Chapter 25
NIKO
T he last thing I want to do is leave Lyah, but I need to talk to Darian. To warn my men and consider the pros and cons of conferring with our allies.
Fuck my life. Just when we were making some much needed progress.
I press a kiss to Lyah's forehead and gently shift her off my lap. "I need to make some calls," I tell her, my voice tight with barely contained rage.
She nods, her eyes wide with concern. "Niko, what is it? Can you tell me?"
I hesitate, torn between my instinct to shield her and my promise to be more open. "The tattoo you described. It's the signature of a syndicate we thought was long gone. Red Scorpion… the same organization that took Agnieszka from us."
Lyah gasps. “What does this mean?” she whispers, her eyes wide.
“We went scorched earth on them after Agnieszka’s death.
Darian and I, and a small, loyal following of younger men, like ourselves, who weren’t satisfied with the bastards flexing their muscles as a way of keeping everyone else in line, no matter that the official line was to turn the other cheek.
” I grit my teeth and clench my fists as the age-old anger surges through me.
“Not after what they did to Agnieszka. We had a list. Hunted them down, one by one, when they were at their most vulnerable. Then we did to them what they did to her. Showed no mercy.”
Lyah surprises me. Instead of being repulsed by the admission, she wraps her arms around me, and I feel a surprising peace.
“Ukraine wasn’t a safe place for us when we were done.
We’d broken too many rules. Caused too much anarchy.
Defied our elders and brought too much scrutiny upon ourselves.
So my father sent us both here. We didn’t start from scratch, but we certainly took the minor operation that had been developed here and grew it to what it is today.
And we did so sound in the knowledge that we’d annihilated Red Scorpion…
but with this new development, it would appear not," I growl, already pulling out my phone. "I need to warn the others about this."
She nods understandingly. “Do what you need to do, Niko. I know it’s important.”
Fuck this. It’s not as important as she is.
I dial Darian's number to ask him to call a meeting, but my mind is already made up.
If Red Scorpion has truly resurfaced, we're in for a fight unlike any we've seen in years. And with Lyah pregnant, the stakes have never been higher. But running out on her right now won’t change the storm brewing on the edges of our world.
Leaving her alone when we’ve only just connected won’t help the cause. I can only do so much, and what I do need to do, I can delegate to Darian.
“What’s up, boss?” he asks as soon as he picks up, his voice wary.
“There’s been a development,” I tell him shortly. “We need to call a whole organization meeting and maybe contact a few of the allies.”
“Shit,” he mumbles under his breath. He knows without being told this means something big. "What's going on, Niko?"
"Red Scorpion," I say grimly. "I know we suspected, and maybe I didn’t want to believe it, but they're definitely back, and I’m pretty sure the Mutri are more deeply involved than just being hired mercenaries."
There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Fuck," Darian whispers. "Are you sure?"
"Lyah identified the Red Scorpion tattoo on one of the men who abducted her, but from her account, I think he was Bulgarian."
"I'm on it," Darian says, his voice hardening with resolve. I don’t need to say more. He knows what to do. That’s why he’s my avtoritet, my right hand. It’s not just blood.
"I'll start making calls and put everyone on alert.”
“Decide who we should include,” I tell him, and only his silence betrays his surprise that I’ve delegated this to him.
“I’ll make a list and run it past you,” he says, but I stop him.
“No, I trust your judgement,” I tell him. It’s time I brought my brother closer into the leadership of this organization. He’s always been worthy, but I’ve never been good at releasing the reins. Now, with my family growing, I have more incentive.
“Thank you,” he says, almost sounding choked up. I just end the call and turn my attention back to my wife.
“Okay, that’s taken care of, now where were we?”
She looks at me in surprise. “You’re not leaving?”
I shake my head, pulling her back onto my lap. "No, I'm not leaving. Darian can handle the immediate response. Right now, you and our child are my priority."
Lyah's eyes widen, a mix of shock and relief washing over her face. "I... I didn't expect that," she admits softly.
"Neither did I," I confess, running my fingers through her hair. "But I meant what I said earlier. I want to be better, for you and for our family. And right now, that means being here with you."
She nestles closer, her head resting against my chest. I can feel the tension in her body slowly easing as I hold her.
"Thank you," she whispers, her fingers tracing patterns on my arm. "For staying. For trying."
I press a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "I know I have a lot to make up for," I murmur. "But I want you to know, I'm all in now. No more walls, no more distance."
Lyah lifts her head, her eyes searching mine. "Promise me something, Niko," she says, her voice soft but firm.
"Anything," I reply without hesitation, surprising myself with how much I mean it.
"Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter how dangerous things get, you'll always be honest with me. Even if you think the truth might scare me or push me away. I need to know I can trust you completely."
I cup her face in my hands, meeting her gaze steadily.
"I promise, Lyah. From now on you'll know everything I know, good or bad.
" It’s a surprising relief to say it. Like I can just relax and be myself around her.
Use her as a sounding board and confidante instead of having to put on an act in my own home.
She nods, satisfied, and leans in to kiss me softly, then whispers in my ear. “The doctor has given me a clean bill of health…”
The gentle press of her body ignites a fire within me, and I grip the back of her neck, taking her lips again and deepening the kiss to pour all my pent-up emotions into it. My hands roam her body, rediscovering every delicate curve, every sensitive spot.
Lyah moans softly against my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, so much more hands on than she used to be. The sound, the feel, sends a jolt of desire through me, and I stand, lifting her effortlessly in my arms.
"Bedroom," I growl, my voice husky with need.
She nods, her eyes dark with want, but also sparkling with mischief as I carry her swiftly to our room.
Laying her gently on the bed, I pause to drink in the sight of her. Hair fanned out on the pillow, cheeks flushed, lips swollen from our kisses. She's never looked more beautiful.
Or more mine.
"I love you," I whisper, the words still foreign on my tongue but feeling more right than anything ever has.
Lyah's eyes shine with unshed tears. "I love you too, Niko. So much."
I cover her body with mine, kissing her deeply as my hands work to remove her clothing. She arches into my touch, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of my shirt. There's an urgency to our movements, a desperate need to reconnect after so much time apart.
As I trail kisses down her neck, Lyah gasps and arches her back. "Niko, please," she whimpers, her nails raking down my now-bare chest.
I growl low in my throat, aroused by her boldness. This is another new side of Lyah, uninhibited and demanding, and I find I like it very much. Why did I ever think I wanted a meek, subservient wife?
I capture her lips again as I finish undressing us both, savoring the feel of her soft skin against mine before I kiss down her body.
With the pregnancy, her nipples are delightfully sensitive, and she starts to writhe underneath me as I torment them, pulling the ripe peaks into my mouth and suckling. Grazing the berry hard flesh with my teeth until she’s panting and pleading.
“Damn it, Niko, I need more,” she gasps, trying her best to man oeuvre me where she wants me to be.
I smother a laugh at how my prim and proper wife is showing all the signs of becoming a vixen, and I’m totally here for it.
Her fingers fist in my hair as I trail kisses lower, savoring the sweet taste of her skin, and I enjoy the bite of pain she inflicts.
Pausing at the gentle swell of her belly, I place reverent kisses there before continuing my descent. Lyah's thigh’s part for me eagerly as I settle between them.
"Niko, please!" she implores her voice thick with desire.
“Tell me what you want, sonechko .” Her breath stutters at the endearment. ‘Little sun.’ That’s what she is to me now. The sun that lights my life.
I look up, meeting her gaze as I run my tongue lazily along her slick folds, knowing it’s not enough.
Her eyes flutter and she lets out a breathy moan that sends heat coursing through me.
“Suck my clit,” she demands. “Fuck me with your fingers.” Damn, I like this dirty talking version of my wife.
What is it they say? Lady in the streets, freak between the sheets?
Never thought it could happen, but fuck is it making me harder than I ever believed possible.
I’m more than happy to comply with Lyah's demands, circling her sensitive bud with my tongue before sucking it between my lips. She cries out, her hips bucking against my face as I slide two fingers inside her slick heat.
"Yes, just like that," she moans, grinding against me.
I curl my fingers, seeking that spot that will make her see stars. When I find it, her whole body shudders. I set a steady rhythm, pumping my fingers as I lavish attention on her clit.
I lose myself in pleasuring her, while Lyah gasps and trembles as I worship her with my mouth, her nails digging into my shoulders. I take my time, relishing every moan and whimper I draw from her lips.
When her breathing grows ragged, her muscles tensing around my fingers, I can tell she's close.
"Let go for me, sonechko ," I murmur against her heated flesh. "I want to see you come undone."
With a keening cry, Lyah's back arches off the bed as her orgasm crashes over her. I continue my ministrations, drawing out her pleasure until she's trembling and pushing my head away as she becomes oversensitive.
I slide back up her dew slicked body, kissing her deeply and she moans at the taste of herself on my lips, her hands roaming my back, her nails scoring my flesh as she pulls me closer.
"I need you inside me," Lyah pants against my lips, her legs wrapping around my hips.
I groan, positioning myself at her entrance. "Are you sure? The doctor said…”
"The doctor says I’m fine,” she interrupts impatiently. "Now fuck me, Niko."
Again, her boldness inflames me. I hope she’s always like this, so I capture her lips in a searing kiss to let her know. But as I line up my cock head, ready to take her, to make her mine again, I pull back, wanting to see her.
Our eyes lock as I enter her slowly, both of us groaning at the exquisite sensation of finally being joined.
"You feel incredible," I murmur, savoring the tight grip of her body around me.
I start to move, setting a steady rhythm that has Lyah clinging to me, and urging me on. I want to be careful after all she’s been through, but my little vixen is having none of it. I’ve heard pregnant women get horny, but selfishly, I hope this isn’t just hormones.
"Harder," Lyah demands, her nails raking down my back hard enough to leave marks. "I won't break."
I growl low in my throat, giving in to her desires and my own primal urges. My hips snap forward with increased force, driving into her welcoming heat. The room fills with the sounds of our passion - skin slapping against skin, breathless moans, and whispered endearments.
Lyah meets me thrust for thrust, her body arching off the bed. "Yes, just like that," she gasps, her eyes locked on mine. The intimacy is almost overwhelming.
The intensity builds between us as we move together, our bodies finding a perfect rhythm. I can feel Lyah getting close again, her inner muscles fluttering around me.
"That's it, sonechko ," I encourage, angling my hips to hit that spot inside her. "Come for me again. Give me everything."
With a cry of ecstasy, Lyah throws her head back and screams as her release washes over her. The sight of her coming undone pushes me over the edge and I follow her into bliss, groaning her name as I spill inside her.
We collapse together, both of us breathing heavily.
I reluctantly roll to the side, cautious of my weight because of the baby, and gather Lyah against me as we catch our breath.
She nestles into my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin.
The intimacy of the moment strikes me - how different this is from our usual perfunctory couplings.
"That was..." Lyah trails off, sounding almost awed. Have I been that much of a dick during our past encounters?
It shames me to know that yes… yes, I have, because I’ve pulled further and further back whenever I felt her getting too close. No more.
"Incredible," I finish, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She hums in agreement, then lifts her head to meet my gaze. "Is this what it's going to be like now?" she asks softly, hope and uncertainty warring in her eyes.
I cup her face gently, my thumb stroking her cheek. "Yes," I promise solemnly. "This is most definitely what it’s going to be like from now on.” I drop a kiss to her swollen lips. “And this is just the beginning.”
She gives me a mischievous smile. “And will you spank me with your belt again for running away?”
I make a noise somewhere between a splutter and a choke.
Fuck me!