10. Savanna
Savanna
When Niki pulls back to meet my eyes, the look he’s giving me has me forgetting about every other person in the room, even though there are a ton of them. His grey eyes are filled with something that I’m too afraid to put a word to, too afraid it will ruin everything if I do.
His smile is just as sweet, and yet again I’m stunned by how perfect this man is.
He can appear shy and a bit unsure of himself in the cutest way imaginable, but there’s another side of him.
I caught glimpses of it when he took me for a ride on his motorcycle and when he so easily brushed Deirdre off with zero hesitation.
He might appear shy at times, but Niki is no pushover.
He knows what he wants, and he’s quietly confident in his abilities.
He proved that tonight, showing me yet another side of himself, and I’m dying to see more of it.
We may both be inexperienced, but this man easily excels at most things, and I’m guessing sex is going to be one of them.
Just the thought of how amazing he’d looked while he’d been dragging his thick length between my legs has my body quickly responding to my desire for more.
He leans in close to my ear again. “Van, are you having dirty thoughts about me in front of my family?”
The wicked taunt to his voice and the way his words quickly bring home the reality of where we are has me letting out a soft, mortified groan while he gives a deep chuckle and then kisses my cheek before pulling back and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
Too many sets of eyes are on us, and when I scan the room and see my best friend standing in the corner with a huge smile on her face, I feel my body start to relax. Not a ton, but at least enough for me to breathe a little easier.
“You all know Savanna,” Niki says to the room.
Everyone is smiling at us when Vitaly pipes in with a “They’re dating.”
Niki’s dad laughs at his brother. “You think? The rest of us hadn’t quite picked up on that.”
Vitaly just smiles even bigger and waves the glass that I’m assuming is filled with vodka at the two of us and adds, “Did you notice their matching bags? That’s cute as hell, right?”
“Ignore him,” Katya says, wrapping her arms around her husband’s waist and giving him a kiss that quickly pulls his attention off of us.
“We all do,” Roman says while the rest nod in agreement.
Niki’s parents quickly walk over to us. Simona and Danil have always been nothing but kind to me, but now they’re downright exuberant, smiling so big they can’t make it stop, and when Simona gives me a big hug, she whispers, “I knew you two would eventually get together. Danil and I are so thrilled for the both of you.”
“Thanks,” I tell her and then return the hug Danil gives me before I tuck myself back up against Niki.
“Does Max know yet?” Danil asks.
“I was going to call him later,” Niki says.
“I can’t wait for them to get back here in a couple of months,” he says while Simona nods in agreement and adds, “Lyra is growing so fast. It’s hard not seeing them all the time, but at least we can FaceTime as much as we want.
” She surprises me by asking, “You want to teach kindergarten, right? Like here in the city?”
“Mom,” Niki starts to say, but she laughs and gives me an amused grin.
“You can’t blame me for asking. I just want to know if I need to prepare myself for anything long-distance,” she says.
“Don’t worry,” I quickly tell her, ignoring the fact that we’re talking about some very future-heavy topics. “This is my home, and I have no plans to live anywhere else.”
She shoots her husband a relieved look. “Oh thank god. I would still support you both no matter what, of course, but I’m so happy to hear that.”
“You look like you need rescuing.”
I look over to see Damien, followed closely by Sasha and Cindy.
“Thanks, man,” Niki tells Damien while his cousin gives me a nod.
“Nice to see you again, Sav,” he tells me.
“You too,” I say and then give Cindy a big hug as soon as I can reach her. “Oh my god,” I whisper in her ear. “I can’t believe this is finally happening.”
She squeezes me back and whispers, “Niki is beaming. I want details later.”
I nod as she pulls back. Seconds later, Sasha wraps a big arm around her upper chest, pulling her back so she’s pressed against the front of his body. When she tips her head up to look at him, I see one of his rare smiles before he leans down to kiss her.
“Hey, Ev,” I hear Niki say, and I turn my head in time to see his cousin walking over to us.
I know he’s a student like me, but we’ve never crossed paths on campus since his classes are so different from mine.
I also know no one is supposed to know he’s a Melnikov, so I’m not sure what I’d do if we ever ran into each other anyway.
He’s the only one with no visible tattoos, but when he pushes his sleeves up, I see they’re just as inked as everyone else’s, including the Grim Reaper on his inner forearm that marks him as a member of the Bratva.
“Glad you could make it,” Damien tells him. “Thought you might choose to study all night instead.”
“I needed a breather,” Evgeny says, “and I promised my sister I’d come.”
Yelena comes rushing over when she sees him, giving her younger brother a big hug while her husband comes over with their daughter in his arms.
“I’m glad you came,” she says, and then she grabs Veya and puts her in her brother’s arms. “She’s missing her uncle.”
Evgeny smiles down at his niece. She’s nothing but a tiny bundle in his arms, already falling back asleep and oblivious to everything around her.
“I’m not so sure she knows who I am, but it’s a nice thought,” he says, already doing the standing-still-but-swaying-a-bit thing that he probably doesn’t even realize he’s doing.
The Melnikovs never cease to surprise me with how much they value family.
Being around them makes it very easy to forget they’re one of the most dangerous families in the country.
If I hadn’t seen the brief glimpse of them in work mode on the night Cindy was taken, I would never believe any of them capable of violence.
Well, I’d believe it about Sasha, but the others don’t give off the same vibe he gives off.
I’m hoping I can convince my parents to see what I see.
Niki isn’t like any of the guys I dated in high school.
They’re not used to seeing me with someone who has neck and hand tattoos and a piercing in his nose.
They’ve never been quick to judge by appearance, but I’m not so sure they’ll still feel that way when it comes to who’s dating their daughter.
Niki and I keep visiting with everyone while his aunts and uncles start loading up the huge table with food.
And when there’s a loud squeal of pure joy, we all turn to see Isabella running towards us.
Niki laughs and scoops her up, swinging her around while she giggles and clings to him.
When he sits her on his hip, he wraps his other arm around me again and says, “Bella, you remember Savanna, right?”
She gives me a shy grin and nods her head. “You’re Aunt Cindy’s friend, the one with the pretty, blonde hair.”
“Thank you.” I reach out and touch her long, brunette hair. “Your hair is very beautiful, too.”
That earns me an even bigger smile from the young girl who doesn’t have the faintest idea that her grandpa helps run a Bratva and her daddy is don of the Alessi Mafia.
Right now, she just feels surrounded by a family who loves her.
I can’t help but wonder how she’ll feel when she gets older and learns the truth of what they do.
That thought piggybacks onto another and I wonder what Cindy will tell her baby, and then I inevitably land on my own future baby.
“You okay?” Niki asks, and I quickly get my shit together and smile because I’m not about to admit that I’m thinking about our future children right now.
“Yeah, I’m great,” I tell him, but he just lifts a brow at me while Isabella twists around so she can laugh at something her Uncle Luka says. When she tries to get down so she can play with his son, Niki kisses her cheek and then puts her down.
God, he’s really good with kids. I didn’t realize what a turn on that would be, but there’s no denying that it is.
When I feel a soft tug on my pants, I look down and see one of Svetlana’s twins using my leg for leverage while he pulls himself up.
His little mouth is in a tight line and his brows are furrowed.
It’s a look of pure determination, and when he manages to stand, the gummy smile he gives me lights up my own face.
“Look at you,” I tell him, grabbing onto his hands and squatting down so we’re face to face. “Way to go, little man.”
He smiles even bigger and lets out a loud squeal. I look up at Niki. “Which one is this?”
He shrugs and shouts, “Hey, Sveta, is this Jake or Seryozha?”
She walks over and rolls her eyes at Niki. “I think it’s hilarious that you think I’ll just instantly know.”
Niki looks horrified. “You can’t tell the difference?”
Sveta laughs. “They’re identical, Niki. I don’t have super powers just because I’m a mom.
Their personalities are starting to really come out, though, so I’m guessing this is Jake.
” She smiles when he recognizes his mom’s voice and lets out another squeal.
“He’s the more curious of the two right now.
” Glancing up, she finds her husband and yells, “Vitya, you put Jake in the red shirt, right?”
“Yeah, Seryozha’s in blue,” he hollers back and then gives her a wink.
She squats down next to me and reaches out to tickle Jake’s tummy. He throws his head back and laughs, and I fall in love on the spot.
“He’s so beautiful,” I tell Sveta.
She gives him the sappy kind of grin that all moms get. “Yeah, he’s a keeper. He and his brother tore me up coming out, but they’re worth it.”
“Wow, Sveta,” Damien says before giving an exaggerated dry heave that makes his cousins laugh.