18. Justice
Chapter eighteen
Justice
L uerna lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Levka was asleep, wrapped around her like a cocoon, snoring lightly into her ear. She didn’t mind it. She actually loved the sound. It was so different from Rurik, who snored like a bear.
She was a cheater, officially, and without shame. For the first time after being screwed, she didn’t want to run into the shower and scrape off every touch or dissolve the scent of liquor and cigars. Levka smelled of sweet cologne. Even sweaty, it was a delicious scent that she curled into. Her movements sparked his own. He squeezed her tighter and kissed her shoulder before he rolled over onto his stomach, burying his head under the pillow. Luerna ran her hand along his back.
His skin was different. Rurik had moles and coarse white hairs, but Levka was smooth. She rested her cheek against his back to listen to his heart and to breathe when he breathed.
“Levka?”
When he didn’t speak, she nudged him. And then again. “You sleep like a dead horse,” she complained.
He popped his head up. “What? You okay?” Levka flicked his head toward her, noticed her laying naked still, and dropped his head on the pillow, relaxing. “You want to go again?” he mumbled slightly incoherently.
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think my vagina can handle anymore.”
A smile twitched at his tired lips.
She ran her hands along his scalp, admiring him as he did her. She realized why he did it. Putting every detail to memory took time. “What does this mean for us?”
Levka rolled onto his back, groaning and holding his ribs as he did so. “Fuck, I need another pill.”
Luerna got him a cup of water before snagging the bottle out of his pants. “Oxy? This isn’t too strong?” She put one in his palm and handed him the glass. “My brother was addicted to it for a little bit. Promise you won’t.”
She put the glass on the table when he finished. Levka pulled her down into his chest. “Promise,” he whispered, trying to go back to sleep.
She pulled out, staring down at him. “Answer the question.”
He closed his eyes as he whispered, “What do you want it to mean?”
“I have kids, Levka. I can’t just abandon them. Rurik would hurt them or use them to hurt me. If I left, I’d have to take them with me. Can’t travel fast with five kids. And what am I going to tell them? RJ and Sofia are old enough to know what’s going on. They’ll know I left their father. Oh, god, how am I going to do something like that?”
Levka finally woke fully. He stacked the pillows behind him, helping him sit up. He rubbed his eyes, resting his head against the headboard. “You are looking at the mountain, Luerna, and not the steps. It won’t be a process that happens in a day. I’ve got it planned out. The only thing I’m waiting on is you.”
Luerna curled her legs into her chest, pulling the blanket around her. She was silent in her thoughts, trying to process what he was asking her to do. Leaving the family had never been the solution. She loved being the daughter of a powerful Mafia boss. She loved money. She loved being able to give her kids anything they wanted. Would they be broke if they left? Would they live in a shit trailer and pray there was enough money for food? She couldn’t live like that. Luerna expressed every thought and told Levka every fear, and he lay there and listened to it. Or tried to. Sleep kept coming at the worst moments, and she would poke his bruised rib to wake him.
“Oh, fuck,” he cursed, slapping her hand away. “Stop it.”
“Listen!”
“It’s four in the morning, sunshine. I’m doing my best.” It didn’t stop him from closing his eyes again.
Luerna growled. “You’re so frustrating. This is our future. Take it seriously.”
Levka opened his eyes and gripped her hand. “I’ve been working on our future for the past five years. All these questions you’ve asked, I already have the answer. You don’t have to worry.”
“I need the answers. I can’t just rely on you to fix it. That’s not how I work. I have kids to protect. So don’t tell me I don’t have to worry.”
He kissed her hand. “Alright. I’ll send you an email of all I’m doing. But for now, can we please go back to sleep?”
“I’m too wired to sleep.”
“Then come sit on my face, and I’ll relax you.”
Luerna snorted, yanking out of his hold as he tried to pull her on top of him. She stood in front of the balcony, looking at the Eiffel Tower, and for once, she found herself admiring its beauty.
Levka came up behind her, resting a chin on her shoulder as he held her hips. She could feel his cock against her ass, and her heart accelerated on the will of its own. She never thought she was a sexual person. She could go months without sex, without masturbating or even wanting to be touched. But Levka ignited something that made her feel alive for the first time.
His strong hands rose up her stomach and cupped each breast. His thumbs flicked over her nipple till they were erect. She leaned her head back, and Levka kissed her neck.
He whispered between each kiss. “I need you to focus on yourself. Take medications, see a therapist, whatever you have to do. I’ll take care of the rest.” She wanted to protest, but his hand sank down between her legs. A finger playfully teasing her clit. Luerna sighed against him, weakening as her legs opened a little wider. “I have an offshore account of four million. I have a house with five rooms bought in cash that no one knows of in Australia. I have a plane, one I learned to pilot, and it’s stocked with everything we’ll need. Including seven fake passports and birth certifications. I’m ready for you, Luerna. But now you need to be ready for me.” He slipped a finger in and groaned. “Almost there.”
Luerna had a hand on his arm, feeling every move he made as he fingered her. She panted and struggled to keep to her feet as her knees began to shake. She never felt such desire before. Having sex with Rurik was like a pap smear, something she was obligated to do whenever he got too drunk at a card game. It wasn’t enjoyable, but it wasn’t unbearable. She went through it, waiting for it to be over, pretending the way she was taught to. She thought that was normal. She was made to believe that was normal.
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel alive.”
He smiled into her skin.
“You don’t get it,” Luerna whispered. She turned in his arms and met the shine of his eyes. “You fight for me. You see me. You aren’t scared of my craziness. I haven’t done anything to earn it. I’ve been mean and terrible, and sometimes I hate everything I am.”
He licked his lips and swallowed as he ran his fingers through her hair. “You earned it, Luerna, in everything you do for your family and everything that you have sacrificed. You have earned all that I want to provide for you. I want to take away all your suffering. All your pain.”
“I didn’t think that kind of love existed.”
Levka kissed her lips and lingered against her skin.
Levka left in the morning, and Luerna stayed in Paris for two more days, simply enjoying her time. She found that ideas flowed to her in record timing when she could think of something besides her kids. She had thoughts about the charities. She knew exactly what she wanted to do to help the family and wrote dozens of ideas down on the flight home.
Luerna rushed out of the car and ran into the house, desperate to see her children, but it was a school day, and they’d be with the tutor. She sank a little like a puppy in a kennel, but only for a moment until she entered the living room.
Alexei and Gil were watching TV on the couch, and she dived in between them, kissing their cheeks and grinning. They stared at her as if she sprung an extra head and she laughed. She wondered if they remembered how she used to kiss their cheeks if only to embarrass them in front of their friends. They used to run from her whenever she was near because they knew it was only a matter of time before she got ahold of them and smothered them in affection. That was before marriage. Before she changed into this miserable person that couldn’t smile without effort.
Luerna rested her head against Alexei with her legs stretched out on Gil’s lap, who slapped her thigh, squeezing it till she squealed. “All you needed was a good fuck. Nobody ever believes me. It’s the cure, I’m telling you.”
She snapped her head toward him in panic. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing!” Alexei interrupted, slapping Gil on the shoulder. “Nothing.”
Gil pretended to seal his lips and threw away the key.
Did they all know? Had Adrik told them? Would he tell their father? Of course he would. Why did she think he would actually keep a secret from him?
Alexei pressed his lips against her ear. “Your secret is safe, Luerna. Don’t worry.”
“How do you know?”
“Who do you think got you the hotel? Adrik just orders shit. I don’t remember the last time he scheduled anything.” He pulled her back against him and kissed her temple. “Levka is a good man.”
Gil snorted. “A brown-noser, but sure, yeah, good guy.”
Rurik entered the room, and Luerna snapped her head up, wide and fearful. He paused to look at her brothers, but then decided he didn’t care and reached between them to haul her to her feet. “Where the fuck were you?”
Gil was behind her, holding her by the other arm. “You better let my sister go.”
“Shut up, this doesn’t concern you.” Rurik yanked her again, away from them and entirely in front of him. “Where the fuck were you?”
“Let go of me!” she bit, slapping at his hand, but he only squeezed her bicep tighter.
Alexei pulled a gun and aimed it at his head. “Let her go.”
Rurik sneered. “She’s my wife. Your father gave her to me, and that means I do what the fuck I want with her, boy. Sit down and stay out of it.”
“Rurik,” Adrik’s voice came from behind. He stood in the doorway, eating an apple, leaning against the frame.
Rurik cursed as he shoved Luerna on the couch. Alexei stepped in front of her, keeping the gun trained at Rurik’s head while Gil tended to her arm, keeping her tight against him. Rurik turned to Adrik. “Want me to tell your father you have a gun to my head?”
Adrik chewed slowly, watching him. He flicked a finger, and Alexei ground his teeth before he lowered it.
“That’s what I thought. Now, this is how a man deals with his wife. You young shits need to stay out of my business. Or I’ll tell your father.”
“Good,” Adrik acknowledged. “Please make sure to tell him about the money you are stealing.”
Rurik snickered with a twisted smirk. “You think you got me, boy?”
Alexei raised his gun. “You better start showing respect, or I’ll shoot your kneecap clean off. Won’t be able to go fuck your whores for six months.”
“I’m your father’s top official. You can’t do shit to me without his approval.”
“You must not know me very well,” Alexei bit. “I live to piss my father off.” He cocked the gun and shifted down to Rurik’s knee.
“That’s enough, Alexei,” Adrik ordered.
“Ask your sister if that’s enough. Tell him about the bruises–”
“Stop it, Alexei.” Luerna pleaded.
“About the broken ribs. About the miscarriage–”
“Please stop!” she cried. How did Alexei find out? She kept her head down, unable to look at Adrik. She was supposed to be the eldest, the one that could hold the family together, the one that was stronger than any of them. Adrik looked up to her. She couldn’t bear the thought of him seeing weakness. Or Adrik finding out that their father already knew, and he had pretended he hadn’t heard her.
Alexei ground his teeth and kept quiet.
“Take Luerna upstairs,” Adrik said.
Luerna braved a glance at him, but Adrik’s ice-cold eyes were only on Rurik. Every muscle in his body was tense, the apple forgotten at his feet. Gil helped her up, holding onto her as they moved past Adrik. She didn’t want this to be a burden on his shoulders. Adrik was the favored child. He was kept from every terrible thing Yakov did. He only had to watch, had to listen. He never had to experience it. He was the only child that nothing was expected of. It was ironic that he was now the heir.
She wanted him to love their father. It was the only thing she could give him as a sister.
Luerna pulled out of their hands and circled to the other side of the hallway to peek into the room from another doorway.
Adrik stepped toward Rurik.
“Careful, boy,” Rurik warned in a whisper. “I’m family.”
Adrik smirked. “I’m not going to hurt you, Rurik.”
Tension faded in Rurik’s shoulders, and he chuckled. “Smart move. Your sister is hard to tame. Certainly doesn’t help when you assist her in taking off. You won’t tell me where you sent her, fine. That doesn’t mean I can’t find out. And if I learn you helped her fuck that wolf, I’ll blow her brains out right at your feet and the family won’t be able to do a thing about it.”
Adrik nodded as he approached. Luerna couldn’t stomach it. Rurik’s threat was too real, too possible. What could Adrik have in response? “I went through your marriage contract.”
“Is that right?”
“It’s air-tight. You got a pretty good deal for my sister. It makes me wonder why. How did you earn it, coming from such an impoverished family?”
“I’m likable.”
Adrik kicked Rurik’s knee, and as he crumbled, Adrik grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back, forcing him to kneel on the ground, bent over, screeching in pain. Luerna flinched, but Alexei grabbed her and kept her still.
In his ear, Adrik whispered, “I’ll find out on the day you start answering to me. And on that day, I will seek justice for everything you have done to my sister.” He pushed a little harder, a warning as his shoulder nearly popped out of place, and as Rurik squealed and screamed, Adrik smiled.