Page 100 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

"Miss Cox moved out this morning."

The woman behind the door eyed me warily, one hand still on the chain.

She was Briony's next-door neighbor. She clearly wanted to shut the door but didn't dare do it to my face.

"Was she alone?"

"There was a young man with her. Black sports car."

Makar again. The hospital nurse said he'd picked up Briony. Now he'd helped her move too.

I pulled my hand off the door. The woman quickly shut it.

My phone buzzed.

Gleb worked fast. He'd already sent the files over.

Turned out Brinny had deliberately spilled water on herself and blamed Briony. Turned out Brinny had pushed Briony into the water, then jumped in herself.

It hit me like a punch to the chest.

Briony kept saying it wasn't her in the office. I didn't believe her. I made her apologize. Made her wipe up the floor. She called for me in the water, begged me to save her. And I swam right past her. Chose to save the one who could swim, who'd planned it all.

The next message came two seconds later.

"One more thing. Hospital records show Miss Cox is about two months pregnant. The hypothermia and oxygen deprivation from the water nearly caused a miscarriage. Mother and baby are stable now, but she needs rest."

A child. I'd almost lost my child. What did Briony's face look like when she saw me walk past her room and into Brinny's? Did she wait for me? Or did she know from the start I wouldn't come?

The urge to kill woke up inside me.

I could go find Brinny right now. Make her pay for every single thing. But Briony was weak, carrying my child. Who I needed to find first wasn't even a choice.

"Find Briony. Now. Check Makar's car, properties, recent accounts. Airports, train stations, hotels, short-term rentals. Everything."

Walking out of the building, I looked back at that third-floor window. The curtains were open. No lights inside.

I'd always thought Briony would be there whenever I wanted her. At the office. At her apartment. Within reach. I was dead wrong.

Back at the office, I joined the search. I just wanted to find her fast. Apologize.

When the door opened, I thought it was Gleb.

"Varlam." Brinny stood in the doorway.

Saved me a trip. She'd come to me.

"I didn't mean to hurt her." She walked to my desk.

My lungs filled with fire.

"You pushed her into the ocean."

Brinny stopped. For a split second, the surprise on her face was too real. Not because she was innocent. Because she hadn't expected me to know.

"She can swim." The words rushed out. "I just wanted to scare her. There were so many people on the boat. Nothing could've happened to her."

"She almost died."