Page 137 of Between Us

Roman returned the smile. “At the top of his empire that I plan to reform to the fucking core.”

49

“Mr. Leskov, your son is here to see you.”

Roman followed the nurse into the private salon, his gaze immediately finding his father. He sat up in bed, blue eyes bloodshot and his cheeks sunken from all the weight he’d lost. He looked like he’d taken a long walk in the netherworld and had returned to the land of living a different man.

Vitaly watched Roman advance into the room as the nurse hurried to adjust his pillow to make him more comfortable. She checked the IV drip plugged to a vein on his arm, and when she was satisfied with that, she finally left the room, closing the door behind her.

Roman grabbed a chair, bringing it closer to the bed. He sat down, crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and leaned back. He’d come alone, needing this time with Vitaly for himself. Tatyana was on her way to the hospital with Alek, and he knew that once they arrived, there would be no more time to address the things that he wanted to.

“It’s a miracle you survived,” he said, foregoing any type of greeting. “You had a bullet going straight through your brain, but I guess they already told you that.”

Vitaly just stared at him, his mouth set into a flat line. On the nightstand beside him sat a notebook and a pen. They were trying to get him to write on paper, but he couldn’t do that either.

“If you’re wondering who did it… well, I don’t think it will shock you to know it was Davit. Not him personally, but a couple of his men driving a car they stole from Nero Rossetti. They tried to frame the Italians and get us at war with them. Then they planned to eliminate us, too.”

Vitaly’s eyes flared a little, and Roman could only assume he was getting pissed to learn that he’d been outplayed.

“And there’s more. I have proof they stole that cargo a few months back. Not only that, but Anatoly’s uncle being decapitated and thrown into the river? That was Davit, too.”

“I warned you,” Roman said more quietly. “But you never listen, do you?”

Since he wasn’t expecting a reply, Roman continued. “Davit also parted with some interesting information before I killed him.” His voice lowered, his eyes turning hard. “I know what you almost did to her, and I will never fucking forgive you.”

His father let out a sound, something resembling a grunt, though it came out more like a moan.

“I don’t know what your end goal was by forcing my hand to marry Alessa, and I don’t even care. She makes me happy.” He paused thoughtfully. “Not that you evercared about that.”

“You’ll never recover from this, and even if you do, it will take youyears. But that is fine by me, and you know why? You’ll get to watch me lead the Bratva the wayIsee fit. And all that time, you’ll be bound to a bed or a wheelchair, unable to do shit about it.” Despite the resentment brewing under his skin, Roman found the corners of his mouth tugging up. “Now, that is what I call justice.”

The door burst open, and Tatyana barged in, dressed in sweatpants and a thick jacket, her dark hair piled up messily on top of her head.

“Daddy!” she cried happily, rushing to his side. Alek followed her inside the room, his expression more guarded.

Roman stood, satisfied with what he’d been able to get off his chest. He turned to leave and give his sister space when he remembered something.

“Oh, and another thing.” Vitaly watched him carefully over Tatyana’s bent head as she hugged his limp body desperately. “Oleg is dead. As soon as youraccidenthappened, he got involved with the Armenians and tried to get rid of me. And he would’ve succeeded too, were it not for the Italians you were so bent on fucking over.”

Vitaly let out another noise, and Tatyana frowned at Roman for visibly upsetting their father.

Deciding not to linger, Roman took his leave, closing the door behind him.

He had a wife to pick up and a life to get back to.

Epilogue

One year later…

“You smell good,” Roman murmured, his face pressed into her long hair.

Alessandra smiled and reached up to lightly scrape her nails over his unshaved cheek. “You always say that when you're horny.” She made a point of arching her back so her ass rubbed against his groin. As expected, she found him already hard beneath his sweatpants.

He chuckled, lowering his head to kiss the side of her neck. His hands grabbed her waist and he pushed his cock harder against her ass. “It’s these fucking jeans, looking like they’ve been sewn on you.”

She sighed exaggeratedly. “And here I was, thinking that you love me for my awesome personality.”

“I can’t fuck your personality, can I?”

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