Page 69 of Bought to Bear Bratva Heir

Was that Ilya? It sounded like Ilya, but why would he be calling me baby in such a panicked, full-of-emotion voice? Why was he in my bedroom?

And why couldn’t I breathe?

Only I could breathe. I sucked in one breath and then another, and each of them was pure.

There had been smoke, so much smoke, and it had been so hot, so why could I breathe now?

Where was I?

I came awake with a jerk, ripping the mask off my face and screaming. Light filled my eyes, blinding me. White artificial light. Not the light from flames.

"Hey. It’s okay. Calm down. You’re fine."

That’s when I noticed that my free hand was held tightly in a much bigger one. Turning my head, I came face to face with Ilya. His dark hair mussed and his eyes bloodshot.

"You." God, my voice was raspy. Like I hadn’t had a drink in days. There was a thick, acrid taste in my mouth.

The corners of his mouth twitched up. "Me," he said softly.

There was a softness in his eyes that I didn’t understand. Ilya hated me. But he wasn’t looking at me like he hated me.

"You came for me," I whispered. "In the house. You rescued me. I heard you."

The smile drifted from his face completely. "Yeah, I came for you, Daisy. I’ll always come for you."

"You begged me to open my eyes and breathe."

He dropped my hand like I had burnt him. Even more confused, I closed my eyes. Why did Ilya have to be like this? So hot and cold and confusing all the time?

"I wasn’t about to let the mother of my children die." Turning towards the window, he ruffled his usually perfectly in-place hair with his hand.

"Why not? You could have just told Alec—" I paused.

Maybe I wasn’t quite as awake as I had thought I was because I was pretty sure he had just said children.

Not child.

Children!

"You didn’t know, did you?"

I could see him searching my face in the reflection in the glass. His eyes sweeping over my face.

"Didn’t know what?"

With a sigh, he turned to me. "I thought you were probably hiding it from me, but you really didn’t know." Again he took a seat at my bedside. "You’re pregnant."

"That can’t be right."

Ilya snapped his eyes toward me, and I flopped down against the pillows. My heart beating so fast that it was making the machines go haywire.

"I’ve seen the results myself, Daisy. You are most definitely pregnant."

"I’m on birth control," I whispered. "I never missed a day and we haven’t had that much," dropping my voice even lower, I glanced towards the closed door, "sex."

Ilya grinned, but it was short-lived before a familiar frown creased his forehead. "I guess when it comes to me and you, we don’t need a lot." His eyes darted down to my stomach. Flat and completely hidden under the blue hospital blankets. I didn’t like that look. Without meaning to, I covered my stomach with my hands.

"I won’t let you take this one from me, Ilya," I whispered. "I will not let you steal another child from me. I swear it. I don’t care if you threaten to kill me. I will not let you—"