose either one of them. I just couldn’t.
I begged for her to give me an answer, to tell me what to do, but she couldn’t. She was just as trapped as I was.
So, I spent the next fifteen minutes crying into her arms as she stroked the back of my head that still had a large bump from the desk. It was the longest I’d been allowed to spend with her since I’d been locked away, and it had to be spent sobbing over who I would choose to live or die—Ivan, or my baby.
When my father returned, he forced my mother to leave and handed me the phone. His eyes were like a hawk, watching my every movement.
If I didn’t call him, our baby would be dead for sure. But if I did call, I’d be luring him into a trap and my father would kill him.
I dialed the number as my father watched me with a grin on his smug face.
I could only hope that Ivan would have a trick up his sleeve…
32
Ivan
It’d been over a week since I’d heard from Willow. Surely, she wasn’t trying to ghost me. Not after everything we’d been through on the island.
I thought we were connected, but maybe shedidn’tfeel the same, after all.
No.Something was wrong. I could almost feel it in my bones, she was in trouble.
“You okay, Prince?” Misha asked, nudging my arm with his elbow.
“Huh?” I asked, not paying attention. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts.
Misha sighed, snatching the phone from my hand that I’d been checking constantly since I left Willow’s side.
There's been no way to stop the flood of regret I've felt throughout the previous week. I shouldn’t have let her go with her father. It tightens my chest until I feel as if I've been punched in the gut and can't breathe. I knew I shouldn’t have left. I fucking knew it, but did I listen to myself? No. Of course I didn’t. I assumed she would be fine. But if she was fine, then why wouldn’t she respond to my texts?
Maybe she had a different phone number now? But that didn’t make sense. If she lost her phone, she could just get a new one and still keep the same number. And it wasn’t like her dad wasn’t rich enough to buy her one.
Maybe she really didn’t want to be with me like she’d claimed.
My mind was constantly running in circles, tormenting me with ‘what ifs.'
