Page 55 of Born into Chaos

“Try to behave,pcholka,” he whispers against my lips while pinching my nipple just hard enough to sting. “I promise I’ll reward you for it later.”

He smacks my ass before letting me go, but before he disappears into the kitchen, he says, “I want to see those drawings you did of me later.”

I groan at the thought of showing him my porny art while I hurry up and get dressed. I’m just finishing when Vitya walks in holding a smiling Samantha. Her face lights up even more when she sees me, and my heart aches at the sight of them—the man I love and the baby who’s already stolen my heart. I realize in that moment that I don’t want to ever let either one of them go.

“What if we keep her?” I blurt out.

His stunned face makes me wish I could take the words back, but then he smiles and kisses Samantha’s head as he walks over to me. He puts her in my arms and hands me the bottle he made for her.

“You’re very young,” he reminds me.

“I’m almost twenty-one,” I remind him. Sitting down, I adjust her in my lap and feed her while I look up at Vitya. “Can you walk away from her?”

His eyes run over the baby in my arms, a soft smile playing at his lips when she kicks her legs and starts making her happy baby noises.

“No, I can’t,” he admits. “But it’s not like I picked up a stray puppy,Sveta. I have to tell your dad and uncles. This is going to change everything.”

I smooth back her silky baby hair. “Everything’s already changed.”

He sits down next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders while he caresses Samantha’s head. “It has, and I worry that you’re going to decide it’s too much.”

I turn my head to look at him. “Have I ever backed down from anything?”

The corner of his mouth lifts in small smile. “No, but I don’t want you staying with me just because you’re too stubborn to quit.”

“I’m not, and I wouldn’t be. It’s not like I just met you,” I remind him. “And it’s not the amazing orgasms talking.”

He raises a brow at me. “You sure about that? You’re very agreeable after you come.”

“You should definitely remember that about me.”

He laughs, and the sound of it has Samantha letting out another happy squeal.

“I want to be with you, Vitya. I have for a very long time, and I was the one who just suggested we keep Samantha.” I look down at the baby whose brown eyes are studying the two of us as she finishes the last of her bottle. “I know it might sound weird, but I think you found her for a reason. I know you’re not supposed to tell me anything about the Bratva, but whoever you were with on the night that you found her, would that person have done what you did?”

“No,” he quickly says, “but he wouldn’t have hurt her. He would’ve made sure she was left at a hospital.”

“Would they have felt compelled to take care of her and comfort her, though?”

He laughs. “No.”

“Jesus, who were you with that night?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he quickly says, and before I can keep asking, he smiles and says, “You saidwe.”

“Huh?”

“You saidweshould keep her.”

“I did.” I lift Samantha up and start to pat her back while she gnaws on her fist and hums, because she’s definitely discovered her voice and wants to make use of it every chance she gets. “I know it’s crazy, but look at our lives, Vitya. When have they ever been normal? I love you, and the thought of someone else raising and taking care of Samantha doesn’t sit well with me. I’d never stop worrying, and she’d be so scared.” I kiss the cheek that’s slowly becoming chubby and breathe in her sweet scent. “I can’t do that to her.”

Vitya kisses my head and helps me pat her back. “Neither can I, Sveta. We’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

I rest against him, feeling hopeful despite all the worries about how my family is going to handle this and how we’re going to make it work, but then I hear a noise that has me freezing and shooting Vitya a shocked look. “Was that a car door?”

He jumps up and peeks out the large window that overlooks the front yard and driveway. “Fuck,” he mutters.

“Who is it?” Fear races through me as I imagine my dad and uncles piling out of an SUV.

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