Chapter 6
Chloe
I smooth the last bit of concealer beneath my eyes and lean closer to the bathroom mirror. One more touch of powder. Then I’m done. I’m getting ready for a date with Kazimir, and he’ll soon be here to pick me up.
Then my stomach twists, and a wave of nausea rolls through me. I swallow hard, fighting the sudden urge to throw up.
“Oh, come on.”
I close my eyes and breathe through it. For the past two days, I’ve felt strange. I think I’m stressed. Work has been insane lately, and I’ve been exhausted more than usual.
The nausea rises again. I grip the edge of the sink waiting for it to pass.
Maybe I should call Kazimir and cancel. I glance at myself in the mirror.
But I really don’t want to. This is our first proper date in a long time.
Work has been hectic for both of us, and although I know Kazimir wouldn’t complain if I asked to stay home, I want to go.
I want a night out with him. So I force myself to finish getting ready. I’m putting away my makeup when I hear a knock at the door.
I walk out of the bathroom and head toward the door. When I open it, Kazimir stands there dressed in a black suit. His dark hair is neatly styled, and he looks so damn handsome like he just stepped off a Vogue magazine.
“Hey.” He leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek.
And suddenly, the nausea hits me again. This time, it’s harder. My eyes widen. “Oh, God.” I spin around and sprint toward the bathroom.
“Chloe?” I hear him following me. “What’s happening? Are you all right?”
I drop to my knees in front of the toilet and throw up. I hear Kazimir curse softly before he kneels beside me and gathers my hair away from my face. His hand moves gently through it as I continue getting sick until there’s practically nothing left in my stomach.
When I finally stop, I’m exhausted. Kazimir reaches for a tissue and hands it to me.
“Here.”
“Thank you.”
I wipe my mouth, then sit back on my heels. He helps me to my feet. I move to the sink and rinse my mouth while he flushes the toilet behind me. When I look up, he’s watching me with concern.
“Are you all right? Are you coming down with something?”
“Yeah.” I rinse my mouth again. “I think I might be.”
I grab a towel and wipe my face. “At first, I thought it was work stress. But now I think I might have caught some kind of bug.”
Kazimir steps closer and presses the back of his hand against my forehead. “How long have you been feeling this way?”
“About two days.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t think much of it. I’ve only been feeling tired.”
He listens as I list the little things I’ve noticed over the past few days. And then I stop. My heart suddenly skips. Wait. I stare at him. No. I turn and rush into my bedroom.
“Chloe?” Kazimir calls after me.
I go straight to my nightstand and grab the small calendar I keep there. I flip through the pages, my eyes scanning the dates. And that’s when I realize I’m late. I’m a week late.
“Oh my God.”
“What is it?” Kazimir asks beside me.
I look at him. “I’m late.”
The confusion disappears from his face. His eyes widen slightly. “Do you think you could be…”
“But I’m on the pill.”
Kazimir stares at me. “You of all people should know it’s not one hundred percent effective.”
Fuck. He’s right. I look around the room. Do I have a test? I start searching through the drawers. I should have one somewhere. I finally find a small box tucked away in the back. I look at the bottom, then grimace.
“It’s expired.”
I’ve had it for a long time, but I never had any use for it. My last boyfriend before Kazimir was over a year ago.
He reaches for his phone. “I’ll have one of my workers run to the drugstore and get a new one.”
“What if I’m pregnant?” I mutter, after he’s done with his call.
He pulls me into his arms. “Then it will be okay.”
I press my face against his chest, trying to calm my racing heart. A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door. Kazimir releases me and walks out. When he returns, he’s holding two different pregnancy test kits. He places them in my hands. And suddenly, this feels very real.
“Whatever the result is, nothing changes.”
I look at him. I wish I could believe that. Because everything changes. My life changes. Getting pregnant wasn’t on my bingo card this year. I walk into the bathroom with the tests clutched in my hand, and Kazimir follows.
I turn around. “A little privacy, please?”
He steps back. “I’ll be right here.” He steps outside and pulls the door shut.
For several seconds, I don’t move. I just stand there, staring at the door while my heart pounds. Eventually, I force myself to breathe, and tear open the first test. Then the second. My hands are still shaking as I do what I need to do, then set both tests down on the sink.
I look up at the ceiling. What is my life going to look like if I’m pregnant? Am I ready for a baby? Can I take care of one right now? I’ve always wanted to be a mother. I never had a mother who was truly there for me, and I’ve always imagined being different with my own children.
I want to be present. I want my children to know they are loved. I want to be the kind of mother I needed growing up. But I never thought it would happen this soon.
I love Kazimir. And if I were ever going to have a baby with someone, I’d want it to be his.
But does he feel the same way? He says nothing changes.
Men say that all the time. Then reality sets in.
And suddenly, they’re gone. But Kazimir isn’t like other men.
Countless times he has proved that he’s different.
A knock sounds against the bathroom door. “Chloe? You’ve been in there for a while. Are you alright?”
I don’t answer.
“I’m coming in.” The bathroom door opens and he steps inside. His eyes immediately find me sitting on the closed toilet seat. “Hey, what is the result?”
“I can’t check it.”
His expression softens, as he picks up the two tests. For a moment, he says nothing. And something shifts in his expression.
“We’re having a baby.”
I stare at him. We’re. Not you’re pregnant. We’re. He says it like we’re already a family. My eyes drop to the test in his hand. I reach for it. Two pink lines. I’m pregnant.
Kazimir
We are having a baby. The thought barely feels real. I look at Chloe, then at the two lines on the test in her hand, and something inside my chest shifts. My child. She’s carrying my child.
For the past week, I’ve been preparing for the possibility that things between us are about to change. Ever since I found out that Vadim knows about her, I’ve been working on getting her somewhere safer. And there is only one way I can guarantee her safety. Marriage.
I’ve wanted to marry her since the first day I met her. I already have the ring. I’ve had it for weeks. But I haven’t given it to her because I don’t want to scare her away. I don’t want her to think I’m moving too fast.
Tonight, I was supposed to take her to dinner and finally tell her the truth. Tell her who I am. Tell her what I’ve been planning, and ask her to become my wife. And now that I know she’s pregnant, it changes everything.
I look at her again, she looks terrified. I immediately pull her into my arms. “Everything is going to be fine.”
She looks up at me, almost in disbelief. “Really? How?” Her voice trembles. “I’m pregnant, Kazimir. This wasn’t exactly on my bingo card for this year.”
The realization hits me that she might not want this. “Do you want the baby?”
She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Of course I want to keep it. Why would you even ask me that?”
I open my mouth, but she keeps going. “Do you not want it?”
“Chloe—”
“Oh, of course you don’t.” Her breathing quickens. “A minute ago, you were telling me nothing changes. Now that it’s actually confirmed, you’re asking me if I want to keep it. Newsflash, Kazimir. I’m not aborting this baby. I’m having this child. If you’re not on board, then there’s the door.”
She points toward it. “You can use it. ”
“Are you done?”
She blinks, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “What?”
“Are you done?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” I step closer. “Because if you think I’m going to abandon you and our child, then you have another thing coming. I want this baby too. I only asked because it’s your decision. I can’t force you to have a child you don’t want.”
Her expression changes. I touch her cheek.
“But if you’re asking whether I want this baby?” I smile. “Fuck yes. Are we clear?”
A smile spreads across her face as she nods. “Yes.”
“Good.” I bend down and sweep her into my arms. She lets out a surprised gasp as I carry her toward the bedroom.
“Kazimir!”
I smile. “Relax.”
I sit her carefully on the edge of the bed. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”
“No. I’m just tired.”
I study her face for another moment before sitting beside her. “There is something I need to tell you.”
Her expression turns serious. “Okay. What is it?”
I take a slow breath. There is no easy way to tell her this. But she deserves the truth.
“You already know I’m from Russia. My last name is Sokolov,” I begin. “What you don’t know is what brought me here. I’m part of the Russian Bratva here in Chicago.”
Her brows pull together. I continue before she can interrupt. “I’ve been working my way up the Bratva for years, and I’m next in line to become Pakhan.”
I tell her about Vadim. About the war between us. About how he’s been trying to take control and eliminate anyone standing between him and that position. I explain what had happened the night I ended up in her apartment. I don’t tell her every detail.
She doesn’t need to know about every body I’ve left behind or every violent thing I’ve done. But she needs to understand the danger surrounding me. And now her.
When I’m finished, she sits there staring at me confused. “So you don’t own a laundromat?”
I let out a breath. “I do. But it’s only a fraction of my business.”
I tell her about the nightclubs, restaurants, casinos, and other businesses I own. She takes it all in slowly. Then her eyes widen. “So you’re part of the mafia?”
I shake my head. “Not the mafia. The Bratva.”
“Oh.” She sits there for a moment.
“I’m sorry. The last thing I ever wanted was to put you in danger.”
I reach for her hand and explain that Vadim and his men now know about her. More importantly, they know how important she is to me. And once someone knows where your weakness is, they will use it.
“They’re going to come after me,” I tell her. “And if they come after me, they’ll come after you.”
She looks at me. “So what are we going to do?”
I hold her gaze. “I want you to marry me, Chloe.”
Her eyes widen. Then she screams. “What?”