Page 41 of Cruel Russian Monster
I didn’t get far with that thought when I heard it.
“Vera? Where are you?”
I froze. My heart stopped.
No. Freaking. Way.
I shot up from the sofa, barely managing to shove my sandals on before bolting out of the room and tearing down the stairs.
And there she was.
I ran straight into Katya’s arms.
I didn’t know how long we stood there, hugging, with me crying like a lunatic, before I finally pulled away.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, wiping my tears.
“You have your husband to thank for that,” Katya smiled.
My eyes widened. “He told you?”
“Yup. Even helped me sneak over while Ninel and Mariya babysat.”
“Do they know?” I asked.
“Not yet. Jaroslav wants to tell them when he tells Lev.”
I raised a brow. “So…where do they think you went?”
Katya laughed. “Girl, you know they don’t care. I could be on a space shuttle to Mars, and they wouldn't care. As long as they get to spend time with their nephew.”
I pulled her into another hug. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be.”
I pulled back and smirked. “Girl, I’ve seen your husband. Don’t stand here lying to me.”
Katya laughed, dreamy and smug. “He is a fine specimen of a man, isn’t he?” She tilted her head. “But so is yours. Now, come on, give me the tour of this beautiful house and tell me how in the world you ended up here.”
While giving her the grand tour, I explained how I ended up living at Jaroslav’s house, leaving out a few key details. Like the fact that we used to date. Or that he got shot when I tried to escape. Or that every time we're alone, I fight the urge to tear his clothes off.
But I did come clean about how anxious I’d felt about marrying Lev, and how I thought the war between the factions was all my fault. I even admitted that I understood why Jaroslav did what he did, although I'd never admit that to him.
Now we were sitting in the lounge, sipping orange juice, because Katya was still nursing, and I didn’t want to drink wine when she couldn’t.
“Vera, don’t be too hard on yourself,” she said gently. “Lev and Artyom both had their part in escalating the situation. Instead of sitting down and talking like men, they let their egos run wild.”
She placed her hand over mine, her eyes searching mine. “But…are you okay, though? Being here with him?”
She sighed. “When Lev did what he did to me…he never laid a hand on me, but the things he said, God, they ripped me apart. And Jaroslav…he’s more intense than Lev. If he married you to fix something he thinks you broke, I know living here with him can’t be easy.”
“At first, it was more difficult,” I admitted. “But now that we’re getting to know each other a little more…”
You mean rekindling your flame…
“Things are going better. But don’t get it twisted,” I added, smirking. “I grew up in Bratva, too. I’ve been around men like Jaroslav my entire life. Have you forgotten who our oldest brother is?”
Katya chuckled. “You do have a point.”
