The Bratva's Forbidden pregnancy

Eight

Vlad

Hands clasped around the steering wheel, I fixed my eyes on the road, but my mind was flooded with thoughts of Sienna.

It had been a while since I'd driven myself around, and despite Simon's and Fyodor's insistence on tagging along, I maintained my stance about wanting to be alone.

"At least have the chauffeur drive you," Simon said from the head of the steps at the entrance to the mansion.

"I'll be fine," I replied, getting into the driver's seat.

"Remember, you don't really know your way around New York!" he shouted after me, his voice laced with concern.

"There's something called GPS," I replied, starting the engine.

I had my own plans, and I knew where I was going, contrary to what they might have thought.

"Turn left," Siri instructed.

I obeyed, rolling the vehicle down a street. Glancing at the digital map on my dashboard, I realized that I was almost there: the restaurant Sienna had recommended two days ago.

According to her, the food there was great, and that I would love it. She also mentioned that she often went there to eat—every weekend, to be exact. This was the weekend. Would I be lucky?

It didn't take long to locate the diner and pull over by the parking lot.

I killed the engine and checked out the scene through the diner's big window. It was hustling and bustling inside; folks were sipping coffee, munching on burgers, chatting, and laughing.

However, there was no Sienna.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the vehicle, heading straight for the glass door. It jingled and opened; then, I walked in, my eyes scanning the space.

"Hi, there." A waitress approached me with a courteous smile. "Welcome to Josie's. What can I get you?"

I was about to reply when I spotted the prettiest girl in the diner sitting alone in a corner.

Right then, I felt my lips curl up into a sly smile, and I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Sir?" the waitress called my attention.

"It's alright. I'll be fine," I replied without looking at her.

Sienna hadn't seen me yet; she was scrolling through her phone, a hand under her chin. She would occasionally look out the window as though she was expecting someone.

With a stealthy silence, I glided toward her, both hands tucked in the pockets of my pants. For seven long seconds, I loomed over her like a ghost, unnoticed.

She raised her head and faced the window again, then sighed, still unaware of my presence.

Sienna looked so beautiful—innocent yet mischievous at the same time—and it was almost impossible to tear my gaze from her.

"Oh, my God!" she yelped, her palm flying to her chest in a jiffy, as if to prevent her heart from jumping out. Her eyes went wide with shock, and she jerked in her seat, startled at the sudden sight of me.

It was amusing watching her react the way that she did, and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," I said.

She chuckled, her face lighting up with a grin. "It's okay. I, uh...." She cleared her throat. "I wasn't really scared, you know. It's just that I didn't hear you coming, so you sorta...."

"Startled you," I finished her sentence.

She looked at me and then nodded slowly with a welcoming smile.