Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Laurel
I wake slowly to the soft press of lips along my bare back, lingering kisses trailing from the curve of my spine up to my shoulders, then the sensitive side of my face.
Leonid’s hand cradles my rounded belly, warm palm splayed protectively over the swell.
I moan quietly in my sleep, instinctively shifting backward into his solid warmth, chasing the comfort of his body against mine.
“Good morning, solnyshko,” he murmurs against my ear, voice low and rough with sleep.
I turn in his arms, blinking up at him. “Morning.”
He’s already dressed, crisp white shirt, charcoal trousers, tie knotted perfectly. The sight makes my heart do a lazy flip even as disappointment settles in my chest.
“You’re dressed,” I mumble, frowning.
He brushes a strand of hair from my face. “I have to get to the office early. A lot to wrap up before the holidays.”
I groan and burrow deeper into his chest, inhaling him. “Okay.”
It’s a few days to Christmas and I’m excited about spending Christmas with Leonid and Alexei.
His fingers trace lazy circles on my lower back. “You’re still going shopping later?”
“Yeah,” I say, voice muffled against his shirt. “Last-minute Christmas stuff. Alexei keeps changing his mind about what he wants, and I still need gifts for the house staff.”
He hums thoughtfully. “And you can’t wait for me to take you myself?”
I tilt my head up to meet his eyes. “You’ll be back late. The stores will be a zoo with all the last-minute shoppers. Dmitri can just take me.”
He lets out a frustrated groan, but doesn’t argue. “Fine. But we’re going to dinner tonight.”
“Okay.” I smile softly. “I’ll call the sitter and have her watch Alexei. His nanny will be off for the next couple of days.”
He leans down, kissing me slow and deep. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, fingers threading through his hair. The kiss turns hungry for a moment, his tongue stroking mine, hand sliding up my side, but he pulls away too soon.
I groan in protest.
“As much as I want to stay in this bed with you all day,” he says, voice rough, “I have to go.”
My heart squeezes. I watch him stand, shrug on his suit jacket, adjust his cuffs. I want to reach out, tug him back down, keep him in bed with me.
He glances back at me from the doorway. “Have a nice day, solnyshko,” he says.
I smile. “You too.”
He winks, then disappears down the hall.
I flop back against the pillows, and linger in bed for a few more minutes, breathing in the lingering scent of him on the sheets, already counting the hours until he’s home again. Eventually I force myself up, the cool floor shocking my bare feet as I pad to the bathroom to take a shower.
I dress in soft leggings and one of his oversized sweaters, another item I’ve quietly claimed, the fabric hanging loose over my growing bump. My hand rests there instinctively as I head downstairs.
Alexei is already at the kitchen table, legs swinging beneath the chair, spoon halfway to his mouth when he spots me. His whole face lights up with joy that never fails to melt something inside me.
“Good morning, Laurel!”
I smile wide, crossing the room to ruffle his dark hair. “Morning, sweetheart. How’d you sleep?”
“Great! I dreamed I was flying a rocket to Mars.” He grins, milk mustache already forming. “Dad said he can’t have breakfast with us today.”
I slide into the chair beside him, picking up my fork. “Yeah, he had an early meeting. But we’ve got pancakes and fruit, so I think we’re winning.”
He nods enthusiastically, diving back into his plate. I take a bite of the pancake drizzled with maple syrup, and I almost moan at the taste. Lately I’ve been craving these more than anything; the baby seems to agree.
Alexei chatters nonstop, about his excitement for the day, the new book his teacher in his new school started reading in class, how he’s going to show me his latest Lego spaceship after school. I listen, nodding, and asking questions.
Ever since I came here from the hospital, I haven’t gone back to my apartment.
My things are slowly migrating, clothes, books, my favorite mug.
I practically live here now. And Alexei…
he’s been beaming ever since. The quiet, withdrawn boy I first met is gone; in his place is this bright, chatty little person who hugs me good morning and good night, who asks if the baby can hear him when he talks to my stomach.
Now, we all have breakfasts when Leonid isn’t rushed off to work, dinners together most nights, weekends curled up on the couch with Alexei sandwiched between us watching PG movies. I love it here. Love the routine, the laughter, the way Alexei’s eyes light up when Leonid walks through the door.
We’re family, and with our baby on the way, I couldn’t be happier.
After dropping Alexei off at school, Dmitri drives me to the upscale shopping district downtown. The city is alive with holiday lights and last-minute shoppers.
We park near the boutique strip. “I won’t be buying much, I’ll be done before lunch,” I say to Dmitri s I step out.
“Okay ma’am.”
The smile he’s trying to hide, tells me he doesn’t believe me. Yeah, I’m proving him wrong today.
The moment we step inside, any item my hand touches, Dmitri is quick to carry.
“I can carry that myself,” I tell him for the third time today, reaching for a small wrapped candle.
He shakes his head once. “No, ma’am. I can’t let you do that. Besides, Mr. Volkov would kill me if he found out I let you carry anything heavier than your phone.”
I laugh shaking my head as I pick up a delicate crystal vase from the display. The new housekeeper mentioned she loves flowers; I could add this to her Christmas presents. I hand it to Dmitri. He adds it to the growing pile in his arms.
“You must really respect him,” I say softly, glancing at Dmitri as we move to the next shop.
He doesn’t hesitate. “I owe everything I am to him. I used to get into a lot of trouble, fights, bad crowds, headed straight for prison. But Mr. Volkov gave me a chance. Helped me get clean. Because of him, my family is protected. My sister’s in college.
My mom’s mortgage is paid off. His men… we’re all loyal to him.
He not only pays us, he looks after us.”
My heart tugs hard. Hearing Dmitri speak about Leonid with such reverence, makes something warm bloom in my chest. This is the man I love. The one who builds loyalty out of broken people, who protects those he cares about.
We finish shopping. Dmitri carries the shopping bags. I reply to Leonid’s latest text as we walk back to the car:
Me: Just finished. Heading home now.
I’m about to hit send when a loud bang goes off and the phone gets knocked off my hand, causing me to let out a shriek.
Another bang goes off, and I realize it’s gunshot. Dmitri’s body slams into mine, shoving me down behind a parked car. “Get down!” he roars, drawing his weapon in one fluid motion.
More shots ring out, glass shatters somewhere close. I hit the pavement hard, knees scraping, hands instinctively curling around my belly. Dmitri is on top of me, shielding me completely as he fires back to the shooters, while screaming words into his watch. Probably asking for backup.
More shots ring out, and I hear Dmitri groan, and I open my eyes to see blood coating his shirt.
“No—” The word chokes out of me.
Hands grab me from behind. Hooded figures in black yank me up and away from Dmitri’s body. I scream, thrashing, kicking, trying to get back to him.
“Let me go! Dmitri!”
He opens his mouth trying to speak, hands moving like he’s trying to get on his feet, but his effort is useless as blood spills from his mouth and he falls to the pavement.
Tears spill down my cheeks. “No! Dmitri!” Let me go!”
They drag me toward a waiting van. One of them hisses, “Shut her up.”
Another says, “She’s pregnant. Be careful with her.”
A third snaps, “Not our business. Instructions are to bring her alive to the boss. Nothing about the baby.”
Panic surges. My arms wrap tighter around my stomach as they shove me into the back of the van. The door slams. Tires squeal.
“You’re going to regret this, Leonid will find you and…”
“Shut up, bitch!”
Something hard connects with my face and blackness creeps in.
My last thought before everything fades is a desperate plea:
Leonid please find us.
Leonid
I’m in the middle of a meeting, listening to my team outline goals for the coming year, when the conference room doors slam open.
Every head turns.
Igor stands there, chest heaving, face tight with barely contained fury. Igor knows better than to interrupt a meeting like this. The look on his face tells me something is very wrong.
“Everyone out,” I say immediately.
Chairs scrape back, papers are gathered, and within seconds the room clears. The door shuts behind the last person.
I’m already on my feet.
“What’s going on?” I demand.
Igor looks like he’s about to explode. “Laurel was attacked.”
The world tilts.
“What?” The word barely makes it out.
I grab my keys without thinking. “Where?”
As we move, Igor keeps pace beside me. “Dmitri made a distress call. Asked for immediate backup. They were hit at the boutique strip.”
My pulse roars in my ears. “What?” I snap. “How am I only finding out now? What the fuck—”
My phone rings.
I answer without looking, jabbing the elevator button as hard as I can. “Yes?”
A familiar, grating voice comes through the line. “Hello, dear friend.”
Marco.
I hear Laurel’s voice, “Leonid!”
My body goes rigid. “Don’t you dare touch her,” I growl. “If anything happens to her—”
“I see you’re not ready to talk,” Marco cuts in. “I’ll call back when you’ve learned how to behave.”
The line goes dead.
I roar, pure rage tearing out of my chest.
“We’ll find her,” Igor says firmly.
I’m already pulling up the tracking app on my phone. The small dot is moving.
I exhale sharply. “I know where they’re taking her.”
The elevator dings, and the doors open. We run out into the lobby, Igor already on the phone calling in our men.
I’m seeing red. Pure, blinding fury that drowns out everything else.