Born into Sin: An Age Gap Dark Mafia Romance (Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy Book 1)

13. Dominic

The hurt look on Natalya’s face completely guts me.

“Principessa,” I say, but she’s having none of it. She swats my hand away and sits up, not caring that she’s naked and giving me a full view of everything.

“So that’s it then? You’re handing me back over to my dad now?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like? Why didn’t you tell him you wanted me to stay here?”

“I did, but he has new information.”

She looks hurt, and I hate that I’m the one who’s made her feel this way. When I reach out for her, she pulls back, and it breaks my heart to see her do it.

“Look at me, Natalya.”

When she keeps her eyes lowered, refusing to give me what I want, I grab her hips and scoot her back to me so she’s lying on the bed with my body hovering over hers.

“Look at me,” I say again.

She fights it for a few seconds, because my girl’s a fighter and doesn’t like to give in, but eventually she brings her blue eyes to mine.

“This is not permanent. Do you understand me?”

“I understand that it’s what you’re saying.”

“That’s not the answer I want.”

“Yeah, but it’s the one you’re getting.”

I laugh at the attitude she’s giving me and press my body to hers, letting her feel my weight. She’s not going anywhere unless I want her to, and right now there’s nowhere else I want her to be.

Cupping her face, I run my thumb along her flushed cheek. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to keep you here?”

“Then keep me.”

Her words gut me. She makes it sound so simple when it’s anything but. I run my thumb over her lips and tell her the truth. “I’m planning on it, principessa. You’re mine, and I’m not letting you go.”

“Yes, you are,” she argues. “My dad’s on his way to get me, right? That means you’re letting me go, Dominic.”

“I’m temporarily allowing a separation,” I correct, “but it’s only because I think it’s the safest option for you right now.”

“So that’s just your decision to make? I don’t even get a say in it?”

“No, you don’t.” I ignore the angry look she’s giving me, even if she does look sexy as hell when she’s pissed. “When it comes to your safety, my word will always be the final one.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that.”

I give her a wink that has her narrowing her eyes even more. “You don’t need to say anything because it wouldn’t do any good. I get the final word when it comes to your safety, principessa. Always.”

“And what made you decide that I’m safer somewhere else, or am I not allowed to even ask that?”

I give her pouty mouth a quick kiss. “You can always ask me anything you want. It doesn’t mean I’ll answer, but you can always ask.”

“You’re impossible.”

I laugh and sneak in another kiss. “I warned you that I would be worse than your dad.”

“I was hoping you were joking.”

“I never joke about things like that, but I will answer your question. I don’t know all the details yet, but the man they questioned told them that if they couldn’t get a hit on you, then they should go after your siblings.”

Her body freezes at the thought of something happening to her younger sister and brother.

“And if that didn’t work, then they were to start on your cousins. It’s only a matter of time before another attack happens, and having you all spread out is making it difficult for your family to protect everyone. I need to help them, and if my men and I aren’t here to protect you, then it’s not safe for you to stay here. It’s not going to take the Zolotov Bratva long to figure out that our families work closely together, and once they do, they’ll look for you here.”

I look down at her, willing her to see the truth in what I’m saying. “I need to know you’re safe, and you need to let me do whatever the hell I need to do to make that happen. I won’t lose you, Natalya. I fucking refuse to let that happen.”

She sighs and lifts her hands to cup my face. “You’re a hard man to stay angry at.”

“Really? Most people find it very easy.”

Her soft laugh releases the tension that’s coiled around my heart.

“I’d better get ready to go then.”

I know she’s right, but the last thing I want to do is lift my body off hers. If there was any way I could guarantee her safety, I’d keep her here, but if the Zolotov Bratva attacks while I’m gone and most of my men aren’t here, it’s possible they could get to her. It’s unlikely, but the possibility is there, and I’m not willing to risk her life. For now, it’s safer if she’s with her family. Lev said they were taking all their kids to the farmhouse and that they’ll be surrounded by guards. No one knows about their secret house in the middle of nowhere. It’s the safest place for her while I help her dad and uncles find these fuckers and take them out.

Her safety and how damn important it is to me is the only thing that gets me to roll off her sweet body. I stay on the bed, watching her walk naked into the bathroom, groaning at the sight of her bare ass before she closes the door, blocking my view of her. Forcing myself out of bed, I pull on the jeans and T-shirt from last night. I’ll shower and put on a suit later. Right now, I don’t want to waste a second of the few precious minutes I have left with her.

While she gets ready, I gather up the few things she has lying around. My plan was to hand them to her so she could put them in her bag, but I quickly decide I don’t want to do that. Instead, I hang the pink dress she’d been wearing yesterday in my closet next to my rack of suits and line her sandals up next to my collection of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.

I like seeing her things mixed with mine. Pleased with my decision, I leave the closet just as she’s stepping out of the bathroom. She’s in another summer dress, this one a pale blue that accentuates the color of her eyes, and all I can do is stare as she walks around the room, trying to find the things I just put away.

“Do you know where my sandals are?”

“They’re in my closet.”

She walks over, but I stop her from grabbing them. Keeping her hand in mine, I give it a squeeze and say, “I’m keeping them here, and the pink dress you wore yesterday.”

“But the only other pair of shoes I have are flip-flops. The sandals look better with this dress.”

I smile down at her. “I guess you’ll just have to make do.”

She tries to go around me, but I grab onto her waist and lift her up, pulling her tightly against my body.

“Let me keep them, principessa. I need to keep some part of you here.” I smile and nip at her bottom lip. “Plus, I know how much you love your shoes and dresses. This is proof that you’ll be coming back. I’m holding them hostage, sweetheart. You’ll get them back when I get you back.”

She hooks her legs behind my waist and clasps her hands behind my neck, smiling against my lips. I slip my hands under her dress so I can cup her ass, feeling the soft lace of her panties beneath my palms. She lets out a soft gasp when I press her back against the wall.

“I can’t say goodbye to you like this. If I’m going to watch you walk away, then it’s going to be on my terms.”

“And what terms are those?”

Her voice is breathy and low, and when I slide one hand lower, cupping her pussy from behind, I’m not at all surprised to feel that she’s already soaked through the thin scrap of fabric between her thighs. She lets out a whisper-soft moan when I drag my finger along her slit.

“You’re going to walk away from me sore and dripping my seed, principessa. It’s the only way I’ll be able to let you go.”

“Damn,” she whispers, making me smile.

“I need to feel you one last time before I have to say goodbye.” Using one hand, I hold her ass up and roughly unbutton my pants, pulling the zipper down and freeing my painfully hard cock in record time.

“I’d planned on giving you a few more days to rest, sweetheart, but we ran out of time.”

“I’m fine,” she quickly says, grabbing the bottom of her dress and lifting it up to give me better access.

“Someone’s eager,” I tease and nip at her top lip. I pull the plump lip into my mouth, giving it a suck while I push her panties aside and line myself up. She’s so fucking wet, dripping onto my head and making it nearly impossible for me to not slam into her.

“God, you make it difficult to do the right thing,” I growl against her lips. “I’m trying to be gentle, but you’re begging me with your body to be rough.”

She lets out a soft whimper when I slide my head in. She grips me so fucking tightly, and I watch her beautiful face as she winces when I slide in deeper. I probably shouldn’t love it as much as I do, but the truth is I love making her wince. I love seeing the flash of pain that crosses her face before it turns into pleasure. I love making my girl sore, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

“Fuck,” I groan when I’m deeply seated inside her and the wet heat of her pussy is clamped down around me. Holding her still, I keep our bodies locked together while I slowly kiss her. She whimpers against my mouth, deepening the kiss and trying like hell to rock her hips. I tighten my grip on her, forcing her to be still, forcing her to feel every goddamn inch of me.

“How the fuck am I going to watch you walk away?” I whisper the question against her lips, but I don’t give her a chance to answer. I rock out of her and thrust back in, stealing the breath from her lungs. She grips me tighter, her body and pussy clinging to me as I start to fuck her harder. I want to brand her with my body. When she leaves me today, she’s going to feel like I’m right there with her. My scent will be on her skin, my marks will be on her hips from how tightly I’m gripping her, and my cock will have left its mark on her sweet pussy. She will ache from my touch, and I will ache from the loss of her.

“Dominic,” she moans, gripping the back of my neck tighter. “I’m close. I’m so fucking close.”

I feel her muscles tense beneath my hands. She’s only seconds away, pinned against the wall and unable to move. All she can do is take what I’m giving her, and when she starts to come, I growl against her lips, “Good fucking girl,” and then fuck her even harder. Her inner walls squeeze me tighter, pulling the orgasm from my body with each tremor her body gives. Being inside Natalya is all-consuming, my newest obsession, and something I’ll never be able to get enough of.

I kiss her hard while my cock empties inside her and she shakes from the force of her orgasm. Her small body is limp in my arms, completely spent and trembling, but she doesn’t let go. She lazily strokes the back of my hair and kisses me so damn sweetly. I stay buried inside her, needing a few more precious seconds of us being locked together.

I pull back and rest my forehead against hers. “I give you my word, principessa, that this is temporary. I will get you as soon as this is over and bring you back here where you belong. You are mine, and your place is with me.”

She gives a soft nod and whispers. “You won’t change your mind?”

“Never.”

I hug her against me and ghost my lips against hers, breathing in every one of her exhales, trying to get as much of her as I possibly can. I’m a goddamn glutton when it comes to her. I want every inch of her, and even then I know it won’t be enough.

“Before you, I would never have called myself a sensitive man. I didn’t think I was capable of romantic feelings, and I definitely wasn’t aware of the obsessive, overprotective parts of me that were dead until you sparked them to life. You’ve changed me, principessa, and there’s no going back.”

With our bodies still connected, I bring my mouth to hers, letting her feel the truth of what I’m saying in the soft kiss I’m giving her.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips. “I’m not trying to scare you off, but I need you to know how I feel before you’re separated from me. I don’t want you worrying that I’m going to change my mind or that I’m going to forget about you and find someone else, because that will never happen, Natalya. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I know myself well enough to know I never will again. You’re it for me, principessa.”

For a second I’m afraid I’ve gone too far, that I’ve exposed too much of myself and scared the hell out of her, but then her beautiful face breaks into a huge grin and she pulls me closer and kisses me with everything she has.

When I start to grow hard again inside her, she breaks our kiss and whispers, “I love you too, Dominic, and you better come back for me.”

I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face at hearing those words come out of her kiss-swollen lips.

“You love me?”

She rolls her eyes at me and fights a grin. “A little bit.”

“A little bit, huh?” I tease, rocking into her and ghosting my lips down her slender neck.

“Maybe more than a little,” she admits with a moan when I nip at the crook of her neck.

I laugh and lick her soft skin before lifting back up to face her. “I promise I’m coming back for you, and I’ll miss you every second that you’re away from me.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

She sounds so damn sad when she says it, and I hate that I have to put her through this. The truth is it’s going to hurt me just as much as it hurts her. Hell, maybe even more. I like having her near me, in my room and in my bed. I love hearing her voice, and I love how she brings this house to life and makes it feel more like a home. It’s going to feel so goddamn empty without her.

With a sigh, I give her one more kiss and then slowly lift her off me. She winces, and I smile, because, god, it just never gets old.

“You don’t always have to look so damn proud about it.”

I laugh and set her down. Kneeling in front of her, I look up and say, “But I am so damn proud.”

She runs a hand through my hair, watching me as I slide my hands up her thighs and hook my fingers around her lacy panties before slowly pulling them off.

“Lift your dress and show me what’s mine, principessa.”

Bringing both hands to the bottom of her dress, she grips the fabric and slides it up, slowly revealing herself to me. I grip her thighs and spread her wider, wanting to see everything. She’s swollen and pink and dripping my cum.

“This is how you should always look for me.”

Unable to resist, I lean closer and lick her, pushing my seed back inside her as my tongue runs up her slit. She moans and rocks her hips, grinding gently against my mouth when I give her clit a soft suck.

“Keep my cum where it belongs, principessa.”

She nods and clenches her thighs together when I stand back up. Holding up her panties, I say, “I’m keeping these.” Bringing them to my face, I close my eyes and inhale the scent that I’m completely addicted to before shoving them into my pocket and tucking myself back into my jeans.

My phone buzzes, and I know her dad is here, so I cup her face and give her one last kiss. She opens for me, tasting us on my tongue and whimpering for more. I have to force myself to pull away and take a step back.

“Letting go of you is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I want you to know I’m never doing it again. This is temporary,” I say again, and it’s a reminder for both of us, “and it’s only because your life is in danger. We’re going to get rid of the threat, and then I’m bringing you back here and telling your dad the truth.”

She smiles and nods her head. “Okay. Hurry up so you can come get me.”

I smile back at her and give her a wink. “I’ll do my best, principessa, and you better text me so I know you’re okay.”

“I will,” she promises.

With one last look at her, I grab her bag and force myself to leave the room. She follows right behind me, and when we get to the bottom of the stairs and we hear her dad and uncles in the main room, she reaches out and runs her fingers over mine. I squeeze her hand, and she quickly pulls away right before we walk into the sitting room off the main entryway where her family is waiting.

Lev walks over to give her a hug. He’s here with Vitaly and Roman, who smile at her and say a few things in Russian. Everything seems fine until I glance over and see the look on Vitaly’s face. He’s eyeing his niece with a raised brow, and then turning his gaze to meet mine. His mouth hardens into a firm line, but he doesn’t say anything. His look says enough. Whatever the hell he saw, he doesn’t like it.

I keep my face an unreadable mask and turn back to the others. “So what’s the plan?”

Lev keeps his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and says, “All the kids and our wives are going to the farmhouse, and they’ll be guarded by a small army. We’re going to draw the Zolotov Bratva out, and then we’re going to show them what happens when you threaten a member of our family.”

“Lev said you wanted in on this. Are you sure about that,” Roman asks. “You’ll be making enemies you don’t need to make.”

“I want in on it,” I tell him. “They made an enemy of me the second they attacked Natalya in my territory.”

I chance a quick look at her, and even though my life has taught me how to keep my emotions off my face, I can’t bring myself to give her the dead stare I’d give anyone else. For just a moment, everything softens for her, and I let her see what I’m really feeling. It’s so brief that no one else catches it, but her mouth turns up in a small smile before I look away, making the risk worth it.

“Fine,” Lev says. “Having your men working on this and knowing the Zolotovs can’t hide in your territory will make this a hell of a lot easier.” His blue eyes meet mine. “I want these fuckers gone, and I don’t care what it takes to make it happen.”

“Agreed,” I tell him, feeling the exact same way.

“All right, we need to get going.” Lev reaches down and grabs the bag I’d just been holding, slinging it over his shoulder and holding a hand out to me. “Thanks for keeping my daughter safe. I won’t forget it.”

I shake his hand, feeling like a jackass, because if he knew I’d just taken his precious daughter’s virginity, I doubt he’d still be thanking me. Now isn’t the time for truth, though, so all I say is, “You don’t need to thank me. I was happy to do it.”

“Thanks for everything, Dominic.”

I look down at Natalya and nod at her while fighting a grin. “Of course, Natalya. You’re welcome back anytime.”

She smiles and I wonder if she’s already feeling me slide out of her pussy. I hope she is. I hope her inner thighs grow sticky with each step she takes as she walks away from me. I want her to think of me nonstop while we’re apart, just like I’ll be thinking about her.

They start to leave, but Vitaly hangs back. When I give him a questioning look, he says, “I’ll stay here and discuss some of the plans with you. You don’t mind, do you?”

I hear the challenge in his voice, and I know he wants to talk to me about more than just the Zolotov Bratva. I give him a nod and walk the others to the door. Natalya chances a quick look back at me before getting into her dad’s car. I clutch her panties in my pocket, fisting the soft fabric and reminding myself that I will be getting her back. Her home is with me now, and nothing is going to change that.

When I walk back into the room, Vitaly’s leaning back in one of the leather armchairs, long legs stretched in front of him, and he’s holding a glass of vodka that he’s helped himself to. I walk over and pour myself a whiskey and take the chair opposite him.

“I’ve never seen you dressed so casually,” he comments, motioning a hand toward my jeans and T-shirt.

I shrug and take a drink. “It happens on occasion.”

After a few minutes of silence that I refuse to break, he asks, “Mind telling me why my niece wasn’t wearing any goddamn underwear?”

I study him, making sure to not reveal a damn thing with my face and calmly ask, “And you would know this how?”

This time it’s his turn to shrug. “I just can. When I was younger, I thought of it as a gift, but now that it pertains to my niece, I think it’s more of a curse.”

“Maybe she ran out of fresh clothes.”

“Maybe,” he admits. He takes another drink and studies me. “I saw the way she looked at you, Dominic.” He sighs and leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, drink still in hand as he meets my eyes. “Did you fuck my niece?”

“Jesus, Vitaly, what the hell?”

He lifts the hand that’s holding his vodka and points it at me. “I swear to god, Dominic, I don’t care what kind of truce or friendship our families have, if you took advantage of my niece, I’ll fucking kill you myself.”

I meet his eyes and let him hear how pissed I’m getting when I say, “I didn’t take advantage of Natalya.”

He lifts a brow. “You’re not denying you fucked her, though.” He groans and downs the rest of his vodka. “Fucking hell, man. What do you expect me to do with this information?”

Too angry to sit still, he gets up and refills his glass before pacing the room. He scrubs a hand through his hair and takes another drink, nearly emptying the glass in one go.

“My loyalty is to my brother, and I can’t fucking keep this from him.”

Before I can say anything, he holds up a hand and adds, “But I’m not saying shit until we get rid of the Zolotov threat. I can’t have Lev trying to kill you when all his focus needs to be on this.”

He paces for a few more minutes before stopping in front of me. “I can’t believe you let this happen. You could fuck anyone, Dominic. I know Natalya has a crush on you, that much was obvious with the way she was looking at you when you came to supper at the farmhouse, but for fuck’s sake, couldn’t you have just told her no? Did you have to take her goddamn virginity?”

He’s starting to really piss me off. I finish my whiskey and stand up, not bothering to hide the anger I’m feeling.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“So tell me I’m wrong,” he practically begs, hoping like hell that maybe, just maybe, he’s misread the entire situation. I’m not going to lie to him, though, and he sees the truth on my face and shakes his head in defeat.

“I love her,” I tell him.

“Goddamn it.” He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “Of course you fucking do,” he groans. He meets my eyes, clearly not pleased with this turn of events but also resigned to the fact that he’ll never be able to change my mind about how I feel. He knows me better than that. “Lev is not going to be happy when he learns about this. He already shot you once and that was before he knew you’d slept with his daughter.”

“I remember,” I say, rolling the shoulder that still aches from time to time.

“Well that’s nothing compared to what he’s going to want to do to you now,” he warns.

“I know he’s going to be pissed, and I’m planning on telling him after the threat is gone. Natalya’s safety comes first. I won’t do anything that puts her life at risk.”

“We can agree on that at least.”

“I want to be the one to tell him.”

Vitaly lets out a harsh laugh. “Thank fuck, because I really don’t want to do it. I’ve seen him break a man’s jaw with a single punch on more than one occasion. No fucking thanks.” He scrubs a hand over his jawline. “Katya would be so sad if the next time I smile at her, I’m missing half my teeth. It’s hard to look sexy when you’re all gums.”

The corner of my mouth twitches, but I’m too depressed about having to let Natalya go to muster up a full smile. He smacks my back and shakes his head.

“This is not going to be easy for Lev to accept,” he warns. “You have several things going against you,” he says and then proceeds to make a list in case I was confused about all the ways I’m going to come up short. “You’re old enough to be her goddamn dad, you’re a friend that he trusted to keep his daughter safe, and you’re Italian.” He shakes his head when he says that last one.

“What’s wrong with being Italian?”

He frowns and says, “It’s not Russian.”

“She’s half American,” I remind him like Natalya had reminded me.

Vitaly laughs. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

“Our kids are going to be unbelievably stubborn and headstrong.”

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I’m not sure who’s more stunned, me or Vitaly. His brown eyes widen in surprise before he lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Wow. I wish I could stay and laugh at you, but it’s my niece you’re talking about and this shit is getting weird. I remember you holding her at Matvey’s wedding.” He shakes his head. “That’s fucked up, man.”

“It’s not like I planned this, and I sure as hell wasn’t thinking that I was going to marry her one day when I held her at the wedding.”

He sets his glass down while I take the last swallow of mine.

“I kind of hate you for making me keep this goddamn secret. It’s a curse to be this damn observant about sexual vibes.”

“It’s a heavy burden indeed.”

“Don’t fucking crack jokes. I’m being serious. How the fuck am I supposed to look at my brothers now?” He sighs again, making sure I know how pissed he is about this. “Katya will know what to do.”

“You’re telling your wife?”

He turns back to me. “I tell my wife everything.”

“Everything?” I ask because for the first time I’m curious about how marriages work within the Bratva.

“Pretty much. I mean, I may leave out some gruesome details, but Katya grew up in a Bratva. She knows what I do, and besides,” he says with a soft laugh, “she’d just get the information out of me some other way. The woman can be very persuasive when she wants to be.”

He smiles at some memory of Katya extracting information from him and gives another soft laugh. Envy hits me hard. I’ve never been jealous before, especially not of married men with families. I used to look at them with pity, not envy, but hearing Vitaly talk about his wife makes me wish I had that with Natalya. I want the memories, the intimacy of a shared life, and the freedom to talk about her instead of feeling like we need to hide what we have.

“I’m talking to Lev as soon as this is over,” I tell Vitaly. “I love Natalya, and her place is here with me. He’s going to have to accept it.”

Vitaly just laughs and smacks my shoulder. “It’s been nice knowing you, Dominic.” He’s still laughing when he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with a head full of Natalya and an ache in my chest from missing her.

I pour myself another drink and make my way back upstairs to my room. I feel the loss of her even more when I step into the bedroom. She permeates every inch of this place now, and it feels so goddamn empty without her. Refusing to even look at the bed, I walk past and take a quick shower. When I’m done, I shave for the first time in a week and grab one of my suits. Her pink dress and sandals are right where I left them earlier, and the sight of them makes me feel slightly better. It’s a reminder that I’ll be getting her back.

Before I leave the room again, I text her a quick message.

I miss you like crazy, principessa. Your Uncle Vitaly knows about us, but he’s not going to say anything. Your dad’s focus needs to be on ending this threat. He doesn’t need to be worrying about anything else right now, but once this is over, I’m telling him how I feel about you and I’m bringing you back here where you belong.

After I’ve sent it, I text my cousins and tell them to meet me downstairs. They each have their own rooms here, but they’re rarely at the house. The next text I send is to Vitaly because the fucker spent the whole time giving me hell about Natalya and forgot to actually tell me what their plan is for taking down the Zolotovs.

The first person to text me back is the one I want to hear from most. Her message effortlessly pulls a smile from me and releases the tension in my chest.

I miss you too, Dominic. I’m glad you’re telling him. I hate lying to my family, and I know they’ll eventually learn to accept our relationship. They have to, right? Anyway, I’m going to pack some bags. We’re all being brought out to the farmhouse, but they’re doing it in some sneaky, covert way that’s going to require several cars and take forever. I also need to take a quick shower because someone left me a sticky mess. I can’t believe you made me drive home like that.

I laugh while I type out a response.

I like you sticky, principessa, and you didn’t drive home. You drove away from it. Be careful and text me often. I love you. And, yes, sweetheart, they’ll learn to accept us because I’m not going to give them a choice. I refuse to let you go.

I’m walking down the stairs to meet my cousins when her reply comes in.

I love you too. I’ll text when I get there. Be careful, Dominic. Don’t you dare get yourself hurt because of me.

It would be worth it, principessa.

After I send the last message, I pocket my phone and follow the loud Italian coming from the kitchen. When I walk in, I see Dario and Sandro sitting at the island and a smiling Lucia dishing them out huge plates of food. She turns her smile on me and I feel a stab of guilt about sneaking off to Mama Sofia’s last night.

She hands me a plate of pasta and pats my cheek. “Don’t worry. She’ll be back.” Then she gives me a knowing wink and walks off to get the freshly baked bread out of the oven. Apparently I’m shit at hiding how I feel about Natalya. The woman has ruined my poker face.

Sandro laughs and pulls off a hunk of bread before dipping it in the shallow bowl of olive oil that Lucia’s set out for us. “Just think how happy our dad’s going to be when he hears about this.”

“She’s not Italian,” I remind him.

Sandro just smiles. “He won’t care. He just wants you to have sons.” Then he lets out another laugh and elbows his brother. “He’ll be thrilled when he finds out she’s eighteen. He’ll be expecting no less than ten sons, maybe even more.”

“Jesus,” I groan. I’ve just recently warmed up to the idea of having kids, but that doesn’t mean I want my family planning out her pregnancies.

“Thanks, cousin,” Dario says. “You just took the pressure off of us.”

“Yeah, he did.” Sandro laughs while Lucia shakes her head at us.

“You boys should all be having big families. This house should be filled with children.” She gives me a pointed look. “I’m not getting any younger.”

I smile and kiss the top of her head. “I’ll do my best, Lucia.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” she mutters, making us all laugh. With one last look around, she makes sure we have everything we could possibly need and then fixes a plate for Dr. Bianchi, adding a plate for herself at the last minute. When I lift a brow at her, she says, “I’m giving you privacy so you can talk business.”

“That’s very kind of you,” I tell her, and I give her just enough of a smile to let her know I’m on to her game.

“I thought so,” she says with a grin, feigning innocence and adding extra bread to the tray before picking it up and walking out the door.

Once she’s gone, I pull up the texts from Vitaly that have come in and read them while we eat.

“So what’s the plan?” Dario finally asks, running out of patience.

“Vitaly’s sent me a list of places in our territory where the Zolotov Bratva has been spotted. Looks like we’ll be paying a few visits tonight and trying to flush them out. I want everyone on this. I want this finished and done with.”

Sandro smiles and raises his glass. “And then you can get your girl back and start working on those babies.”

I don’t bother telling him that there’s a good chance one is already on the way. If not now, then soon, because filling Natalya with my cum is my new favorite thing, and I can’t see myself giving that up anytime soon. Already desperate to be back inside her, I put all my focus on getting everything ready for tonight. I don’t want to be separated from her any longer than I have to be.