27. Brooke
Ten minutes later, we sit down in one of the booths at the diner across the road.
“Pregnant?” Henry is still in shock. “How did that happen?”
“How do you think?”
“Wait, is it Wilson’s or Mr. Mysterious’?”
“It’s Lev’s.”
“So it’s early days.”
“Not as early as you’d expect. I got pregnant the night I met him.”
Henry’s eyebrow goes up. “You didn’t use any protection?”
“Let’s just say it was all very surreal, and I took a lot of risks. But the point is, now I’m having his baby.”
“Yet you’re hiding from him.” He frowns. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No, Lev would never hurt me.” The words leave my lips without thought. Because I know Lev wouldn’t hurt me. I mean, he might break my heart if I let him. But he would never physically harm me.
“Then what’s the problem? Is he a dick?”
“No, he’s very charming.”
“He’s a selfish lover?”
“No, he gives me multiples before he takes his own.”
“Ooh, I like this guy. Wait, he doesn’t have bad personal hygiene, does he?”
“No, he’s very manscaped in a rugged, primal way.”
“Small dick?”
“Big.”
“Chews with his mouth open?”
“No.” I chuckle.
“Oh boy, is he married?”
“Nope.”
“Then why did you run away?”
I glance around the diner and then lean in. “He’s Russian mafia.”
His eyebrow shoots up. “He’s in a bratva?”
“He is the bratva. He’s the pakhan. The boss.”
That’s when Henry does something I completely do not see coming.
He throws his head back and laughs.
“Why are you laughing?” I ask, confused.
Henry shakes his head, seemingly not seeing the danger of me having the pakhan of a bratva hunting me down at this very second.
“You had a one-night stand with a pakhan.” He chuckles as he shakes his head, and I’m confused because I kind of thought he would freak out, not find it amusing and exciting. “I dated a Russian mobster once.”
“You did?”
“Hottest sex of my life. Had the biggest cock on him, and the fucker knew how to use it.” He fans himself. “Could deep throat too. Best head of my life, actually.”
“Then what happened?”
“He was always breaking dates because he had to, I don’t know, go kill people or something.”
“Henry!” I exclaim.
He chuckles. “I’m kidding, I mean, maybe.”
Our waitress brings over coffee and takes our food order. Pancakes for me. Waffles for Henry.
I wait for her to leave before asking, “Why did you never mention your Russian mafia boyfriend?”
“Because I knew you’d freak out and tell me to end it… and well, the sex was too damn good.”
I get it.
How many times had I wanted to call my friends and confide in them about Lev, but I didn’t because I was worried they’d snap me out of my delicious delusions that my involvement with Lev would have a happy ending.
If I had, maybe I wouldn’t be in this mess.
But would you have even listened to them?
I gnaw the inside of my mouth. “I’ve seen what his world looks like, and I don’t know if I want to be a part of it.”
Henry’s face grows serious. “Has he ever been violent?”
I think of the man on his knees begging for his life.
“Not toward me. I don’t think he could ever hurt me. Even in the short time I’ve known him, I know he lives by certain principles, and violence toward women… well, he’d consider that uncouth.” I shake my head. “He’s only ever been protective and giving, and not just in bed. He’s offered me a life that most people could only ever dream about.”
“It doesn’t sound like you want to leave him.”
“I do.”
“You don’t speak like you do.”
“Then how do I speak?”
“Like you’re crazy in love with him.”
“That’s not true,” I say, busying myself with the cup of coffee in front of me.
The waitress brings us our meals, and I’m suddenly ravenous and dig into the pancakes like I haven’t seen food for months.
“So come back to Chicago. I’m already staying at your apartment. I can protect you.”
I look at my gorgeous friend, hating that I have involved him. He could never protect me from Lev. But I don’t tell him that. Instead, I go on enjoying my pancakes and the fact that Henry is here because even though he is no match for Lev, he makes me feel safer than if I were alone.
After devouring his waffles, Henry licks his fingers. “Come on, let’s go back to your motel and call the airline so we can get you home to Chicago.” He gives me a comforting smile. “Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
I don’t share his optimism, and he can tell.
On the table, he slides his hand over mine. “I’ve got you, kid.”
I clasp my fingers around his. “Thank you for coming here. It really does help.”
He grins. “You know me, I’m always up for an adventure.”
We leave the diner, cross the intersection to the motel, and make our way through the parking lot.
The moment I see the black Escalade out the front of my motel room, my body does two opposing things.
One, my adrenal glands send a surge of adrenaline through me because I know Lev’s found me, and I don’t know what that means for me.
And two, I feel a second surge follow the first, but this one is a big wave of excitement crashing into me. Because Lev’s found me. And there is some fucked up part of me that still aches to see him.
I glance around, but I can’t see him.
What do I do?
My fight or flight kicks in, and I decide flight is the better option. Because I don’t want Henry involved in this.
“Henry,” I whisper. “We have to get out of here.”
I turn to look for an escape route that doesn’t involve going past my motel room, but the moment I turn, I collide with a rock-hard chest standing right behind me. I look up and see a pair of familiar dark eyes and a tight jaw.
“Hello, Miss Masters.” His voice is cold and hard. “Going somewhere?”