Bratva Baby

Chapter Fourteen

Sophia

“Stop it.” My voice came out a croak, and I had to clear my throat and repeat myself before my brother’s head turned in my direction. I knew he was trying to defend me, just like he always did but attacking my husband tonight of all nights and after everything that had happened wasn’t how to do it. “Just stop Stefano.” Leaning heavily on the doorframe the world suddenly span on its axis. I gripped it tight afraid for a second that I was going to go down.

Alice was at my side in an instant. Steadying me. When she turned to the two men in front of us her voice as icy and very un-Alice like.

“You two should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Pushing Stefano off him roughly my husband climbed to his feet. Brushing down his trousers his eyes met mine. “Your brother is an animal Sophia, no wonder he is nicknamed The Moretti’s Pitbull. Attacking a man for no reason…”

I didn’t let him finish. Pulling myself up to my full height I glared at him. “It wasn’t entirely unprovoked was it, husband?” I stressed the last word.

For a second Dimitri’s eyes widened as the realisation hit him that I had heard what he had said. For the first time since I had known him, he looked guilty. Not it mattered. I knew Dimitri would never love me.  Any hopes I’d had of that went out the window the moment he asked whether I could still have children before he asked about my welfare.

Dimitri had married me for a reason. And that reason was to give him a son.  It had been stupid to think it would turn into anything different.

I had never thought of myself a romantic person. I hadn’t had the kind of upbringing where fairy tales happened. I wasn’t lucky in love like Alice and my sister-in-law Lily. But I had always managed. And I would manage now.

I knew the deal. Dimitri knew the deal. It was time that we stopped pretending to be in love.

“Sophia.” He took a step closer, his hand outstretched. and what looked strangely like remorse filled his eyes. “I did not mean it the way it sounded. I was worried very much about you.”

I let his fingers skim my wrist before letting my hand drop. His hand fell to his side as his icy blue eyes searched my face. Whatever he saw in it, it was clear that he didn’t like it.

“Sophia?”

“Alice, can you help me back to bed?” suddenly I wanted nothing more than to lay back down. I had been so happy earlier. I had thought things between u were changing. God now I had changed for him. But it was all a ruse. One of Dimitris little games, his affection was nothing more than him claiming ownership of my body in front of my brother. A big hard man proving to another man that his woman was conquered.

I didn’t want to be conquered.

I hadn’t even been married a week and already it was over. There was no hope of a happy life with Dimitri. He would never change, and I could never leave a baby with him. He loved his daughters; I knew that but there was no love and affection in his house.

None in his heart either if he even had one.

“I can help my wife.” Dimitri’s voice was firm. He only stopped coming towards me when Alice positioned herself in front of us. His face darkened. “She is my wife.” He spat.

Never one to back down Alice straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t a big woman. Tiny and petite were more the words anyone would use to describe her, but she was a force to be reckoned with.

“I don’t think she wants to see you right now Dimitri. I can have some men stand guard at her door. Maybe its best if you go home and…”

His hand closed around her upper arm, his fingers digging into her skin. “She is my god damn wife. She is not one of you anymore.”

Stefano stepped in between them, and this time it wasn’t violence on his face it was murder. Things were getting out of hand again. And all because of me.

“I suggest you let go of Alice’s arm.” My brother growled out.

“Or what?” Dimitri turned to him with a snarl.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Here they went again, two macho guys measuring the size of their d***s.

“Or I’ll make sure you don’t get home alive tonight, Dimitri.” Alice’s word was final. “Take your hand off of me. You wife wants to be alone tonight.”

“I don’t want to be ….” A sobbed ripped its way out of my throat. I had thought that I could do this. That I was strong enough to live in a love less marriage where I was seen as nothing more than a s*x object and a baby maker A pretty wife to be seen and not heard.  An object for Dimitri to use for his own s****l gratification.  

I had stupidly thought I could be objective about the whole thing, and I had been wrong.

“Don’t say something you are going to regret Sophia.” Dimitri’s voice was dangerously low.  His eyes narrowed as he searched my face.

“She is asking for one night without you groping her in public.” My brother spat out. A blush crept up my cheeks. He had obviously known what had been going on under the table. the thought was horrifying.  “Surely your baby making can wait long enough for her to heal or are you that much of a monster that….”

“I don’t want…” I tried again. Why did they have to keep on talking over me? Like I didn’t matter. In the end it was Alice that finally said the words for me.

“I don’t think Sophia wants to be with you right now Dimitri. Maybe giving her some space would be best.”

“She has a contract, we are married.” He reached for me again. “Married Sophia doesn’t that mean something to you?” his voice was strangled.  A vein on his forehead popped. He was angry and trying hard not to show it. I shrank back.  I didn’t want him angry with me.

It hit me then. I had a choice. I didn’t have to go back to his home and deal with his anger. Or with his weird subservient requests. I didn’t have to walk on eggshells around him in case I said the wrong thing or looked the wrong way.

“I don’t think I want to be married to you anymore.”