“Be happy. She is back. You got her, Pakhan.”
Closing my eyes, I thanked him mentally for the calming words the beast inside me needed, and hung up the phone just as Rosa sauntered toward me in her light brown dress that touched her knees and hugged every delicious fucking curve she had. “Let’s go, my sexy Russian.” She winked right before I caught her and swung her in my arms as she laughed lightheartedly.
Vitya was right. I had her back home alive. When I got my final revenge didn't matter, because every single day I’d wake up with her by my side. What more could a man ask for?
Rosa
Shifting nervously on the leather seat, I lowered the mirror above my head to check my appearance one last time. Applying one more layer of lipstick, I rolled my lips to make them shine more.
“Stop it,krasavica.” Dominic squeezed my bare thigh, rubbing the flesh gently. Immediately, I relaxed then exhaled a breath and rested my head on his shoulder while the car moved slowly in the traffic. The sun shone brightly, transforming the city into a glorious picture with people laughing and celebrating the warm days of September.
“I just want it to go well.”
He chuckled, caught my chin between his thumb and index finger, and then lifted it so we’d gaze at one another.
“Don doesn't give a shit how you look, or Mary for that matter. The only thing that counts for them is that you are alive.” Leaning down, he captured my mouth in the sweetest kiss, nipping then gently probing for entrance.
The minute I submitted, he deepened the kiss, and I felt like there was no place he’d rather be than with me here in this moment. Moaning, I slid my hand into his hair, angling his head for my benefit, but too quickly he let go of me and pushed me away from him while I blindly searched for him mouth.
“Fuck,” he hissed, sweeping his thumb over my plump lower lip, and his amber pools became a shade darker. “We can’t, Rosa,” he warned, and for a split second, I considered continuing our game, but then the car stopped abruptly near the Marriott entrance and all the nerves came back.
“Oh my God.” With one kiss, how could he fog my mind so completely I forgot about the meeting? “He’ll know we kissed.”
Dom rolled his eyes then opened the door for me and helped me get out. He held the phone to his ear, making a call. “We are here, sure. We’ll be in the lobby.”
The hotel employee greeted us with a wide smile as he motioned to the reception area baring a wide hallway with a golden marble floor, various fluffy white couches, and even adapters for computers. Most people lounging there had their luggage with them and were either filling out papers or waiting for the booking to come through.
A bright sign that said New York Steak House was right in front of us. “That explains why Dad chose this place.” The man adored his steaks, and no amount of warnings regarding cholesterol and other stuff stopped him. We had long talks about it. With my medical background, I got kind of obsessed about putting him on a healthy diet since he hit the fifty mark. Dad’s reply was that if I ever again called him old or hitting a mark, he’d remove all the pasta from the house menu.
We agreed to disagree, because no way in hell would I give that up.
“My daughter knows me well.”
I spun around and came face-to-face with my father, who wore a black sweater and jeans, while my mother’s ring hung from his neck. Although I had the time to study him back at the headquarters, my mind didn't register his lost weight or the new deep line between his brows. No matter how much time I had been missing, it never hit me as much as it did right at that moment. Maybe because my amnesia stripped me of my identity, and some other man, who couldn't even hold a candle to my dad, claimed to be my father.
The emotions of loneliness, sorrow, and gratefulness bubbled up, and a sob escaped me when he embraced me. He wrapped his muscular arms around me and pressed my cheek to his chest, rocking me back and forth, while I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of cigars and his special cologne as the wetness from my tears soaked into his sweater. “I missed you, Daddy.”
His hand patting me on my back stilled as he exhaled a ragged breath and tilted my head back, and I gasped, noticing his own tears, as he said, “Not as much as me, Rosa. Not as much as me.”
Mary and Dominic stood next to us while we had our moment, and as much as I loved my man and what he gave me, I didn't feel whole until Dad reminded me once again that any time I wanted to feel like a little girl again, to have protection of my father, I just had to call.
That was real family, love, and devotion.
Rosa
“Just so you know, this is gross as fuck,” Michael said, watching me dip the cookie into my tea so it could melt a little, and then I quickly put it in my mouth. Chewing on it loudly to his annoyance, I stuck my tongue out at him while passing Vitya, who came over for a drink during his pool game, and he rolled his eyes.
“You two are acting like kids.”
Shrugging, Michael threw a grape at me, but I bent to the side so it missed me. “Whatever.”
Warmth behind my back immediately put my body on high alert. I practically hummed anticipating his next actions, and they would come. I was sure of it.
A strong hand wrapped around my breasts as he pulled me against his chest while nuzzling my neck, earning a giggle from me as his beard tickled my skin. “Krasavica, are you stirring trouble again?”
Half turning my face to him, I batted my eyelashes.
“Whatever made you think that?” Kostya grumped, while wiping the glass with a towel hanging from his shoulder while Konstanciya read instructions for a gun she recently acquired. I didn't even know these things came with instructions. “Would you stop this love fest wherever you go?” Although his voice was heated, he winked. Kostya was the first one of the Bratva members who hugged me after I rushed downstairs once Dominic and I had enough time to enjoy each other.
