Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
The nurse leaves us, and Brooke waits until she closes the door behind her before speaking.
“You’re very quiet,” she says softly. “It’s big news.”
“It is.”
“Do you want to tell me how you feel about it? I need to know.”
I hear the doubt in her voice, and I hate it.
“Zayka, if you weren’t lying in that bed with cuts and bruises, I would have you in my arms, and I would be kissing the doubt off your lips right now.” I sit on the edge of the bed and take her hand. “I want this. I want this so fucking much I don’t have the words for it.”
A fresh wave of tears sparkles in her eyes. “You do?”
“I do.”
She’s surprised, but even I’m surprised by how much I want this.
“We have a lot to talk about,” she says.
“We do, but tonight is not the time. You need to rest.” I give her a soft smile. I want to take her home with me, hold her in my arms, and listen to the gentle lullaby of her soft breath as we both fall asleep. I want to talk about the millions of thoughts I have of her and me with our child suddenly racing through my mind. I want to kiss her crazy for taking my fear and vanquishing it with all her goodness and light and sunshine. But she needs to rest for her body to heal.
And when I think how Vlad had his paws on Brooke and what could have happened to her, I want to cut him into a million pieces and watch him bleed out on the floor. He not only hurt the woman I’m falling for, but he almost killed my baby. My heir.
My vision blurs with a violent shade of red. This deed requires a retaliation unlike any I’ve ever initiated before.
Vlad’s days are numbered because I’m coming for him.
I will kill him slowly.
And I’m going to make it hurt.
51
LEV
Igor is talking to the two guards I have positioned outside Brooke’s hospital room when I step into the corridor. He also has Victor with him, an ex-military bodyguard who I have training with him to be Brooke’s personal driver.
“No one goes in there unless they’re a doctor or nurse. Even then, you need to check their identification, got it?” I tell the guards.
They nod, their faces serious, their shoulders stiff. They know their lives won’t mean shit if they let anything happen to Brooke.
“Yes, Pakhan,” they both say.
I nod curtly and walk away.
“How is Brooke?” Igor falls into step behind me, Victor behind him.
Igor has never asked me anything to do with anyone in all the years he’s worked as my driver. But it shouldn’t surprise me that he would ask about Brooke. She has a way of affecting everyone she meets, and it’s clear the silent giant is no different.
“She’s going to be okay,” I say. “She’ll come home tomorrow.”
I don’t tell him about the baby. For now, it’s a secret between Brooke and me, and I want to keep it that way until we figure out a way to navigate through the chaos.
Although, I can already see Igor carrying our little one to the car and tucking them into a car seat. Or enduring them climbing all over him because he’s seven feet tall, and they think of him as their very own tree to climb. He’s not one for showing emotion, but I know the moment he learns about the baby, he will be ready to die for it.
“Where are we going, Pakhan?” Igor asks.
“Take me Daniil’s restaurant. I’m going to call a meeting.” Again, images of Vlad hurting Brooke make me see red, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s time to answer his battle cry.
I hate leaving her, but I have a big fucking retaliation to plan, and I need to make my move before that pizda sees it coming. He’ll be expecting a response of some kind. It’s why he did it. He wanted to let me know that he’s not afraid of me. That was his first mistake. If he knew the darkness I am capable of, then he would be very afraid.
He also underestimated my feelings for Brooke. That was mistake number two.
And three, he thinks he isn’t going anywhere, but he’s wrong. I’m going to hunt him down and send him straight to hell.
Outside, it’s a perfectly clear night, lit by a bright moon, and despite the fatigue in my muscles from a lack of sleep and a weariness in my bones from the weight of my bratva duties, I feel alert and ready for battle.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I stop walking to answer it.
“We’ll wait for you in the car,” Igor says, throwing Victor the keys.
I nod and look at the name lighting up my phone. Brooke. A smile breaks across my lips.