Arranged Bratva Love

Adelaide

Waking up in the hospital was strange.

Staring up at the white ceiling, hearing voices was also new to me. I struggled to comprehend what they were saying, but the image was suddenly Andrei. I remembered marrying him and the months of marriage to him, but getting to the hospital was all a blur.

The doctors came in to help with the feeding tube, which was an experience I never wanted to repeat. They told me what had happened, asked if I had any memory, and the truth was, I didn’t.

I’d been shot once in the chest, but it had missed all major organs and blood vessels. I’d been lucky. The second shot had been to my stomach. They didn’t say anything about the stomach shot.

The morphine, or whatever drugs they had me on, helped to numb the pain. I felt … okay. Like I’d been run over by a truck, repeatedly, but I was alive. I was breathing.

Every now and then, I’d see flashes of Andrei, his arms wrapped around me, yelling. None of it made sense.

Rubbing at my temple, I realized that the doctors left the room, and I wasn’t sure exactly what had happened or been said. Focusing on words seemed so hard right now.

Ivan and Andrei remained in the room.

“Am I in trouble?” I asked. I licked my dry lips and Andrei reached for the water, holding the straw toward me.

My stomach hadn’t actually been hit, just my abdomen, but the doctor hadn’t said anything more, other than I was on the mend.

“Why would you be in trouble?” Andrei asked.

“I got shot.”

“And you naturally assume you did something wrong?”

I look from Andrei and Ivan. They’re Bratva. They make people pay for their wrongdoings.

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“Tell me exactly what you remember?” Andrei asked, putting the cup down again.

I frowned. “I remember … last night? How long have I been in the hospital?”

“Two days,” Ivan said.

“Oh, then I guess I remember the night before I got shot. I think. Everything else is fuzzy.” I felt the start of a headache.

Andrei took my hand and sat beside me on the bed. “Then don’t overthink it. There’s no need to.”

“I got shot. Twice.”

“And you’re in the hospital.”

Ivan put a hand on my other hand. “And you’re going to make a full recovery. You will be fine. I will leave you two alone for now. I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. See me out.”

Andrei gave my hand a squeeze and I watched as my husband walked his boss out. I was trying to understand what was going on. They know something I don’t.

Glancing around the room, I try to find clues. Anything that would tell me what happened the other day. Why did I get shot? Where was I? None of this made sense to me.

“Stop overthinking everything,” Andrei said, returning to the room.

Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

“You try being in a hospital bed with two wounds that you don’t have any recollection of getting. Then you tell me not to be confused.”

“I’m going to take care of you, Adelaide. You’re not going to get…”

“Shot anymore?”

He nods.

Sitting back, I release a sigh. “How are you?” I asked.

His brows go up. “You’re the one in the hospital but you’re asking me how I am.”

I can’t help but smile at that. The pain medication is making me feel lightheaded.

“Can I tell you a secret?” I asked.

“You can tell me anything.”

I doubted that. “I hate hospitals. I always have.”

“Seriously?”

I nod. “People die here.”

“And people get saved here.”

“I know about the saving, and don’t get me wrong, I have a whole lot of respect for doctors and nurses and all that. Trust me, I do, but I just … I don’t know. I think they scare me.” I hate feeling alone.

The visiting times always bothered me.

“Have you called my parents?” I asked.

Andrei shook his head. “No.”

“Oh.”

“Do you want me to?”

“No, there’s no point, right?”

“Adelaide, if you want them here, just say the word.”

Did I want them? Would I want my mother here in this room, bored out of her mind, blaming me for yet more wrinkles? She wouldn’t be loving or caring. I was a burden to her. A child she ended up having but didn’t want.

I ruined her figure.

“No, I don’t want them.”

My dad hadn’t called me in the past six months. The only person to have any contact with me was Bethany and that was to be spiteful.

Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting him to see.

“Don’t cry.”

Too late. They fell down my cheeks and I hated them. I try to rub them away, but clearly my emotions from getting shot are all over the place.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Don’t be sorry.”

Andrei takes my hand and presses a kiss to the knuckles. “Stop. You can cry.”

“I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

“It doesn’t matter why you’re crying. Sometimes you just need to cry.”

This makes me snort, but the pain in my stomach is a little too great, so it sounds like more of a pain grunt.

“Have you ever cried?” I asked.

“When I was little, I cried a lot.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“My father would beat me to within an inch of my life, Adelaide. He would find any means to hurt me. Even my tears offended him. Trust me, a little boy with no true understanding of hiding his emotions will cry.”

“Oh, Andrei,” I said, once again feeling for the little boy he’d been.

He shrugged.

“Why did your father hate you?”

“I wasn’t his real son.”

“Oh?”

“My mother had an affair with one of the soldiers and the Pakhan decided my father needed an heir, and his decision was for him to raise me as his. He didn’t like it. So, he made sure to hurt me and attempted to kill me at every possible term.”

This didn’t stop my tears. It made me cry even harder.

“Do you want to be a father?” I asked.

Andrei froze and looked toward me. “Why do you ask?”

“I just … we never discussed a family. I know…” I lick my lips, and he reached for the cup, presenting it to me, and I thank him. I’m so thirsty. I feel like I could drink for days. “I heard you and Ivan talking. About us needing to start a family.”

“You heard that?”

I’m not at all comfortable with this conversation but I know it’s one that I do need to have with him.

“I figured that’s why you’ve not been using condoms. I was a virgin with you, Andrei, but I took sex ed. I know how making babies works. My parents took away my birth control when I was … you know … picked for you.” Glancing down at the bed, I force myself to look up. “Do you think I should get myself tested?”

“Why?”

“It’s been six months and we’re still not pregnant.”

“Give it time, Adelaide.”

“What happens after two years?” I asked.

“Nothing happens. Ivan would like us to have a baby within two years. Don’t worry yourself. We’ll get pregnant on our own time.”

“I’m going to have to recover from … this.” I point at my stomach as best I can. Too many movements hurt the wound near my chest.

I still couldn’t believe I’d been shot. I imagine that comes down to the morphine.

“We never had a honeymoon,” Andrei said.

This surprises me.

“Our marriage didn’t need one,” I said.

“Our marriage is the same as every other one, Adelaide. As soon as you’re healed, that is exactly what we’re doing. We’re going on our honeymoon.”

I smiled. I couldn’t help it and when I looked at Andrei, I saw him smile at me. What was going on? He rarely showed me any happiness, and it did make me a little nervous.

“You should smile a lot more,” I said. “You look very handsome.”

The morphine must be making me a little loopy.

“You’re the only one I get to smile for.” He winked at me, and my heart nearly exploded.

“What’s going on?” I asked. “You’re not like this with me. You do know I’m not Bethany, right?” I feel tired.

“Don’t say her name.”

My eyes feel so heavy.

“Everyone loves her, you know. Everyone. They love her beauty and her smile. I’m always considered the ugly one. The lame one. I’m boring.”

“Adelaide?”

“I don’t know why you married me. You must have been so disappointed in me.”

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “I’m going to go to sleep, okay?”

“Where would you like to go on our honeymoon?” he asked.

“You don’t have to take me away. I’m fine. I don’t need any special treats.” I closed my eyes and welcomed the darkness swirling up to get me. I’m way too tired, and all I want to do is sleep.

Sleep would make everything better.