27. Vera
VERA
The safe house is quieter than the penthouse ever was.
I sit in the corner of Roman’s study, wrapped in a blanket I pulled from the bedroom while I watch him work.
The morning light filters through the tall windows, casting long shadows across his face as he hunches over the secure laptop Lev provided.
He’s been at it for hours. Every so often, his voice cuts through the silence as he issues orders or demands information. This is a side of him I’ve only glimpsed before: the Bratva enforcer, the man who spent a decade in Siberia learning how to survive.
It should frighten me. Maybe part of me is frightened. But watching him take control of the chaos does something else, too. It makes me feel safer than I have any right to.
“The attackers were hired muscle,” Lev says through the video connection. “Local guys mostly, but the money trail leads back to Anton’s accounts. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.”
Roman’s jaw tightens. “Arrogant.”
“Or desperate.” Lev shrugs. “The elders are talking. Several of them have sided with Anton publicly. They’re calling your marriage to Vera a power play.”
“They would see it that way.” Roman leans back in his chair, his fingers drumming against the desk.
“Some are still on the fence.” Lev hesitates. “Your father made a statement last night. He’s getting more elders on his and Anton’s side as we speak.”
My stomach turns. I pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders, trying to make myself smaller.
Roman’s eyes flick to me, then back to the screen. “Konstantin is a fool.”
“He’s a fool with influence, and he’s not the only one. Anton’s been working the elders for weeks, Roman. He knew you’d come back eventually. He’s been preparing.”
“Then I need to stop reacting and start acting.” Roman straightens, his expression hardening. “Call a meeting. All the elders, no exceptions. I want them in one room where I can see them.”
Lev raises an eyebrow. “That’s a bold move.”
“I’m done playing defense.” Roman’s voice is cold, calculated. “Anton tried to kill me yesterday. He tried to kill my wife, too. That’s not something I can let slide.”
“What’s the play?”
Roman is quiet for a moment, his gaze distant. Then he speaks, and his words send a chill down my spine.
“I’m going to present evidence of Dmitri’s treason. Then I’m going to present evidence of Anton’s deceit. The council will have to choose sides, and they’ll do it in front of everyone.”
“That’s...” Lev trails off, shaking his head. “That’s going to cause a rift.”
“That’s the point, Lev.” Roman’s eyes are hard. “No more backroom deals. Everyone shows their hand, and we see where the chips fall.”
Lev studies him for a long moment. Then he nods. “When?”
“Tomorrow night. Give them enough time to gather, but not enough to coordinate a counter-move.”
“I’ll set it up.” Lev’s voice softens. “How’s Vera holding up?”
Roman’s gaze finds me again. “She’s here.”
“I figured. I asked how she’s holding up.”
I clear my throat. “I’m fine.”
Both men look at me, and I can tell neither of them believes it. Lev doesn’t push, just nods and signs off.
The screen goes dark, leaving Roman and me alone in the quiet of the study.
He closes the laptop and stands, crossing the room to where I’m curled in the corner. His movements are slower now, the hard edge from the video call softening as he approaches.
“You should eat something,” he says, crouching down in front of me. “You barely touched breakfast.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“You’re eating for two now.” His hand finds my knee, squeezing gently through the blanket. “The baby needs nutrients.”
I look down at his hand, then up at his face. “You’re different when you’re with them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lev, the elders... you become someone else. Harder.” I search his face. “Is that who you really are?”
He’s quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing circles on my knee. “It’s who I had to become,” he says finally. “Siberia taught me that softness gets you killed. So I learned to be hard when I need to be.”
I reach out and touch his face, my fingers brushing along his jaw. He leans into the touch, his eyes closing briefly.
“You don’t have to put on a front with me,” I say softly. “You just have to be you.”
He opens his eyes, and something in his gaze makes my breath catch. He stands, pulling me up with him, and suddenly I’m pressed against his chest with his arms wrapped around me.
“I’m going to keep you safe,” he murmurs into my hair. “Both of you. Whatever it takes.”
“I know.” I tilt my head back to look at him. “I never doubted that.”
His mouth finds mine. His lips move against mine with a gentleness that makes my chest ache.
I melt into him, my hands sliding up his chest to loop around his neck. He deepens the kiss, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips until I open for him. A soft sound escapes my throat, and he swallows it down.
His hands drift down my back, settling on my hips. He pulls me closer, and I can feel the hard length of him pressing against my stomach. My body responds instantly, heat pooling low in my belly.
“Roman,” I breathe against his mouth.
He crowds me backward until the cool wall meets my spine and there’s nowhere left to go, his mouth never leaving mine. His fingers find the buttons of my blouse and slip them free one by one, until the fabric falls open and the first drag of his hands over bare skin pulls a gasp from me.
“We shouldn’t,” I manage to say, even as my body screams otherwise. “Not with everything that’s going on.”
“Let me take care of you.” His voice is rough against my neck.
“Just for a moment.”
His thumb brushes the underside of my breast. I shudder, pressing closer to him. He finds the clasp of my bra and undoes it with practiced ease, then his palm is covering my breast. His thumb rubs my nipple until it peaks.
A moan escapes me, muffled against his mouth. He swallows the sound, kissing me deeper, his tongue stroking against mine in a rhythm that makes my knees weak.
His other hand moves down my side and over my hip, tugging down my leggings. He slips beneath the waistband, his fingers tracing along the edge of my underwear. I’m already wet, and when his fingers brush against the damp fabric, I whimper.
“So responsive,” he murmurs against my lips. “So wet for me already.”
“Roman, please.”
“Please what?” He nips at my lower lip, his fingers pressing harder against the fabric. “Tell me what you want.”
“You. I want you.”
He makes a sound low in his throat, something between a growl and a groan. Then his hand is yanking aside my underwear, his fingers pressing against my slick heat.
I gasp as he strokes me, his touch feather-light at first, then firmer. He circles my clit with his thumb while his fingers explore, teasing my entrance before sliding one finger inside.
My head falls back against the wall, my breath coming in short pants. He takes advantage of the exposed skin, his mouth finding my throat. He kisses and nips at the sensitive flesh while his finger moves inside me, curling to find that spot that makes me see stars.
“Look at me,” he says, his voice rough.
I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. His pupils are blown wide, his irises almost black with desire. He watches my face as he adds a second finger, his thumb still working my clit.
“That’s it,” he says. “Let me see you.”
I can feel the orgasm building, the tension coiling low in my belly. My hips move of their own accord, chasing his hand and more pressure. More.
“Roman, I’m?—”
“I know.” His fingers curl inside me, and I shatter.
My body clenches around his fingers as pleasure radiates outward. I cry out, my knees buckling.
He catches me, his arm wrapping around my waist to hold me up while his fingers continue to work me through the aftershocks. I’m trembling, and when he finally withdraws his hand, I let out a shaky breath.
He brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks them clean, his eyes never leaving mine. I feel a fresh wave of heat between my legs.
“You taste incredible,” he says, his voice low and rough. “I want more.”
Before I can respond, he’s dropping to his knees in front of me.
“Roman, what are you doing?”
His hands shove my leggings and underwear down, though they are already low on my hips. I step out of them automatically, my mind too hazy to form coherent thoughts.
Then his mouth is on me, and I forget how to think entirely.
His tongue traces a line from my entrance to my clit. I cry out, my fingers tangling in the dark strands of his hair.
He works me with expert precision, his tongue circling and flicking while his hands grip my thighs to hold me in place. Every stroke sends sparks of pleasure through my body, building the tension back up even higher than before.
“Roman,” I moan, my head falling back against the wall. “Roman, please!”
He hums against me, the vibration making me gasp. Then his tongue dips inside me, fucking me with shallow strokes while his thumb finds my clit.
I’m close again, so close, my body wound tight as a bowstring. He must sense it, because he pulls back just enough to speak.
“Come for me,” he says, his breath hot against my slick flesh. “I want to feel you fall apart on my tongue.”
His mouth returns to me, more insistent this time. He sucks my clit into his mouth, his tongue flicking rapidly, and I come undone.
The orgasm is even more intense than the first. My whole body shakes, my cries echoing off the walls of the study. Roman holds me steady, his mouth still working me through the waves of pleasure until I’m pushing at his head, too sensitive to take any more.
He stands, his mouth glistening with my arousal, and pulls me into a kiss. I can taste myself on his lips, musky and sweet. It makes my head spin.
“My turn,” I whisper against his mouth, my hand finding the hard length of him through his pants.
He groans, his hips jerking into my touch. “Vera, you don’t have to?—”
“I want to.”
I fumble with his belt, my fingers clumsy with desire. He helps me, shoving his pants down just enough to free himself. His cock is hard and thick, the tip already slick with pre-cum.
I wrap my hand around him, stroking slowly from base to tip. He groans again, his forehead dropping to rest against mine.
“Fuck, your hand feels good,” he says, his voice strained.
I increase my pace, my thumb circling the sensitive head on each upstroke. He twitches in my grip, his breathing growing ragged.
“Vera,” he warns. “If you keep doing that, this is going to be over very quickly.”
“Then maybe we should do something else.”
I guide him toward the couch, pushing him down onto the cushions. He goes willingly, his eyes dark with desire as he watches me step out of the rest of my clothes.
I straddle his lap, positioning myself over him. His hands find my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh.
“Slow,” he says, his voice rough. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
I sink down onto him inch by inch, letting my body adjust to the stretch. He fills me completely, the sensation overwhelming in the best possible way.
When I’m fully seated, we both let out a shuddering breath. I rest my forehead against his, our breaths mingling.
“Move,” he says.
I lift my hips and sink back down. Each stroke sends sparks of pleasure through my body, his cock filling me just right.
His hands guide my movements, his fingers digging into my hips as I ride him. The angle is perfect, and before long I’m moving faster, chasing the pleasure that’s building inside me again.
“That’s it,” he says, his voice rough. “Take what you need, little bird.”
I brace my hands on his shoulders and pick up the pace, my hips rolling in a rhythm that makes us both gasp. The sound of our bodies coming together fills the room.
“I’m close,” I whimper. “Roman, I’m really close.”
“Me too.” His hand slides between us, his thumb finding my clit. He circles it in time with my movements, pushing me higher and higher.
I throw my head back and cry out, my body clenching around him as wave after wave of pleasure crashes through me.
He follows me over the edge a moment later, his hips jerking up as he spills inside me. He groans my name, his hands tightening on my hips hard enough to bruise.
After, he pulls me close so he can bury his face in my neck.
Then, he reaches over to a box of tissues to clean up. He gets up after we both dress, returning with two glasses of water and a blanket.
“Drink,” he says, and I curl into him again.
We’re still tangled together on the couch when the glass behind me shatters.
Roman moves faster than I can process. One second I’m in his arms, the next I’m on the floor with his body covering mine. His weight presses me into the hardwood, his arms caging me protectively.
“Stay down,” he snarls.
The crack of a rifle shot reaches my ears a fraction of a second later, followed by shouting from somewhere outside. Roman’s security team, mobilizing.
My heart hammers against my ribs. I can feel Roman’s heartbeat, rapid but steady against my back.
“Sniper,” he says, his voice clipped. “Perimeter position. My team will handle it. Fuck, this place was supposed to be secure!”
“How?” I start, but he cuts me off.
“Don’t move.”
We lie there for what feels like an eternity, my face pressed against the floor. The shouting outside grows louder, then fades. A single gunshot rings out, followed by silence.
Roman’s phone buzzes. He pulls it from his pocket, checks the screen, then exhales slowly.
“Neutralized,” he says. “The threat is gone.”
He rolls off me, helping me sit up. My whole body is trembling, my breath coming in short gasps. Roman pulls me into his arms.
“You’re okay,” he murmurs. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
I clutch at his shirt, burying my face in his chest. The adrenaline is fading, leaving me shaky and hollow.
“That’s twice now,” I say when I find my voice. “Twice someone has tried to kill us.”
“I know,” he says quietly.
I pull back to look at him. His face is grim, his jaw set in a hard line.
“This is my life,” he says. “This is what it means to be with me. Constant danger, constant threats. I can’t promise it’ll ever stop.”
“Good thing I’m not asking you to promise,” I say.
His eyes widen slightly.
“I made my choice.” I reach up and cup his face, forcing him to look at me. “When I said yes at that church, I knew what I was getting into. Maybe not all of it, but enough. I choose you.”
He stares at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he kisses me again, harder this time.
The security team enters then, led by a grim-faced Lev who must have rushed over from wherever he was.
Roman stands, pulling me up with him, and they begin the process of securing the property and assessing the damage.
I watch from the sidelines as Roman transforms back into the Bratva enforcer, issuing orders and coordinating responses.
This time, I don’t find it frightening. Instead, I find it reassuring.
This is the man I married. This is the life I chose.
No matter what comes next, I’ll stand by him.