5. Vitya
Chapter 5
Vitya
“ F ucking hell,” I mutter when Sveta’s text comes in, and then I quickly shoot a guilty look to the baby sitting next to me. She’s freshly bathed and looking ridiculously cute in a pink sleeper, this one with little unicorns all over it.
“Sorry, little one,” I tell her, and she lets out a soft grunt that makes me smile. She’s as talkative as I am. She sits in her reclining seat, watching the display of lights on the bar above her head that are blinking in time to the soft music playing. I may have gone overboard last night when I’d been shopping online, but I figured it’s better to have too much than not enough, and if anyone deserves a bit of spoiling, it’s her. It had cost a small fortune, especially when adding in overnight delivery, but it was worth it.
I lean back against the couch and start typing a reply to Sveta. She’s all I can fucking think about. Having her in my apartment all day has just intensified my obsession with her. This was the one place I didn’t have any memories of her, and now she’s everywhere.
Me:
How the hell am I supposed to meet with your dad ?
She’s quiet for a few minutes, and I know she’s desperately trying to come up with a plan. I have no doubt she will. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.
Sveta:
I noticed you bought enough stuff to start your own daycare. Did you happen to buy a baby monitor? Lara has a really neat one that lets her see the camera on her phone. Please tell me you were super anal and you bought one of those.
I ignore the anal comment and walk over to a stack of boxes that I haven’t even had a chance to open yet. Grabbing a knife from my pocket, I slice through the boxes and dig around until I see the baby monitor that I had indeed been super anal enough to buy. A quick glance at the box lets me know that it does have an app that I can use on my phone.
Me:
I have one, yes.
Sveta:
LOL, I knew it. You can set it up so you can check on her, and I’ll make sure the talk with my dad doesn’t last long.
Me:
I don’t like leaving her alone.
Sveta:
I know, but there’s no other way. Think of it as her being downstairs and us being upstairs. If she starts crying, we can get to her in just a couple of minutes.
Me:
Fine. What time do you want me there?
Sveta:
Just text me in the morning after she’s eaten and taken her monstrous poo. She should be happy after that for a few minutes.
I give a soft laugh at her comment, knowing she’s not wrong.
Me:
Sounds good.
I think about leaving it at that, but it doesn’t seem right, so I quickly send another text.
Me:
Thank you for everything today, Sveta.
Sveta:
If you’re not careful, you’re going to owe me for life, Vitya. First, I saved your ass, and now I’m hiding a baby for you. I’m going to have to think of some way for you to pay me back.
My lip curls up in a smile because I can think of a lot of ways for me to make things even between us.
Me:
I’m sure you’ll think of something.
I toss the phone aside before I get my ass in trouble and volunteer to get on my knees and bury my head between her legs until she comes so many times she passes out.
With a groan, I run a hand through my hair and look over at Samantha. Sveta had been right. The name somehow suits her, and when her brown eyes find mine, she doesn’t look away. She keeps staring at me, and when I lightly tickle her tummy, I swear she gives me a small smile. My heart fucking melts at the sight of it.
“I’m in big trouble, Samantha.”
She flings her arms around before finding one of my fingers and grabbing onto it. Between her and Sveta, I feel like every wall I’ve ever put up around my heart is crumbling to dust.
Samantha and I spend another night of sporadic sleep, mixed with bottles and diaper changes, and when it’s finally time to get up, I have a newfound respect for mothers, because I don’t know how in the hell they do this night after night.
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to shower, so I end up bringing her into the bathroom with me. She’s buckled in her reclining seat, and I make sure the music is playing and that she’s completely safe before I turn her around so she’s facing the door.
“Sorry, little one, I can’t do this while you watch me.”
With her back to me, I hurry up and strip down and stand under the spray of water, hoping it’ll help wake me up. It doesn’t, and with a small baby in the bathroom with me, there’s no way in hell I can do my usual morning routine of jerking off to Sveta before I have to face her for the day. Resigning myself to the fact that I’m going to be tired and frustrated, I quickly wash up and get out. Once I’m dressed, I turn her around, and her brown eyes immediately lock onto me. She watches me as I finish getting ready, and as soon as I’m done, I carry her into the kitchen and get to work on her morning bottle. She just woke me up a couple of hours ago, but she’s obviously making up for all those lost calories, and there’s no way I’m going to make her wait to eat if she’s hungry. If I have it my way, she’ll never feel another pang of hunger ever again.
As soon as it’s ready, I sit with her on the couch and feed her while I mentally make a list of everything I need to pack. I’d usually just toss some clothes in a backpack and be done with it, but that’s not going to work for a baby.
“This is going to take a while,” I tell her while she drinks her breakfast and plays with my fingers. “You’re what they call high-maintenance, little one.”
She gives me a grunt and kicks her feet out. While she finishes her bottle, I tell her the plan.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to finish your bottle, and then you’re going to fill your diaper, because we both know you can’t resist that one, and then I’m going to get you cleaned up and put you back in your seat. You’re going to take a nap like a good little girl, and I’m going to run upstairs to talk to Sveta’s dad.”
Even though I know she doesn’t understand me, I can’t help but add, “You’re going to be safe. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Once the promise is out, I know it’s true. I’m going to find a way to keep this baby safe, no matter what. I just gave her my word, and whether or not she understands it doesn’t matter to me. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.
Like clockwork, she finishes her bottle and then gives me a diaper to change while I burp her. Babies are a handful, but at least they’re predictable. I feel like a pro at this point, so it doesn’t take long before she’s in a clean diaper and sleeper and buckled into her favorite seat. I turn her music on and give her the pink pacifier she loves so much. While she gets sleepy, I set up the baby monitor and download the app. By the time she’s asleep, I’ve got it figured out, and her cute little face is filling the screen on my phone. I’ll be able to see her the whole time, but I still don’t like leaving her here alone. It makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong, although some might argue that carrying her upstairs into a Bratva boss’s house might not be the right thing either. Vitaly may be one tough motherfucker who’s killed more men than he probably remembers, but he would never hurt a child. She’s still safer down here, though, so that’s where her cute butt is staying.
I send a quick text to Sveta, letting her know I’m on my way up. I also send her a link to the app with my password so she can access it too, and then I give Samantha one last look to make sure she really is safe before locking my door and leaving. My ass is on the elevator in record time, and I have to remind myself to not act like I’m in a hurry. They’re used to me being quiet and alert, not antsy and preoccupied. I slip back into bodyguard mode right before the doors open and I step into their apartment. Svetlana is the first thing I see. She’s straight in front of me, resting a hip against the kitchen island and looking sexy as hell in a tight pair of jeans and green sweater. Her long hair is pulled back in some kind of braid, and she’s giving me a bored look as she picks at the food in front of her.
“Come on in, Vitya,” her dad hollers.
When I step into the kitchen, I see him at the stove. He’s frying sausage and already has a plate of pancakes stacked on the counter. Sveta reaches for another one and douses it in syrup like we have all the time in the world. She’s playing her part well.
“Hungry?” he asks me, but I shake my head no, sticking to our usual plan of me not eating here. After I decline breakfast, I wait for him to say whatever it is he feels he needs to say.
He takes his time, and my fingers itch to check my phone. Sveta, acting calm as can be, takes her phone out and casually scrolls through it as she eats. I can’t see her screen, but when her dad isn’t looking, she gives me a quick thumbs up to let me know Samantha is still sleeping peacefully below us. Some of the tension goes out of my shoulders, but then Vitaly sits down and looks over at his daughter.
“Sveta, can you pass me a knife from the drawer?”
She reaches over and opens the silverware drawer, immediately reaching for one of the steak knives.
“No, honey, I want one of the other ones.”
Sveta holds up the dull knife that he’d promised to cut my dick off with if I ever touch her. “This one?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“But you can’t cut anything with this. It’ll never get through the sausage.”
Vitaly makes a point of looking at me as he takes the knife. “Oh, I think with enough determination you can cut through just about anything with a dull blade. Don’t you think so, Vitya?”
He takes his eyes off me and looks down at the thick sausage link he’s very slowly sawing in two. It’s hard not to cringe, but I manage it. Vitaly gives a soft laugh, probably at seeing me pale at the thought of having my dick slowly cut through.
Svetlana gets another forkful of blueberry pancakes. It’s impossible to tell if she’s oblivious or playing ignorant to what’s going on. She checks her phone again and takes a big bite.
“So you’re taking my daughter to the farmhouse for a few days?” he asks me.
“She said she wanted to go there, so I’m taking her. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”
“Dad, I’ll be fine,” Svetlana says and gives him a smile. The Vitaly who was just threatening yet again to cut off my dick disappears as his face softens and he returns his daughter’s smile.
“Of course you will, honey.” He turns his eyes back to mine. All the softness gone as he says, “He knows what will happen to him if you’re not.”
“Dad,” Sveta groans, smacking his arm lightly and making him smile at her again. “Here, you need more syrup.”
She distracts him with the bottle, and he douses his pancakes just like his daughter had. How the two of them haven’t gone into a diabetic coma yet, I’ll never know. Not wanting to seem too eager, Sveta finishes the last few bites of pancake and then puts her dishes in the sink.
“Bye, Dad. I love you,” she tells him, giving him a big hug as he kisses her cheek.
“I love you too, kiddo. Text me when you get there and let me know if you need anything.”
“I will,” she promises him. She points a thumb at me and says, “We’ll probably be back in less than twenty-four hours. I’m sure he’ll drive me crazy in no time, and I’ll be demanding he drive me back into the city.”
Vitaly laughs, giving his daughter another hug, and I’m a little impressed by the show Sveta is putting on. She’s giving nothing away, and when a small spark of pride hits my chest, I tamp it down. I’ve already grown too damn soft thanks to the cute little bundle sleeping in my apartment, but I can’t lose focus and cross the line with Svetlana, no matter how badly I may want to. I’ve already dragged her into enough of a mess. Fucking her will not make this problem better; it’ll just magnify it by a thousand. I can’t do that to her .
She takes one more quick glance at her phone and then shoves it in her back pocket before turning to face me. “Are you going to make me carry all my bags again?”
“I need to be able to reach my gun,” I tell her, making sure to keep my tone as bored as it usually is.
She looks back over her shoulder at her dad and gives a heavy sigh. “You see what I have to put up with? I saved his life, and he won’t even carry a bag for me.”
Vitaly laughs while filling his fork. “Sorry, sweetheart, but he’s right. I can carry them down for you, though.”
I can practically feel the way she’s mentally kicking her own ass right now, but she keeps it together and gives another laugh, waving for her dad to keep sitting. “Don’t worry, Dad. My suitcase has wheels. I do still think he can push a suitcase and shoot a gun, though.” She looks up at me and gives me one of her super sweet smiles. “I mean, I’m guessing really good bodyguards can do both.”
Once again, I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from smiling at her smart-ass mouth. Instead, I keep my face hard and shrug my shoulders. “Wouldn’t want to take any chances. Grab your suitcase and let’s go. We want to miss the lunch traffic.”
She gives a dramatic sigh and goes to get her suitcase. Throwing her tote bag over her shoulder, she looks at me as she wheels her suitcase to the elevator like I’m really putting her out by not doing it myself. The damn thing has four wheels on the bottom and she barely needs to use any force to get it to move, but she glares at me all the same.
Calling out one last bye before the elevator doors close on us, she leans against the mirrored wall and lets out a sigh. “I about had a heart attack when he offered to help me bring my bags down,” she admits with a soft laugh.
“You handled it well,” I tell her while I quickly check my phone. Samantha is still sleeping peacefully, but I’m antsy to get back to her.
“Holy shit, did you just give me a compliment?”
“Best not to get used to it,” I tell her.
Instead of getting pissed, her pretty lips lift in a small smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks and all that.”
My pcholka still knows how to sting.
I hide my grin and check the hall as soon as the doors open. When I see that it’s clear, I motion for Sveta to follow me out. The anxious feeling I have doesn’t go away until we’re inside my apartment again and I see Samantha’s small body, her chest rising and falling as she continues to sleep.
“I need to start loading the SUV.” I look around at everything I’d put together to take with us. “This is going to take a few trips. Don’t leave this apartment for anything,” I warn her.
She pushes her suitcase towards me. “Don’t forget that one.”
Svetlana is the kind of woman who requires a spanking every now and then, and she’s long overdue. Ignoring the urge to put her over my knee, I start filling my arms with bags and get to work while she makes herself at home on my couch.
It takes several trips to load everything up, and by the time I’m done, Samantha is awake. Her big, brown eyes take everything in as Sveta feeds her one more bottle and then we do a quick diaper change. I buckle her in her car seat and tuck a pink, fluffy blanket around her so she won’t get cold. Glancing around one last time, I make sure I haven’t forgotten anything and then turn to Sveta.
“Is Niki going to clear the footage from today?”
“Yeah, he’s making sure it’s all gone. Come on, we need to leave before my dad does.”
Knowing she’s right and that the last thing I want is to run into her dad in the parking garage while I’m buckling a newborn into the SUV, I grab the handle of Samantha’s car seat and leave the apartment. It’s a tense elevator ride, but when the doors open and Vitaly’s not standing there waiting for us, we both let out a relieved sigh and hustle to the vehicle.
While Sveta gets in the front, I attach the car seat to the base I’d just put in a few minutes ago. She’s facing backwards, but I pull down the canopy so we can see the top of her head. Stroking her cheek with my finger, I start her music up and tuck the blanket around her before getting in the front.
“You sure you just found her?” Sveta teases. “You’re a pro at this daddy stuff.”
She laughs at the look I give her. “Jesus Christ, Sveta, don’t say shit like that.”
“Just sayin’.” She shrugs and gives another laugh.
I start the motor and try to forget that she just said the D word. I’m not sure what’s going on with Samantha, but I’m not ready to start throwing that word around.
“We’re going to need to stop and buy some groceries,” I tell her, changing the subject. “She’s also going to need more diapers and formula.”
“Yeah, she will,” Sveta agrees. “That girl can go through it.”
“I want to wait until we’re almost out of the city. Less chance of anyone seeing us.”
“Agreed.” She throws her foot up on the dashboard and leans back in her seat. I’d usually say something about her damn boot, but I’m fully aware that she’s kind of saving my ass right now, and I can’t bring myself to complain. She turns her face and gives me a smug grin.
“I’m not forcing you to help,” I remind her.
“No, but I’m doing it anyway, and that means you can’t get upset about stupid stuff like me putting my foot up.”
I glance over at her. “You sure about that?”
I see the big smile she gives before I look back at the road. “Yes, I am.”
My response is my usual grunt, which just makes her give another laugh. I ignore her and focus on driving. Traffic is its usual big-city nightmare, and I’m very aware that I’m responsible for the tiny baby’s life in the back. I scan the vehicles around us, always checking to see if we’re being followed, because despite all the radical changes going on, I’m still Sveta’s bodyguard, and my job is to keep her safe.
When we get to the outskirts of the city, I see a big grocery store and pull into the parking lot. We’re past the Bratva’s territory, and we should be fine, but I still make us wait in the car for a few minutes, making sure that no one looks familiar or suspicious. Sveta finally lets out an annoyed huff.
“Seriously, Vitya, we’re safe, and no one in my family is going to drive all the way out here to get milk.”
I look over at her. “Keep your ass glued to mine.”
She salutes me and says, “Yes, sir. Now, come on, I’m hungry.”
The things I put up with. I shake my head and get out, reaching in to grab Samantha’s car seat before we head inside. Thanks to a video I watched, I know how to attach the seat to the shopping cart, and when Sveta gives me an impressed smile, I try not to gloat.
“Let’s hit the baby aisle first, and then we can grab the food we need,” I tell her.
She doesn’t argue, just walks next to me as I push the cart and Samantha looks around at her strange surroundings. We fill the cart with enough diapers and formula to last a week and then go in search of groceries. Sveta immediately starts loading up on as much sugary, processed food she can find. When she tries to throw in yet another box of brownies, I take it and toss it back onto the shelf.
“Hey, those are good,” she argues, but when she tries to grab them again, I grab her arm and pull her along after me.
“You need something that doesn’t come out of a wrapper.”
“Says who?”
“Me and the entire medical profession.”
“You know I need my sweets, Vitya.”
“Oh, believe me, I know it.”
“I think I liked you better when you just grunted.”
I laugh before I can stop it and then start loading the cart with things that might actually encourage her body to do more than just process sugar around the clock. She raises a brow at the yogurt, granola, and fresh berries I grab, but she doesn’t toss them right back out, so I keep going. I add in some fresh vegetables, and since they have a grill there, I get several packages of chicken and some steaks.
“You’re planning on cooking this, right?” she asks. “Because I’m not even completely sure about how to cook that can of soup I brought you.”
“I’m well aware. And, yes, I’ll be cooking.”
“Perfect.” She smiles and tosses in a box of cupcakes on our way to the checkout. When I raise a brow at her, she says, “The least I can do is handle dessert.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
She grins even bigger. “I thought so.”
We find an empty lane and start piling everything up on the conveyor belt. The older woman behind the counter sees us and smiles. I know what this must look like to her—a happy family out doing some grocery shopping together, and for just one second I allow myself to think about what that would feel like. It’s nice, way nicer than I want to admit, and when she says, “You three make a beautiful family,” we have no choice but to go along with it. I’m not at all surprised when Sveta goes all in.
She wraps an arm around my waist and looks up at me with a smile on her face. “Did you hear that, sweetie?”
“I did,” I say, trying to keep my distance while not blowing our cover. “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask her in Russian.
She ignores me and snuggles in even more, insisting that there not be an inch of space between us, while the woman looks at Samantha. “Such a cute baby. You’re a cute little thing, aren’t you?”
I’m barely listening to the cashier, because all I can think about is how good it feels to have her body pressed up against mine. She’s wiggled under my arm, and when I wrap it around her, I swear I hear her give a soft moan.
“She looks just like you two.”
The cashier’s words pull me from my trance, but before I can respond, Sveta lets out a soft laugh.
“I think she looks just like her daddy. I mean, I’m the one who carried her and pushed her into this world, but she’s a daddy’s girl through and through.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. Sveta smiles while keeping her arm locked around my waist, playing the part of wife and mother so damn perfectly that I almost buy it. Now that she’s started the lie, I’m forced to go along with it. We filled our cart, and the cashier, whose name tag reads Jane , is in no rush, so I know my ass isn’t getting out of here in the next couple of minutes. They have a young kid bagging our groceries and putting them into the cart, so I can’t even use that as an excuse to break myself free of Sveta’s very firm grip.
When I try to put a little bit of distance between us, she just smiles up at me and slips her hand under my T-shirt so her fingers are now wrapped around my bare waist. She grazes a finger along my skin, and I’m in serious danger of getting an embarrassing erection in the checkout lane. I wonder what Jane would think about that.
“Careful,” I whisper to Sveta in Russian.
She just smiles bigger and says, “Or what?”
I bring my hand to the nape of her neck, slipping my fingers beneath her hair so I can wrap them around her slender neck. I give her a warning squeeze when she drags her finger along my skin, dipping just slightly into the waistband of my jeans, but instead of scaring her, she lets out a sexy moan that’s only loud enough for me to hear.
Jesus Christ .
Feeling my cock start to stiffen, I nearly cry with relief when Jane scans the last item. I grab my wallet and quickly pay for everything while the kid loads up the last few bags. As soon as I grab the receipt, I start pushing the cart while Sveta smiles sweetly and says goodbye to Jane. Instead of stopping the ruse, I’m forced to stop the cart and dig around for the knit hat she took off while we were shopping. I find the damn thing and pull it on Sveta’s stubborn head right as I hear Jane behind me, whispering, “Well, isn’t that the sweetest thing,” while Sveta holds back a laugh and I bite back the grunt I want to give. I might as well go all in, so I zip her jacket up and then tuck Samantha’s pink blanket around her so they’re both warm.
Sveta gives a soft laugh and wraps her arm through mine as we walk out of the store .
“What the hell were you thinking?” The question is out as soon as the sliding doors shut behind us and we’re in the parking lot.
Keeping her arm intertwined with mine, she shrugs and gives a soft laugh. “Relax, Vitya. We needed to make it look believable. We couldn’t very well tell Jane that the baby she thinks is so cute was one that you found a couple of days ago and that we’re on our way to hide out in the country. Think that might raise a few red flags? We needed to blend, so I made us blend.”
She gives me another sweet smile. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m pretty sure blending didn’t require you to slide your fingers down my pants.”
Sveta leans towards Samantha and tickles her tummy. “Daddy’s being dramatic again,” she says in a cutesy baby talk.
I groan and open the back of the SUV. After Samantha is buckled in, I unload the groceries while Sveta picks through them until she finds one of her boxes of sugary, processed snacks.
“You want me to find one of your bark bars?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask her while she keeps rummaging around until she finds my box of granola bars.
“They taste like bark,” she tells me.
“They’re actually quite good and, yes, grab me one.”
She smiles and digs a couple out before we both get in the front. After handing me my granola bar, she unwraps her moon pie and takes a big bite.
“I don’t understand how you can eat so much sugar.”
“It’s what keeps me so sweet.”
I laugh while I scan the parking lot. “In that case, better eat the whole damn box.”
“I’ll forgive you that rudeness because I understand that no one can be happy while eating a piece of bark. If you want one of my moon pies, all you have to do is ask.”
“No, thanks,” I tell her, because that’ll be the fucking day. “I work really hard to stay healthy. ”
With her mouth full, she says, “You’re doing a bang-up job, Vitya. Your abs are rock hard.”
I almost laugh at the awe in her voice. “Thanks,” I tell her and then force myself to not think about how good it had felt to have her skin against mine.
When I don’t leave the parking lot, she looks over at me. “What are we waiting for?”
I jerk my chin towards the far corner of the lot. “I think that’s the same white truck I noticed earlier.”
Sveta looks over at it. “I’m guessing there are quite a few white trucks in the city. It can’t possibly be following us. Who the hell would want to do that?”
“You’ve been assigned a bodyguard for a reason,” I remind her.
She dismisses my comment. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just leave and see if it follows us.”
Despite what she might think, I don’t take orders from her, so I wait for several more minutes before starting the SUV and pulling out of the parking lot. The truck makes no move to follow us, and when we’ve gone a few miles and I still haven’t seen any sign of it, I hear her give a small grunt of satisfaction at being right.
Instead of arguing with her about how important her safety is and that I’ll never not take every possible threat seriously, I go back to my normal silence. She does her usual thing of fidgeting until she can’t take it anymore and then turning on some music. She keeps it low so it won’t bother Samantha, and after a few minutes, she leans forward and digs around in her tote bag until she finds what she’s looking for. Soon she’s hiking her foot up again and bracing her large sketchpad against her leg while her other hand holds several charcoal pencils. She quickly loses herself in whatever she’s drawing, and I wish I could see it, but she has it angled away from me.
I’ve never met anyone as talented as Svetlana. Her mom is an amazing artist, but there’s something about Sveta’s artwork that I can’t seem to look away from. It latches onto me and refuses to let go. About six months after I started watching over her, she’d thrown away an old sketchbook that she said was filled with subpar drawings that deserved death by garbage. She doesn’t know it, but I’d rescued the book on my way out that night. I keep it in my nightstand drawer, and I look through it all the time. It’s filled with an odd assortment of drawings, because Sveta will draw anything that catches her eye, but she also has a vivid imagination, so the book is filled with everything from sketches of Rasputin, her Aunt Alina’s German Shepherd, to drawings of fantasy worlds with dragons and fairies that look like they could fly right off the page.
She’s fucking amazing, and I’d love for her to design a few tattoos for me. She designed all of Lara’s and the image for the Bratva. I’ve wanted to ask her so many times, but it always feels like it would be crossing a line by having one of her images permanently inked onto my body. It doesn’t stop me from saving several patches of skin, though, just in case I decide to use one of the drawings I rescued. It’s not like she’s ever going to see me naked. I could have it done, and she’d be none the wiser.
The rest of the drive is spent with Samantha asleep and Sveta drawing, and when I pull onto the long, gravel road that leads to the house the Melnikov brothers bought over twenty years ago, Sveta yawns and puts her pad away. She stretches her arms out in front of her, and I catch a glimpse of her charcoal-stained fingers. Everything about this woman is sexy to me, but there’s something about seeing her stained fingers that always gets me, especially if she’s been painting. The tiny splotches of color on her hands and shirt always drives me crazy, but it’s the small bits that she always manages to get on her face and in her hair that threatens to undo me.
I really hope she didn’t pack her painting supplies. Being alone out here with her is going to be hard enough. I don’t need her looking sexier than she already does.
“Better text your dad,” I tell her once I’ve parked in front of the large house. The Melnikov vacation home is more like a mansion on several acres of beautiful property. Even though this is the place I was stabbed, I still love it out here .
She pulls her phone out and sends a quick text. “Done. I told him you were being a butt, so I made you stop and get me a box of moon pies. He gave me a thumbs up and texted, Way to keep him in line. Damn, a moon pie sounds good. I’m gonna pick up a box on the way home. Text me if you need anything. Your mom and I love you, sweetheart. Don’t stay gone too long.
I grunt at his comment about keeping me in line, but the truth is I’m thrilled she has parents who love her so much. Mine were shit and never around all that much. Seryozha was my family, and he was the only one I needed. A familiar ache hits my chest at the thought of my brother, and I do my best to ignore it while I start unpacking and Sveta unhooks Samantha’s car seat and carries her inside.
I watch the two of them, wondering how in the hell I’m going to survive this trip and why I thought it was a good idea. We’re completely alone, and I still have no idea what to do about either one of the females in front of me.
Since I don’t have any answers, I busy myself with work, hoping that inspiration will hit me at some point in the very near future.