Page 99 of Born into Blood

“I’m okay,” I whisper. “We need to get Pip. He’s still in the apartment.”

“I grabbed him when I realized you’d been taken. Sveta’s watching him for us.” He sighs, the sound of it making him seem far older than he is. “I was so fucking scared,” he admits. “I’m so sorry they got you.”

“This isn’t your fault,” I start to tell him, but he shakes his head, refusing to hear it.

“I should’ve put Arkady on you sooner. None of this would’ve happened if I’d taken care of you the way I should have. It’s a mistake I won’t be making again.”

The determination in his voice makes it abundantly clear that I will be watched over every second of every day for the rest of my life.

“The chances of this happening again are slim to none,” I try to reason, but he just shakes his head again as Max pulls the car up beside us. Val gets in the passenger side while Luka takes the backseat so he can keep me in his lap.

When we’re on our way down the gravel road, I try again. “It was really my dad that got me into this mess, and I doubt Vladimir is going to try anything again, so the threat is kind of gone now.”

He lets out a soft laugh. “Nice try, kisa, but it’s a done deal. You will never be left unprotected again.”

Val looks back at us. “You’ll never talk him out of it, Lara. He’s stubborn as hell.”

“I am,” Luka agrees. He positions me on his lap so he can keep a better eye on my arm. Lowering his voice, he asks, “How bad does it hurt?”

“I’m fine,” I quickly say, not wanting him to worry, but he scoffs at my answer, knowing I’m full of shit.

“Want to try that again, kisa?”

I let out a small smile at his tone. “It hurts really, really bad.”

He sighs and kisses my forehead as he brushes his fingers along my cheek. “I’m sorry, baby. This cut should be on me, not you.”

“I’m glad it’s me,” I whisper. “You’re too beautiful for scars. I already have plenty of them. One more isn’t going to hurt.”

He’s quiet for several minutes while his fingers keep lightly stroking my cheek. His cousins keep up a conversation in Russian, giving us our privacy, and I close my eyes, resting against Luka’s chest. I’m almost asleep when he says, “I love your scars, kisa. Every time I see them I’m reminded of how strong you are, of how big of a heart you have.” His hand slides down to rest on my chest. “You feel things so strongly, and you try and take on more than you should. I’m only sorry that I wasn’t there to help you through it. You should never have had to get another scar, but when I look at this one, it’s just going to be another reminder of how sweet and brave you are. This was meant for me, and you took it. You jumped in front of me without a second thought.”

He takes a breath and brings his hand to my neck, softly stroking my skin. “I love you, Lara, and I would lay down my life for yours in a second, and the fact that you would do that for me means everything to me.” He gives my hair a soft tug. “But I swear to god if you ever put your life at risk for me again, I will spank your ass so goddamn hard that you won’t be able to sit down for a week. You are more important than me. Your life comes before mine. End of story.”

I start to tell him that he’s wrong, but he presses his fingers to my lips, silencing my words.

“End of story, baby. Now get some rest. We still have a long drive. We’ll numb your arm as soon as we get there so you won’t feel the stitches at all.”

“How did you know where I was?” I ask, ignoring the fact that he wants me to rest. I’m exhausted and barely keeping my eyes open, but I want answers more than I want sleep.

As if sensing that I’m not going to let this go, he sighs and starts to stroke my hair as he tells me everything. He explains how Niki found out who my dad was and about the conversation he had with his dad and uncles, about the way my family is so deeply intertwined with his. My dad and uncle caused his family so much pain, and I’m not sure how I’m ever going to face any of them again.

“How can they stand to look at me?” I whisper against his neck.

“You are not your father and uncle, kisa. You are not responsible for what they did, and my family would never blame you for their actions. Look at me, baby.”

He waits until I sit up enough to see him. We’re on the outskirts of the city now, and the streetlights give off enough light for us to see each other. His green eyes search mine, willing me to believe him.

“I love you, and I will never see you as a Lebedev. My dad and uncles broke away from their real families because they were shit, and they started their own. They didn’t allow themselves to be defined by their parents, and neither will you. You will rise above this, Lara, because you’re brave and strong and a thousand fucking times better than that bastard.”

He gives me a soft smile and kisses me gently. “Besides, baby, you’ll be Lara Melnikov soon enough.”

I kiss him back, clinging to his words and refusing to slip into the darkness again. Luka’s right. I’m not my dad, and he doesn’t get to define me.

“It’s not all bad,” he reminds me, pulling back from our kiss to look towards Val. “You have cousins and an aunt and uncle.”

Val looks back and grins at me. “Hey, cuz.” He gives a soft laugh and holds up his phone. “I’ve already texted Sveta about it, and she’s thrilled to have another female cousin. She also sent me this.” He holds the phone closer, letting me see the picture of Pip. His cute little head is buried in a bowl of food, and he’s obviously being spoiled rotten. “She also said that as your cousin she wants first dibs if you ever need a cat sitter.”

I’m so touched by how damn sweet they’re being that the laugh I give almost turns into a sob. I can’t even begin to imagine what their mom went through growing up the sister of Osip and Konstantin. She must’ve been terrified all the time, and that’s nothing compared to what Alina went through. Luka’s aunt was stolen and abused for two years, and it nearly destroyed his family, and even though I wasn’t even born yet, human nature would make it very easy for his entire family to hate me based solely on the fact that his corrupted blood runs in my damn veins. None of them are like that, though, and in a way it almost makes me feel guilty, like I should be taking the brunt of their anger, like I deserve it somehow because of my connection to all this, and I have to keep reminding myself that that line of thinking is bullshit.

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