Accidental Bratva Daddy (Bratva Blessings)

Chapter 4Natalia

4

Natalia

M y heart racing, I stumble out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste. I burst out of my room just as Alina emerges from hers, her face pale with fear.

"What's happening?" she gasps, but I don't have an answer.

We both heard the scream, but that was all. Now, the hallway is drenched in an eerie silence that pools at my feet like black sludge. I feel the weight of it slowing my step, even as my heart beats faster and the panic in my veins pushes me along.

We scurry towards our parents' room, the sound of our mother's sobs replacing the silence. I throw open the door, and the sight before me makes my blood run cold.

My father lies motionless on the bed, a dark stain spreading across his chest. And standing over him, his face a mask of shock and fury, is Luka.

It feels like a dream, but I know it isn’t. His features are too sharp, his eyes too vivid for me to ever mistake them for being anything but real. The cold blue contrasts with the crimson blood, and I know Luka is responsible.

But why? How did he get here, and what business does he have with my father?

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the world seems to stop spinning. I see the recognition dawn in his eyes, followed quickly by something that looks almost like regret.

But then his expression hardens, and he barks an order to the men flanking him. They grab me and pull me away from the scene, out to where my mother and sister stand huddled in the hallway.

"Let Viktor know the Volkov Syndicate was here," one of the men says, his voice cold and detached.

Luka's eyes never leave mine as he mutters to one of his men, "They didn't see me, did they?"

The man shakes his head. "Only her," he says, jerking his chin in my direction.

Luka's jaw clenches, a muscle ticking in his cheek. For a split second, I see a flicker of the man I thought I knew—conflicted, almost pained. But then it's gone, replaced by cold determination.

"Take her," he orders. His voice is nothing like the warm, passionate tones I remember from our night together. This is a different man entirely—a stranger wearing Luka's face.

Before I can process what's happening, strong hands grab my arms, yanking me away from my family. I hear my mother's anguished cries, see Alina's tear-streaked face as she reaches for me.

"Natalia!" Alina screams, lunging forward. But one of Luka's men blocks her path, shoving her back roughly.

"No!" I cry out, struggling against my captors. "Luka, please! Don't do this!"

But it's all happening too fast, like a nightmare I can't wake up from. As they drag me from the room, my eyes lock with Luka's one last time. In that moment, I see a storm of emotions warring in those icy blue depths—regret, anger, determination, and something else I can't quite name.

Then the door slams shut, cutting off my family's desperate pleas. As they hustle me down the hallway, my world crumbling around me, one thought rises above the chaos:

How could I have been so wrong about him?

The men force me into a waiting elevator, their grips bruising on my arms. As we descend, my mind races, trying to make sense of what just happened. My father, dead. Luka, a killer. And me, being taken God knows where.

"Where are you taking me?" I demand, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to stay calm.

One of the men—a burly, scarred behemoth—sneers down at me. "Shut up," he growls. "You'll find out soon enough."

The elevator doors open, revealing a dimly lit parking garage. They march me towards a waiting black SUV, its engine already running. As we approach, the back door swings open.

"Get in," the scarred man orders, shoving me forward.

I stumble, nearly falling, but manage to catch myself on the car door. As I right myself, I catch a glimpse of movement in my peripheral vision. Without thinking, I spin, driving my elbow into the scarred man's solar plexus with all the force I can muster.

He grunts, doubling over, and for a split second, I think I might have a chance. But then a hand fists in my hair, yanking my head back painfully.

"Nice try, princess," a voice hisses in my ear. It's the other man, the one who'd been silent until now. "But you're not going anywhere."

He shoves me into the car, climbing in after me. As the door slams shut and the SUV peels out of the garage, I curl into myself, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.

What have I done? How could I have let myself fall for Luka's act? And now, because of my foolishness, my father is dead and my family is in danger.

As the SUV speeds through the night, carrying me away from everything I've ever known, I make a silent vow.

I will find a way out of this. I will protect my family.

And Luka Volkov will pay for what he's done.