Page 57 of Paved in Venom

“Yes, sir,” they both say before following Emily, who’s desperately trying to save my ass and give us a little bit of privacy.

I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just blurt that out. I know it’s fast, and I know you’re dealing with a lot right now.”

Before I can keep going, she grabs my shoulders and pulls me down to her level. “I love you too,” she whispers right before she kisses me.

My arms wrap around her, and I allow myself to get lost in the feel and taste of her for as long as I can before I’m forced to pull back because I can’t take her to bed like I so desperately want. Right now I need to deal with the man who’s bound and gagged and waiting downstairs with my brothers.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world, and that’s enough to pull a small laugh from me.

“And that’s funny?” she asks, giving me a smile.

“I just went from thinking I’d never fall in love to falling so hard for you in a ridiculously short amount of time. So, yeah, it’s kind of funny.” I kiss her again and then meet her blue eyes. “I’m sorry I have to go. I promise we’ll talk more when I get back. Keep your phone close, baby. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Be careful, Danil.”

“Always, sladkaya.”

She smiles, but I can see the fear in her eyes. I kiss her forehead, right between her eyes where she’s furrowing it in worry.

“Relax, baby. This is the fun part,” I say, giving her a wink as I back up to grab a handful of sweet teas from the fridge before heading to the elevator. I step in and give her another smile. “I love you,” I tell her one last time, smiling like an idiot when she blows me a kiss and says it back.

I’m still grinning when I get back in the SUV and toss them their teas.

“Seriously?” Vitaly asks as soon as my door shuts. “You just blurted out I love you like that?”

“The fuck?” I look back at him. He’s giving me a huge grin and holding up his cell phone.

“My sister-in-law and I keep no secrets, Danil. Also, this is a group chat, so Roman and Matvey know as well.”

“Why the fuck am I not surprised?” I laugh and shake my head. “It just came out. I wasn’t thinking, but she said it back, so I guess I didn’t fuck it up too much.”

Vitaly lets out another laugh as he turns onto the expressway that will lead us out of the city and says, “I had no idea you were into breath play, but I guess it’s not a complete surprise. You always did like to be in control, even when we were kids. I think you’re the only person I’ve never seen drunk.”

“And you never will.”

He laughs because I’ve just proven his point, but I can’t help it. I hate the feeling of not being in control of my own body. I drink enough to take the edge off, but once I feel like it’s taking over, I stop.

“So about the breath play,” Vitaly says, making Lev laugh from the backseat. The doctor is letting out muffled whimpers, but no one’s paying him any attention. If he was smart, he’d enjoy these last few pain-free moments, because they’re the last he’s ever going to have in this life. If he wants to piss them away whining like a little bitch, then I’m not going to stop him. To each his own and all that.

“Let it go,” I tell him. “You’re not getting any details.”

“You can’t fault me for trying,” he says with a shrug. “It was very convincing when you two walked back into the room. Simona’s very obvious hand necklace print around her neck and the way she knelt at your feet. If I didn’t know you any better, I would’ve thought you’d strangled the fight right out of her.”

“Glad to know it worked,” I tell him, opening up my own tea and taking a drink.

“I had no idea Simona was into the rough stuff,” he says, because Vitaly never knows when to quit.

“He’s gonna kick your ass,” Lev says, smacking Vitaly’s shoulder with a laugh. “Don’t forget I’m the one who taught him how to fight.”

“Remember the time that one little fucker taunted Danil because he thought he was just a computer dork?”

“Yeah, I do,” Lev says, laughing. “He put the little shit in the hospital. That was a proud day for me.”

I laugh at the memory. I’d been seventeen, and the guy had been picking on me for weeks. Lev had been doubling down on our lessons ever since the night my stepdad beat me into unconsciousness and I’d sworn it would never happen again. When that guy had started teasing me, I’d snapped, and it was the last goddamn time anyone tried to mess with me at school. It was the first time I put someone in the hospital, but certainly not the last.

We joke around for a few more minutes, but the closer we get to the warehouse, the antsier we get. We’re all desperate for answers. We’ve waited over a year for them, and we’ve finally gotten our hands on someone who’s involved in the inner workings of this trafficking ring. We want answers, and we’re damn well going to get them, and in the process I’m going to get revenge for what he did to Simona. It’s going to be a damn good night.

By the time Vitaly parks next to Matvey’s Camaro, I’m tapping out an agitated rhythm with my foot and running my fingers over the pruning shears as I imagine how good it’s going to feel when I cut off every finger he dared to slip inside my woman.

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