18. Vitya
Chapter 18
Vitya
T he next day, I’m antsy, waiting around and checking my phone until I finally hear a soft knock at the door. I race to it before Sveta can notice. Stepping into the hall, I see Val waiting with a bag in his hand and a smile on his face.
“I can’t believe you managed to keep this a secret,” he says, handing me the bag.
“You and me both. Your sister is nosy as hell and has no respect for personal boundaries.”
He laughs and says, “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.”
“Thanks for picking this up for me, Val.”
“Anything for my brother-in-law,” he says, giving my shoulder a squeeze on his way back to the elevator.
I watch him leave, wishing like hell Seryozha could be here. He would’ve loved Sveta and her family. He wouldn’t have ever wanted to be a part of the Bratva, but he would’ve enjoyed hanging out with them all the same. Pushing aside thoughts of my brother, I quietly slip back inside.
“What are you up to? ”
“Jesus,” I say, turning around and facing my sneaky wife. “I don’t understand how anyone as loud as you can still be stealthy.”
She gives me her cute smirk and plants a hand on her hip. “I’m a woman of many talents.”
I give her a wink. “I’m well aware.”
She fights a smile and points to the bag in my hand. “What’s that?”
I hold up the bag. The silk strings of it are hooked onto my fingers as I swing the signature blue bag.
“Tiffany’s, huh?” she asks, trying to not show how excited she’s getting. “You wake up this morning and decide you needed something?”
I grin and pull the bag out of reach when she tries to make a grab for it. “More like I placed an order at Dominic’s and it was just finished this morning. Your brother was kind enough to pick it up for me.”
“Val’s in on this?” She frowns, but her eyes are still on the bag. “I just talked to him this morning. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”
“It’s called a surprise, Sveta. Some people can keep secrets.”
Her eyes dart to mine. “I can keep secrets. You didn’t know about me sneaking out with Natalya, did you? And you didn’t know I was in love with you this whole time either, so I think I’m pretty good at keeping things hidden when I need to.”
I step closer, threading the fingers of my free hand through her hair and tipping her head back so her eyes are on me again.
“I didn’t know about the sneaking out part, but I knew you were in love with me.” Smiling, I add, “Or I hoped you were. At the very least, I knew you really wanted to fuck me.”
She laughs and rests her hands on my chest. “I still do, if that counts for anything.”
“It’s everything, pcholka .” I lean down and kiss her, letting her know that I feel the same way about her. There will never be a time when I don’t want to be inside this woman. If I’m breathing, then I’m wanting her. That’s never going to change. Before I stand back up to my full height, I keep my lips close to hers and say, “No secrets between us, Sveta. Promise me. ”
“What about this?” she asks, eyeing the blue bag I’m still holding.
“That’s a present, sweetheart, not a secret. You know what the hell I’m talking about, stubborn girl. Promise me.”
She smiles and gives me another kiss before whispering, “I promise to never keep secrets from you, Vitya, unless it’s a present.”
Kissing the tip of her nose, I smile and hand her the bag. I’m surprised by how nervous I am now that she’s about to open it. I run a hand through my hair and then shove it in the pocket of my jeans, refusing to give into the urge to fidget. She smiles, clearly amused at my inability to play it cool. I don’t have the kind of money her family does, but they pay well, and I’ve always saved the majority of what I make, so I had more than enough to splurge at the jewelry store.
When she reaches into the bag, I say, “Do the long one first.”
She glances inside and then looks up at me. “Why are there three boxes?”
“Don’t get too excited. One of them is for me.”
“You know you didn’t have to get me anything, right?”
I laugh, because we both know there was no way in hell I wasn’t going to get her a ring, and we also both know that there was no way she would ever tolerate not having one.
“I’m being serious, Vitya.”
“Open the box, pcholka ,” I tell her, because as cute as it is to watch her trying to convince me she would’ve been fine without a ring, I’m nervous and anxious to see if she likes what I had custom made for her.
She bites back a grin and opens the blue box with the white ribbon wrapped around it. As soon as she sees the diamond bracelet with the little bee charm, she lets out a soft gasp and immediately runs her fingers over the diamonds. When she remains silent, just staring at the gift, I can’t help but ask, “Do you like it?” She doesn’t answer, so I quickly say, “If you hate it, we can do something else. You don’t have to wear it. We can go back and you can pick out whatever you want.”
Completely humiliated, I reach for the box to close it and hide it from sight, but she quickly pulls it back and looks up at me. Her eyes are filled with unshed tears, and for one horrible moment, I think she’s actually crying because she hates it so much, but then she jumps in my arms, wrapping herself around me and nearly throwing me off balance because it’s the last thing I was expecting.
“I love it so much,” she whispers in my ear, hugging me tighter.
“Jesus, Sveta, you scared the hell out of me. Next time lead with that.”
She laughs and pulls back so our faces are even. “Why on earth would you think I wouldn’t love this?”
I shrug. “I thought you might. I mean, I designed it for you, but then when you didn’t say anything, I started to worry that you hated it. This is new territory for me. I’ve never given gifts or picked out jewelry.” I give a soft laugh. “I don’t have the faintest fucking idea what I’m doing.”
“Yes, you do,” she says, her voice full of confidence as she holds up the bracelet. “This is the most beautiful and thoughtful gift I’ve ever been given. I love it, Vitya, but I love you even more.”
“So super sweet after orgasms and jewelry,” I say with a grin. “I’m filing all this away.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “I’m always super sweet.”
I smack her ass before setting her back down. “True enough, baby, even if you do still use your stinger every once in a while.”
“Just keeping you on your toes.”
I smile and take the bracelet from the box. She holds her wrist out, and when I put it on her, it fits perfectly. Diamonds circle the entire bracelet, and at the end there’s a little bee charm. Perfect for my pcholka . I kiss the back of her hand before I let go.
“It looks beautiful on you,” I tell her.
She gives me a huge smile and turns her hand around, examining it from all angles. “It’s beautiful, Vitya.”
Feeling a bit more confident now that I know she likes the first gift, I say, “Open the next one. It’s the bigger of the two.”
She grabs the ring box, leaving the smaller one in the bag, but before she can open it, I put my hand over hers.
“Wait, I changed my mind. I know we’re doing this completely backwards,” I say with a laugh, “but we’re still doing it. I want you to have the whole experience.”
I kneel in front of her, keeping my hands clasped around hers. “I love you more than anything, Sveta, and I can’t imagine my life without you.” I give a soft laugh. “We’re already married, and I’ve already proposed, but I’m going to ask again because you deserve everything, and I don’t ever want you to feel like you were cheated out of this moment. Although, I’ll happily get on my knees for you anytime you want, baby, and ask again.”
“And while you’re down there,” she starts to say, making me laugh.
Grabbing her hip with one hand, I pull her closer and kiss the seam of her jeans that runs right between her legs while I keep my eyes lifted up to hers. “Sweetheart, I’ll eat this sweet pussy anytime you want me to. You don’t even need to ask. Just give me one of your hungry looks, and I’ll gladly fall to my knees for you.”
“Yes,” she whispers, running her hand through my hair. “I’ll marry you, and I’ll wear your ring,” she smiles and adds, “and I’ll always spread my legs for you when you fall to your knees and look at me like you are right now.”
I grin back at her and slowly pop the button on her jeans. “Open the box, baby.”
Her eyes grow heated when I slowly slide her zipper down. Gripping her jeans, I spread them open, revealing more of her pink, lacy panties. I press my nose against her and breathe her in as she opens the box and lets out a gasp. Wanting to be the one to put her ring on, I force my attention off the enticing sight of her bare flesh peeking out through the see-through fabric and reach for the box.
“They’re gorgeous,” she whispers.
“I’m glad you like them, sweetheart, because you’re not allowed to ever take them off.”
She smiles as I grab the platinum wedding band that’s a full circle of diamonds and slip it onto her ring finger before doing the same with the engagement ring. It’s an emerald-cut diamond, and it looks sexy as hell on her finger.
“My turn,” I tell her, holding my hand up and giving her a grin while I lean closer and kiss her panties.
Her fingers shake as she opens the other box, pulling out the much simpler-looking, masculine, platinum band I’d chosen for myself. I didn’t want anything flashy, but I did have them engrave something special on the inside.
“Read it,” I tell her.
She holds it up, and I see her eyes go misty again. “In a whisper, she reads, Sveta—my love, my life .” Letting out another shaky breath, she says, “That’s the sweetest thing ever, Vitya.”
I smile up at her. “I’m a pretty sweet guy.”
She laughs and slides the ring onto my finger. Before I met her, I never had any desire to be tied to anyone, but she’s changed everything, and when the ring is securely on my finger, it feels so damn right, like my whole life was leading me to this exact moment.
“You’re not allowed to take that off either,” she tells me.
“Never, baby.” I yank her jeans down without warning, and she quickly grabs onto my shoulders for support. Samantha will be waking up from her nap soon, but we still have some time, and I intend to use every second of it. Running my tongue up her panty-covered slit, she moans my name, already rocking her hips and arching up for me.
“Have I told you how much I love you today?” I ask, sucking her swollen clit through the lace.
“Yes, just a few minutes ago,” she says in a breathy rush that holds both amusement and lust as I keep licking and sucking on her delicate folds.
“Hmm, too long,” I murmur against her skin. “Time for me to tell you again with my tongue.”
And that’s exactly what I do. Ripping her panties off, I bury my head between my wife’s legs and feast on her sweet pussy until she’s biting back her screams and bucking against my greedy mouth like the little wild thing she is. Even after she comes, I take my time with her, unwilling to let her go, even though she’s overly sensitive and squirming beneath my touch, I keep teasing her, bringing her back to where I want her, and when I do finally slide into her, she’s already so far gone that all she can do is cling to me as I take her in a hard, fast rhythm.
By the time our daughter lets out her I’m awake scream, Sveta is barely keeping her eyes open. I give her another kiss before standing and pulling my clothes on. Giving a soft laugh, I leave my wife sprawled out on the living room floor—dripping my seed, sated and happy and wearing nothing except a satisfied smile and the diamonds I bought for her.
Fucking perfect.
When I reach in Samantha’s crib and pick her up, I feel like the luckiest bastard alive. My daughter smiles and reaches out to touch my face. Her soft, uncoordinated movements are cute as hell, and when I smile even bigger, she squeals and kicks her legs.
“Someone woke up happy,” I tell her, but the truth is she always wakes up like this. She’s definitely going to be a glass half full kind of person, and I plan on doing everything I can to make sure that never changes.
By the time I get her diaper changed and walk back out into the living room, Sveta’s managed to pull her clothes back on. She’s still looking adorably ravished with her hair sticking out and makeup smeared, and when I pull my phone out and snap a quick pic, she raises a brow at me while I laugh.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her.
“I look like you just had your way with me.”
I smile even bigger. “Exactly.”
I grab Samantha’s bottle and settle in with her while Sveta gets herself looking presentable again. I like her how she is now, but she’s going out to look for a dress to wear to our wedding celebration party, so it’s best she doesn’t walk around looking like a woman who enjoys a nice hard fuck, not while I’m not around to protect her at least. Today’s shopping trip is a women-only thing, and she made it clear I wasn’t invited. I’m not allowed to see the dress until the day of.
When she walks back in, her makeup is fixed, hair is combed, and she’s changed into a red sweater that hugs her like a second skin, accentuating the breasts that I’m acutely aware have grown since the first time I touched them.
My wife is definitely pregnant.
I take in the sight of her and ask, “How many bodyguards will be going with you?”
She smiles and comes over to sit down next to me so she can grab Samantha. “A ton. My mom and all my aunts are coming, along with Natalya, Lara, Mia, and Yelena, so we’ll have Melnikov guards and Alessi men. You can stop worrying now.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“Daddy’s being overprotective again,” she tells Samantha while she kisses her chubby cheeks. “Just wait until you try to date.”
“Good god, don’t even joke about that,” I say, not wanting to think about our daughter growing up and all the things that could happen to her.
Sveta laughs and in a dramatic whisper says, “Don’t worry, Sam, I’ll try to talk sense into him before you turn sixteen.”
I huff out a breath. “Good luck with that.”
“We’re not locking her up, Vitya.”
“I never said anything about locking her up, but she will be well-protected, and we’re going to make sure her bodyguard is old and married.” I meet her eyes and add, “Kind of like the one you’re getting.”
She laughs. “As if I could ever want another man.”
“Glad to hear that, pcholka , but I’m not worried about you behaving yourself. I’m worried about him. Your dad and I are still debating on who it should be.”
“You still going over to Dominic’s while we shop?”
“Yeah, we’re babysitting and grilling some steaks.”
She points to the large window. “You do realize it’s snowing, right?”
I shrug and say, “Dominic’s patio is covered, and I’m bringing Samantha’s snowsuit so she’ll be nice and warm.”
Sveta kisses Samantha until the room is filled with her cute belly laughs, and when she hands her back to me, Sam reaches for my face and starts blowing raspberries. She’s a big slobbery mess because she’s started teething. I’m not sure when I got so used to being covered in various bodily fluids, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I grab the burp rag and wipe her face clean, giving her the pink pacifier that’s attached to her shirt and then putting her into her car seat.
“You ready to go for a ride in your Uncle Val’s car?” I ask her while I turn on the musical toys we have hanging from the seat’s handle. She reaches for the colorful dog that’s lighting up with the beat of the song and baby talks around her pacifier.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” I tell her. Standing up, I pull Sveta to me and cup her face before kissing her like I’ll never be able to get enough, because the truth is I’ll never be able to. That’s sure as hell not going to stop me from trying, though.
“Damn,” she whispers when I pull back and caress her cheek with my thumb.
“Text me so I know you’re okay,” I tell her.
“I will,” she promises. “Have fun with my family.”
I laugh and kiss her once more as the doorbell rings. “Your dad isn’t head over heels for me yet, but I think he’s close.”
She laughs and squeezes my ass. “How could he not be?”
“I know. I’m just as stunned as you are.”
Grabbing her hand, we open the door together, and we’re immediately swarmed by her family. Katya stops to give me a hug, but Vitaly walks right in and after kissing Sveta’s head, he goes straight towards Samantha. He’s already baby talking to her before Val can even nod his head at me in greeting. Vitaly does have his favorites, and I think it’s safe to say that I will never be one of them. He’s not trying to kill me, though, and I think Samantha is rubbing off on me and turning me into an optimist, because I think that means he might be warming up to me.
Before Sveta can leave, I grab her wrist and jerk my chin towards the hat and gloves that are sitting on the table in the entryway. I smile when I hear her mutter something under her breath as she reaches out to grab them. She tugs the gloves on while I pull the knitted cap down over her head, pulling it low enough so it covers her ears .
When she looks up at me, I give her a wink and say, “Get the scarf, too, baby.”
“Seriously?”
I lean closer and whisper in her ear, “Don’t make me ask again, sweetheart. I’d hate to have to put you over my knee in front of your family.”
The soft gasp she gives is cute as fuck. “You wouldn’t,” she whispers.
“You should know me better than that by now, Sveta. I never make empty promises. The scarf, baby, right fucking now.”
Her breath tickles my ear when she lets out another sigh, because I’m clearly working on her last nerve. I smile even bigger and watch as my little wife obeys me, grabbing her scarf and then wrapping it around her slender neck. Willing myself to not get hard while her dad is only a few feet away, I take a deep breath and manage to keep my body in check. The last thing I want to do is remind him of the appendage that I’m guessing he’d still very much like to cut off.
After Sveta is properly dressed and warm enough, we all leave the building together, and once we’re in the parking garage, I give her one more kiss before she and her mom get into a waiting SUV with two of our men. They’re all meeting at Alina and Yelena’s since their apartment is closest to the stores they want to visit. We watch them drive off, and I give a wave, even though the windows are tinted. It’s ridiculous that I miss her already, but I do.
“Your love for my daughter is the only thing that makes you tolerable.”
I turn to stare at Vitaly. “I feel like that’s meant to be a compliment, but, fuck, is it buried deep.”
He laughs and smacks me on the back. “Come on, let’s get my precious granddaughter buckled in.”
“You sure you’re okay with this?” I ask Val. I know how particular he is about his Jaguar.
“She’ll be fine,” Val says. “If she’s anything like her mom, though, I’m going to need to put in rubber seat protectors when she’s old enough for a toddler seat.”
“I might get some of those now for Sveta,” I tell him, making him laugh.
“God, she’d love that,” he says.
“Sveta gets cranky if she doesn’t snack regularly,” Vitaly says, defending his daughter from the back seat as he buckles Samantha in. “I’ve been told I have the same condition.”
Val raises a brow at me and bites back a laugh, getting in the driver’s seat and filling the parking garage with the beautiful sound of his engine purring to life. It’s a really fucking gorgeous car.
“I’m riding back here with her,” Vitaly says, already shutting the door in my face.
I get in the passenger side, looking back to make sure Samantha’s happy and secure. She doesn’t seem even slightly upset by the car’s loud noise. She’s too busy laughing at the silly faces her grandpa is making at her.
When we get to Dominic’s, everyone else is already there. Val parks next to Matvey’s black Camaro, and I’m not at all surprised to see Vitaly cover Samantha in her pink, fuzzy blanket before getting her car seat out of the back. He carries her while we head inside, and before I can even knock, Lucia is opening the door and ushering us in.
“Come in, come in,” she says in her fast, Italian accent. “Samantha must be freezing.”
“She’s all bundled up,” Vitaly tells her, but Lucia is having none of it. She waves him off with a smile and reaches down to unbuckle Samantha’s car seat and lift her out of it. Samantha must remember her from when she stayed here while I was getting better, because I swear my daughter lights up when she sees her.
Lucia walks off, speaking rapid Italian to a smiling Samantha in between calling out for us to follow her.
“Italians are so bossy,” Vitaly mutters.
“Yeah,” Val says with a laugh. “ They’re the bossy ones. ”
Vitaly looks offended when he turns to his son. “Everyone knows their tempers run hot.”
“And you’re laid-back?” Val asks, teasing him.
“You bet your ass I am,” Vitaly counters and then turns his gaze to me.
“Don’t bring me into this,” I say, but he ignores me.
“He’s still standing, isn’t he? And he’s doing it with his dick still attached. I’d say I’m the most laid-back son-of-a-bitch on the planet.”
“Are you still talking about Vitya’s dick?”
We all look over to see Roman walking towards us. He grins and shakes his head at his brother.
“For what it’s worth, I really wish he’d stop,” I say, earning me a scowl from Vitaly.
“I’m not talking about his dick,” he says. “I was just telling my son that I’m laid-back. Vitya still having a dick is proof of that.”
“No,” Roman says. “It’s proof that you love your daughter.” He gives a soft laugh. “I mean, it is her favorite toy.”
“Fucker,” Vitaly mutters on his way past, making Roman laugh even harder.
“I’m never going to let him forget that,” Roman says, turning back to us. “I still watch that video when I want a good laugh.”
I groan and follow after Vitaly, leaving Roman and Val to laugh about the drug-induced show I’d put on. Everyone is already in the sunroom, and Dominic is making trips in and out of the house to watch the grill while Isabella tags along after him. Judging by the small spatula in her hand and the pink, toy grill next to his on the veranda, she’s on a mission to be just like her daddy.
As soon as she sees us walk in, she runs over to give everyone hugs. Vitaly scoops her up, and then Val does the same when he walks in. I’m all set to hang back, but she surprises me by yelling, “Uncle Vitya,” before running over and squeezing my leg in a tight hug.
“Hey, Isabella,” I tell her, bending down so I can get a real hug. She throws her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. She’s seen me her whole life, but she’s never greeted me like this, and I can’t help but be touched by it. Her mom and dad have obviously explained to her that I’m now married to her aunt, and she’s just given me her two-year-old stamp of approval.
When Lucia hands Samantha over to Matvey, Isabella lets me go and runs over to give her cousin a kiss. I stand back up and walk over to where Luka and Max are. They’re both snacking on the food that Lucia has loaded the table with.
“Hey, Vitya,” Max says, handing me one of the bowls of chips.
Luka points at the wedding band that’s now on my left, ring finger. “How’s married life treating you?”
I can’t help but grin. “It’s pretty damn good.”
He smiles back, because he gets it. Lara came in and knocked him on his ass, and I know he couldn’t be happier about it. Max is still single, so instead of gushing about family life with him, I ask, “Everything still look good with the Dempsey woman?”
I hate mentioning the name of the woman who tried to buy my daughter, but just because her name leaves a bad taste in my mouth doesn’t mean I get the luxury of not asking. I have to know, even if that means bringing up things I’d rather forget.
“Niki said everything is still looking good. She’s already moved, went back to California where her parents are. Her husband was the corrupt one. She was actually a rule follower until she hooked up with him at nineteen. Her life went to shit after that. I did her a favor by shooting that prick.”
She may have just been a very lonely woman who got caught up with the wrong man and thought having a baby would bring some happiness into her life, but I really don’t give a shit what her reasoning was. She tried to steal my daughter from me, so she can go fuck herself for all I care. Knowing it’s not Max’s fault, I skip all that and say, “Thanks for letting me know. I don’t see her ever being a threat, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
“For sure,” Max agrees, “that’s why Niki will keep watching her, and if we need to, we can take her out.”
“Hey, he finally fell asleep,” Luka says, smiling as his brother walks over. Damien’s holding a sleeping Roma. The little boy is sprawled out across Damien’s chest with his head on his uncle’s shoulder. Damien’s softly rocking his weight from side to side and patting his nephew’s back. I glance around the room and bite back a laugh. The city’s most notorious men are all gathered together, and what are we doing? Loving on two babies and watching the cutest little toddler pretend to grill next to her daddy.
Dario and Alessandro walk in, and when Dominic sees his cousins, he waves them over. Isabella notices them and drops her spatula as she runs over. She’s bundled in a pink snowsuit, and her movements are anything but graceful. It’s ridiculously cute to watch. Alessandro laughs and scoops her up before handing her off to his brother. Dario tells her something in Italian and she throws her head back and laughs.
Lev and Sasha arrive a few minutes later, and I watch as Isabella runs to her grandpa and uncle. I still vividly remember how Sasha had looked in his bloody skull mask while he eviscerated a man, and to see him kneeling down and hugging on his niece is absolutely fucking surreal.
“I know, right?” Luka murmurs next to me, watching the same interaction between Sasha and Isabella. He gives a soft laugh, “Fucking eerie, isn’t it?”
“Have you seen his skull mask yet?” I ask him.
Max looks over and grins. “We were with him when he bought it. Fucking psycho.”
As if sensing we’re talking about him, Sasha looks over at us. For just a brief second, he lets the mask drop, giving us the dead stare that he’s a master at hiding, before a slow grin spreads across his face. He kisses the top of Isabella’s head and then lets her go so she can run back to her dad.
“Jesus,” Luka whispers, giving another laugh. “I’m so fucking glad he’s on our side.”
“You and me both,” I say.
Sasha walks over and goes straight to the large antipasto spread. He fills a plate with marinated olives and mozzarella balls and adds some goat cheese and crackers to the mix. Turning to us, he asks, “You guys talking about me?”
Max laughs and elbows his cousin as he takes a large bite, nearly making him choke on his food.
“Bastard,” Sasha says with a laugh.
“Hell yeah we’re talking about you,” Luka tells him. “We were talking about your creepy-ass skull mask.”
Sasha grins. “That thing is cool as hell, man. It’s all nice and broken in now too.”
“You mean covered in blood splatter?” Damien asks, still patting Roma’s back to keep him asleep.
“Exactly,” Sasha says, giving a soft laugh.
“Steaks are done,” Dominic says, walking in. He’s carrying a large platter of grilled meat and Dario is right behind him with another.
“You got it, baby girl?” Alessandro asks Isabella, who’s carrying her own platter of pretend food with a very determined look on her face.
“Yep,” she tells him, balancing it all and carrying it straight to her grandpa.
Lev quickly kneels in front of her, taking the plate she offers. “Is this for me?”
She understands the Russian and nods her head, giving him a big smile and then laughing when he pretends to eat every last bite of it. Evgeny squats down and asks for some, which has Isabella smiling even bigger before she grabs his hand, leading him to the corner where she has all her play food set out.
“You can tell she’s Italian,” Dominic says with a laugh. “Already trying to feed everyone.”
“Half-Russian,” Lev corrects.
“I guess that part will come out when she’s old enough to drink,” Alessandro says, making his cousins laugh.
“Yeah, because everyone knows Italians hate wine,” Vitaly says with a laugh. “I’m going to get her some fake bottles of wine so she can pretend to top off everyone’s drinks at Christmas.”
Dominic shoots him a look. “Don’t forget I can buy your grandkid presents now. Better be nice, Vitaly, or Santa’s going to be bringing all kinds of interesting things for Samantha.” He smiles at Vitaly’s horrified look. “We just bought Isabella a teddy bear that sings songs in Italian. It’s very loud and obnoxious, and the damn thing never shuts off, but she loves it, so we’re stuck listening to it all day.” He smiles even bigger. “Perfect gift for Samantha. Don’t you think?”
“Don’t you dare,” Vitaly warns.
Dominic shrugs. “That depends on whether or not you’re still planning on buying my daughter fake wine bottles.”
Vitaly laughs and holds up his hands. “Maybe two is a little young for that.”
“You think, Dad?” Val asks from across the room.
Vitaly laughs at his son’s tone. “I said I wasn’t going to buy it.”
“Not this year at least,” Danil mutters loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Well, the singing Italian teddy bear is something that can be ordered at anytime. Just remember that,” Dominic warns.
“I don’t suppose I get a say in this?” I ask. “I mean, she is my daughter.”
Dominic smiles over at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to have the bear sent to Vitaly’s apartment.” He waves a hand at the five Melnikov brothers and says, “In case you didn’t already know, they’re crazy, and they make very overbearing grandpas.”
“Hey,” Lev says. “I take offense to that. We make very good grandpas.” He turns to Vitaly and Roman. “Don’t we?”
Roman smiles. “The best.”
“I just became one, and I think I’m already banging it out of the park,” Vitaly says.
Dominic laughs. “I didn’t say you made bad grandpas. I said you were overbearing.”
Vitaly grins. “Oh, well, that’s okay then.”
Roman laughs. “Yeah, that’s never going to change.”
“We just know the right way to parent,” Lev says. Turning to his son-in-law, he adds, “You’re welcome for all this amazing advice, by the way.” He points a finger at Isabella, who’s now happily delivering plastic plates that are loaded up with pretend food to all the men seated at the table. “I mean, look at how perfect she is.”
Dominic sighs. “And you think my daughter’s perfection is because of you?”
Lev and his brothers laugh, clearly believing it’s their family genes that are at work here.
Dario laughs and pulls the sleeve of his shirt up, revealing the angry wound on his arm that’s still healing. “Your daughter did that,” he tells Lev.
Lev grins and gives a soft laugh. “Fuck yeah she did.”
“Jesus,” Dominic groans, giving up on trying to talk sense to his crazy in-laws and instead focuses on fixing a plate for Isabella.
Samantha’s fallen asleep in Matvey’s arms, and when I try to take her, he tells me she’s fine and for me to fix my own plate. I laugh when Vitaly reaches over and starts to cut his brother’s steak so he can eat while he holds her.
Matvey grins. “You’re so sweet to me.”
Vitaly laughs, but he keeps cutting. I don’t bother arguing, because they’ve obviously got the situation under control and Samantha is happy and in a deep sleep. When I sit down to my own plate, I feel my phone vibrate. Taking it out, I read the text from Sveta.
Wife:
You like?
The picture that comes next is of her thigh. She’s in a dressing room, and she’s angled the camera so I can see the thigh high she’s wearing and a hint of the matching lacy panties.
Me:
Fuck yes I do.
Wife:
Good because I kind of went crazy and picked out a bunch of lingerie. I had no idea it would be so much fun.
Me:
Buy as much as you want, pcholka, but don’t get too attached to it. No promises that it won’t get ripped while I’m fucking you in it.
Wife:
Promises, promises.
I smile at her last text that’s clearly a taunt. I have no problem following through with my threat. She’s going to need to go back to that store and rebuy everything, and I’m going to be right next to her when she does it. I can’t wait to see the embarrassed blush on her cheeks. It’ll also give me a chance to pick out a few things for her myself. She’s right. Lingerie shopping is going to be a lot of fun.