Page 118 of Reclaimed By My Ex’s Bratva Brother

"Family of three?"

"You, me, Rory."

"Where are you counting the one in my belly?"

His reply came quickly.

"He doesn't need his own seat."

I laughed until my stomach hurt. That afternoon, we took Rory to the aquarium. Varlam wore a dark coat, injuries not fully healed. Rory held one of my hands and one of his, like a little general who'd completed some secret mission.

"Do you know seahorse dads give birth?" Rory looked up at Varlam.

"I do now." Varlam's response was surprisingly calm.

"Then why can't you give birth for Briony?"

Varlam fell silent. I laughed until I had to lean against the glass wall.

He glanced at me and answered without missing a beat. "Because I didn't make arrangements in advance."

"What about next time?"

"There won't be a next time," I said immediately.

But Varlam's hand suddenly landed on my waist. "We'll discuss that later."

I turned to glare at him. He didn't bat an eye.

When Rory ran to see the sharks, Varlam lagged behind.

"Does it hurt?" I looked at his chest. "Sit down, let me check."

He sat. I stood in front of him, unbuttoning the top of his coat to check if there was bleeding under his shirt. His breath brushed my forehead. I was too close—close enough to smell the clean cedar scent on him.

"Briony, if you undo one more button, I'll have a hard time staying quiet." The sound of him swallowing was very clear.

"Look at you, making jokes now." I buttoned it back up, deflecting. "The wound's fine."

My ears burned.

During that time, my life was packed full with work, Rory, prenatal checkups, and activities Varlam arranged. Makar's messages went from two a day to five, then to ten. I often saw them at night but was too exhausted to even move my fingers.

Until one afternoon, Varlam and I came back from a checkup. We'd just entered his office when the door slammed open.

"This is what you call fair competition?"

Makar stormed in furiously.

"I couldn't stop him." Gleb followed, not a trace of apology on his face.

"You didn't even try," Makar said.

"No."

Gleb retreated and closed the door, leaving us the battlefield.

Varlam walked behind his desk, placing my checkup report in a drawer. His movements were calm, like he'd been expecting this day.