Chapter 14
Vasily
“Ilike her,” Valeri says from the backseat.
I laugh and keep my focus on the road while reaching back to give Nina’s leg another squeeze. She grabs onto my forearm, caressing my skin with her fingers until I have to let go so I can shift gears.
“I’m glad things have worked out for you,” Volodya says in his customary gruff manner. “Although based on what I could hear during our phone call, I figured things were going pretty well.”
Valeri perks up immediately. “What happened?”
“I’m pretty sure Vasya was getting a blowjob,” Volodya says with a small laugh.
“Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about,” I warn them, but I still smile at the memory of Nina’s mouth around my cock. They both laugh while I say, “You do realize she thinks we’re talking business but really you two are just gossiping like schoolgirls?”
“Perks of speaking another language,” Valeri says, smiling at Nina, who has no clue what we’re talking about.
“Okay, so tell us what’s going on,” Volodya says, repositioning the air vents so they’re hitting him full force. He never did like the heat, even though today is pretty mild.
While I drive, I fill them in on everything. By the time we’re back home, they’re livid about the details of Nina’s captivity and the fact that ski mask is still out there alive somewhere.
“Grabbing Ruby is the only option,” I tell them. “She knows who won the auction, but once we take her, it’s going to start a war with the Irish.”
Volodya gives me a wicked grin. “I always did like a good fight. Let’s show these fuckers how we do things in Moscow.”
“Fuck yeah,” Valeri says from the back, a big smile lighting up his face.
“But first, we drink. I can’t fully appreciate the fight if I have to go into it jet-lagged.
” He switches to English and says, “Plus, I need to get to know my new sister-in-law.” Giving her a conspiratorial wink, he adds, “I know a lot of funny stories about Vasya.”
“Careful, Valeri,” I warn him. “You’re going to get married one day, and I have just as many stories about you.”
He laughs. “I’m not so sure just one woman could handle me, and I’m definitely not planning on walking down the aisle anytime soon.”
When we get out of the car, they look at the construction work that’s started about a mile away. “For Ilya and Andrei,” I explain. “I’m building another house because the women Ilya brings home are driving me fucking crazy.”
They laugh at that and start unloading bags.
The two of them are staying with us, but Andrei and Ilya are bringing the others to stay with my men.
They’ve all been working together for years, and I’m sure they’d rather treat this like a fun vacation, but they know the seriousness of the visit.
I told them they could have the night off to do whatever they wanted as long as it’s in our territory, and they were all more than happy to take me up on it.
When Katya opens the front door, Ruslan comes bounding out, so excited he can’t stand still.
Valeri laughs and drops down on one knee, talking to him in Russian and wrapping him up in a big hug.
Volodya stops to give him a good pet, too, but he doesn’t get down on the ground with him.
He does wrap Katya in a big hug when he sees her by the door, though.
She’d been so torn about staying in Moscow or coming to work for me in America.
In the end, she’d decided her place was with the oldest. I know she’s missed my brothers like crazy and still feels guilty for leaving.
She laughs when Valeri joins in, both of them wrapping her in a big hug and kissing her on the cheek.
“I like your brothers,” Nina says, coming up to stand next to me.
“They like you, too,” I tell her, giving her a kiss before grabbing more suitcases.
We walk in, and I’m not surprised to see that Katya’s been cooking up a storm.
She’s remembered everyone’s favorite foods, so she’s working on a big pot of borsch for Volodya and pirozhki for Valeri.
Both men pat their flat stomachs and tell her they can’t wait to taste it all.
She beams at their enthusiasm and gets back to cutting up vegetables and making pastry.
“Wow, nice view,” Valeri says, walking to the wall of windows that overlook the ocean. “If you need me to stay in America after this is over, I could definitely do that.”
“Yeah, I bet,” I tell him with a laugh. “I’m going to put your stuff in the spare rooms upstairs.”
Nina helps me drop the bags off, but before we go back downstairs, I pick her up and press her against the wall.
“Vasya,” she whispers like we’re a couple of teenagers about to get caught by our parents.
I laugh and slide my hand up her shirt so I can cup one of her tits.
“I need to kiss my wife,” I tell her, running my thumb over her hard nipple and taking her bottom lip between my teeth.
She moans and opens up for me just like I knew she would.
Her fingers go to my hair, her legs tighten around my waist as her body arches up for more, pressing her nipple tighter against me.
I’m so lost in the moment that it takes me a second to register my brother’s voice.
“I hope nobody’s naked because I’m coming up,” Valeri yells right before I hear his heavy steps on the stairs.
With a groan, I fix Nina’s bra and smooth her shirt back down as Valeri hits the top of the stairs and sees us. His laughter makes her cheeks heat up even more.
“Holy shit, I was just kidding.” He smacks me on the back as he walks into the room he’ll be using. “Don’t forget I’m a really light sleeper, Vasya. I hope you two won’t keep me up all night.”
“Oh my god,” Nina whispers against my neck.
“You see all the fun you missed being an only child?” Lowering my voice, I add, “He’s not lying about being a light sleeper. I’m going to have to cover your mouth tonight so my brothers can’t hear you when I make you scream my name.”
Her breath hitches at my words, and as embarrassed as she is, her hips still rock a bit at the thought of me covering her mouth while she comes. I laugh and kiss her cheek. “God, you’re so perfect, baby.”
I set her down and adjust my cock so it’s not painfully obvious how badly I want to bury myself in my wife and then take her hand as we go back downstairs to join the others.
Andrei, Ilya, and Svetlana are back and sitting with Volodya out on the veranda, catching up and eating whatever Katya brings them.
They switch to English when I sit down in one of the chairs and pull Nina into my lap.
She relaxes against me, not the slightest bit annoyed that I can’t seem to ever sit her in the chair next to me.
I want her in my lap. I like the feel of her body against mine, no matter the situation.
Valeri comes back with several bottles of vodka and a handful of shot glasses.
“And so it begins,” I say with a laugh, watching him pour out a round.
We all take one and down it with a toast. Nina gives me a huge grin when she doesn’t cough and then blushes at the wink I give her.
We spend the afternoon laughing, eating, and drinking.
I keep pushing more food at Nina, not wanting her to get sick again, while the others keep pounding back shots.
Finally, I push her glass away when Valeri tries to refill it yet again.
“Stop trying to get my wife drunk.”
He laughs and fills my glass instead. Nina cups my face, her dark eyes slightly glassy from alcohol, but she’s not drunk, not yet anyway. “So protective,” she says with a big, loopy grin. “Like a big growly bear.”
They all laugh at that while I lift a brow at Nina. “Alcohol makes you bold, sweetheart.”
A giggle pops out before she can stop it. Her cheeks are flushed from all the drinking, and when she gets hot and rolls her long-sleeve tee up, Volodya sees the tattoo and leans closer.
“I see Nikolai hasn’t lost his touch,” he says, drawing everyone’s eyes to Nina’s inked forearm.
“Yeah, that did turn out nice,” Valeri agrees, leaning closer to inspect it. He taps on it and then points his finger at Nina. “That right there is stronger than your marriage certificate.” He turns to the guys and laughs. “Remember how Vasya always used to talk about how he’d never ink a woman.”
Nina looks at me in surprise. “You said that?”
“Like all the fucking time,” Valeri says, answering for me.
I shrug my shoulders, resting the flat of my hand against her stomach and pulling her tighter against me. “Before you I’d never met anyone I wanted to put my name on.”
The sweet smile that I love so much lights her face as she leans in to kiss me.
I’ve always had a hard time believing in some sort of higher power, especially when so many men that I’ve killed have begged for God to save them, but, of course, he never did.
The silence after their pleas for divine intervention is always so much more deafening than if an actual deity had responded with an audible no.
I’m a firm believer that no one is looking down and in charge of this shit show we call life, but not even I can explain meeting Nina.
The chances of it happening the way it did are so low that it would probably hit negative numbers if you tried to calculate it.
It was like everything in our lives was leading us to that one moment where I would find her in that grimy hallway.
I may not be able to worship a god, but I can worship her, and I’ll happily spend the rest of my life doing it, because it wasn’t just her that was rescued that night. She’s saved me just as much as I’ve saved her.