Second Best (Volkov Bratva 1)

Collapsing to the floor, I put both of my hands to my stomach.

Slavik and I were only just getting along, finding a life with each other. Was it all a trick for this baby?

Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against the wall.

My birthday. I should have known it wasn’t going to be a good day.

When the bedroom door slammed open, I jolted to my feet, throwing the test into the trash bin as the guard who now hated me pushed the bathroom door open. He held a phone.

He didn’t say a word as I took it.

Holding the phone, I put it to my ear. “Hello,” I said.

“Aurora, it’s me.”

It was Slavik.

I breathed a sigh of relief. “How are you? How is Ivan?”

“Ivan Volkov is dead.”

Those very words rang in my ear. I dropped the phone.

What did this mean?

Fear rushed through my body.

Someone had tried and succeeded in taking out the Volkov Bratva leader. This had ramifications.

Tears filled my eyes. My hands went to my stomach. I dropped the cell phone in the process, trying to understand what I’d just heard. None of it made any sense.

The guard picked up the cell phone, but I didn’t hear what he said to Slavik. Nothing mattered to me right now. How had we gone from the happiness of what seemed like a few hours ago to the chaos of now?

Sinking to my knees, I put my hands against my head. The dull throbbing made me feel sick.

I was pregnant.

My husband’s boss had just been killed.

My baby stood no chance of coming into a happy home.

I had to tell Slavik we were going to have a baby.

****

Slavik never came home.

The day passed, turning into a second, then a third. He didn’t call. No messages came through from his guards. They changed. One man coming, another leaving. For a week, this happened.

My birthday had to have been the worst on record.

I stood at the kitchen counter, a hand on my stomach. I found myself doing this more often than I should.

Wondering. Trying to figure out about the future.

My family hadn’t called. My parents sent no condolences to me, no birthday wishes either.

With a drink of water in hand, I walked toward the window and stared out across the city. I hated this window. The view. The heights.

People walked around without a single care in the world. There was no pain waiting for them. They could have children and be happy to raise them in this world. They heard about the terror and violence on the news, but it rarely reached them at their front door.

“Hey, little one. I … I will protect you and love you. I promise.” I whispered the words so the guard didn’t hear.

They had amazing hearing.

The silence from Slavik made me feel sick. Ivan Volkov was dead. I had no doubt Slavik would take over, lead the other brigadiers through this time. What my husband inherited, I shuddered to think. If I allowed myself even a moment to consider what was at stake, I questioned my position at his side.

Would he even want me?

I wasn’t … the kind of wife the boss would have. Ivan didn’t even have a wife nor a girlfriend, or an intended.

Sipping at my water, I wondered where I stood. Since Slavik had gone silent, I had to wonder if he was planning on getting rid of me. Ivan started our marriage. The peace treaty lasted between my family and his. I was the ordered bride. The consolation prize.

My hands shook.

Would I be kicked out?

My family would never take me back. People would look at me and laugh.

Stop it, Aurora. You have no idea what you’re talking about.

Slavik and I weren’t a love match. I rubbed at my chest. The piercing pain was more than I could bear. My stomach knotted.

Over the months, my feelings for my husband had changed. This silence between us only confirmed what I knew. I loved him and I hated it. I loved a man who might never love me back.

Tears filled my eyes and I closed them, trying not to allow them to fall back.

Not happening. I was not going to cry. I would stay strong. Nothing would make me weak.

I loved my husband, and after all this time, I would learn to love him even as he hated me.

A sudden knock at my front door made me pause. The guard turned and walked toward the door. I remained near the window, basking in self-pity. Pregnant. Alone. Miserable and in love.

Just kill me now.

Rubbing at my temples, I looked up to see Cara.

“Hi, darling!” She rushed toward me and pulled me into my arms. The action caused my water to spill over the edge. “I’ve been so busy with work. Utterly swamped.” She let out a sniffle. “I came over as soon as I could. Slavik, he has been … this is tough for the two of us.”