“I hope you always feel that way about me.”
“I always will.” The confident way he says it has me smiling against his chest. His thumb caresses my back while he holds me tightly, and I must fall asleep at some point, because the next thing I know, it’s morning and we’re in bed. Vasily’s strong arms are still wrapped around me, except now I’m on my side and he’s curled around me, breathing deeply by my ear. I love waking up before him, listening to him sleep as his body rests heavily against mine. I kiss the tattooed forearm by my head, not at all surprised when he gives a soft moan behind me before burying his face in my neck and breathing me in.
“Morning,zolotse,” he murmurs against my skin.
“You’re such a light sleeper.”
“I always have been. You are not, baby. You didn’t stir at all when I carried you in here and put you to bed.”
I smile and give a long, lazy stretch. “Not my fault. Someone wore me out last night.”
“I wish I had time to do it again,” he says, running his hand along my body. “But we need to go to the airport. My brother’s flight will be getting in soon.”
The news is like a jolt of caffeine. I sit up and turn to him. “One of your brothers is coming here? Today?”
He gives me an adorable grin and rolls onto his back. “Volodya, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Smiling he runs his finger along the underside of my breast. “Because someone sidetracked me with a blowjob and outdoor sex.”
Nerves start to get the better of me. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
“He will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he’s my brother,” he says with a shrug. “And he’d be an idiot not to. Volodya is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.”
“He runs things in Moscow, right?”
“Yeah, with Valeri.”
“Does he have a reputation like you?”
Vasily’s lips spread in a big grin, the one that makes him look boyish and devilish all in one go. “Who do you think taught him everything he knows?”
“Why is he coming here?”
His face turns serious as he takes my hand and gives it a kiss. “Ski mask is taking too long to find. I need to stir things up a bit. If things turn nasty, I want my brother here. He’s bringing several men with him.”
“It’s okay if you need to let him go. I don’t want you or anyone else getting hurt because of me.”
He sits up and cups my face. “That’s not how this works. Someone hurt you, and that someone will pay for it with their life. I won’t stop until he’s dead,zolotse. I can’t.”
I can see in his eyes that there’s no turning back for him. He won’t budge on this, and as much as I worry about him, I can’t help but smile because the naïve girl who first walked into Ruby’s Lounge is not who I am anymore. The woman I’ve become wants vengeance, and I want blood, and my husband is determined to get it for me.
He returns my smile. “I’ve created a little bloodthirsty monster.”
I don’t deny it. Instead, I hop up and run for the shower, knowing he’ll follow me. I manage to convince him we have time for a quickie, and when it ends up being not such a quickie and I have to settle for grabbing a handful of pancakes on the way out instead of a sit-down breakfast, I’m not complaining, not one little bit. Katya’s blueberry pancakes are to die for, even without butter and syrup.
“Mind if I tag along?” Svetlana yells, running to catch up with us.
“Not at all,” Vasily says. “Andrei and Ilya are coming, too. Nina and I will follow you guys.”
The drive to the airport doesn’t take too long since we’re going to a smaller regional airport that’s outside of the city and all its traffic.
“Damn, perks of being super rich,” I say when we pull up to the small parking lot.
