Sinful Embers (Vegas Bratva Kings #2)

20. LEIGH

The ropes bite into my wrists, the rough fibers cutting into my skin with every slight movement. Carlos sits across from me, his dark eyes alight with an unsettling glee, his hands meticulously cleaning a knife as if he has all the time in the world.

"You know, princess it didn’t have to be this way," he muses, tilting his head. "You could have been useful. Beautiful, intelligent, with blood more valuable than gold. But no, you had to play house with Radomir. Such a waste."

I refuse to give him the satisfaction of a response, even as my pulse hammers in my throat. I’m terrified—not for myself, but for the life inside me. My baby. Radomir’s baby.

Carlos sighs, as if truly disappointed. "He won’t come for you, you know. And if he does, well—" He twirls the knife between his fingers, a slow, deliberate movement that makes my stomach churn. "He’ll die. They all will."

I lift my chin, my voice steady despite the fear twisting in my gut. "You’re delusional."

Carlos laughs, the sound grating against my nerves. "Oh, darling, I’ve been called much worse. But at least I’m not a fool in love."

My fingers curl into fists behind my back. I refuse to let him see me break.

RADOMIR

I crouch behind a fallen tree, my eyes scanning the perimeter of the cabin through the dense tree line. Sam, the caretaker, had been knocked out cold, left to bleed in the dirt. The bastards had taken over his cabin—the only one left standing after Sabrina blew the other to hell. She had actually pouted when she realized Carlos wasn’t inside it. "Would’ve saved us the trouble," she had muttered.

Now, we prepare. I glance at the people who have gathered—my family, my men, my allies. Dmitri, bruised and sick but standing firm. Viktor, already perched in a sniper’s nest, his scope locked on the target. Sabrina, her eyes burning with determination. Oleksi, Judy, and Viktor standing together, a united front I never thought I’d see. Even Gunner, the cold-hearted torturer, looks ready to rip Carlos apart with his bare hands.

I swallow hard, my throat tight. Leigh did this. Her loyalty, her love, her bravery—it brought them all here.

And now, we’re going to get her back.

I pull out my gun, my voice low but firm. "No mercy. We take them down, we get Leigh, and we end this fucker once and for all."

They nod, their faces set in grim determination.

We move.

LEIGH

A loud crack shatters the silence. Gunfire.

Carlos curses, standing so fast his chair clatters to the ground. His men scramble outside, barking orders. My pulse leaps. They came.

Radomir came.

Carlos grips my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "If I go down, I’m taking you with me."

I don’t doubt him.

With one last sneer, he yanks me upright, the rope binding my wrists digging deeper into my skin. "Move."

He drags me toward the back door, the distant shouts and gunfire growing louder. My heart slams against my ribs as I dig my heels into the ground.

"Carlos—"

A gunshot rings out.

Carlos jerks, his body stiffening before he collapses forward, his grip on me going slack. Blood pools beneath him.

I spin toward the tree line.

Viktor lowers his rifle, his expression unreadable as he confirms the kill.

Carlos is dead.

Radomir bursts through the doorway, his face wild, frantic. And then his eyes land on me, scanning for injuries. He crosses the space between us in two strides, his hands cupping my face, his gaze burning into mine.

"Are you hurt?" His voice is raw, thick with emotion.

Tears burn my eyes, and I shake my head. "No. I—"

I don’t get to finish. His lips crash against mine, desperate, possessive, claiming. A sob escapes my throat as I cling to him, my fingers fisting his shirt, grounding myself in the only place that has ever felt like home.

The others flood the cabin. Sabrina lets out a relieved curse. Gunner actually wipes at his eyes before scooping me into a suffocating bear hug. "Shit, Leigh," he grumbles. "Don’t do that again."

Sabrina snickers. "Pretty sure that’s not how this works, Gunner."

Slowly, everyone filters out, giving me and Radomir space.

And then it’s just us.

RADOMIR

Leigh stands before me, still trembling, her green eyes glistening. I cup her face, my thumb brushing over her cheek.

"You ran," I say hoarsely.

She swallows hard. "I had to."

I exhale sharply, resting my forehead against hers. "You should have trusted me."

Her hands grip my shirt. "I was scared, Radomir. I thought—"

"I know," I murmur, cutting her off with another kiss. Slow, deep. "But you’re mine, Leigh. You always were. You always will be."

Tears spill down her cheeks. "I love you."

Something in me snaps. I lift her into my arms, carrying her to Sam’s spare bedroom. I don’t wait. I don’t hesitate. I strip her bare, my hands memorizing every inch of her skin, reassuring myself that she’s real, that she’s here.

She arches against me, her lips parting in a breathy gasp as I sink inside her, filling her completely.

"Radomir," she moans, her nails digging into my back.

"I’ve got you," I whisper, moving deep and slow. "I’m never letting you go again."

She clings to me, her body moving with mine, matching my rhythm, my need. When we finally shatter together, her name falls from my lips, a vow, a promise.

I hold her close, pressing kisses along her damp skin.

As the aftershocks fade, Leigh exhales shakily. "Radomir, I need to tell you something."

I already know. I saw the test Sabrina gave me.

I brush my lips against her temple. "You’re pregnant."

Her breath hitches. "You—"

I tilt her chin up, my thumb tracing her bottom lip. "I got your message."

Her eyes search mine, uncertainty flickering there. "Are you—"

I silence her with a kiss. "Happy? Fuck, printsessa, I’ve never been happier."

Her tears fall freely, and I kiss them away.

There’s so much to do, so much to fix. An empire to rebuild.

But that’s for tomorrow.

Tonight, I just hold my woman, my future, my everything.

And for the first time in a long damn time, I feel whole.