Page 82 of Paved in Hate

“I wish you didn’t have to go over there today.”

“Me too. I don’t particularly enjoy your brothers’ company.”

She turns and places the palm of her hand against my cheek. “Don’t do anything stupid, Vitaly.”

“Never,ptichka. I have too much to lose if I do.”

I hate the sense of foreboding that’s starting to hang over us, this feeling that I need to savor every moment with her because it could be our last. I never once thought that we wouldn’t all make it out of this, but now I’m not so sure. We hadn’t planned on Alina being held by another Bratva boss. We’d assumed she was privately bought and that it would be a fairly easy thing to kill the fucker and rescue her. That’s not how this is going to go down. This is going to be a war between two powerful Bratvas—a bloodbath that’s going to annihilate one side and potentially destroy the other. So many fucking things could go wrong, and I’m worrying about all of them.

Katya senses my mood and wraps her arms around me, hugging me tightly against her. She’s the only person I’ve ever allowed myself to be vulnerable around, but it feels so natural to give in to her embrace and let her comfort me like only she can.

“They’re going to be fine,” she says, cutting right to the heart of my fear. “It’s not going to be easy going against my brothers, but yours are fighting for someone they love, and that’s what’s going to make the difference. Greed is what fuels my brothers, the need to own and control and destroy everything around them, but that doesn’t inspire any real loyalty. I have a feeling that some of their men will run when the time comes. A lot will choose to die fighting, but I think many will run.”

“We’ll still kill them, but it’ll be easier to shoot them in the back while they’re running away,” I admit. “They don’t deserve to live, so we won’t let them.” I kiss her neck and sigh when she runs her nails over my scalp in a light massage that makes me want to shed a tear at how fucking good it feels. “I know we can take out your brothers,” I murmur against her skin, “but nothing is ever guaranteed, and there’s going to be a lot of bullets flying around. I’m not so sure this family can survive losing any of its members.”

“That won’t happen.”

“I appreciate how sure you sound,ptichka. I can almost make myself believe it.”

“You’re all going to live.” I smile at the steel determination in her voice. “I didn’t finally become part of a family that I love just to have it taken from me.”

I bring my mouth to hers and kiss her, not wanting to think about any of this shit anymore. We spend the rest of the day together, and she constantly surprises me with how much fun I have just hanging out with her. I’ve never met anyone like her. She makes me laugh, she’s stunningly gorgeous without making any effort to be so, she doesn’t put up with my shit, and her sex drive is equal to my own. She’s fucking perfect.

When it’s time for me to leave with Danil, she pulls me down and gives me a deep kiss that’ll have me counting down the minutes until I can get back to her. I give her ass a soft smack and her bottom lip one last suck.

“I’ll be back soon, baby.”

“You better.” She smiles and palms my cock through my jeans. “I think I’ll want another orgasm later.”

I laugh at her demanding tone. “The three I gave you this afternoon not enough?”

“No.”

“My insatiable wife,” I whisper against her lips. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were trying to break my dick.”

She gives me a squeeze that has me biting back a groan. “I definitely don’t want to break your dick. I love it way too much to do that.”

I laugh and give her one last kiss. “Behave yourself,ptichka. I’ll be home soon, and then I’ll make you come as many times as you want.”

She gives me a big smile. “Deal. I’m going to work on some sketches for Simona’s nursery while you’re gone. We’re trying to come up with ideas.”

“I can’t wait to see them.” I give her a wink and run my thumb along her cheek before heading downstairs to where Danil is already waiting for me by the elevator.

“Lev’s downstairs guarding the troublemakers,” he tells me, pushing the button for the doors to open.

“Clearly we’re the most responsible men in this family.”

Danil laughs. “Yeah, I’m sure the others would wholeheartedly agree with that.”

I look over at him as the elevator descends. “Do you carry snacks, too, like Lev?”

“I do not.”

We step into the parking garage and head for the SUV. Once we’re on our way, I look over at Danil. “It’s not very responsible of you to not carry around snacks. You’re about to be a daddy. You need to step up your game. Lev’s running circles around you, brother.”

Danil laughs and checks his laptop while I pass a slower car and ease back into the right lane.

“Don’t make too much fun of me. I’m guessing you're going to be announcing a pregnancy any day now.”

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