Page 117 of Volatile

She does the same to her own body and she springs up, holding her hand out like she’s never seen it before. I’m vibrating with joy and press an obnoxiously loud wet kiss to cheek as I say, “Congratulations, I decided a few weeks ago.”

Weeks isn’t technically a lie – they can be used instead of months. Or years.

She moves her head away from me, blinks slowly then shakes her head. “You’re a crazy bastard.”

It’s an accurate description so I don’t say anything.

But she hasn’t said no. As long as a refusal doesn’t come out of her pretty lips I’m on cloud fucking nine. My woman can’t admit anything for shit, she hides herself behind other people’s opinions and I’m loud enough to force my way through. I know her more than I know myself, Stasi isn’t arguing. She isn’t taking the ring off or throwing it at me. She’s admiring it and trying to hide her smile. The large diamond is worthless, but she stares at it with awe and moves closer to me.

I’m two seconds away from giving her another surprise when there’s a little knock on my door with a small voice to match.

“Tali, Stas. Mama said knock.”

I sit up and extend my voice. “Come in, Verochka.”

The door is pushed open, and the cup leaves a trail of water or whatever liquid is in it as she carefully walks to me. Her fingers are clasped around it tightly and she doesn’t look away from her concoction until she stops beside me. When I try to take it from her she scowls up at me and shakes her head. “Not yours. For Stas.”

What the fuck?!

I can’t keep the hurt of being snubbed out of my voice.

“What happened to me being your favorite?”

She rolls her eyes and holds the cup out with both hands. My woman is adorable as she takes the hazardous liquid while my niece is a traitor and she says, “For Stas, only. You no drink my tea.”

I grab her and lift her above my head as she scowls.

“You don’t normally bring me tea. What’s in the cup, Vero?”

Stasi’s arm moves in my periphery, and I can’t let her drink whatever concoction it is so rush out before it can touch her lips.

“Pool water?” I ask.

Verena shakes her head with an eye roll like I’m a dumb fuck. Stasi hesitantly moves her face away from the cup as I stand my Vero on the bed and go through the list of substances she could get her little hands on.

“Toilet?”

Her grumpy face comes out and she shakes her head while Stasi burns a hole in the side of my face.The kid has the attention span of a goldfish and starts twirling, playing with the hem of her dress. I don’t trust whatever is in that cup to be fit for human consumption and I’ll need to burn the dish. So, I hold her above my head again and tickle her sides.

“Where did you make your ‘tea’? Who helped you? Was it that little shit Viktor?”

Her hands slap out and she’s definitely her mother’s daughter from the sting alone, but my brows go up in surprise as she gives her breathless list. “Papa’s tea, Val done hot water, and Dani give sugar.”

She’s spent years coming to me as soon as she wakes up. Never has she been empty handed, and it’s always been something that I spit out. But Stasi leans on my shoulder and my niece is a traitor as she pushes her weight down to stand between my thighs. Her hands go to her hips, and she plugs authority into her voice.

“Not for Tali, only Stas.” She points at each of us as though we’re too dumb to know our own names, then turns sweet as she smiles at my woman. “Like?”

Stasi takes a hesitant sip and there’s no lie in her voice.

“It’s very nice. You’re a clever girl, aren’t you?”

Vero beams up at her and then her eyes sparkle seeing the ring on Stasi’s finger. She stretches her finger out without touching the stone and her voice is lower like a little gremlin.

“Pretty.”

My door being open means I hear the terrible trio before I see them as Dom and Vasy’s giggling echoes through the hallway with their steps. I can’t hear Viktor telling them to leave him alone and quickly take the cup from Stasi’s hand to set it down on the nightstand and pull the sheets over the three of us to hide. We’re all sitting up and I hold my finger in front of my lips as I whisper, “Shh, they might not realize we’re here.”

Stasi doesn’t understand how crazy they are and rips the sheet over her head as they come into the room. Adrik stands back and I narrow my eyes at him as he lingers outside of one of the spare rooms. He ignores me and walks back down the hallway and I hear Viktor’s bedroom door open so I leave him to play with the books Viktor has outgrown.

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