Wrong Number. Right Don (Sinful Mafia Daddies)

by Natasha L. Black

The bed is dressed in dark linens, and the décor is distinctly masculine yet impersonal. It would fit perfectly in a hotel room. There’s nothing in here that speaks to his character. Even in his private space, it’s like there are walls up to shield who he really is.

But just as I’m about to drop off, my hand slides to my stomach, and I jolt awake. Tomorrow morning, like every morning, I’ll probably wake up puking.

The closer we get, the more he’ll start to notice the changes in me. I’ll have to come clean that I’m pregnant with his baby and I’ve known since before his mom’s stroke.

I’m scared. Not of Sergei, of course, though he’s definitely got his own secrets. Seeing Sasha beaten within an inch of his life was proof enough of that. He’s trying to keep a huge part of himself hidden from me.

How do we recover from that? Is it a lack of trust in me, or is his lifestyle really so terrible that he doesn’t want to show it to me? Not knowing has to be so much worse than the truth.

Even Sergei. Because his secret could affect our child and I only want the best for this little life inside me.

I even trust him with my heart, even if I haven’t admitted that out loud.

But do I trust him with my life? With my child’s life? Those are much heavier questions.

Which makes it even harder to protect my heart. But at some point I stop trying. I’m falling hard, growing accustomed to him in a way that scares me. He still keeps his walls up, of course. He still has his secrets, yet they haven’t tempered my feelings for him.

I cradle the small envelope the doctor gave me. From the back seat of the town car, I study the tiny blob I glimpsed for the first time only hours ago.

My little nugget, tucked inside me, growing stronger every day.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to come down from her castle on the hill,”

“We’re not…we don’t—” I sputter, but she sees right through me. Heat floods my cheeks. “How did you know?”

“It’s incredible,” I admit, practically melting. “Every time we have sex, I think there’s no way it can top the last time, yet somehow it does.”

The feeling has been nibbling at the edges of my mind for weeks ever since I met Sergei.

When my mother’s well, I might pay her to stay on as my personal masseuse. Anything to keep her here.

Internal Document to All Members of Volkov Bratva in bold black.

I let him lure me in with sweet talk and mind-blowing sex. And then I let him bring me here with the promise of money and what seemed like a genuine concern for his mother. I’m such a fucking idiot.

Sergei’s not just part of this. He’s in charge of it. All the crime, all the blood—he runs it all.

How do I build a future with someone who kills people for a living? Even monsters can be charming. Especially the smart ones.

“Thank you,” I murmur. “For everything.”

Sasha barrels in with his hair rumpled and shirt half-buttoned, like he ran out before he could finish dressing.

capable of. “Where is Nicole? What did you do to upset her?” Her chastising tone blindsides me, and suddenly I feel six years old again,

“Once you find her, you let me know.”

“Don’t try to escape. You wouldn’t want to hurt the baby.”

where Nicole sits alone, quietly sobbing.

face pale, hair disheveled. A fresh gash mars her forehead. Not a hair on her head has been touched, my ass. He’ll pay for that one.

“I’m pregnant,” she blurts, so fast I almost miss it. For a moment, the entire world seems to go silent, and all I can hear is the sound of my heart thundering in my ears.

“I’ve known since before you hired me,” she says, determination sharpening her features. “It’s yours, if that’s not clear. And I plan to keep it. But I will not raise a baby with a man who would get me involved in all of this.”

I fall to my knees in front of her, staring at her stomach in awe.

“You’re having our baby?”

Shock melts into a surge of happiness I never kn...

“I’m going to be a father,” I murmur, more to myself than her. Then I look up to see her watching me with that same conflicted look. ...

“Nicole, I swear to you that I will be the best father to this baby, and the best man to you. I can’t promise you that there won’t be any danger in my life, but I swear to you that I’ll always make sure you and our ch...

Sasha stands just outside the door, gun still trained on Semion. His face is blank, but I can’t help but wonder if he overheard.

A spark of excitement glints in his eyes—though that could be nothing more than the thrill of having Semion at gunpoint.

“She’s good.” I nod. “And she’s pregnant.” Sasha’s brows lift, but he just nods once. “Then let’s get her the fuck out of here.”

Sasha and the rest of our crew sweep the exits while I carry Nicole through the mansion’s corridors.

“For lying to you,” she breathes. “For keeping the pregnancy a secret for so long. I just didn’t know if I could trust what we had.”

“But, just so you know, I meant what I said. I’m going to be the best damn father to this child. Not only will I protect our son or daughter with my life, but I will do the same for you. With me, you’ll never be unsafe again. I promise you that.”

“I was sure I would die without ever getting to spoil my first grandchild. Thank God for you, Nicole. I couldn’t ask for a better person to be the mother of my grandbaby.”

“Everything I have is yours,” he says, earnest now. “So when you’re wrong and it’s a girl, I’ll cover it.”

Sergei straightens in his chair, and I swear he sits up like he’s reporting for duty. “Absolutely.”

“Well, it looks like you’re having a little girl.”

A little girl. A daughter. A rush of emotions swirls inside me so fast I can’t keep up. Joy, fear, excitement, and sheer panic collide inside me. I’m going to have a daughter. I’m going to be responsible for a little girl’s entire world. How am I supposed to keep her safe? How do I teach her to be strong and kind and everything she’ll need to be in a world like this?

“You’re going to be the best mother to our little girl, Nicole,”

“You’re going to love her so much she won’t know what it’s like not to feel it. You’ll kiss every scraped knee, and you’ll teach her everything that matters. You’ll be the heart of her world.”

“I already love you so much, little one,” he murmurs against my skin. “Your papa’s got you. Always.”

I’m going to make you my wife.”

“There’s no one else for me,” he says, his voice a promise. “Not in this life. Not in any life.”