Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Alyona
As I enter the house, a wave of emotion engulfs me. I made it. Voices come from the kitchen as I enter and drop my bag to my feet. I feel like I've been through the fires of hell and returned with only a slight tinge to my skin. Relief and desire hammer in my chest at seeing my madmen.
“Alyona?” Rodion says my name, like he can’t quite believe it’s me.
A pang of guilt stirs my stomach. I hated being so secretive and leaving them like I did, but it’s done now, and we never have to be apart again. I’ve dreamt of this being a reality one day, hoped and prayed for it, and it’s finally here. No more running.
Both Z and Rodion rush me, boxing me between their bodies.
“I’m going to fucking kill you, woman,” Z hisses against my head and my eyes squeeze shut, breathing them both in.
They smell expensive, warm, and delectably mine.
I swallow the sob that wants to rip free.
I’d believed I’d make it home but there was always that inkling of doubt, the fear of being caught and never seeing them or my baby girl again.
“You promised me you’d never run again.” Z cradles my head against his chest, like I’m the most precious thing on this earth.
“I didn’t run, Z. I’m here. I’m home. Where’s Roza? Is she okay?” I rush the words out.
“She’s sleeping.” Rodion reaches for her monitor on the counter and hands it to me. My fingers clutch the small device, and her soft intakes of breath settle my raging heartbeat.
He’s dead, she’s safe.
Finally giving me some room to breathe, they both cast a suspicious glare over my body, inspecting every inch. My bruises and the cut to my thigh are hidden beneath my clothes.
“You cut your hair?” Z murmurs.
I blink in confusion, and then memories of cutting it when Yuri fisted it as a weapon flood back in. I gather the strands into my palm and examine the damage. It’s a clean cut, but a wonky one. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“I’m still so mad but also so relieved,” Rodion says, a bead of sweat breaking across his hairline. “Fuck you’re really here.” He clasps my face and devours my mouth. I greedily take what he gives, my limbs turning to liquid. Breaking away, the side of his mouth kicks up. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” My eyes pan to the other two men staring at us and then Rodion seems to remember we’re not alone.
Clearing his throat, Rodion says, “You remember our cousin Ven and our father Andru?”
“Alyona, a pleasure.” Andru eats the space between us and takes my hand kissing over the knuckles, noting the bruises there but not speaking of them.
Yuri had a hard face. Andru’s hand is covered in tattoos, and a silver ring sits on his thumb.
The suit he’s wearing was clearly tailor made for him, teasing at the powerful body that lays beneath.
“I hear I have a granddaughter,” he says instead and the bubble of nerves that always comes when my baby is mentioned simmers under the surface of my skin.
Flashes of the man in that cell flicker through my mind and I snatch my hand back, placing it in my pocket. He notices my reaction and tilts his head observing me suspiciously.
“Where the hell were you?” Z demands, completely ignoring the others in the room and directing all his energy toward me.
Andru takes a seat at the table, raising an eyebrow, intrigued and keenly aware of the tension, taking in the dynamics between us. Ignoring him, my thirsty eyes drink in my madmen, capturing every exquisite detail, acutely aware of how much I love them both with every thud of my heart.
Before I can answer, Ven cuts in abruptly. “Yuri is dead.”
My head whips so fast to him a pain shoots up the back of my neck and spreads over my scalp.
“What?” Both twins speak at once and Andru pulls out his phone flitting his eyes over it.
My mind swims and my eyes lose focus for a moment. How does Ven know what I did?
“Diana, just texted me the news. Irina called her. They don’t want anyone to know outside of the family. It happened yesterday.” He looks over at us and begins laughing, loud and boisterous. “The old cunt is fucking dead.”
My heart skitters and I swallow down the dizzying information.
Andru tips a glass to his lips, draining the contents, but I’m highly aware of my madmen. Their intense gaze bores into me like they’re burrowing inside and reading all my secrets.
“Alyona?” Z breathes, searching my eyes for confirmation.
Yes, yes it was me. I killed the evil bastard who stole two years of our lives.
“Heart attack. Of all the possibilities that could have taken him out, it was his own cold heart that ultimately led to his demise,” Ven remarks, his tone casual, utterly unaware of the heavy tension in the air.
Ven glances down at his phone, his brow furrowing slightly as he adds, “I should call Vlad. Excuse me for a minute.” With that, he turns and walks out of the room, his footsteps echoing softly on the wooden floor as we remain rooted in awkward silence.
“Where were you? Was this you?” Z whispers, taking my elbow and guiding me to one of the dining chairs.
“Have you been somewhere, Alyona?” Andru asks, still watching the way his sons are acting and the questions they’re asking.
“I had something important to take care of, but it’s done now,” I assure them all.
“It was you,” Rodion says in astonishment. “I can’t fucking believe you risked yourself like that. I want to punish you and please you all at once.”
“How?” Z asks and I place a finger to my lips and jerk my chin in the direction Ven went, because he went to call Vlad fucking Vasilev, his best friend, and Yuri’s son.
“He’s gone outside.” Andru nods to the kitchen window. “You can speak freely.”
Sure enough, Ven is pacing the green lawn, his phone pinned to his ear.
“I find it incredibly hard to believe you could have been involved in Yuri’s death,” Andru states.
I work to control the rising heat of my temper and scoff.
“Good, let’s hope everyone believes that.
” I feel both offended and disgusted by a man who could keep not just a prisoner, but his son’s brother, under Yuri’s watch for nearly two decades.
Allowing Yuri to hold information that could shake the twins’ foundation is inexcusable.
It’s no wonder he is so cautious about taking action against Yuri.
“You really did it.” Z laces his hands behind his head staring at me like I’m the ninth wonder of the world. “How?”
“I heard it was a heart attack.” I shrug, running my hands through Rodion’s hair enjoying the weight of him and ignoring the fire racing up my leg from the cut Yuri sliced into me.
Exhaustion washes over me being in their presence as a peace settles in my chest. Would it be rude to tell Andru to fuck off so we can be alone for some of the punishment and pleasure Rodion mentioned?
“I would have loved to have seen him suffer,” Z comments.
“Yes, it’s a shame he didn’t die from something more befitting, like a beating, some bladed weapon perhaps, or some of the punishments he likes to dish out, like choking on a dick,” I say sweetly. And Andru chokes on his drink. “Or all of the above.” I wink.
Z beams at me. Rodion gets to his feet and lifts me while he takes my seat and plants me in his lap, nuzzling into my neck.
“Well, it appears our problem has been taken care of by mother nature.” Andru claps his hands together. “Should we pour another drink to celebrate?”
“Oh, the celebration will come but we still have to discuss Adam Cunningham,” Rodion says, tipping his head down to me. “He’s out, love.”
Fucking perfect.
After putting Yuri Vasilev down, Adam feels more like an annoying wasp trying to sting me. We will need to handle him, though, because even wasp stings can turn deadly. Just when I thought we could take a freaking breath, another problem rears its head.
“I’ve heard of the Cunninghams, but Adam’s connections are so minor that they didn’t warrant my attention until now,” Andru explains.
“He deals in products that neither the Vetrov nor Vasiliev families are interested in, and his drug trafficking is currently small-scale, primarily involving diluted products among motorcycle gangs. However, his company has positively evolved since its inception.” He nods, seemingly impressed.
“His logistics company is not only where he earns his legitimate income but also where he generates his illegal profits.”
“I plan to interrupt that illegal income,” Rodion informs his father.
“Agreed. We cut him off from the parties who use his company to move the product.” Andru nods.
“I will put that into play straight away. I know just the man to arrange this. He has connections to the Sins of Eve motorcycle club. Consider it done.” Andru waves a hand like it’s as easy as breathing to make biker gangs do whatever he declares.
“It doesn’t hurt to spill some blood too,” Ven adds, rejoining us. “You’ll find men like Adam grew up sheltered, entitled, and haven't seen real violence, not where he’s on the bloody end of it, anyway.”
“I agree.” Z nods his approval, surprising none of us. Getting his hands bloody is Z’s favorite pastime. “I vote it be for Levi.”
“Why can’t we just eradicate Adam?” Rodion says, rubbing a palm up and down my spine. I lean into his touch resisting the urge to purr like a feline.
“Too many eyes looking his way right now. His best friend is also Maddox Whitmore. Media attention follows the Whitmores now with the rumors his uncle is interested in the governor’s position, and apparently Maddox is set to marry soon,” Ven announces.
The governor news I wasn’t aware of, and clearly Ven isn’t aware that Vika is the bride-to-be either.
Shit, I should let her know Ven’s in town.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if the Whitmores had a hand in securing Adam’s freedom, so it’s not dragged out and covered at the same time as the election next year,” Andru adds, pouring himself another drink and offering the bottle to Ven who takes it and places it on the counter.