Chapter 13 Maddie
Maddie
Seeing Volodya around his family is showing me a whole new side of him.
Our relationship is unconventional; it’s always going to be.
The way we met, the speed at which we fell for one another, the dangerous lifestyle he leads, and the darker side of him that comes out in his work and also in the bedroom—all of it means that nothing about us will ever be normal, and I’m perfectly okay with that.
I want him, and I’m going into this with my eyes wide open, because I know he’s worth it.
I know I’ll never meet another man like him.
“I still can’t believe what I’m seeing,” Nina says, leaning against the counter next to me and snagging a chip. She’s about my height with eyes so dark they look almost black. She’s quick to smile and laid-back in a way that puts others at ease. I immediately like her.
“I know, right?” Svetlana agrees, grabbing a carrot stick before smothering it in dip.
She looks how I always imagine Russian women—tall, blonde, and gorgeous.
Her sexy accent just completes the picture.
She’s just as down to earth as Nina is, though, and instead of feeling intimidated like I normally would around someone so beautiful, I feel relaxed and like I’ve known them both for way longer than an hour.
I laugh and grab a handful of chips. “He is smiling a lot more,” I admit, looking out onto the veranda where the guys are standing around the grill while the dogs sit next to them, hoping for a bite.
“You mean he’s smiling,” Nina says with a laugh. “Full stop.” She looks behind her at the guys and then gives my arm a soft smack. “Am I seeing things, or is he actually out there holding my son?”
I look over, and the sight of Volodya with a baby in his arms steals my breath.
God, I hadn’t thought the man could look any sexier, but I was wrong.
This is like eye candy for my ovaries. His large, tattooed arms are wrapped securely around a wiggling Dmitri, and there’s just something about the contrast between brute strength and innocence that’s hard to look away from.
“He loves Dmitri,” Nina says, “but the man’s always looked terrified when holding him. He’s looking a lot more at ease.” She nudges my arm. “Better watch out, Maddie. He’s a man on a mission now.”
I laugh, but my heart is racing and my palms are getting sweaty.
Her comment makes me feel like I’m his prey, and I’ve learned very quickly that I really like that.
It might be fucked up, but Volodya chasing me is hands down the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
As if sensing the throb between my legs from twenty feet away, he meets my eyes and gives me a wink.
I swear he has some sort of telepathic power with my pussy.
Turning back to Nina and Svetlana before things get really awkward around here, I use my carrot stick to point at Svetlana’s small baby bump. “How far along are you?”
She smiles and rubs her belly. “Almost five months. We just found out we’re having a girl.”
“Congratulations. Is this your first?”
“Yeah, we’re excited. Nervous but excited,” she says with a laugh.
Looking at Nina, I say, “Vasily mentioned that you run the women’s shelter. I drove by it not too long ago, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen one look so inviting.”
She smiles at my compliment. “Thank you. We’ve worked really hard to make it that way.
I wanted it to be a safe place for women and children, but I also wanted it to be cheerful.
They’ve gone through enough, and they deserve a nice place to live while they get things figured out.
We also offer free counseling and help them with job hunting and daycare. ”
I listen as she tells me about this amazing place she’s created, feeling my world grow slightly more in favor of the morally grey.
Yes, the man I love runs a Bratva with his brothers, and yes they kill people and do all kinds of illegal shit, but they also do a lot of good, and they do live by a moral code.
There’s no way in hell any of them would ever just go out into the streets and start shooting at random people.
I’m not a na?ve person, but I can see the good in these men, even if there is a bit of dark in them as well.
“There’s my sweet baby,” Nina coos when Volodya walks back over with her son.
Dmitri gives his mom a big grin, showing off the few baby teeth he has and then practically lunges for her arms, making Volodya laugh and grip him tighter.
He kisses the top of his nephew’s head before putting him in Nina’s arms.
“Food’s ready,” he tells us.
“Thank god, I’m starving,” Svetlana says, grabbing a plate and heading straight for her husband and the stack of hamburger patties he’s holding with Nina and Dmitri following along behind.
“So what do you think?” Volodya steps closer, grazing his thumb along my cheek, and that one touch is enough to send a shiver of pleasure down my spine.
“I think you look really sexy holding a baby,” I blurt out like a dumbass.
He gives me one of his rare, full smiles, pairing it with his deep, sexy laugh, and the combination is downright stunning.
I take a step back just to put some distance between us so I can get some air and clear my head, but he takes a step forward until I’m pressed against the doorframe.
Bracing a hand above me, he leans down closer and sucks my bottom lip between his teeth, giving me a hard enough bite to pull a moan from me as I reach up and grasp the back of his neck.
“I’m glad you think I look good holding a baby, kiska, because with the amount of cum I’ve put inside you, it’s only a matter of time.
” He places his hand on my lower belly in a possessive move that has me sucking in a quick breath.
I look down at the splayed-out hand and then back up into his whiskey-colored eyes.
“I said I wanted every inch of you, and I meant it. Every part of you will be mine, sweetheart, and that includes me laying claim to that little womb of yours.”
The wicked grin he gives me and the way his arm is still braced above me, keeping me in the shelter of his body, is making me feel like I’m overheating.
“You’re too sexy for your own good, Volodya.
It’s so unfair. I’ll never be able to win an argument because all you’ll have to do is give me that smile and act all alpha and I’ll turn into a puddle at your feet.
My inner feminist is yelling at me to say something about that claiming my womb comment, but I’m too busy trying not to spontaneously orgasm with your family right outside. ”
He gives a deep laugh, taking his hand off my stomach so he can cup my face.
His eyes soften when he says, “You have all the power, sweetheart. I’m helpless around you.
And we’ll never fight, kiska, because I can’t stand the thought of arguing with you.
It would break my heart if you were angry at me. ”
“You didn’t seem too heartbroken when you kept denying me sex, and I was pretty angry about that.”
He smiles and strokes my cheek. “That’s because I knew you secretly loved it.”
I don’t argue because we both know he’s right. It was like foreplay that lasted for days, and it made that night in the woods all the more special because of it.
“Svetlana has a tattoo on her arm, and I think I caught a glimpse of one on Nina’s when her shirt rode up. What does it mean?”
I’d debated on asking, afraid I might be asking for info that I’m not allowed to have, but my curiosity’s gotten the better of me.
“They’re married to members of the Bratva, so they have to have the tattoo. It’s identical to the one I have on my forearm with Medvedev written in Cyrillic beneath it. Nina has Vasya’s full name since he’s a boss.”
He drags his finger along my left inner forearm. “Soon you’ll have one too, and it’ll be my name inked into your skin, kiska, so everyone will know that you’re mine and under my protection.”
Goosebumps break out on my skin from his touch.
I don’t have any tattoos, but I’ve always secretly wanted one.
The idea of being marked permanently and claimed by Volodya has an ache starting between my legs, growing in strength with each breath I take.
He studies me, gauging my reaction to what he’s said.
Seeing how much I like the idea has a devilish grin spreading across his face.
He leans closer, but a loud voice stops him before he can bring his lips to mine.
“If I come in to get some of that macaroni salad I saw earlier, am I going to find anyone naked?”
Volodya sighs at the sound of Valeri’s voice, but I can tell he’s fighting a laugh. He kisses me once more before standing back up. “We’re both clothed, smartass,” he calls out to his brother. Lowering his voice, he gives me a heated look and adds, “For now.”
Grabbing my hand, he leads me back out to the others, handing me a plate and making sure I get enough food.
We eat outside on the veranda while the dogs sniff around for scraps and Dmitri sits in his dad’s lap while his mom feeds him the meal she brought.
He’s the happiest baby I think I’ve ever seen, and it’s obvious he’s surrounded by love.
Vasily’s eyes soften every time he looks at his son or wife, and he’s constantly giving her little touches like he can’t keep his hands off her.
It reminds me of the way Volodya treats me.
The Medvedev brothers may not give their hearts away easily, but when they do, they go all in.
I look over at Valeri, wondering if he’ll be the same way.
“So are you seeing anyone?” I ask him, making everyone at the table laugh.
His dimple comes out when he smiles, and I’m guessing he’s already broken several hearts.
“Like anyone in particular?” he asks.
“I think you just answered my question,” I tell him.