Born into Temptation (Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy #4)

17. Valentin

Chapter 17

Valentin

I can’t stand to see the sad look on my wife’s face, and I’d give anything to be able to take it away, but I can’t promise her something that I know is a lie. I will be going with our family to get Max back. They’re going to need all the help they can get, and I owe him this. It’s because of him that I’m even here right now. I owe him everything, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure he survives this. I’m the only one who’s been there, and I’m the only one who can lead the way to the basement. Yelena knows this, and I know she’ll eventually accept it, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for her to say goodbye to me. It’s going to be hell for me, too. The very idea of it so painful that I force it from my mind because I don’t want to do anything except get in the bath and feel my wife’s naked body against mine. I just want time with her, time without guilt and worry and fear.

“Come here,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer as the bathroom fills with steam from the tub. I’m so anxious to see her that my hands shake when I grip the bottom of her shirt and slowly start to peel it off her. My chest aches when I see the small swell of her belly and the breasts that are a size larger than they were the last time I was here. Her body’s already changed so much in a month, and it kills me that I missed it. Pulling her yoga pants down, she stands before me in nothing but her panties and bra, and she’s so beautiful that all I can do is stare.

Still on my knees, I grab her hips and bring my mouth to her stomach, kissing a line along her skin. She runs her hands through my hair while I whisper to our baby how much I love them. Hooking my fingers under the lace at her hips, I slowly pull them down. When I see the freshly shaven skin, I stop and look up at her, raising the brow on my one good eye.

“I knew you’d come back to me, Val, and I wanted to be ready for you when you did. I couldn’t bring myself to do it for the first couple of weeks. It felt wrong, because you’ve always been the one to do it, but not shaving was depressing. It was a constant reminder that you weren’t here, so one day I did it, and it made me feel better. It made me feel like maybe it wasn’t just wishful thinking and that you would really come back. I clung to that hope. I don’t think I could’ve made it through the month without it.”

I press my lips to her smooth skin, sighing at the mouthwatering scent of her. “God, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed every single inch of you.” I murmur the words against her soft skin, dragging my lips lower until I come to the tight bundle of nerves that’s already swollen and begging for my tongue. Her fingers grip my hair tighter, and when I pull back so I can see her, she lets out a soft whimper of protest.

“Don’t worry, myshka . I’m not stopping.”

“Are you sure you feel well enough for this?”

“I’m fine, Yel. Trust me when I say this is going to make me feel a million times better than any painkiller Tony can give me.”

Frustrated that I can only see her beautiful body with one eye, I splay my hands out along her pelvis and use my thumbs to gently spread her pussy wide. I want to see all of her. I don’t want any part of her hidden from me. Her thighs are already shaking, and the heated look she’s giving me has me painfully hard, the bulge in my sweatpants bordering on the obscene. It’s been a month since I’ve had my wife, and I can’t wait one more fucking second.

Exposing her clit even more, I close the distance and wrap my lips around her, sucking on the swollen bundle of nerves as Yelena moans my name and rocks her hips, grinding against my hungry mouth, needing this connection just as badly as I do. Slipping one hand between her thighs, I gently slide two fingers into her, groaning against her pussy when I feel her inner muscles tighten around me. The wet heat of her coating my fingers nearly does me in.

She moans my name when I circle my tongue around her clit. That one lick lighting all her nerve endings up. It’s been so long since she’s come, and she’s so fucking ready for it. All it takes is one more suck, and my wife is coming all over my face, soaking my beard as an embarrassing amount of pre-cum coats my inner thigh. My hands tighten, holding her in place as she pants my name and grinds her tight little cunt against my mouth, eager for more. It’s only after she starts to come down that she lets out an appalled gasp and tries to back away.

“I’m so sorry. Did that hurt?”

I growl against her pussy and keep her locked in place, licking and sucking while I slowly finger her, desperate for every last drop I can get. I take my time, savoring the taste of her and relishing the way her scent now covers me, slowly bringing her back to another orgasm. When she’s no longer too sensitive and I know she’s ready for another, I give her a kiss and then pull back.

“The next time you come, myshka , it’s going to be on my cock.”

Her dark eyes are heavy-lidded when they meet mine, and I smile at the loopy grin she’s giving me. Standing up, I reach around and undo her bra, letting it fall to the floor as I fill my hands with her.

“These have definitely grown,” I say, making her laugh, but the laughter quickly turns into a moan when I give her nipples a slight pinch, massaging the tight peaks between my fingers while her eyes glaze over with a feral need that surprises me. “And they’re even more sensitive than usual.”

Her response is to quickly bring her hands to the waistband of my sweatpants. Before she can slide her greedy fingers in, I smile and take a step back.

“Get in the tub, baby. I’d love for you to touch me, but it’s been too goddamn long, Yel. If you grip my cock right now, I’m going to come, and I don’t want to do that yet.”

She lowers herself into the hot water while I slip off my sweats and carefully take my sweatshirt off. It’s a pain in the ass with the IV, but I manage it, and then I’m getting into the tub with her.

“Val,” she whispers, running her eyes over my bruised body. “We shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Not being inside you will hurt me far worse,” I tell her. When she still looks unconvinced, I say, “We’ll take it slow, and I promise I’ll stop if it hurts, but you have to promise me the same thing. I know you said the doctor gave you the okay, but promise me that you’ll let me know the second something causes you pain.” I place my hand on her stomach, the very idea of hurting her threatens to make my cock go soft.

“I promise I’ll tell you.”

Knowing she’d never lie to me, I lean back against the tub and grip her hips, helping her straddle my lap.

“Jesus, you’re gorgeous,” I whisper, running my hands up her naked, wet body before cupping her tits again. Her pussy is flush against my cock and that alone is threatening to make me fall apart. I grit my teeth and play with her nipples, forcing my own orgasm to recede while I bring hers closer. She watches me, never taking her eyes off me as she rocks her hips and leans into my touch. When I know she’s only seconds away, I reach one hand between us. She lifts up and I angle my cock so the head is flush against her pussy lips. We didn’t put bubbles in the water, so I’m getting a clear view as she very slowly lowers onto me.

“Look at that greedy little cunt taking my cock, baby. Such a good fucking girl.”

The words are barely out of my mouth before she’s coming hard with me only halfway in. My fingers dig into her hips to still her movements. Her pussy tries like hell to suck the cum right from my goddamn body, but I refuse to let go. While she moans my name and her body shudders with pleasure, I very slowly lower her down the rest of the way until I’m deeply seated inside her, and we’re connected in a way that’s been denied us for far too long.

She leans in closer, wet tits pressed against my chest, dark eyes locked on mine, and her little pussy gripping my dick like she’ll never let go.

“Does it hurt?” I ask her.

She smiles and cups my face. “Just the usual delicious burn of your fat cock spreading me way too wide.”

I grin and bring a hand to her ass, cupping the wet cheek while my other hand cups the back of her head, pulling her in for a kiss. The kiss is gentle but no less passionate. This isn’t about being rough, it’s not about fucking her as hard as I can while she clings to me and begs for me to go deeper. This is about going slow, about reconnecting after a long absence, both of us reminding ourselves that the other is here and alive and safe. I won’t risk hurting her or our baby, and she doesn’t want to do anything that’s going to make my injuries worse. It’s slow and sweet and perfect.

Yel’s small body gently presses against mine, letting me feel her hard nipples drag along my chest as she slowly slides up and down the length of my cock. Her tongue runs along mine, teasing me with each swipe, while her soft moans slowly drive me insane. Everything about this woman drives me crazy. It always has, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yelena’s always owned every part of me. Everything I am is hers, and when she starts to come again, this time I don’t hold back. I let my wife’s pussy take from me what it wants, and I come harder than I ever have in my life, so fucking hard it leaves me lightheaded. Her kisses soften, trailing over my mouth and along my cheeks and jaw, covering my face as she whispers how much she loves me. My fingers thread into her hair while my other hand slowly caresses her back.

“I love you too, myshka , so goddamn much.”

She settles against me, resting her head on my chest, and for the first time since the day I was taken from her, I don’t feel any pain. My body is still bruised, my ribs are still cracked, and one eye is still swollen shut, but I don’t feel any of that. Right now all I feel is my pregnant wife’s naked body resting on top of mine while I grow soft inside her, and it’s perfect enough to chase everything else away.

For now, nothing else matters. All the shit we need to worry about and deal with will still be waiting for us when we leave this tub, but right now the water is still warm, and neither one of us has any desire to leave. I kiss her forehead and stroke her hair while she gives a contented sigh and kisses my neck.

“We’re never leaving the bathtub,” I whisper, making her laugh.

“Deal,” she says, giving me another kiss.

We both know it’s a fantasy, but it’s one we’re happy to stay in for a little bit longer.

One Week Later

“Jesus, Val,” Yel groans while her thighs shake around my head and I give her one last slow lick. Now that her morning sickness is gone, I’m able to wake her in a much more appealing way.

“I think you’re trying to kill me.”

I grin and look up at her. My eye is still bruised, but the swelling is down, and I’m able to see clearly out of both of them again. I give her a wink and another kiss, groaning at the taste of her.

“It’s called worship, Yel,” I tell her and then turn my head to kiss a line up her inner thigh.

“Well, then it’s my turn to worship you.”

Smiling, I give her skin a soft nip and then lick away the sting before kissing my way up her body, stopping to give each perfect tit a good suck.

“I have to meet with everyone,” I tell her.

“I know, but you still have a few minutes.” She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer and making me smile. “Better be quick, Val.”

Unable to resist her, I slide into the tight wet heat of her and lose myself in my wife. By the time I’m throwing my clothes on, I’m late and my dad is already calling me to let me know that he and Uncle Matvey are waiting outside our apartment.

“Both our dads are standing outside our apartment right now,” I inform my very satisfied-looking wife.

“Oh shit,” she mutters, scurrying out of bed to throw some clothes on. “Tell them you accidentally slept in.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll both believe that one.” When she bends over to grab her discarded pajama bottoms, I groan and quickly close the distance. Unable to resist, I kneel down and grab her ass, spreading her wide as I lean closer and lick a line from clit to asshole.

“Jesus!” The word is a whispered gasp, and when I stand, I give her bottom a soft smack.

“You bent over in front of me, myshka . That’s all on you, baby.”

The smile she gives me lights up her face while a pink blush heats up her cheeks. Knowing I’m already late, I go ahead and pull her against me for a long kiss goodbye. I never want to leave this woman, but today’s meeting can’t be put off any longer. We need to end this, and Niki thinks he’s finally found where Max is being held.

Resting my forehead against hers, I say, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Be careful, Val.”

“Always, myshka . I love you. I’ll text when I’m on my way back.”

“I love you, too.” She lowers her hand to squeeze my ass and adds, “Hurry home.”

Smiling, I kiss her again before pulling back when my dad starts banging on our front door and yelling, “Val, we’re gonna be late!”

“I bet the neighbors love us living here,” I say with a laugh.

“We liven the place up,” Yel says while she throws on a sweatshirt and pulls on her pajama pants in record time.

I laugh and grab my gun before we leave the room. “We definitely do that, probably a little more than they’d like us to.”

When I open the door, my dad is giving me a knowing look as he eyes the two of us, and Uncle Matvey is already looking over at him and saying, “Not a fucking word, brother.”

My dad holds up his hands, trying to look innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”

“They were finishing breakfast,” Uncle Matvey says, making it clear that it’s not up for discussion that we were doing anything else.

My dad is quiet just long enough for Uncle Matvey to think he might actually stay that way, but then he says, “If that’s what you want to call it, that’s fine by me. We hope you both thoroughly enjoyed your breakfast .” The emphasis he places on the word is bad enough, but when he adds a wink, Yelena’s dad groans and looks to me for help.

“It was breakfast, just regular breakfast, Uncle Matvey. We had waffles.”

He knows I’m lying, we all know I’m lying, but he lets out a relieved sigh and happily clings to the fantasy I’ve given him that doesn’t involve his daughter being naked. My dad laughs while I put on my shoes and Yelena gives her dad a hug.

“How’s my grandbaby?” he asks her.

Yelena smiles and pats her stomach. “Doing good, Dad.”

He leans down to kiss her head, and says, “Ev is on his way down to keep you company.”

“Don’t open the door until you’re sure it’s him,” I say, coming to stand beside her. I nod towards the security camera that Niki installed for us. It shows a clear view of the area in front of our door before switching to show the empty hall to the right and left of us.

“I won’t open it without checking the camera first,” she promises and then returns my kiss before my dad finally drags me out the door. Yel waves and shouts that she loves me before she closes it. I don’t let my dad pull me away until I hear the deadbolt click into place. Knowing she can see me on the camera, I give her a wink and tell her I love her before walking to the elevator.

Miraculously, my dad doesn’t say anything embarrassing on the drive. My Uncle Matvey surprised him by digging out a couple of his favorite gummy snacks from the glovebox. I swear he stocked them just for situations like this where he’d much rather my dad not crack jokes about whether or not I’ve just been fucking his daughter. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for the quiet. We’re tailed by an SUV filled with three of our men, and when we get to the office building they’ve been using, our men park behind us and then get out, escorting us into the building before fanning out to guard the outside.

“You’re late,” my Uncle Roman says as soon as we walk in.

My dad points a finger at me. “It was his fault. He took a long time eating breakfast this morning.” This time when he says it, he not only emphasizes the word, he also uses air quotes.

Luka smiles and then immediately defends me. “If anyone’s earned the right to take his time with breakfast, it’s him.”

“True enough,” my Uncle Lev says.

“Jesus, can we just get started?” Uncle Matvey growls the words out and goes to grab a cup of coffee while everyone else gets situated at the large table.

“Sorry we’re late,” Dominic says, coming in the door with Alessandro and Dario right behind him.

Uncle Matvey points a finger at my Uncle Lev. “Looks like someone else was taking his time with breakfast.”

My dad laughs while Uncle Lev just shakes his head, refusing to let his mind go there.

Dominic, having no clue what they’re going on about, sits down and says, “It was fucking delicious. I even had seconds.”

“Goddamn it,” my Uncle Lev groans, while everyone else laughs and Dominic looks around in confusion.

Feeling bad that I’m the cause of this, I take pity on him and look at Niki. “So what did you both find?”

“Thanks, Val,” I hear my Uncle Lev whisper while my cousin pulls up a map on his laptop and starts explaining.

“It took me for-fucking-ever, but I finally found their compound. No surprise to anyone, they turned off the transponder on their plane, so I had to hack into the military’s satellite system, and then weed through all the raw data and piece it together.” My younger cousin drags a hand through his hair, and all his hard work is evident in the dark circles under his eyes and the exhaustion that’s hanging on every part of him.

“Long story short, I used the radar and thermal imaging to trace the plane to this makeshift runway in the jungle,” he says, pointing at the screen. "The nearest town is Necoclí, Colombia, just like Marty mentioned.”

Niki zooms in on the map, and even though they aren’t detailed images, and I’m looking down on it instead of seeing it eye-level, it’s obvious this is the place I was being held. The vibrant blue of the mansion’s roof is there, the manicured gardens that surround the house, the coastline in front and the thick jungle that extends along the side and back and then continues for countless miles. There’s even an image of the long, makeshift runway.

“That’s it,” I say. “That’s where Max is.”

“There will be hundreds of soldiers there,” Dominic says.

“There will be,” my Uncle Danil confirms.

I turn to look at my Uncle Roman when he says, “Which means we need help.”

Dominic is quick to say, “We’re family, Roman. My men are yours and anything else you may need. We’re with you on this.”

Dario and Alessandro nod in agreement, and I’ve never been so happy that my crazy cousin went and fell for the leader of the Alessi Mafia, because we could sure as hell use their help with this.

“There’s just one thing left to do then,” my Uncle Danil says. “We need to decide what to do about the woman that’s being held with my son. Her family runs the Medvedev Bratva. They control a large area in the Pacific Northwest.”

We’ve all heard of them, we’re aware of all the prominent Bratvas working within the US, but we’ve never had a reason to interact with them. They stay on their side of the country, and we stay on ours.

“Niki and I have been digging through everything we can find about them, and so far we’re not seeing anything we don’t like. They’re known for being ruthless when it’s required, but they’re fair and loyal and very protective of their families. Honestly, they kind of remind me of us,” he says, giving us a ghost of a smile, the only kind he can manage these days.

Pulling up a photo of three men on his screen, he says, “The Medvedev brothers—Vasily, Volodya, and Valeri.” He points them out one by one as he says their names. The three men are probably in their early fifties, but you’d never know it by looking at them. Like my dad and uncles, they’ve kept themselves in peak physical condition. The only hint at their age is the slight greying of their dark hair and a few lines on their faces. The older brother, Vasily, is staring into the camera with hard, blue eyes that give nothing away while Volodya stares off to the left, the hard line of his jaw makes it clear the man isn’t smiling and probably rarely does so. The youngest brother is giving a big enough smirk to reveal a deep dimple on his left cheek, making him look younger and deceivingly innocent. I stare at Vasily, the man whose daughter I remember from the basement, and even though their eyes are different colors and her features are softer and more feminine, I still see the similarities. She had that same defiant, pissed-off look on her face the last time Miguel taunted her.

“I vote we get him on the phone,” my Uncle Roman says, looking around the table at all of us. “He needs to know what’s going on and that his daughter is okay, and let’s be honest, we could use the fucking help on this one. Lorenzo has an army, so we need to make sure we bring one as well. We can’t go in there with fifty men and expect to take him out. He has home ground advantage, and if he sees us coming,” he stops, not wanting to finish the thought, but my Uncle Danil does it for him.

“Then he might decide to kill my son and be done with it.”

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Uncle Matvey says. “But even with Dominic’s men, we could use their help. Put it on speakerphone and call him up.”

We all nod in agreement while Uncle Danil dials the number that I’m sure wasn’t easy to find before setting the phone in the middle of the table, volume turned up as ringing fills the air.

“Who the fuck is this?”

The tone is clipped, the words in Russian, and he sounds every bit like the hardened Bratva boss I’d just seen a picture of.

It’s my Uncle Roman who answers. “This is Roman Melnikov. Is this Vasily Medvedev?”

“How did you get my number?” Vasily asks, not sounding pleased but not hanging up either.

“My brother is very good at finding information,” Uncle Roman says. “We need to talk. It’s about your daughter.”

The line goes silent for several seconds, and when Vasily speaks again, I realize the hard voice from earlier must’ve been his friendly tone. “What the fuck do you know about my daughter?”

“A lot,” my Uncle Danil says, cutting into the conversation. “We know who’s holding her and where.”

“How?” Vasily asks. “We’ve been trying to find her for weeks. How the hell do you know unless you have something to do with it?”

“Because they have my son,” Uncle Danil says.

Vasily’s quiet while my dad says, “They had my son, too, but they let him go. That’s how we know about your daughter. She asked him to get a message to you.”

“When was this? Your son saw her?” Vasily asks, and I can hear the pain in his voice along with the hope at knowing she’s still alive.

“I did,” I say, butting my way into the conversation. “I was released a week ago.”

“A week? Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Vasily demands.

My Uncle Danil says, “Because we needed to find their location, and we needed to research you and your family. They still have my son. I wasn’t about to risk his life if you were somehow involved in all this.”

I look over the table at him. This is the first I’m hearing about any suspicion about Talia, but I can understand why he questioned it. He wasn’t there. He didn’t see the fear in her eyes, didn’t see the way she stiffened every time the other men walked into the basement. All he knows is there’s a woman who’s attached herself to his son and that she’s miraculously remained completely unharmed and untouched. I’d be suspicious too if I were him.

“How do I know I can trust you?” Vasily asks. “I don’t even know who the fuck I’m talking to.”

“I’m Danil Melnikov.”

“And I’m Valentin Melnikov,” I say. “I’m the one who saw your daughter.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

I describe her appearance, but he just says, “I try to keep her out of the public eye, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t find a way to get a picture of her. If you can find my number, then you could find a photo. Tell me something you couldn’t find online.”

I’m quiet while I think, trying like hell to remember the long conversations I overheard between her and Max. I’d been in pain with my own thoughts on Yelena, but I’d caught snippets here and there, and those are the ones I desperately try to recall.

“She said she has two older brothers and that her family’s house is on the coast,” I say, trying to talk my way into a deeper memory.

“Easily found information,” he says, but I ignore him and keep talking.

“Her dog’s name is Wallace. She said you gave him to her when she turned sixteen. She didn’t want a car. All she wanted was a Border Collie puppy, and she named him Wallace after Braveheart , one of her favorite movies.” The words come spilling out, dredged up from some forgotten memory when I’d been dazed with a fever while Max and Talia whispered beside me, sharing happy memories with each other in an attempt to escape the dreary cellar we were being held in. “That’s all I can remember,” I say when Vasily is still quiet.

Finally, he says, “Is she really okay? I need you to tell me the truth, Valentin. Don’t lie to me.” After a few seconds, he adds, “Please,” and I know that’s not a word this man usually uses with anyone outside his family.

“I give you my word,” I tell him. “She hasn’t been harmed. I’m not going to lie and say things are great. She’s still not being fed enough and she’s chained to the wall next to my cousin, but they haven’t touched her.”

I hear the relieved sigh he lets out before I add, “Max will protect her. He’ll do everything he can to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

We hear another deep voice in the background, and Vasily takes a minute to relay everything we’ve said, no doubt filling in one of his brothers. After a few more seconds, we’re put on speaker and another voice, this one just as gruff, says, “This is Volodya Medvedev. Tell me what your plan is.”

Uncle Danil takes over again and says, “Did the Amaya Cartel approach you with a really shit deal by any chance?”

“They did,” Volodya says, “and we told them to fuck off. Talia was taken shortly after.”

“The same thing happened to us,” Uncle Danil says. “They kidnapped two of ours and after a month, they let Val go in a fucked-up attempt at goodwill. It was a wasted effort on their part, though, but we were able to use it as an opportunity to track their plane. We know where they’re being held, and we’re going to go after them. Do you want in on this?”

“Fuck yes we do,” Volodya says in record time while Vasily asks, “Where are they?”

“When can you get here?” Uncle Roman asks.

“Where is my daughter?” Vasily asks again. He’s a man who’s not used to asking twice, but my family isn’t easily pushed around.

“They’re being held in Colombia,” Uncle Danil says. “We’ll tell you more when you get here. I sympathize with you about your daughter. I’m going through the same hell as you right now, so I’m sure you can understand our need for caution. I don’t know you, and I can’t risk you and your family deciding to take care of this on your own and fucking it up and getting my son killed.”

“Fucking it up?” Volodya growls over the phone. “Our men are well-trained, many of them ex-military. We don’t fuck up .”

“That’s good to hear,” Uncle Danil says, completely unfazed by the man’s temper, “because we’re going to need all of them to accomplish this, so I’ll ask again. When can you be here?”

Vasily sighs and says something to his brother that’s too muffled to hear before telling us, “We can be there tonight, but if you want us to come equipped with an army of men, then I’ll need a week at least. We need time to gather everyone together and secure our homes while we’re gone. I’ll text you when I know more.”

After the call has ended, my dad looks at us and grins. “This should be fun. How much testosterone can one city hold?”

“We’re about to find out,” Uncle Lev mutters.

“Can someone fill me in on what the fuck just happened?” Dominic asks.

Damien is sitting closest to the three Italians, so he gives them a quick rundown of everything that was said, and when he’s finished, Dario voices what we’re all thinking.

“So we’re joining with another bratva, and we’re going to fucking war?”

“We are,” Uncle Danil confirms. “And we’re getting my son back.”

Sasha raises a brow and with the corner of his mouth lifting in a grin, he asks, “So just to clarify, this will be an all-out, no-holding-back war?”

We all see the excitement in his eyes and hear it in his voice. My cousin is asking if he’s going to be let off his leash, and my Uncle Danil is more than happy to give him an answer. With his palms on the table, he leans forward and gives his unhinged nephew a grin.

“Sasha, you can go as crazy as you fucking want. Bring the mask, bring your knives, bring whatever the fuck else you want. This isn’t about doing as little damage as possible. This is about ending an entire cartel. No fucking survivors.”

I swear to fucking god my cousin actually giggles.

“Jesus,” my dad says from beside me as he gives a soft laugh. My Uncle Lev grins at his son, reaching out to ruffle his hair in an affectionate move that’s so at odds with the bloodshed we’re planning. I hope the Medvedev family is ready for the batshit brand of crazy the Melnikovs have to offer.

When I glance over at Luka, the look on his face lets me know he’s thinking the same thing. As we all get up to leave, he walks over and comes to stand beside me.

“Didn’t like the mountain man look?”

I smile and scrub a hand over my freshly shaven face. “No. It was fun for a while, but then it just became annoying.”

“How’s Yelena doing?”

“She’s good, man. Not too crazy about me going back to Colombia, but she understands why I have to do it.”

Luka looks me over, taking in the bruises that have turned a sickly shade of yellow and the cuts that are still healing. “You sure about this, Val? No one would think any less of you for staying back on this one.”

I’m already shaking my head and holding up a hand before he’s even finished speaking. “No fucking way am I staying here. Max saved my life by insisting I be the one to leave, and I’m going back to help him get out of there. I know the place, and I can lead everyone to where he’s being held.”

“You could just tell us,” Luka says, ignoring the scowl I give him.

“It’s not the same thing, and you know it.” Keeping my voice low so only he can hear, I say, “Who knows what they’ve been doing to him since I’ve been gone. One of the guards took a real dislike to me, and now that I’m not there to take the brunt of his anger, who do you think he’s taking it out on instead?”

Luka nods, and I see the worry in his eyes before he looks away. We both know there’s no guarantee that Max is going to be alive when we get there. The thought is too painful to hold onto for long, so I push it away as best I can and say, “I have at least one more week to heal up. I’ll be fine by then.”

We both know I’ll still be sore as fuck and probably just as bruised, but instead of trying to talk me out of it, he just squeezes my shoulder and says, “Okay, we do it together. I’ll watch your back, and you watch mine.”

I grin at him. “Always, cuz.”

By the time we get back to the apartment building, I’m more than ready to see my wife again. It’s only been a couple of hours, but knowing that soon I’ll be on a plane headed right back to the hellhole I was just released from has me anxious to feel her against me.

“You’re not going to invite me in?” my dad asks when I step off the elevator and tell them both bye.

“Nope,” I say, making him grin and nudge my uncle with a laugh.

“Looks like someone’s hungry again.”

Uncle Matvey glares at my dad and pushes the button for the doors to close before my dad can shout some obscene comment down the hallway. Grinning, I walk to our door, but before I can get my keys out, it flies open and Yelena flings herself into my arms.

“Are you okay?” I quickly ask, running my hands over her to see if she’s hurt.

“I’m fine.” She cups my face and smiles when I grab her ass and lift her up. “I just missed you.” Holding up her phone so I can see the view from the security camera, she says, “I was waiting for you. Ev just left a few minutes ago.”

“Did you guys have fun?”

“Yeah, he was showing me a few colleges he’s interested in.”

I grin at her smiling face, loving that she looks so happy, and when she presses her lips to mine, everything else fades away, just like it always does. She always chases every bad thing away. No more worries, no more fear, no more stress—nothing but soft lips, hungry moans, greedy fingers slipping under my shirt, and the delicious scent of strawberries.

We don’t make it to the bed. We’re only halfway across the living room before I’m lying her on the rug, both of us shedding our clothes in record time, and then her legs are wrapping around my waist as I slowly slide into her. She arches up for me, wanting me as deeply inside her as I can get. That’s how it always is with us. Neither one of us can ever get enough of the other. There will never be a too close for us. Our bodies were made for each other, made to be connected, and it’s only when I’m as deep as I can get, when our chests are pressed together so tightly that I can feel her heart beat with mine, that I feel whole.

I run my eyes over my wife, loving that our history is written all over her. From the scent of her strawberry shampoo that she keeps using because she knows how much I love it, to the butterfly necklace that she still insists on wearing every day, to the wedding ring that’s now pressed against my chest as she looks up at me with so much love in her dark eyes, and to the baby that’s growing inside her—my past, my present, and my future are all right here. It’s overwhelming in the best way possible, the kind of love that brings a man to his knees and then makes him want to stay there.

As long as we have each other, we can face anything. I remind myself of that as she clings to me even tighter and I slide in deeper. War is coming, and when it does, we’ll face it together, just like we’ve always faced everything, whether it be poison ivy when she was nine, or nightmares when she was ten, or an unplanned pregnancy at twenty—she and I are a team, and we’ll always have each other’s backs.

We just need to survive one more separation. We’re getting Max back, and then I’m coming home to Yelena, the woman who’s always been my entire world, the woman I will walk through hell to return to. She’s everything to me—always has been and always will be, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When her body tightens around mine and her sweet voice moans my name, I smile and give her what she needs.

War might be right around the corner, but it’s not here yet. Right now there’s nothing but my beautiful wife’s naked body wrapped around mine and her nails digging into my back, demanding I give her more.

Everything else can wait.