7. Simona
Chapter 7
Simona
“T hank you for letting me stay here,” Nina says, taking the cup of tea I hand her.
I sit down on the couch across from her, sandwiched in between Emily and Jolene with Katya and Alina on the loveseat beside us.
“Of course,” Emily tells her. “I’m glad you came. Your daughter’s going to want to see you as soon as the plane lands.”
Nina nods and looks like she’s fighting tears at the mention of her daughter before she gives a half-hearted smile and says, “Well, my husband wasn’t thrilled about me tagging along, but I kind of insisted.”
“They can be stubborn,” Jolene says, giving her a friendly smile. “And way overprotective.”
“They certainly can be,” Nina agrees. She looks around the large living room we’re in. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you. Believe it or not, we all lived here for a while,” Emily says. “When I met Roman, he and his brothers were all living here. After we got married, we decided to stay, but soon the guys were each marrying and we were all having babies and wanting more space. We all still live close together, though.”
“We live close to Vasily’s brothers, too,” Nina says. “I don’t speak to my parents anymore, so it’s nice to be surrounded by his family.”
“Same here,” Emily says, and we all nod.
My parents died before I met Danil, but I still wish they could’ve met him and our sons. The thought brings a lump to my throat as I fight the tears, just like I’ve been doing all day. I’d told my sisters-in-law about Max’s hand because I wanted to warn them about it before he got here, but we decided to wait on telling their daughters. Natalya and Sveta are both in their third trimester, and Yelena’s already had one miscarriage scare. None of us want to see anything like that happen again. We’ll warn them about it when Max is safe and on the flight home. There’s no reason to upset them now more than they already are. We’re not telling Mia because she’d just grab a gun and insist on going with them so she could exact her own revenge. They’re already having a hell of a time keeping her out of this.
Jolene asks what it’s like living in Oregon, and while Nina tells us about the land they have and how it butts up against the coastline, I try to ignore the sight of Vitaly sneaking up the stairs and pointing a finger at his wife. He, not very discreetly at all, winks at her and curls his finger in a beckoning motion.
When Nina turns around to see what’s going on, Vitaly grins and tries to not look guilty. “I just need to borrow my wife for a second.”
“For just a second?” Jolene asks and lets out a small laugh. “Lev will get a big kick out of hearing that.”
Vitaly grins and wraps an arm around Katya’s waist as soon as she’s close enough. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Jolene. I just need to talk to my wife about something that may or may not require more than a second.”
He’s about to pull his wife from the room when Val walks up the stairs a second later. Seeing all eyes directed at him, he gives us a sheepish grin and rubs a hand at the back of his neck.
“Let me guess,” Vitaly says. “You need to talk to your wife about something too?”
“Yeah,” Val says with a grin while Yelena’s cheeks turn red as she crosses the room to where he’s standing. He pulls her against him, kissing one of her blushing cheeks before whispering something in her ear.
Vitaly laughs and says, “Why don’t you talk to your wife upstairs so you don’t hear the conversation your mom and I are about to have down here.”
Val shakes his head like he’s trying to rid himself of the very unwelcome image and lets out a groan while pulling Yelena towards the stairs. The sound of the others starting to wander up from the lower level has Jolene letting out a soft laugh before she says, “Let me guess, all our husbands need to have a quick word with us before they leave.” She watches as her husband’s face comes into view, his blue eyes locked on hers, lip ring pulled back with the smile he’s giving her. “Yep,” she says before standing up. “We definitely need to discuss a few things before they leave.”
I envy their ability to push everything aside and share an intimate moment. I miss Danil so badly I can feel it in every part of my body, but neither one of us can push past our grief and fear to muster up anything more than a cuddle. It’s eating away at both of us, and I hate it. I’m not surprised when Nina and I are the only ones left on the couch. I knew they’d be the last ones up, wanting to go over the plan one more time, but I am surprised when Nina takes the empty spot next to me and says, “I don’t know about you, but I’d give just about anything to be able to lose myself in my husband for a few precious minutes.”
I let out a laugh that’s more of a sob and nod my head at her. “Me too, but just the thought of it makes me feel so guilty.”
She grabs my hand in a show of support and says, “I always thought losing my husband would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me, but then I became a mom, and I realized what true fear is.”
“I think I might wrap my son in bubble wrap when he gets home and never let him out of my sight,” I admit to her.
She gives me a small smile. “I think that sounds like a very reasonable plan, and I’ll be joining you.”
“My youngest is going with them tonight. The three people I love most in this entire world will all be together in a foreign country, surrounded by people who will actively be trying to kill them.” I let out a shaky breath. “Every second of this wait is going to be hell.”
“It will be,” Nina says, “but we’ll face it together, and at least they can text and let us know when they’ve landed and when they’re on their way back. It’ll be such a relief just to know they’re on that plane back. I think I’ll be able to breathe again once I know Talia is with her dad. They’ll both be safe, and then we start the bubble wrap plan.”
I don’t tell her about my son’s hand, about the screams I heard, the ones that will haunt me until the day I die, the way his beautiful fingers were left mangled as he almost passed out from the pain. I keep all that to myself because as worried as I am about Max, I know Nina’s going through her own hell imagining all the things that could be done to a young woman being held by a vile group of men.
Giving her hand another squeeze, I say, “This is almost over. We just need to keep it together for a little bit longer.”
“Just a little bit longer,” she agrees and then adds, “and then we have permission to completely fall apart.”
“Deal. I’ll bring the alcohol,” I tell her.
She’s grinning at me when our husbands finally trickle in from downstairs, and I swear I can see the relief on Vasily’s face at the sight of it. I know the guys were worried about the Medvedev family, but I knew I liked them the second they walked in and I saw the way Vasily looked at his wife. You can’t fake that kind of love, and it told me everything I needed to know about these men.
“You doing okay, zolotse ?” he asks, walking over to the couch as she stands up to meet him.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine here. You can stop worrying,” she tells him.
“That’ll be the day,” he tells her, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
“Where’s everyone else?” she asks.
Vasily motions towards the stairs. “They’re still down there. They’re checking their equipment, and Bran is trying to figure out where best to set up once we get there.”
Danil motions for me to follow him, but before I walk off, I tell Nina and Vasily, “I’m not sure if Emily told you yet or not, but she set up one of the guest rooms for you. It’s down the hall, last door on the right,” I say, pointing to it. “I doubt any of us will get much sleep tonight, but it’s there if you need it.”
They both say a quick thanks as Danil grabs my hand, leading me in the opposite direction. I’m not surprised when he takes me down the stairs he just came up and right into the bedroom we used to share.
“This room brings back some memories,” he says, looking around at the space we first shared.
“I’d been so scared my first night here, but I knew I was safe with you.” I wrap my arms around him and hug him tightly, resting my face on his chest. “I knew I could trust you.”
“I’ll bring him home to you, sladkaya ,” he promises me. “I’ll keep them safe and bring them both back.”
“I know you will.”
He reaches down to lift me up, raising me as if I weigh nothing so I can wrap my legs around his waist and our faces are close together. I meet his grey eyes, and after over twenty years of marriage, I feel like I sometimes know him even better than I know myself. I rest my forehead against his and my palm against his cheek.
“Keep yourself safe, too,” I whisper. “I want you all three back. I can’t handle losing any of you.”
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” he starts to say, but I press my finger to his lips, silencing his words.
“Don’t you dare,” I tell him.
He raises a brow at me and asks around my finger, “What am I doing?”
“You’re telling me things you want to make sure I know, things that I’ll remember if something happens to you.” My eyes start to fill at the very idea of him not coming home to me. “Don’t,” I whisper. “Please don’t leave me with that.”
“What should I leave you with then?”
I move my finger and press my lips to his. He immediately brings one hand up to cup the back of my head as he moans and deepens the kiss, just as starved for my touch as I am for his. The warmth of his lips on mine, the teasing flick of his tongue, and the soft nip of his teeth leave me breathless and desperate to take this further. I’m still scared to death about Max, still terrified of Niki and Danil having to go to Colombia, and I’m still only inches away from what I swear is my breaking point, but I can’t let my husband leave without feeling him inside me once more. I may not want to think about it, but we both know there’s a chance something could go wrong and he won’t be coming back to me, and if these are our last few moments together, then I’ll never forgive myself if I cheat us both out of this time together.
When I slide my hand down his back and start to tug on his shirt, he groans again and carries me to the bed. Laying me down, he hovers his body over mine and searches my face. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I run my fingers through his hair, memorizing every detail of his face in this moment. “I want to feel close to you. I need this. I think we both need this.”
He grins and quickly pulls his shirt off before ditching the rest of his clothes and then relieving me of my own. When his body is hovering over mine again, he slides his hand under me so he can clasp the back of my neck as he settles himself between my legs.
“I definitely need this, sladkaya . I’ve missed you so goddamn much.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” I whisper as he slowly slides into me. I grip his shoulders and bury my face in his neck, moaning his name when he bottoms out and our bodies are locked together. The pads of his fingers press against my pulse point, letting him feel the beat of my heart like he loves before his lips find mine and he kisses me. Rocking his hips, he works his thick length in and out of me in a slow, intoxicating rhythm that chases all the fears and worries right from my head. With every stroke, every soft caress, and every deep kiss, he reminds me that together we can face anything and that everything is going to be okay.
I cling to that hope as strongly as I cling to him, and I’m not at all surprised to feel myself already reaching the point of no return. My body is aching for a release, and Danil knows exactly what to do to bring me to the edge.
“Fuck,” he growls when I start to come and he feels me grip him harder with my release. My heart races against the pad of his thumb as he buries himself as deeply inside me as he can get and lets go with me.
He kisses me hard, trying to get as much of me as he can, like he wants to brand his body with mine before he goes so he can take a part of me with him. I submit completely, letting him get his fill, and even after he’s empty and the last of the aftershocks have thundered through me, he stays inside me, kissing me slowly and savoring the last few minutes that we have.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.
“I love you, too,” I whisper back. “I’m going to be terrified the whole time you’re gone,” I admit.
“I’ll text you when we get there, and I’ll text you as soon as we have him and we’re on our way back. This will all be over soon, Simona. I promise.”
I meet his eyes and nod, because I believe him. I know my husband, and I know he’ll scour every inch of that country to find our son and bring him home, and he won’t stop until he does.
He gives me one more kiss before sliding out of me. Neither one of us wants the moment to end, but we’re both anxious to get this next part over with. I wish we could just skip ahead to the return flight, because the time in between is going to test my sanity like nothing else ever has.
I sit up and grab my bra while he pulls his boxer briefs on and starts getting dressed. He’s in black tactical gear, but he hasn’t added all his weapons yet. When he’s done, I’m still sitting on the edge of the bed working on my shirt. He comes to stand between my thighs and cups my face.
I look up at him, noticing the hair that’s turning a little more grey with each year and the fine lines around his eyes that never used to be there. I don’t know how it’s possible, but he looks even better than when I first met him. “How come you just keep getting better with age? It’s truly unfair.”
He smiles and gives me a kiss before grabbing my panties and kneeling down so he can help me into them. “And you don’t think you’re getting better with age?”
I snort out a laugh and look down at the body that still needs to lose fifteen pounds and the stretch marks our sons were kind enough to give me. Danil looks up at me and leans closer to kiss my stomach as he slides my panties up my legs.
“You’re even more beautiful to me now than you were when I first saw you,” he says, mirroring what I’d just been thinking about him. “And I don’t know how in the fuck that’s possible, sweetheart, because you knocked me on my ass the first time I laid eyes on you.”
I smile down at him and step into my jeans when he holds them up for me. Once I’m dressed, he pulls me in for another hug and kisses my forehead.
“I’m going to get our son and bring him home to you,” he tells me.
I nod and squeeze him tighter, scared to death to let him go, but also so anxious to have him leave so he can return and this will be over. Cupping my face, he gives me one last kiss before taking my hand and leading me out of the room.
Everyone is busy with last minute preparations when we get upstairs. Danil keeps his hand in mine as he makes his way over to where Niki is sitting at the kitchen island. He’s talking to Vasily’s sons, a plate of food piled high in front of all three of them.
“You need to eat, too,” I tell Danil, already walking around to start making him a plate. I smile at Dima and Bran, and they both return it easily. I notice Dima occasionally signing something to Bran, and my chest tightens at the close bond they obviously share. It reminds me so much of Max and Niki. The two of them have always been close, and Max has always been so protective of his younger brother.
Bran keeps his chair turned a bit so his back is to the wall, making it impossible for someone to sneak up on him from behind, and his eyes are always looking around, taking in every detail of his surroundings. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to work in a Bratva without being able to hear, but I admire the fact that he’s made it work.
Finishing up Danil’s plate, I hand it to him, staying close as he starts to eat. Time passes both way too fast and excruciatingly slow, and when it’s time for them to leave, I grab Niki and pull him in for a big hug, telling myself that it won’t be the last time I feel my youngest child in my arms.
“Listen to your dad and uncles,” I tell him. “Do everything they tell you, Niki. Promise me you won’t leave the boat.”
“I won’t, Mom. I promise,” he tells me.
When I let him go, he stands back up to his full height, towering over me like he has since he was fourteen. I pat his cheek, and he puts up with it because he knows how scared I am and because he has such a good heart.
“I love you, honey. Be safe and tell your brother I love him when you see him, okay?”
“I love you too, Mom, and I will,” he promises.
Before he walks off, Sasha walks up and slings an arm around his shoulders. He looks down at me and smiles. “Don’t worry, Aunt Simona. None of us will let anything happen to Niki.”
I lean in and give them both a hug. “I know you won’t, Sasha,” I tell him, knowing with absolute certainty that my nephew will kill anyone who tries. Instead of being freaked out by that knowledge, I find it very comforting to know Niki will be so protected. “I love you both. Be safe and come home to us soon.”
I let them go so they can grab their bags, and as soon as I do, Danil pulls me into his arms and kisses me. He keeps his lips pressed to mine, both of us drinking in this moment before he finally pulls back.
“I love you, and I will come back to you with both our sons.”
“I know you will. I love you, too, Danechka. Be careful.”
He nods and kisses me once more before reluctantly stepping back. Grabbing a few bags that are loaded with weapons and extra ammunition, he slings them over his shoulder and follows his brothers to the door. It looks like there’s a small army in Roman’s penthouse, and once the men start leaving, it feels very empty.
“Can’t I go with you?” Evgeny asks, looking at his dad and uncles. “This is ridiculous, Dad. I’ll be eighteen in a month.”
Matvey shakes his head, refusing to budge on this one. “Sorry, Ev, but there’s no way in hell your very first job is going to be a covert mission into Colombia. I could never do that to your mom. Plus, I need you here to watch over your sister. Yel needs you.”
“You’re placating me,” Evgeny says.
Matvey smiles at his son and ruffles his hair, which just earns him an annoyed look. “Of course I am. You haven’t even officially joined the Bratva yet. I refuse to risk your life, and I’m not going to change my mind about it.”
Evgeny knows it’s pointless, so he just sighs and gives his dad a hug. “At least tell Max I wanted to be there. Be careful, Dad.”
“I will. We’ll be back before you know it,” Matvey tells him.
“You sure you don’t have room for me?” Mia’s voice has me turning my head, and if I wasn’t so worried I’d laugh at the hopeful look she’s giving her dad. Lev just looks at her like she’s lost her mind and shakes his head.
“No way in hell, not now, not ever, little witch. Stay here with your mom and cousins,” he tells her.
“It’s not fair.” She looks over at her older brother, and when Sasha gives her a big smile, she mutters, “He gets to have all the fun.”
Still grinning, Sasha walks over and gives his little sister a hug. “Don’t worry, sis, I’ll kill a few extra for you.”
“Make it hurt at least,” she says.
He smiles even bigger. “I think you know me well enough to know that I always make it hurt.”
Dario walks over and nudges Sasha’s shoulder. “You ready?”
“Fuck yeah I am,” Sasha says. I know he’s worried about my son, but there’s no denying that he’s excited about this mission. He’s the only one that doesn’t look even slightly worried. Whatever danger this trip involves, Sasha is down for it.
Mia looks up at Dario. He towers over her, dressed all in black and looking dangerous as hell, but she just gives him a sweet smile and says, “Don’t die. We haven’t finished our lessons, and you still need to teach me a few things.”
A smile slips through before he can stop it. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he tells her. “I’d hate to deprive myself of your sunny-as-shit personality.”
She tries to hide her grin when he pats her on the head as he walks off with her brother and dad.
Dominic stops to give his daughter a big hug. She wraps her small arms around his neck while he talks to her in Italian, making light of everything that’s going on so she doesn’t worry. He tickles her and kisses her on both her cheeks before handing her back to Natalya. He leans down and kisses his wife, resting his hand on her very pregnant belly before finally walking away to join the others.
Vitya, Luka, and Val are right behind him, none of them eager to leave their pregnant wives but willing to for the sake of my son. I understand the sacrifices they’re all making, and it’s not something I’ll ever forget. Vitya kisses his wife and daughter while Luka does the same to Lara and Roma. His son squeals and reaches for his dad, and Luka pulls him in for one more quick hug.
Val still has Yelena wrapped in a tight hug, whispering into her ear as he cups the back of her head. I can see her body shaking, and I know she’s crying, and my heart breaks for them. Val’s still injured, but he refuses to stay behind and insists on going to help rescue Max. We’re all worried for him, but Yelena and his mom are taking it the hardest. Katya’s one of the strongest women I know, though, and she’s never once made Val feel guilty about his need to go back and help my son, even though it’s going to put her own son’s life at risk again. She knows it wouldn’t do any good, but she also doesn’t want him to carry around any more guilt than he already is. His focus needs to be on this mission, and none of us want him worried about anything else. Knowing it doesn’t make it any easier, though, and when Val is forced to step back from his wife, I see the pain and fear in her dark eyes.
He rests his hand on her stomach and presses his forehead to hers, whispering something that’s just for her. Whatever he says has her placing her own hand on her stomach, resting it on top of his before he gives her one last kiss and steps away.
Alina immediately steps in, wrapping an arm around her daughter as she smiles up at Val. “We’ll make sure she’s okay, Val. Just keep yourself safe.”
“I will,” he tells her and then he looks over at me. “We’re bringing him home, Aunt Simona.”
“I know you will,” I tell him.
He gives a wave before telling Yelena he loves her one last time and then steps into the elevator with Luka and the others. He keeps his eyes on his wife until the doors shut, and we’re left alone—a roomful of family and the guards who have been assigned to stay. Three of them are Medvedev men, but they fade into the background just as easily as our guys do. We’re all so used to them by now that we barely notice them.
Sveta gives a dramatic sigh and sinks into the couch cushions. “Now we get to sit and wait. It’s a good thing I’m such a patient person or this would be pure agony,” she says, sarcasm dripping from every word as she props her feet up and opens an arm so her daughter can snuggle up against her.
“At least you’re a pregnant woman,” Evgeny says, sitting down next to her. “This is humiliating. I’m the only guy left behind.” He smiles when Samantha crawls into his lap and starts clapping her hands.
“Well, she’s sure happy you’re here,” Sveta tells him with a grin.
Natalya leans down and whispers something to Isabella, and soon the little girl is running and yelling, “Uncle Ev!” before jumping onto the couch next to him. When Lara sets Roma down and he starts crawling like a baby on a mission, Evgeny laughs and scoops him up as soon as he’s close enough.
He looks at his cousins and gives a soft laugh. “You’re not fooling me. You just want a babysitter.”
“Of course we do,” Lara says, sitting down on the loveseat and propping her feet up. “We’re pregnant and our kids have way too much energy.”
The rest of us take the remaining seats, and we’re all grasping our cell phones because none of us want to miss a single message or phone call. It’ll be hours before they reach Colombia, but I don’t care. My cell isn’t leaving my hand until they’re safe and I’m watching their plane land. Nina takes the spot next to me, smiling when Isabella gets curious and makes her way over. She starts showing Nina her favorite stuffed animals, and when Isabella runs back to get more, Nina looks over at me, and I recognize the longing in her eyes, because I’m feeling the same thing.
“I can’t wait to have grandkids,” she admits, and as soon as her eyes start to grow glassy, I grab her hand.
“Don’t go there,” I warn her. “Don’t let your mind start telling you all the things that could go wrong. You have three kids, and they’re all going to give you lots and lots of grandkids.”
She nods and gives me a wobbly smile. “You, too. Your two boys will do the same for you.”
“We’ll have to keep in touch so we can send each other pictures,” I tell her. I’m not sure if Max is going to want to stay in touch with their daughter or if he’s not going to want the reminder of this painful time, but I like Nina, and I hope she’ll want to stay in contact after this is all over.
The sound of a phone ringing has my heart jumping in my chest. I know it’s not mine, so I look around, stopping when I see Jolene answer hers. After a second she sighs and says, “You scared me half to death, Lev. I thought something had gone wrong.” After a second, she laughs and looks at her daughter. “Yes, I’m looking right at her. I swear, babe, she’s sitting next to me on the couch.”
Mia raises a brow at her mom, who whispers, “Your dad was afraid you might try and sneak out and stowaway on the plane.”
Mia laughs and talks loud enough for her dad to hear. “I’m right here, Dad. Don’t worry, Sasha made me promise earlier that I’d keep my butt here. You are all clear for takeoff.”
“He says he loves you,” Jolene says.
“Love you too, Dad,” Mia shouts back.
When Jolene hangs up a few seconds later, she looks around the room and says, “They’re loading up the planes. Lev was just worried that Mia might try to crash the party.”
“It did cross my mind,” Mia admits, “but I promised Sasha I wouldn’t, and Dario threatened to not teach me any more self-defense for an entire month if I tried anything. Plus,” she adds, “I would never do anything to screw this up. Come on, give me a little bit of credit.”
“We know you wouldn’t,” Jolene tells her, reaching out to brush back some of her pink-dyed hair. “Your dad just worries about you.”
“You can tell him he can stop now. I’m almost eighteen,” she says, and we all laugh.
“Yeah, that’s never going to change,” I tell her. “You’ll be fifty, and he’ll still be calling up and checking on you.”
“Dad is still constantly checking on me,” Natalya says with a grin, “and I’m married and about to give birth to our second baby in a few weeks. Prepare yourself, Mia. It never ends.”
“Yeah,” she argues, “but I’m not getting married or having kids, and Dario’s been teaching me how to use a knife since I turned seventeen. I know how to take care of myself.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jolene tells her while we all nod in agreement. “You’re his little girl, Mia. No matter how old you get, he’ll always see you as his little witch.”
Mia tries to look irritated, but I see the smile, and I know she’s incapable of getting angry at her dad. She loves her family too much to stay mad for longer than a few seconds. She’s determined to join the Bratva one day, though. We all thought she’d grow out of it, but at almost eighteen, she’s more determined than ever.
I half-listen as the others start talking. My mind keeps wandering to my husband and boys. I understand how Lev feels, because even though Max is twenty-one, he’s still my baby—the little grey-eyed boy who loved to climb into my lap while I played the piano, giggling every time I hit a new note. It kills me that he’s hurting, that right at this very moment he’s in excruciating pain and I can’t make things better for him.
My nerves are in knots, and we’re not even a full hour into this thing. As much as I want to have a meltdown, I can’t allow that to happen. I can’t give in to my fear and worry. If my family can be strong, then so can I. I can be brave for the men I love, and I can hold myself together until all three of them are safe and in front of me.
After that, I’m having the breakdown I so rightfully deserve.