“You know I do, but how are you going to help? He is a very powerful man. He has connections to make me disappear, Jozef.” I tell him in a panic.
“There is nowhere you can go that I wouldn't be able to find you. I have been here for three weeks, baby, watching you and looking out for you.” his finger is stroking my face distracting me from his words and then it hits me.
“Wait. It was you who paid my bills?”
“I did. You looked so exhausted and I don't ever want you worrying about anything. It was all I could think of to do, baby aside from kidnap you.”
“Have you been in here in my apartment?” I ask, moving away from him a bit. I am feeling some type of way right now hearing him say that.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you come see me before now?” I know I have room to talk but still.
“I needed to know what I was walking into, baby. I couldn’t risk your life before knowing everything I could. It took some time because your boss is practically a ghost. I couldn’t even get a photo, a fucking accidental DNA test. Nothing. Until last night.”
“What happened last night?” I can feel my anxiety growing. He obviously knows more than me at this point. How bad is it?
“Your boss is the nephew of Fidel Popov, one of the most notorious Russian mob bosses in New York and New Jersey.” Yep Definitely worse than I was expecting. My stomach immediately begins to churn. I figured he was criminal. But i thought maybe like IRS tax stuff. Maybe embezzlement. But a mobster? I really am naive.
“Oh my god Zef. What did I do?”
“You are trusting and you want to see the best in everyone baby.”
“So what do we do? Can I run away? Hide? Go to the FBI what?” The panic is real and now I know me and my baby are in danger. Shit, by being here, so is Zef. His face is pensive. He is rubbing my bump, which seems to be his favorite thing to do right now. He is not saying anything like he is contemplating the answer. Then it hits me.
“Zef how do you know all of this? Why are you not freaking out?”
“Shit.” he grunts running his hands through his head. I move away from him slightly, feeling like something is going to be unpleasant, but he growls and says something about having enough space and pulls me back into his chest.
“Listen, Slodki aniol.” I love it when he calls me sweet angel in polish. “My brother and I were the sons of a Polish mob boss.” What the fuck? He stops focusing on my face trying to decide if he should continue.
“Zef, tell me you are playing.”
“I wish I could but no. My father is dead now and my brother tore the organization down from the inside out, but he has joined a new Family here in New York.” Ok. His brother is not my concern.
“But you're out, right? I mean you didn’t join them?” He looks reticent but looks me in my eyes.
“I haven’t joined yet, baby. I needed to come and get you first.” First? Come and get me first? And then what? Are we going live like the Gotti’s or something? I am speechless though. I am thinking about those things, but no words come out. “Baby, look at me.”
Even though I do as he has commands and look at him, I realize I don't know who I am looking at. What do I expect? I barely knew him before I was on my back letting him knock me up. Trying to process this information, I get out of bed and put on my robe. He moves to the side of the bed, his elbows on his knees staring at me.
“I know you are shocked and have a bunch of questions. I don’t expect for you to be able to take all of this in right now. But, you also have to resign yourself to the fact that there is a whole world out there that you have been shielded from. Some of it black and white and some gray. What is important are the things we do and don’t do.” I look at this man. This gorgeous, sexy, strong man who is basically telling me that I have been living under a rock, and I don’t know whether to cry or laugh. My entire life is a joke right now. I have been so worried about my boss and apparently rightfully so. But it never occurred to me that the father of my child might also be a danger to the both of us.
CHAPTER
FIVE
JOZEF
ONE WEEK LATER
“Piece of shit.” I spit on the pile of shit at my feet. My fists are bloody and bruised from hours of trying to get answers. Hell, days of trying to find information to fix this shit for my girl.