After I made love to my wife and cherished the good fortune of her giving me a child so soon, we lay in bed and she admitted why she was hesitant to take the pregnancy test.
“What if he tries something?” she asked me honestly, referring to her brother.
“Then he will fail,” I answered simply.
Now, I realized that she had spoken with Elena to some extent yesterday. She was more aware of how the case was getting more complicated with her brother. Yet, I hadn’t come out and fully explained that I couldn’t let him linger as a potential issue on the sidelines. For his inability to stand up to Yusef Antonov’s pressure on the Cartels in this area, I couldn’t let him live.
We both slept in from staying up for the better part of the night, talking and also celebrating how we were starting a family so soon. I could relax in the relief that she wasn’t ill or being aloof. She was, like my cousin guessed, simply changing with and reacting to the news that she was pregnant.
After we had breakfast, though, a text had come in from her brother.
My phone buzzed, and at first, I didn’t realize that it was Arturo Garcia’s line.
I furrowed my brow, picking over the number and finally looking back to see that it was him.
“What’s wrong?” Carina asked.
I held up my hand for her to give me a second. Rereading the texts that he must have had prepared as drafts, I tried to process all that he was conveying. This was the first time I’d had any word with him since the day I visited the Cartel compound. His number had last registered on my phone when I took the direct route of calling him the day that arms shipment failed to reach us and instead ended up in enemy territory in Texas.
Garcia:With the news of my sister’s pregnancy, I demand a private meeting.
Garcia:My crew will be awaiting your prompt arrival for this discussion.
He’d listed the time, as ifhecould be the one calling the shots here, dictating where and when I should show up .
Garcia:It is of utmost importance that you adhere to the expectations of planning this change to our families’ agreements.
“Maksim?”
I glanced up, still scowling, to see Carina watching me closely. “What’s wrong?”
I needed more than a few seconds to reply. To even knowhowto reply. Thinking fast on my feet was something I had trained myself to do, but this was catching me off guard too swiftly.
“Did you tell your brother about the baby?”
Her eyebrows shot up so high. “What?” Her jaw dropped. “Are youserious?”
I was, but it was a stupid question.
“I haven’t contacted my brother in weeks,” she snapped, offended that I’d accuse her of something like this. “When I did reach out to him, it was just to ask how things were going after I first got here.” She was fuming, reaching for her phone and thrusting it to me. “And he never replied. At all.”
I didn’t need her to show me her phone and prove it. I’d arranged for the firewall here to flag when she tried to contact anyone outside the Bratva. As such, I already knew about her vague texts asking how things were back home. I already knew that he’d never replied and never reached out to her.
I didn’t rise to the excitement of arguing with her, though. Taking her phone, I presented her with mine. “Then what the fuck does this mean?”
I watched as she read it. Then again and again.
Her mouth dropped even lower until she snapped it shut and gritted her teeth. “This is bullshit. And this is exactly what I’m worried about!” She stared at me, as ifIwould know what the fuck was going on. “What does he want to discuss? What does he evenhaveto discuss about our child? He arranged for me to be in this family and he hasnostakes in our having a child. It has no bearing on him!” She smacked her free hand on the table. “Agreements? He wants to talk aboutagreements? After he dismissed the expectations of the trade agreement my father made with yours?” She set my phone down roughly, letting it skid on the surface of the table, before crossing her arms and shaking her head and glaring at the wall.
“I don’t know what he wants to discuss,” I said. “I’m more concerned about his even knowing that you are pregnant.” She had just taken the test yesterday. News could move fast, but not that damn quickly. And not when communication was strained or limited—nonexistent—between them.
She whipped her head to face me. “Ididn’t tell him. I dread his finding out and trying to use it to his advantage somehow.”
I rested my hand on hers, not wanting her to be distressed. “You never have to dread anyone finding out. I promise you that no one will hurt you or our child.” I’d swear my life on it.
While she flipped her hand to hold mine, she huffed out an angry breath. I scrolled on her phone, though, curious how he could’ve found out. And so swiftly.
“I’m not accusing you of leaking the news,” I added.
