16. Luka
Chapter 16
Luka
L ara stays huddled up against me as I carry her into my Uncle Vitaly’s penthouse apartment. I know she’s terrified of facing everyone, ashamed of what her dad’s done, and worried about her mom, but she’s keeping herself together, and I’m so damn proud of her.
I texted my family on the drive here, telling them I want Lara stitched up before anything else, so I’m not surprised that my Uncle Matvey is the only one waiting for us. I give him a nod to let him know we’re ready right before he leads the way to the closest bathroom. They got here a few minutes before us, giving him just enough time to set out the supplies he needs. Lara eyes the needle and syringe filled with lidocaine and lets out a shaky sigh, resigning herself to what’s about to happen.
It breaks my heart to set her on the counter, because it should be my ass that’s about to undergo this. She should never have had to get another mark on her skin. She’s taken too many already, and she definitely shouldn’t have a new scar because of me. I cup her face and wait until her blue eyes meet mine.
“This is the one and only time we’re doing this, kisa . Never again. ”
She hears how serious I am and gives a soft nod, but she’s not fooling me. I know her stubborn ass and too-big heart will never allow her to stand back if I’m in danger, so I’m just going to have to make sure she’s never in this situation again.
“Ready?” my Uncle Matvey asks, getting everything together. I think he’s stitched together just about every member of our family at this point. Max and I got our first stitches together when we were nine and we were all staying at the farmhouse for the weekend. The three of us had made a homemade ramp and then dared each other to jump our bikes over it. Val was the only one who’d cleared it. Max and I carry the scars of our shame—him on his right knee, and me on my left elbow. Our moms had been less than thrilled when we’d showed up laughing and covered in blood.
“Yeah, let’s get this done,” Lara says, holding her arm out for him.
He unties the fabric that I’d put on there to stop the blood, and when he takes it off, I wince at how bad it is. She hadn’t been complaining on the drive, but the cut is deep, and she’s going to need quite a few stitches to close it up.
“It’s not that bad,” she tells me, worrying more about comforting me than the cut on her arm. “Hardly hurts at all.”
I know she’s lying, and my uncle gives a soft scoff to let her know that he knows she’s lying too.
“Well, it’ll be numb soon anyway,” she says, trying to make light of it while looking between the two of us.
I squeeze her hand and kiss the back of it, feeling her whole body tense when Matvey rips the sleeve of her shirt off so he can see the wound better. She’s nervous about her scars, but my uncle knows better than to say a word about it. He doesn’t even let on that he sees them, grabbing the syringe and giving Lara a reassuring smile before he presses the needle to her skin.
“Take a breath,” he tells her. “It’s going to hurt like a bitch at first, but it’ll be numb soon, I promise.”
“Okay,” she tells him, shaking her head and squeezing my hand tighter .
I hook a finger under her chin, tilting her head toward me so she can’t see what he’s doing. I keep my eyes on hers, hating the way she flinches when he pushes the needle in. He slowly makes his way around the cut, making sure to numb the entire area.
“Almost done, baby,” I tell her.
She nods, her mouth clenched in a tight line until the lidocaine slowly starts to work and she relaxes a bit.
“Better?” Matvey asks her.
“Much,” she tells him, glancing his way before bringing her eyes back to mine.
“Good.” Matvey starts reaching for what he needs next. “I’m going to clean it out and then stitch it. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
“Okay.” Her voice is still a bit shaky, but she’s keeping her eyes off what he’s doing and keeping them on me. I smile and keep her hand between mine, caressing her skin with my thumb. “Is my mom okay?”
Her eyes are on mine, but I know she’s talking to my uncle. His steady hands keep working on her as he says, “She’s okay. Confused, but okay.” In Russian he tells me, “Danil was forced to show her some footage on the drive here. She refused to believe that her precious Osip could have done anything wrong, but Danil has too much proof to ignore. She hasn’t spoken a word since she saw it.”
Lara knows we’re talking about her mom, but instead of demanding a translation, she looks at Matvey, meeting his dark eyes. “I’m so sorry about what my dad and uncle did to your wife. It makes me sick to know he did something like that, to know he hurt so many people.”
Matvey’s hands still mid-stitch. He lets out a deep breath and then sticks the needle back into her skin. “Thank you for saying that, Lara, but none of this is your fault. You weren’t even born yet. We don’t blame you for any of this.”
His fingers are firm but gentle as they continue sewing my girlfriend’s beautiful skin back together again. He switches to Russian and without looking at me says, “I killed her dad.” My face is a mask, giving nothing away as he continues. “I tortured her dad and uncle for days, but it was Alina’s kill, not mine. I brought her to them, and she took her revenge on Konstantin, ended his pathetic fucking life. My wife is the strongest woman I’ve ever met, but it’s hard to kill someone up close like that. She didn’t have it in her to do Osip as well, so I did it for her.”
I keep stroking the back of Lara’s hand like my uncle didn’t just confess to murdering her dad and give her a smile while I tell him in Russian, “It might be best to leave that bit out. She knows he’s dead, and she knows you all did it. I think that’s enough.”
“Understood,” he tells me. “I just didn’t want you to think I was keeping it from you. There have been enough secrets.” He switches to English and tells Lara, “I’m not going to lie and say your dad was a good man. I fucking hated him, but he and his brother are dead now. He lost, and we won. They don’t get to take anything else away from us. My nephew loves you, and you’re a part of our family now. You’re a Melnikov, Lara.” He rests a hand on her scarred forearm. “He’s no longer able to hurt us. We’re not going to give him that kind of power, okay?”
Her eyes are filled with unshed tears when she meets his eyes and nods her head. “You’re right. The bastard isn’t worth it.”
Matvey smiles. “No, he isn’t.” He quickly finishes up the last couple of stitches and then puts some ointment on her before bandaging her up. “Okay, you two get cleaned up. Dominic had Tony send over some mild pain pills and an antibiotic cream.” He sets the pills down on the countertop next to a bottle of water. “Sveta left some clothes for you both on the shelf over there.”
He throws away the bloody scraps of my shirt and the used supplies before turning to leave.
“Thanks, Uncle Matvey,” I tell him.
“I’d say anytime, but we all know you’re never going to allow this to happen again.” He smiles at Lara and gives my shoulder a pat before walking out and shutting the door behind him.
“Your family is too nice to me,” Lara says as soon as we’re alone.
I grab the bottle of water and one of the pain pills. She opens her mouth for me, taking the pill and then arches her brow when I insist on holding the water for her, pressing the bottle to her lips until she’s drank enough to satisfy me. Setting it down, I help her out of the shirt she’s wearing, biting back the angry rant I want to give when I see the bruises that fucker left on her beautiful skin. The only man who gets to leave a mark on her perfect body is me. The dried blood that’s covering my hands and splattered across my arms and chest is the only thing keeping me calm. I’d killed him for what he’d done, and he can never hurt her again.
Lifting her up, I set her on the ground and carefully peel her jeans off until she’s naked before me. The bruises are painfully obvious under the harsh bathroom lighting, but nothing could ever take away from her beauty, and I’m not surprised to feel myself growing hard with a quickness.
I wish she could see herself as I do, but it just makes me all the more determined to make sure she knows how much I love her and how amazing she is every damn day for the rest of our lives. Remembering what she said a few minutes ago, I tell her, “They’re nice to you because they like you and because they know I love you, but most importantly,” I tell her, reaching over to start the shower, “they’re nice to you because you deserve it, Lara. You deserve everything, and I’m going to make sure you get it from here on out.”
She drops her eyes, still not comfortable receiving so much affection, but I cup her face, waiting for her to look at me. “I love you, kisa , and I’m going to take care of you.” I give her a wink. “Now get in the shower so I can wash you clean.”
“What about my stitches?”
I run a finger over the large bandage. “It’s waterproof, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t get too wet.”
She gets in the shower, angling her arm away from the spray while I quickly kick off my boots and jeans before stepping in with her. It’s impossible to hide how hard I am, so I don’t even bother trying. Her eyes widen when she sees me, and she just shakes her head in disbelief.
“I don’t understand how you can be hard right now.”
I step closer and drag my fingers along her wet stomach. “I don’t understand how on earth you think I couldn’t be.” I cup the back of her head and pull her against me, molding our bodies together and reminding us both how well we fit together. “It’s you, baby, and you’re always going to drive me crazy. Nothing will ever change that. I know you’re sore and you’ve just had one hell of a night, so just because I’m hard doesn’t mean I’m expecting sex. It just means that I will always want you, even when I know we can’t do anything. My body wants yours.” I give a soft laugh and kiss the top of her wet head. “There’s never going to be a time when I don’t want to be inside you.”
She hugs me tighter and then slides one hand down my back before grabbing a handful of my ass and making me laugh. “There’s never going to be a time when I don’t want you inside me,” she says, and her words have my cock pressing even harder against her stomach.
“You need to rest,” I remind her, but we both know there’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to resist her if she wants to take this further. Her safety and well-being are the most important things to me, but I also know that the safest place for her is in my arms while she’s taking my cock.
“I can rest later.” She nuzzles her face against my chest and as soon as I feel her tongue slide along my skin, I’m grabbing her ass and lifting her up, pressing her against the tiled wall and positioning the head of my cock between her soft, wet thighs.
“I’m too heavy for you to lift,” she tries to protest, and I scoff at the utter nonsense drifting out from between her full lips.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” The head of my cock presses against her pussy, but I don’t push in. I keep her hovering over me, getting just a taste of what I’m about to give her.
She wiggles, trying to get me to lower her, but she’s not getting my cock until she starts talking sense.
“Explain, kisa ,” I say while teasing her with my head.
She moans and digs her fingers into my shoulders, already looking more relaxed now that she’s had a pain pill and is seconds away from getting my dick.
“Radek said I was too chubby, and he couldn’t believe that I was the girl you’d chosen.” She whispers the words like a painful confession, and all I want is to bring that asshole back to life so I can kill him again.
“Fuck him,” I growl, thrusting the head of my cock into her and making her gasp. “Fuck him for thinking it and fuck him for ever daring to say that to you. You are fucking perfection, sweetheart.” I thrust into her, giving her every goddamn inch as she arches her back, adjusting to my size and the way I’m filling her. “Does this feel like the cock of a man who’s unsatisfied?” I ask while slowly fucking her, letting her feel every hard inch. “Or does this feel like the cock of a man who’s so turned on he can barely think? I love every inch of you,” I tell her, keeping up a steady rhythm as her eyes flutter closed and her lips part. “And I’ve got news for you, sweetheart, my need for you is only going to grow stronger. When I think about you pregnant, fuck,” I groan and thrust in hard and deep, “just thinking of your round belly, your hips and ass filling out, and Jesus Christ your fucking amazing tits,” I give a soft laugh and force myself to calm down or I’m going to end up coming before I want to. “Look at me.”
She opens her eyes, and I smile at how glazed they are.
“You are the sexiest goddamn woman I’ve ever seen,” I tell her. I press my mouth to hers, taking her in a hungry kiss while I pound into her, being rougher than I should be but unable to hold back. I almost lost her tonight, and I need to remind myself that she’s here and safe. Her arms and legs tighten around me while she moans into my mouth, kissing me harder, demanding more from me because the truth is she needs this just as much as I do.
She whimpers around my tongue, digging her nails into my shoulders hard enough to leave marks, and fuck do I love that. Her whole body trembles right before her pussy clenches around my dick even harder, pulling a groan from deep within me as she comes hard. I stifle her screams with my mouth and bury myself as deeply inside her as I can get before I stop fighting my own release and let go with her. The orgasm nearly knocks me on my ass, the force of it ricocheting through every damn inch of my body as I unload everything I have into her tight cunt. She grips me harder, eager for every last drop, so fucking greedy for it as she whimpers and rocks her hips.
When I’m empty, I soften the kiss, enjoying the feel of her wet body pressed against mine, the way her hard nipples drag along my chest with every little movement she makes, and the soft whimpers that keep spilling out around our kiss. She’s fucking perfect, and I want to stay buried inside her for the rest of my damn life. She reminds me of why I can’t do that when she smiles against my lips and says, “Your entire family is out there waiting for us.”
I give a soft laugh. “I know, but I’m not ready to leave you.”
She rests her palm on my cheek and gives me one of her sweet smiles. Her thumb lightly runs along my swollen jaw, the one good hit Radek managed to land.
“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”
“I’m not. I’m just sorry that you’re the one with stitches. It should’ve been me.” I kiss her before she can argue with me about it and then gently slide her off me and set her back on her feet. Grabbing a washcloth, I lather it up with some fruity-smelling body wash and kneel down so I can wash her feet.
“I can wash myself,” she starts to protest, but I shoot her a look that has her clamping her mouth shut with a smile.
My girl’s stubborn, but she’ll learn. She’s quiet as I work, gently washing Radek’s filthy touch from every inch of her body until she’s spotless and I’m tempted to pick her up again. Before I can reach for her, she grabs the washcloth and starts to lather up my chest.
“Your arm is hurt,” I remind her.
“I’m not using that one. Just relax and let me wash you. This is really more of a treat for me anyway.”
Her touch is gentle, almost reverent as she runs the cloth over my pecs and along my shoulders before working her way down my arms.
“There’s no way in hell you’re enjoying this more than I am,” I tell her, but she just smiles at me like I’m crazy and gets to work on my abs. By the time she’s finished, I’m back to being rock-hard, and more than ready to take Lara home and crawl into bed with her. Knowing we can’t do that just yet, I grab a towel and gently pat her dry before scrubbing it over myself. She takes it back from me, wrapping it around her body in a way that makes her tits look fucking mouthwatering. Unable to resist, I lower my head and kiss a line across her chest, nipping and licking her skin.
“All I want to do is get lost in you,” I whisper against her skin and then let out a groan, forcing myself to stand and put some distance between us. “When this is all over, we’re going to bed and we’re staying there for at least three days.”
She smiles up at me. “Deal.”
I grab the clothes Sveta left us, not surprised to find that they’re all mine. We all have clothes stashed at each other’s houses, and when Lara quickly grabs the pair of black-and-grey plaid pajama bottoms and lets out a relieved sigh, I raise a brow and ask, “Big fan of flannel?”
She laughs as her cheeks blush a soft pink. “No, I’m just thrilled there’s actually something here I can wear. I was worried that it was going to be Sveta’s clothes. No way my ass was going to fit in her pants.”
I reach over and slip my hand under her towel, filling it with one perfect cheek. “Your ass is perfect,” I tell her, giving it a good squeeze, “and you’re going to look adorable in my pajamas.” Looking through the rest of the clothes, I say, “And you’re going to look sexy as hell in my boxers, because that’s all Sveta’s left us.”
Lara laughs and takes the pair I hand her. She drops her towel and pulls them on before stepping into the pajama bottoms. They’re way too big on her, but I roll the cuffs up and tie the waistband so they at least won’t fall off. She slips the black henley shirt on and runs a brush through her hair while I hurry up and get dressed in the jeans and black T-shirt Sveta left for me.
“Ready?”
“Are you sure we can’t just hide out in the bathroom?”
I smile at her and grab her hand. “They’ll just come looking for us. I can’t believe my Uncle Vitaly hasn’t come knocking yet.”
The thought of family members coming to find us is enough to get her feet moving. She tightens her grip on my hand and squeezes her body in close to mine, and I fucking melt at her touch. I love how she takes comfort from me. I always want to be her safety net, the person she runs to anytime she’s scared or worried or needs comfort. I want to be everything for her, just like she is for me.
We leave the bathroom together, and as soon as we walk down the hall and into the living room, everyone stops what they’re doing to turn and look at us. My entire family has decided to gather together for this occasion. My brother eyes me, making sure I’m okay, and when I give him a nod, he relaxes his shoulders and sinks back into the couch. I scan the crowd, seeing every single one of my cousins, including Dominic and Natalya, and at the corner of one of the couches sits a very uncomfortable-looking Chloe. It’s intense to say the least, and when Lara whispers a quick “Jesus Christ,” I raise a brow at my family and say in Russian, “Seriously? This is what you all thought would be best?”
My Uncle Vitaly laughs. “Be happy I didn’t go looking for you two. I wanted to, but your dad wouldn’t let me.” He looks at my dad, and makes a point of adding, “Even though this is my house, and it was my shower they were using to?—”
He’s quickly cut off by my dad who says, “I think we all know what they were doing, Vitaly. You don’t need to say it.”
My uncle laughs again. “Oh, I think we could all use a laugh, so I’m gonna say it. My nephew was in there having shower sex with my niece.” He laughs even harder while I bite back the groan I want to give, because he’s still speaking Russian, and I don’t want Lara to know we’re being talked about. “How fucked up is that?” he adds, smacking Matvey’s shoulder.
My Uncle Matvey is doing a shit-poor job of hiding his smile. “It’s pretty fucked up.” He looks over at me and shakes his head. “Cousins shouldn’t fuck, Luka.”
I chance a quick look at Val and Yelena, but the two of them are doing an Academy-Award-winning job of looking innocent.
“We’re not related,” I remind them, even though they damn well know it. Vitaly is not my real uncle, but he is Lara’s, and when he stands up, he grabs his wife’s hand before they both walk over to us .
Vitaly smiles down at Lara as Katya steps closer and pulls her into a hug. “I can’t believe I have a niece,” she whispers in English.
Lara returns the hug, and after a few seconds, Katya pulls back so she can see her face. “You’re the only good thing my brother ever did.”
Chloe’s voice tears through the moment, making Lara’s body tense as her face flushes in embarrassment. “It can’t be true,” she says, jumping to her feet. She looks around, shaking her head frantically, trying to make sense of it all. She knows the truth, deep down she has to know, but she’s clung to her lies for far too long to just be able to drop them in the span of a couple of hours.
She’s not restrained, but my dad and Uncle Lev are next to her, making damn sure she doesn’t attempt anything stupid. I’m surprised they don’t round up the younger cousins, but I think they’re tired of keeping secrets, and this involves them just as much as the rest of us.
“It is true,” my Uncle Matvey tells her, and his gravelly voice is harsh enough to get her attention. “None of us blame you for what those bastards did, but your refusal to believe it doesn’t make it any less true. I saw it with my own fucking eyes.” He looks back at Alina, his eyes softening as soon as they meet hers. “I saw what they did to my wife.”
“She’s the only reason he was with me,” Chloe yells, pointing a finger at Alina. “He wanted her, but he couldn’t have her, so he settled for me. I tried to make him happy, but it was never enough.”
She starts to sob, and instead of checking on her, Matvey turns his back on her, walking to Alina and pulling her into his arms. He cups the back of her head, whispering into her ear while she nods her head and clings to him.
Lara watches everything, so many different emotions crossing her pretty face before settling on an angry sort of resolve. She walks over to her mom, and I follow close behind, unwilling to leave her unprotected. Her mom hadn’t meant to cut her, but she did, and I can’t allow anything like that to happen again.
“That’s enough, Mom,” Lara says, and the anger in her voice is enough to make her mom pause. “You were wrong. You were wrong about so many things, and I’ve been forced to believe nothing but lies my whole damn life, and I’m sick of it. We were kidnapped tonight by men who are exactly like my dad. They were going to kill you and sell me. That’s the kind of man you’ve been holding onto for all these years.”
Lara waves a hand, gesturing towards the rest of my family while keeping her eyes on her mom. “The Melnikovs are good people. It was my dad who was sick, and deep down you know it. I know you do. You just don’t want to believe it.”
Chloe shakes her head. “But they killed him,” she starts to say before Lara cuts her off with a scream.
“He deserved it!” she yells, and I’ve never been so damn proud of her. “He was a sex-trafficking, rapist bastard, and he deserved every goddamn thing they did to him. This family should hate me for what my dad did to them, but they don’t. They’ve been nothing but kind to me. Matvey even stitched me up from where you cut me.” She looks over her shoulder at my uncle. “My dad tortured his wife, and he still took care of me and was kind to me. That’s not a monster, Mom. Dad was the evil one, not them.”
Lara steps closer to me and grabs my hand. “I love you, Mom, and I want you to be in my life, but you need help. You need someone who can help you see things as they are. Osip abused you, he messed with your head, and you’ve never gotten help for that.”
Chloe looks at her daughter and then at me when Lara says, “I’m marrying Luka, Mom, and I want to get to know my family.” Lara smiles even as tears fall down her cheeks. “I have an aunt and uncle and cousins. I’ve never had a real family, and I want one.”
I can see the war going on inside Chloe. I may not know her, but I can see how much she loves her daughter. Osip left a trail of victims behind him, and Lara’s mom is one of them.
“I want you in our lives, Mom,” Lara continues, “but you have to stop with all this. I will not allow you to treat Luka and his family like shit, and I won’t have you whispering lies into our kids’ ears. This delusional shit stops here. We’re not passing it down to another generation. ”
Chloe’s eyes widen. “You’re pregnant?”
“Not that I know of,” Lara says, but she gives me a quick look, because we both know there’s a very good chance she is. “What I’m saying is that Luka is my future, and we’re going to have kids, and I want you to be a part of it.”
Chloe nods her head, but I’m still not entirely sure what she’s thinking. It’s a lot to take in, and there’s no way her brain is going to just flip a switch so she’ll instantly view us all differently. This is going to take time, and we all know it.
“I’m just so confused,” she admits. “It still doesn’t make sense. How could he be a monster? He loved us.”
Her words don’t sound as sure as they did before. She’s no longer adamantly shouting Osip’s love for her. Now it’s more like a question, confusion and hurt lacing her words.
“No, he didn’t,” Lara says, reaching out and giving her mom a hug. “He didn’t love us at all, and when he found out you were pregnant, he hit you. He was a bastard, Mom, and you deserved better.”
Chloe cries and hugs her daughter. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Katya steps closer, looking just as worn out as the rest of us. This night has brought up a lot of shit that no one wanted to face, and it’s clearly taking its toll. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” she tells Chloe. “My brothers were manipulative assholes who only cared about themselves. I’ll spare Lara the details, but I can talk to you privately sometime if you’d like. I can answer any questions you have about Osip, and I can tell you stories that will guarantee you’ll never see him as anything other than the monster he was.”
Chloe looks at the woman in front of her, studying her face, like she’s searching for signs of the man she’d convinced herself she was in love with. “I’m so confused,” she says again, “and I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to believe.”
“We can get you help.” Alina takes a step closer, but Matvey stays right beside her with his arm securely around her shoulders. “I saw a therapist for years after they rescued me. It really helped, Chloe. Would you be willing to talk with someone?”
Chloe hesitates, and I immediately recognize the look. It’s the same one Lara gets whenever she’s worried about the cost of something, so I quickly say, “We’d be happy to cover the cost, of course. We just want you to get the help you need. I love your daughter, Chloe, and I know I didn’t get the chance to properly meet you, but I’m hoping we can change that.”
I hold out my hand to her, and after a few seconds of hesitation, she reaches out and shakes it. I smile at her and say, “I’m Luka.”
I don’t get a big smile in return, but I don’t get the angry scowl she’s been giving my family members, so I consider it progress. This woman is about to be my mother-in-law, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get her the help she needs, but I won’t sacrifice Lara’s well-being for hers. The scars on my girl’s arms are proof that things have not been easy for her, and I won’t ever let her get sucked into that mindset again.
“We’re about to be family,” I tell her, wrapping an arm around Lara, who quickly molds her body to mine, so we’re effortlessly showing a united front, “and I’d like us all to be able to get along, but Lara is mine to take care of now, and she’s my top priority.”
I keep my eyes on Chloe, letting her see how serious I am. I will keep the two of them apart if I feel like her mother is having a negative impact on Lara’s emotional health. Does that make me a bastard? Maybe, but I don’t give a fuck. The woman standing next to me means everything to me, and I won’t let anyone hurt her, not even her own mother.
Chloe understands, because she gives a soft nod and takes a shaky breath before making the right decision and saying, “I’d be willing to talk to the therapist. I don’t want to lose my daughter.” She looks around at my family, paying special attention to the women and how obviously well-loved and looked after they are. “You’re not at all how I thought you’d be,” she admits, “and I’m so tired of worrying and being confused and living my life in fear.”
Lara reaches out and hugs her mom again, promising that we’ll get her an appointment set up. She leads her back to where she was sitting while my Aunt Katya gets her a cup of tea. Svetlana walks over with Pip, and as soon as Chloe sees the cat, she smiles and reaches out for him.
“Thanks for watching him,” I tell her.
Svetlana smiles and waves it off like it was no big deal. “Anytime. He’s a cutie. He even managed to pull a smile from Vitya.”
I look over to where he’s standing in the corner, but he’s back to wearing a mask, all traces of any past smiles long gone.
“So what now?” Max asks while I sit down in one of the chairs and pull Lara into my lap.
My mom smiles over at the two of us. “I think we’re planning another wedding.”
Sasha switches to Russian and asks, “What happens if her mom can’t accept the truth?” He’s leaning forward, forearms resting on his knees, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s offering to take her out should the need arise.
“She will,” I tell him, making it clear that he’s not allowed to kill Lara’s mom.
Whatever he hears in my voice has the corner of his mouth lifting up in a slight grin. “Only asking," he says, leaning back against the couch again.
Mia nudges his side and laughs, proving that my cousins are absolutely fucking insane.
“What’s going on?” Lara whispers.
I kiss her cheek. “Nothing, baby. Just sorting some things out.”
She studies my face and gives a soft laugh. “Yeah, I’m going to need to learn Russian.”
“I’ll help you learn it,” Sveta says, not even bothering to look ashamed at eavesdropping. “I’ve got a few designs ready for you to look at, by the way.”
“What designs?” I look at Lara’s blushing cheeks while she shrugs her shoulders .
“It’s nothing,” she says. “Just some tattoo designs.” She crosses her arms over her chest in a shy move that has me holding her even tighter.
“For your arms?” I whisper so only she can hear.
“Yeah,” she whispers back.
“I can’t wait to see them,” I tell her. “You’re going to look sexy as hell all inked up, baby.”
She blushes harder, and when the smile she’s trying to hide turns into a big yawn, I position her so her head is resting on my shoulder while I ask my family, “What else do we need to take care of tonight? I want to get her home soon so she can rest.”
I know we won’t be talking Bratva business in front of everyone, so I’m not surprised when my dad says in Russian, “We just wanted to make sure her mom wouldn’t be an issue. There’s no reason to not take Lara home to rest. We’ll be watching the Turgenevs, but I’m guessing Vladimir will keep his word. There’s too much for him to lose if he doesn’t.”
“Bring Lara over for supper when she’s feeling better,” Vitaly says. “We’d like to get to know our niece.”
“Or we could all go to the farmhouse for the weekend,” Evgeny suggests. It’s unusual for him to speak up, but he and Damien are old enough to ride the dirt bikes now, so he uses every opportunity he can to suggest we go out there.
“Not a bad idea,” my Uncle Danil says. “I think we could all use a break after this. I know I need one.” He looks over at Niki. “I can’t believe my own son hacked into my computer. I still don’t know if I should be furious or proud.” He laughs and answers his own question. “Proud. Definitely proud.”
Niki can’t hide the cocky grin on his face, and when his dad sees it, he points a finger at his youngest and says, “You better not ever do it again, though.”
My Aunt Simona leans over, looking like she’s about to be sick, because even though Russian isn’t her native language, she understands every word of it. “Niki, what all did you see? Were you digging around for information about the Lebedev Bratva? Did you see the files your dad has on them?”
I don’t miss the subtle shake of my uncle’s head before Niki smiles and says, “Don’t worry, Mom, I didn’t see anything like that. I just saw a few documents with their names on it and pieced it together.”
My aunt visibly relaxes, and I see the relief in my uncle’s eyes. He doesn’t want her to worry, but the truth is Niki saw every damn thing. My dad and uncles will make sure he’s okay, but they’re going to shield Simona from ever having to know about it. There’s no reason for her to have to worry or feel guilty about it. The men in my family protect their women, even if we are a little overbearing about it.
“Just be happy he didn’t look at the file with your name on it,” my Uncle Vitaly jokes, trying to get my aunt to think about other things.
She turns beet red and glares at Vitaly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Vitaly laughs. “Don’t forget we all used to live together.” He laughs even harder and looks over at my Uncle Lev. “Remember the time you walked into the kitchen and caught them?—”
My dad claps his hands and stands, cutting off whatever the hell Vitaly was going to say. Niki and Max shoot my dad a grateful look, neither one of them ever wanting to know the ending of that particular story. Vitaly’s plan worked, though. My Aunt Simona is too busy laughing while my Uncle Danil whispers something in her ear, no longer worried about anything except trying to hide the guilty smile on her face.
The heat of Lara’s breaths hit my neck in a steady, deep rhythm, letting me know her pain pills have taken effect. When I stand, I take her with me, careful to not wake her. My mom and dad come over, and when I look over at her mom, my dad says, “Don’t worry. Your mom and I will take her back to her apartment. She’ll be safe there. We’ll post one of our guys outside the building just to be sure.”
Chloe stands, still holding onto Pip and takes a cautious step towards us.
“Are you okay watching Pip for the night?” I ask her. “Lara wants to take you to a shelter when you’re up for it so you can pick out a kitten. She didn’t want to leave you without a cat.”
Chloe smiles at that and reaches out to tuck a strand of Lara’s hair behind her ear. “I’d really like that,” she says. “I can watch him for as long as you need.” She hesitates before meeting my eyes. “Will you tell her to call me when she wakes?”
“Of course,” I tell her. “I have no desire to keep her from you, Chloe. I just want Lara to be happy. I don’t want this shit weighing on her anymore.”
“I know. I want that too.” She pauses for a second before reaching out and giving my arm a squeeze. “Thank you for finding us and for keeping her safe.”
“I will always keep her safe.” I smile when Lara lets out a soft snore and kiss her cheek before saying a quick goodbye to everyone.
It’s time to bring my girl home.