Chapter 19

After showering together, he kissed her belly.

“I can’t wait until you start to show and to feel our child moving inside you.”

“I’m barely a month along; it will be a while yet,” she said, caressing his head as he knelt on his knees, his lips on her stomach.

“You might not be attracted to me anymore when I get big.”

This thought made her sad. She had heard how some men wouldn’t touch their women once their stomachs got big.

“Woman, you talk crazy. I will always find you beautiful, and I want to make love to you. Now, we should go down and join the others for breakfast.”

Annika suggested she and Danica go shopping during their morning meal while the men discussed business.

“You men will be busy all day, so I want to take Danica shopping. We can go and pick out some stuff for the baby.”

Dmitry looked at Danica.

“Do you wish to go shopping?”

She looked back at him.

“I think I would like to do that if it’s okay with you.”

“I will have my driver take you both into town,” he replied.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out his wallet. Removing a black credit card, he handed it to her.

“Buy whatever you want.”

She looked at him, then at the card and back at him. She had heard about these cards; they had unlimited credit.

“Maybe I’ll just buy a few baby things, like some clothes and diapers.”

“You should shop for a crib and whatever else the baby may need.”

“I was thinking that you and I would pick out those things together for the baby,” she said, hoping he would agree.

“What do I know about cribs and diapers? You should take care of all of that.”

Not wanting to anger him by discussing it in front of the others, she decided to wait until later when they were alone.

A couple of hours later, she and the older woman got into the car with one of the bodyguards and headed to town to shop.

First, they went to the baby store, where she bought diapers, sleepers, and other items.

They looked at the different cribs, high chairs, and bassinets, but she really wanted his opinion on it, so she made an excuse that she couldn’t decide right away.

Later, Annika convinced her to go to the lingerie store to pick out some sexy outfits.

After picking out a few items, they had lunch at a French restaurant.

“So tell me, Danica, how does Dmitry treat you?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“He has told us all about you, how he rescued you and made a deal with you to have his baby. He says it is just a business arrangement, but I feel it has become more than that. I can see how much he cares for you and think you have fallen in love with him. May I give you some advice?”

She was curious and wasn’t sure exactly what the woman was getting at.

“I guess it would be all right.”

“Living with a mob boss is very difficult. You always worry if they will come home alive or dead, always looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to change him; he is who and what he is. Do not question him about his business; you are lucky to be with him.

“Most men in the mob are cruel to their female partners, but Dmitry—he does not believe in hurting women, and as long as you do not interfere in his business, you should have a happy life with him.”

“This doesn’t mean you cannot voice your opinion, but do not do it in front of his men. But I’m sure he has already told you all of this. Am I right? Are you in love with him?”

She swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared to be lodged in her throat.

“Yes, I love him, but have not told him.”

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid if I do, it will push him away.”

“That is a wise choice. Do not tell him you love him until he tells you he loves you first.”

“He says he’ll never fall in love or get married.”

Annika laughed.

“Oh my dear, they all say that, but when the right woman comes along, they are like little puppy dogs. Give him time to realize his true feelings for you.”

“How have you and Benjamin come to know Dmitry?” she asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from her.

“They have known each other since they were small boys. My husband is a little older than Dmitry, but that didn’t stop them from forming a strong friendship. Benjamin became his right-hand man back in Russia, and even to this day, he keeps him up to date on what’s going on back home.”

Feeling full, Danica rubbed her stomach.

“I can’t eat another bite and am feeling a bit tired, so I think we should go back now.”

After paying the bill, they headed back.

She had tucked the card into the new purse she had purchased—the first one she had ever owned.

She laughed; the only thing in it was Dmitry’s credit card.

When they arrived home, she told Annika she was going to lie down.

Once inside the bedroom, she had the butler put the packages on the loveseat; she would go through them later.

Lying on top of the covers on the bed, she closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes.

After hearing that, she went upstairs to lie down.

Dmitry decided to go check on her.

Closing the bedroom door behind him, he found her asleep on the bed.

Going over, he sat down on the bed beside her.

He did not want to wake her up, so he went to leave, but she opened her eyes when he got off the bed.

Sitting back down, he smiled at her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she said, covering her mouth when she yawned.

“I could smell your cologne and knew you were in the room.”

“Did you have a good time shopping with Annika?”

“Yes, she’s very nice, and after we went shopping, we stopped and got something to eat. Let me show you what I bought,” she said, getting out of bed and going over to the loveseat.

“You should be resting. We can look at this later.”

“I can rest later. I want you to see all the cute little baby sleepers and the cute little booties.”

She started opening the bags, taking the articles out, and showing him each piece.

“This is all very nice, but have you picked up the baby furniture yet?”

“Dmitry, I want us to do that together. It would make me happy,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him and giving him the puppy-dog eyes.

He let out a deep sigh.

“Woman, sometimes you drive me crazy, but if it makes you happy, then we will pick the stuff out together.”

She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Releasing him, she went over to the side of the bed, picked up the purse she had bought, and opened it.

She took out his credit card and handed it to him.

“I hope you don’t mind that I bought this purse. I’ve never had one before, and even though I don’t have anything to put in it, I fell in love with it.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I never thought of that. I should have bought you one a long time ago. I will also get you your own credit card, and it’s time you got a cell phone. I think you should get some rest before dinner. I will go down and entertain our guests.”

He made her lie down, kissed her, and told her he would see her at dinner time.

She lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking.

She had never owned a cell phone before, but why would she since she was kept prisoner in her stepfather’s house?

Her heart started beating fast when he said he would get her her own credit card.

She was grateful for everything he was doing for her, but it wasn’t his money or what he could buy her that made her feel the way she did about him.

She wasn’t even sure why.

Sometimes, he scared her; other times, he was so sweet and gentle.

She moved her hand over her stomach.

Knowing a precious little human was growing inside her made her smile.

She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, and soon, she drifted off to sleep.

She might have been sleeping for a few hours when she heard the bedroom door slowly open.

Thinking it was Dmitry, she smiled but kept her eyes closed.

“I was wondering when you would be back. Why don’t you come over here and lie next to me?”

“That would be my greatest pleasure.”

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up.

A cold chill ran up her spine when she saw Benjamin standing there with a sickly grin on his face.

“I thought you were Dmitry. You shouldn’t be in here. He should be back any minute.”

“No, he had to go somewhere with his men and said he won’t be back until dinner. Annika had a few too many margaritas and passed out in our bedroom. So I thought I would come and see how you were doing,” he said, walking toward the bed.

Something told her that she was in danger, so jumping out of bed, she looked around for something to use as a weapon.

Not finding anything, she began to panic.

“I want you to leave right this minute.”

“Now, is that any way to treat your lover’s best friend?”

She started breathing heavily, backing away from him.

“If he finds out you were in here and wouldn’t leave when I asked you to, he will be furious.”

“Well, we just won’t tell him.”

“Get out,” she screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping he would leave.

Instead, he got close, grabbing her—he flung her onto the bed, covering her mouth with his hand so that she couldn’t scream.

“Why should he be the only one to fuck such a young and beautiful girl? I want you to be very quiet, don’t make a sound, and I promise I won’t hurt you, and it will be over before you know it.”

The tears started falling from her eyes when she felt his hand under her dress.

She started hitting him with her fist only to have him pin them down above her head with his one hand.

Before he could go inside her panties, she bit down on his arm at the same time, raised her knee, and rammed it into his balls.

She bit so hard she tasted blood, and when he released her, she pushed him away and ran into the bathroom, where she locked the door.

She sank to the floor, her back resting against the door as she began to cry.

She held her breath when she heard him at the door, yelling out at her.

“You little slut, don’t you dare say a word to Dmitry or else I will make sure you both suffer, and I will kill your child. If you think I can’t do it for one minute, think again. I have just as much power and influence as my good friend.”

“You say he is your good friend, and yet you would do this to his woman who is carrying his child. How could you do this?” she screamed at him through the door.

“Because you are a nobody, just some dirty little stripper he picked up. Just remember, keep your fucking mouth shut.”

She heard him walk away and listened to the bedroom door shut.

She was too afraid to move, too scared to leave the bathroom in case he was hiding out there.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her mouth felt dry, and she felt sick to her stomach.

Lying down on the floor, she rested her cheek against the cold marble of the floor.

She must have passed out, and for how long, she had no clue when she was awakened by the pounding on the bathroom door.

She screamed when the door was smashed in but stopped screaming when she saw it was Dmitry.

He kneeled, his hands gripping the side of her face.

“For the love of God, what happened to you? I kept calling out your name when I found the bathroom door locked, and when you wouldn’t answer me, I had to break it down.”

She looked at him with fear, remembering what Benjamin had told her.

“I must have passed out.”

“But why would you lock the bathroom door?”

She lowered her eyes so as not to look at him.

“I don’t know.”

It was all she could think of to say.

She couldn’t tell him the truth, could she?

He scooped her up into his arms, carried her like a child over to the bed, and laid her down.

He poured her a glass of water and told her to drink it.

“I know you are not telling me the truth. You are keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is.”

“It’s nothing.”

He grabbed her chin firmly and made her look into his eyes.

“Do not tell me it is nothing when I can see it written all over your face that something happened. Not only that, but there is also a rip in your dress. Now I’m only going to ask you one more time to tell me.”

It was written all over her face and in her eyes that she had just experienced some trauma.

He was afraid at first that she was going to tell him she lost the baby—so that is why he didn’t mention it; he had to hear it from her.

“Please, tell me.”