Page 101 of Born into Darkness

“Thanks, you’re welcome to visit anytime you want,” I tell him while wrapping my arm around Talia and pulling her against me so her back is to my front. My thumb caresses her collarbone while her uncles walk past and her cousins give me a friendly nod before following the others into the house. Bran hangs back and signs something to Talia that makes her laugh.

“Do I want to know?” I ask when he walks into the house.

She tilts her head back and looks up at me. “He said he doesn’t ever want to know any details but he’s glad we both look so happy.”

I laugh and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, he definitely doesn’t want the details.”

“God no,” she says in agreement.

Threading her fingers through mine, we step into the house. Talia and I placed a huge order at the deli on the corner, so the kitchen counter is piled high with enough food to feed a small army. I’m hoping it’s enough to appease my Uncle Vitaly, but if it’s not, he’ll be sure and let me know.

Telling everyone to help themselves, I put out a stack of plates while Talia grabs a bunch of drinks from the fridge and starts putting them on the counter. I have to bite my lip to hide the goofy grin that’s dying to break free, because this feels every bit like we’re a married couple welcoming her family over for lunch. Talia in my kitchen is the most natural thing in the world, and I have to remind myself that it’s her first time being here.

As if she can sense my very unmanly giddiness, she looks over and gives me a big smile that I easily return. God, this woman is completely demolishing my tough guy image. I’m going to need to find a balance between work me and the me that Talia sees, because I can’t show up for a killing with a lovey-dovey grin on my face. Everyone else in my family has found that balance, so I’m sure I will too, but for the first time since my hand was hurt, I’m actually a little grateful for it. It’s giving me a chance to spend time with Talia and find my own balance in our life together. She will always be at the center of my world and the most important person in it, but I won’t turn my back on the Bratva. I could never do that to my family.

Talia comes back to stand in front of me again, smiling when I wrap my arm back around her chest and pull her closer. We wait for everyone to fix a plate and sit down and then fix our own and join them.

“Your dad and uncles showed us around today,” Vasily says, signing the words as he speaks them so Bran can know what’s going on. “We saw the clubs and a few of the warehouses. It’s a pretty nice setup you all have here.”

“It is,” Volodya agrees, taking a quick bite so his hands are free to sign. “We own several clubs in Oregon. The nightclubs always bring in a ton of money.”

“They do,” I agree. I’m not able to sign yet, but Bran’s sitting across from me and can easily read my lips. I know Talia will sign anything he doesn’t catch. “The one we own near the university is one of our biggest moneymakers, and, of course, Pink has been nothing but profit since before I was born.”

“Pink?” Talia asks, turning her head to look at me.

“It’s a strip club my dad and uncles bought long before I was born. They were trying to find my Aunt Alina, and buying it was part of their plan to get in close to the sex traffickers who took her.” I lean in close and kiss her ear, whispering, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, it’s not a place I ever go to.”

She looks relieved when I straighten back up, and if she thinks there’s any chance in hell that I could possibly want to hang out at a strip club, then I’m already failing as her boyfriend, soon-to-be fiancé, soon-to-be husband.

Misha, Volodya’s oldest son, says, “Sasha told us you all have a house about an hour away that has a lot of land with dirt bike trails.”

“Yeah, we all call it the farmhouse, but it’s not really a farm. We use it when we need to get away. When we were all little, we went there all the time,” I tell them. “We’ve had a few weddings there, too. It’s beautiful out there. You’ll have to come see it.”

“They love riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers,” Talia says. “We have trails through our woods, and they ride along the beach.”

“That sounds fun,” I say, already looking forward to trying that out with her. I give her a quick wink and add, “We’ll have to add that to our list of things to do.”

“Well, if you’re making a list,” her dad says, nearly making Talia choke on the bite she just took, “then you need to add going out on the boat or taking the jet skis out for a ride.”

I smile and lightly tap my temple. “Already added.” I can’t resist looking down at my blushing girl. “Don’t you think we should add those to the list?”

She forces an easy smile, but I can see the warning in her eyes, and it’s fucking cute as hell. “Definitely,” she says, unable to hide the blush that comes to her cheeks.

“Perfect,” I tell her, turning back to the others as if her dad didn’t just unknowingly add to our sex to-do list.

We keep the conversation light while we finish lunch. Nina asks me about the city and about my music, and by the time we’re done eating, I get another security alert on my phone.

“My family’s here,” I tell them right before we all hear the unmistakeable sound of my Uncle Matvey’s ’67 Camaro. It’s a beautiful day, so I opened the windows earlier, and the purr of his engine filters into the room, making Volodya give an appreciative sigh.

He looks at me and says, “I have a ’69 Camaro at home. Your uncle showed me his the other night. It’s a beautiful car.”

“It is,” I agree. “He’s kept it in pristine condition.”

Valeri laughs and looks at his brother. “I’m gonna tell your wife you miss the car more than her.”

Volodya frowns at him. “Don’t even fucking joke about that. Maddie would never believe you, anyway. She knows I’m going crazy without her.” He turns back to me while he points a finger at his younger brother. “He’s always trying to stir shit up. He can’t help it. He’s a bit of an attention whore.”

Valeri laughs while I nod and say, “We have one of those in our family.” When the door opens, I turn and see my Uncle Vitaly walk in. “Speak of the devil,” I mutter, making Talia laugh. He’s carrying another large box from Get the Scoop, and evidently he’s just always going to arrive everywhere with an ice cream cake from now on.

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