13. Svetlana
Chapter 13
Svetlana
I didn’t realize how tightly I was clinging to the hope of good news until we walk inside and I see the look on Dominic’s face. Natalya comes running over, wrapping me and Samantha in a gentle hug, but I can’t take my eyes off her husband and the tormented look he’s giving me. He doesn’t want to have to tell me whatever the hell it is that he has to say.
“What?” I ask, holding his gaze, refusing to let him off the hook, because I have to know what’s going on, even if it’s going to shatter me.
“He’s in surgery. Tony and Dr. Bianchi are working on him.” His tone is comforting, but I can tell he’s holding back.
“What else?”
He sighs and looks at his wife, giving her an I told you she wouldn’t be satisfied with just that look. Turning back to me, he says, “It doesn’t look good, Sveta.”
I shake my head, ignoring the tears that are already starting to fall. “No, he’s going to make it,” I tell him while Natalya hugs me tighter before letting me go. I’m not at all surprised to see that she’s crying too, and when Dominic sees it, he wraps his arms around her, worried that she’s upsetting herself while pregnant .
My mom hears us and comes running down the hall. She’s crying and wrapping me up in a hug, being careful to not squish Samantha.
“I was so scared,” she whispers. “Are you okay? Your dad said that bastard only hit you once, but is that true?”
She pulls back and searches my face, running her thumb lightly over my bruised cheek.
“It’s true. Some people can’t appreciate my humor.”
She huffs out a breath at my sad attempt at a joke, neither one of us even slightly in the mood to laugh. Her eyes study mine, and I know she can see how close I am to losing it.
“He’s strong,” she reminds me. “And he has you to live for.”
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. My mom looks down at the baby in my arms and lets out a soft breath. “She’s beautiful.”
“She is,” I agree. “We named her Samantha.”
My mom always knows exactly what to say and do, and when she gently takes her from my arms and kisses her forehead, I don’t resist. I know Samantha will be more comfortable with her right now than being in my frantic, shaky arms while I relentlessly pace the floor.
My mom looks up at my dad. “Our first grandbaby,” she tells him, pulling another sob from my throat. My dad smiles at the two of them and reaches a hand out, giving a soft laugh when Samantha immediately grabs onto his finger.
“Now Lev and Roman won’t be the only two who get to brag about being a grandpa.” My dad looks over at me. “They were starting to become unbearable.”
“When isn’t Lev unbearable?” Dominic asks before giving his wife a wink.
I’ve never loved my family more than I do in this moment. Leaning closer, I give Samantha a kiss and then wrap both my parents in a hug. I sink into their comforting embrace for a few precious seconds before standing back up and taking a deep breath. Turning to Dominic, I say, “I want to see him.”
“He’s still in surgery, Sveta,” he starts to warn me, but I just shake my head at him .
“Fine, then take me as close to him as I can get. I’ll wait.”
I don’t miss the quick glance he gives my dad and whatever he sees has him looking back at me with a nod. “Fine, but you’re welcome to wait up here.”
“Thanks, but I want to be close to him. I want to be there as soon as they’re done.” I glance around, meeting everyone’s eyes when I add, “I want to be there when he wakes up,” making it clear that I won’t tolerate anything less than Vitya surviving this.
“I’ll walk you down,” Dominic says, giving Natalya a soft pat on the butt and a kiss on the head before letting her go.
I look at my mom and say, “There’s more formula in the diaper bag, but she’s probably running low on diapers.”
“Don’t worry,” Natalya quickly says, “Between all the extras left over from Isabella, stuff for the new baby, and Roma’s stash, I’m sure we can find everything we need. I’ll ask one of the guys to go stock up on formula, too, so she’ll have plenty.”
“She’ll be fine,” my mom tells me, already lightly bouncing a smiling Samantha. “We’ll take good care of her. Your brother’s on his way with the others.” She reaches out and gives my hand a squeeze. “You’re not alone, Sveta. We’re going to get through this together.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I turn and follow Dominic down the hall before I can start crying again. Vitya’s counting on me to be strong, and I don’t want to let him down. When he wakes up, he’s going to find me right next to him, not huddled on the floor in the fetal position.
Dominic and I head downstairs. Years ago, he had this place outfitted for Dr. Bianchi, and he spared no expense. It could easily rival the best operating room in any hospital in the city, and he’s put it to good use, saving our men’s lives over and over again. He’s a brilliant surgeon, and after years of one-on-one training, Tony is right there with him. I know Vitya is in good hands. If anyone can save him, it’s those two.
We walk past the shut doors of the operating room, and the urge to throw them open and run in is strong. Dominic must sense it because he grabs my arm and leads me to the room across the hall. It’s been set up as a comfortable place to wait, but as inviting as the couch looks, I know I won’t be able to sit still long enough to enjoy it.
“Are you hungry or thirsty? I can bring you down some food or make you some coffee.” He gestures to the machine in the corner. “Espresso?”
“I’m fine, Dominic. Thanks.” I know he’s anxious to get back to Natalya, so I pat his arm and say, “Go back upstairs to her. I’ll be fine.”
He hesitates, so I add, “My brother and uncles will be here soon, and I could use some time to myself before they all decide they need to stay glued to my ass.”
He gives me a hint of a smile before reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “Dr. Bianchi is the best there is. If anyone can work a miracle, it’s him.”
I nod while glancing to the door across the hallway. “Thanks, Dominic. I knew convincing Natalya to sneak out two years ago was a good idea.”
He smiles and points a finger at me. “And I told you it was a stupid idea and I would’ve married her anyway.”
I smile back, fighting the tears that want to come, willing myself to hold it together until after he leaves. Sensing I’m about to break and that I’d rather do it alone, he gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze and then does me the kindness of walking away. As soon as I can no longer hear his footsteps, I collapse onto the ground as all my strength leaves me and then cry like I never have before.
It’s Max who finds me sniffling and shaking on the floor. Without a word, he scoops me up into his arms and carries me to the couch. I curl up in his lap and rest my head on his shoulder while he wraps me in a big bear hug. He’s like a brother to me, and there’s nothing sexual about his touch. He’s just offering me comfort that I desperately need.
He shifts beneath me, digging something out of his pocket and then a few seconds later he’s gently pushing an earbud into my ear. Soon there’s a beautiful melody playing in my ear. It’s haunting and sad and so unbelievably gorgeous. It captures exactly how I’m feeling right now, but underneath the sad-sounding notes, there’s something hopeful in it.
“What do you think? It’s my latest composition.”
“It’s so beautiful, Max.”
“Not too sad?”
I shake my head against his shoulder. “It’s perfect. Hauntingly beautiful.”
“Thanks, Sveta.”
He keeps one earbud while I keep the other and together we listen to the song he created. I close my eyes, letting the music take me somewhere else. I haven’t slept much, and the last time I ate was with Vitya the night Samantha and I were taken, so it doesn’t take much for the exhaustion to overtake me. When I wake, my body jolts to attention while my sluggish brain tries to catch up.
“Vitya,” I yell, cursing my inability to stay awake.
Max must’ve laid me on the couch before he left because it’s my Uncle Matvey’s scarred voice that says, “It’s all right. He’s still in surgery.”
“How long have I been asleep?”
I sit up while he checks his watch. “Three hours.”
Scrubbing my eyes, I feel the dread start to sink in again, threatening to consume me. “It’s taking too long. That can’t be a good sign.”
“It’s a very good sign,” my Uncle Matvey corrects. “He’s fighting, Sveta. He’s not giving up.”
I whisper in a shaky voice, “He always was stubborn.”
My Uncle Matvey raises a dark brow at me. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
Meeting his dark eyes, I ask, “How mad is my dad about this?”
He sighs and leans back in the chair he’s sitting in, interlacing his fingers behind his head and looking like he hasn’t slept in days. “At you? Not at all. He could never be mad at you, Sveta. You should know that by now with all the shit you’ve pulled over the years.” He’s smiling while he says it, probably remembering all my shenanigans.
“In my defense, I’ve only ever done silly, harmless things.” I wave a hand, implying the mess I’ve currently found my ass in. “Until now, of course.”
“The women in our family have always kept us on our toes,” he says, giving a soft laugh. “We never once thought you’d be any different, especially considering who your dad is.” He smiles at me when he says, “You really didn’t stand a chance in hell.”
“Tell me about it. At least Val is sensible. I’m not sure what would’ve happened if we both had my personality.”
“God help us,” Matvey groans, but I can hear the playful tone in his voice. He always sounds a bit gruff from the damage the fire did when he was a teenager, but he’s always been unbelievably sweet to me. They all have. For being Bratva bosses with terrifying reputations, they really are giant softies where their family is concerned.
“You talking about me?”
We both look over to see Val walk in with Yelena right behind him. My uncle’s face lights up when he sees his daughter, and he immediately stands so he can give her a hug. He’s always had a special bond with her, and I know it’s been killing her to hide her relationship with my brother from him.
“You okay?” he asks her, staring into the same dark eyes that are identical to his.
“I’m fine, Dad. Mom and Evgeny are upstairs.”
At the mention of his wife and son, he looks to the door, and I know how anxious he is to get to them.
“I’m fine, Uncle Matvey. Go up and see them.”
He hesitates, but Val plops down on the couch next to me. “I’ll sit with her.”
Yelena sits in the seat her dad was just in and gives me a smile. “Me too.”
My uncle leans down and kisses Yelena’s head. “Okay, but holler if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Yelena tells him. As soon as he leaves, she looks over at me and leans closer. “Are you okay? Have you heard anything?”
“No and no,” I tell her .
She gives me a shaky smile, trying to be reassuring but also trying not to cry and make me even sadder than I already am. I return her smile with my own weak one as my brother grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze.
Looking over at him, I ask, “Did you guys get in trouble for covering for us?”
“I told them I went alone,” Val tells me. “They have no idea Yelena was there, and we’d like to keep it that way. They think she stayed here, and Nat’s agreed to cover for us.”
“I won’t say anything,” I quickly tell him.
“Dad knows that I found out about everything, but he also knows you’re my twin and that I’d never betray you. He’s pissed I hid it, but also proud as hell at how loyal I am to you.” He gives a soft laugh. “He’s yet to admit that last bit though.”
I nudge his shoulder. “He will.”
“Maybe, but even if he doesn’t, we all know it’s true. He knows I was just giving you time to tell him yourself.”
“Sorry I got you involved in my mess.”
He looks over at me. “You’re always getting me involved in your messes, and you’d better not start apologizing for it now. This one may have ended up being bigger than all the others, but it was worth it, right? I mean, I’m getting a brother-in-law and a niece.” He gives me his easygoing smile. “Not such a bad mess after all.”
At the mention of Samantha, I ask, “How’s she doing up there?”
Yelena cuts in with a laugh and says, “Getting spoiled rotten and loving every second of it.”
I smile at the image, knowing she’s probably being passed around and smothered in kisses and hugs. “I’m so glad she’s too young to know what’s going on.”
“I swear she’s looking around for you two, but she’s happy, Sveta. You don’t need to worry about her,” Val tells me.
Trusting him at his word, I sigh and lean my head back against the couch .
“You need to eat something,” he tries to tell me, but I just shake my head.
“I can’t, Val. I’ll just throw it up if I try.”
He squeezes my hand again. “It scares the hell out of me to hear you say that.”
I give a soft laugh and squeeze his hand back. “I’m just as surprised by it as you are. Not even sugar sounds good right now. Vitya would be stunned.”
Saying his name has my voice cracking a bit, but I bite my lip and take a shaky breath, refusing to give it free rein. Fear and a grief unlike anything I’ve ever known threaten to overwhelm me, but I can’t allow myself to give into it, not yet at least, not while there’s still hope.
Val and Yelena sit with me for another hour, and when I’m convinced I’m seconds away from losing my mind with worry, I hear the door across the hall open. I jump to my feet and race across the room, watching as Dr. Bianchi steps out. He’s in surgical scrubs and looks as exhausted as I feel.
“How is he?” I quickly ask.
“He’s alive.”
As soon as I hear the words, my knees buckle right before my brother catches me and Dr. Bianchi quickly adds, “But he’s not in the clear yet, Svetlana. The bullet did a lot of damage, and he lost a lot of blood. He’s in a coma.”
“What?” I clutch at Val’s arm, using him for balance while Yelena supports me on my other side. “What do you mean? Is he going to wake up?”
“There’s no way to tell. His vitals are stable, and I see no evidence of brain damage. He’s alive, but we’re still on very delicate ground here,” he says, and I know it’s his way of gently preparing me for the fact that Vitya could still die.
“Do you have any idea how long it could last?” Val asks him.
“Could be hours, could be days, could be weeks. I really don’t know.” Dr. Bianchi reaches out to squeeze my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sveta. We did everything we could for him. ”
“I know you did. Thank you,” I tell him. “Can I see him?”
“Of course, as soon as you’re ready to. Tony’s still in there. Vitya is breathing on his own, but there’s a nasal cannula in place to help deliver oxygen. It’s nothing to be alarmed about, though. Just be with him and talk to him. That’s what he needs right now.”
Dr. Bianchi gives my shoulder another squeeze before walking towards the stairs. I know he’ll give Dominic an update on his way to the apartment he shares with Lucia before he crashes into bed and gets some much-needed sleep.
“Do you want us to go with you?” Val asks, and I clutch his hand tighter.
“Don’t you dare let me go just yet.”
He and Yelena tighten their grip on me, and instead of beating myself up about being weak, I lean on them for support, so fucking grateful they’re here with me so I don’t have to walk into that room alone.
With shaky, unsteady steps, I walk to the door with Val on my left and Yelena on my right, and when I open it and see Vitya lying unconscious with his chest a mess of bandages and cords coming off him in various places, I let out a sob and run to him. Stopping right next to the hospital bed, I look down at him, unsure of where I can touch him. The tube that Dr. Bianchi told me about is hooked around his ears and against his nose, and I’ve never seen Vitya look so small before. He’s always been a larger-than-life presence, and I don’t like the reminder that he’s human, that he’s capable of getting hurt and being taken from me.
Letting out another sob, I cup his face and lean closer, resting my forehead against his as I cover his face in my tears. “Come back to me, Vitya,” I whisper, hoping that wherever he is he can hear me. “I love you. Please come back to me.”
I gently kiss his lips, hating when they remain still and unresponsive, so unlike the passionate man I’ve grown used to, and when I stand up, I see Tony checking the machines around us .
“Thanks, Tony,” I tell him, knowing that without his help, this could’ve easily gone the other way.
He looks over at me and gives me a small smile. His blue eyes may be partially hidden behind his glasses, but I can easily see how exhausted he is. Tony isn’t much older than me and my cousins, but we rarely see him. He’s usually buried down here stitching someone up. Between the Alessi Mafia and my family’s Bratva, we keep him pretty busy.
“You can sit on the edge of the bed, but be careful to not put any weight on his chest. He has some internal stitches as well as a line of them on both the entrance and exit wounds. His breathing looks good, though, Sveta.” He gives me a smile that’s meant to be reassuring without giving too much hope. “He’s strong, and he’s fighting like hell to stay here with you.”
I thread my fingers through Vitya’s limp hand and nod my head, not trusting myself to speak.
“Talk to him as much as you can, let him know you’re here.” He pushes a few more buttons and then says, “I’ll be back and forth all day, but I’ll be notified if anything changes on his monitors.”
I thank him again and then very carefully sit down on the edge of Vitya’s bed, keeping his hand in mine. Val kisses my head before Yelena gives me one last hug.
“Let me know if you need anything at all, Sveta.” She keeps her arms around me until I nod and promise I will.
“Do you want us to stay? We don’t mind,” my brother says, but now that I’m holding Vitya’s hand and he’s right in front of me, all I want to do is be alone with him.
“I’m okay,” I tell him.
He digs into his pocket and then hands me the phone that I’d left at the farmhouse. “Text me if you need anything at all or if you just want to talk.”
“I will. Thanks, Val.”
I watch them walk away, and before he opens the door, he leans down and kisses Yelena. It’s not a deep, passionate kiss because now just isn’t the time, but his lips linger on hers, and I can feel the love in it all the way across the room. Cupping her face, he pulls back and gives her a wink before caressing her cheek one last time and opening the door. He drops his hand with a sigh, going fully back into cousin mode with her as they walk out and leave me alone with Vitya.
“You can wake up now,” I tell him. “Just in case you were waiting until we were alone.”
His eyes stay closed, no matter how hard I keep wishing they’d open. I kiss the back of his hand, breathing in the familiar scent of him.
“Samantha misses you. She’s upstairs being passed around and spoiled in the best way possible. You’d be so proud of how well she did while we were with Shane. She was such a good baby.”
My voice is shaking so badly I can barely get the words out, but I want him to know I’m here. I want him to know that I’m not going anywhere, that I’ll stay by his side for as long as it takes.
I brush a strand of his dark hair off his forehead and keep talking. I speak to him in Russian, telling him everything I can think of. I start off with the details of how Shane took us and what happened in the motel room, and then I keep going, telling him how much I love him, how I’ve thought of little else but him since he started watching over me, and then I remind him of his promise.
“You promised me you’d always come back, Vitya.” I get on my side, resting my body close enough to his to touch while also being careful to not put any pressure on him. My hands never leave him. I touch and stroke and caress his face, shoulder, and arm, unable to break contact with him for more than a few seconds.
“I’m holding you to that promise,” I remind him. “You can’t go back on your word. I won’t allow it.”
When he still doesn’t wake up, I add, “I talked to my dad. I told him he can’t cut your dick off, so it’s safe to wake up now.”
He doesn’t budge. There’s no sign that he even knows I’m here with him, but I don’t give up. I’ll never give up.
Over the next three days, I fall into a routine that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. My mom and dad take turns forcing me to eat. They try their best to get me to use one of Dominic’s spare rooms and get some sleep, but I refuse to leave Vitya’s side. The only time I’m not right next to him is when I’m forced to take a shower, but even then I insist on using the bathroom that’s attached to this room.
On the fourth day, I’m sitting on the edge of Vitya’s hospital bed, working on a drawing for him when the door opens and Mia comes rushing in. My cousin pushes back her pink dyed hair and rolls her eyes at me while the light catches on her newly pierced nose. She manages to pull a small smile from me because Mia always has a way of lightening the mood.
“It’s not my fault,” she says, her tone making it clear that she won’t be admitting to any wrongdoing anytime soon.
Dario is right behind her, a grim look on his face as he holds a bloody towel to his arm. “Well, who the fuck’s fault is it then?”
Dominic’s cousin looks pissed off, but when he glances over at me, he gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Sveta.” He jerks his chin at Mia. “This one decided to try and stab me during her first lesson.”
“I was just doing what you told me to do,” Mia says, scooting out of the way when Tony comes in.
He scrubs a hand through his dark hair and adjusts his glasses before digging through his supplies and motioning for Dario to take a seat. The ease with which everyone takes their places makes it clear this is a pretty common occurrence. Before he looks over Dario, Tony glances at Vitya, making sure everything looks good on our side of the room. When he’s satisfied there’s no change, he puts his focus back on the angry Italian who’s starting to bleed through the towel he has pressed against his forearm.
Mia steps closer, not even slightly squeamish when Tony pulls the towel off, revealing a deep cut that has me quickly looking away.
“Just a scratch,” Mia mutters. “You can stop being such a baby about it. I was just doing what you taught me to do.”
Dario barks out a laugh and says something in Italian that has Tony holding his hands up while he says in English, “I’m not getting involved in this one. I’m just here to sew you up.”
“I was explaining the rules to you, Mia. For fuck’s sake, you couldn’t even let me get through the rules without slicing me up.” Dario ignores what has to be a really painful series of injections that Tony is giving him to numb the wound as he keeps his focus on Mia.
Mia leans her hip against the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. “And what was rule number one?”
Dario glares at her. She laughs and holds a finger up. “Rule number one: Don’t ever let your guard down.” She gives him a huge smile. “Looks like someone was paying attention after all, and you really have only yourself to blame. You forgot rule number one, Dario.”
Tony tries to cover his laugh with a cough, but Dario catches it and lifts a dark brow at him. “Just here to sew me up, remember, Doc?”
Mia watches while Dario gets a line of stitches, and I keep working on my sketch, stopping every once in a while to caress Vitya’s cheek or squeeze his hand, constantly letting him know that I’m here.
Once Tony is done, he cleans everything up and checks on Vitya before squeezing my shoulder and heading back out. Dario and Mia step closer. She’s a tiny thing, and Dario towers over her. I can’t help but be impressed that she managed to cut him. I’m guessing that’ll be the last time he underestimates her.
“Any change?” Dario asks me. He scrubs a hand over his face, not seeming to be bothered in the slightest by the line of stitches he just got.
“No, not yet,” I tell him, “but he has to be sick to death of hearing me tell him all the boring details of my day, so he should be waking up soon to tell me to shut up.”
He gives me a ghost of a smile and pats my back in support. “I’m sure he will. He’s just taking his time about it. Remember, he’s a goddamn saint when it comes to you, Sveta.” He gives me a friendly wink. “Infinite patience.”
“True enough,” I admit, remembering all the times Vitya silently and patiently endured the all-day mall trips I used to put him through.
Mia’s not much of a hugger, so I’m not at all surprised when she just bumps shoulders with me. I look over and smile at her. My Uncle Lev and Aunt Jolene agreed to let her get her nose pierced when she turned seventeen, and now she’s begging for a tattoo. Last I heard, they’re putting their foot down on that one and making her wait until she’s eighteen, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she gets one sooner. Uncle Lev has a very hard time telling her no.
“You gonna let me design your first tattoo?” I ask her.
She smiles, making the diamond in her nose catch the light. “As if I’d ever trust anyone else to create the perfect design.”
I nudge her back and smile. “Thanks, Mia.”
Sensing I’m getting close to becoming emotional, a thing that’s been happening far too easily lately, she turns to Dario and says, “We still have an hour.”
“Seriously?”
Mia plants a hand on her hip. “Don’t be a baby, Dario. It was just a few stitches.”
She walks away without so much as a backward glance, expecting him to follow after her. He turns his dark eyes to mine.
“Try not to stab her,” I tell him.
“No fucking promises,” he mutters right before he turns and goes after her.
I laugh and run my thumb over Vitya’s cheek. He’s sporting a light beard now, and I know he’ll want to shave it as soon as he wakes up.
“You’ll be happy to know that Mia hasn’t changed a bit. In case you missed it, she just tried to kill Dario during her first training session. He’ll have a new scar because of her.” I run my fingers over his dragon tattoo. “Maybe I should ask him to train me, too. I bet Mia could’ve kicked Shane’s ass in no time.”
When it’s clear Vitya isn’t going to be opening his eyes, I sigh and reach for my stick of charcoal, determined to get his picture done before he wakes.
On the seventh day of Vitya’s coma, I start to lose hope. I feel the weight of his loss heavy on my chest, and as hard as I’m trying to stay positive, the doubt is creeping in fast. Clutching his hand, I kiss the back of it and press it to my cheek.
“Wake up, Vitya,” I beg, leaning closer so I can kiss his face. “Wake up and come back to me. I swear I’ll never make you go to the mall again. I won’t be as big of a pain in the ass, and I’ll even give up sugar for a year. Okay, maybe not a year, but I’ll do it for a month, a whole fucking month. Do you hear me? I’ll eat your grody organic granola, and I won’t even bitch about it.” I cup his face and kiss him again. “Just come back to me.”
The moan he gives is so low I almost miss it, but then I feel his fingers move in mine. I pull back with a gasp, and when he slowly opens his eyes and I see the deep blue of them, I sob in relief and kiss him again.
“I love you so much. Don’t you dare scare me like that again.”
“Sveta,” he whispers. His voice cracks, dry and scratchy from lack of use, but it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
“I’m here. I’m right here.”
He’s so weak he can barely move, but he manages to lift his fingers to caress my cheek. I’m still crying and hovering over him, wetting his face with my tears.
“A whole month,” he teases.
Of course he’d choose to wake up right as I make a ridiculous promise to the universe. “Your brain is fuzzy from the drugs,” I tell him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He gives me a faint smile. “I love you too, by the way.”
He lacks the strength to lift his head, but he looks around, so I quickly say, “She’s fine. My family’s been watching her so I could stay here with you.”
“How long have I been out?”
“A week.”
“Jesus,” he groans. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”
I’m still cupping his face and smiling like an idiot when Tony comes rushing in. He must’ve gotten an alert on his phone that something had changed, and judging by the worried look on his face, he’d been expecting the worst. Relief washes over him when he sees the smile on my face.
“It’s good to have you back, Vitya,” he says, quickly stepping closer to check him over.
I keep my hand wrapped tightly around Vitya’s, refusing to let him go. He better get used to me being glued to his ass, because I’m here for the foreseeable future.