Once the conversation was done, I was ready to kill my husband.
Jake.
What will I do with you?
Radmir
“Thanks for that, son.”
Jake laughed in my ear just as I almost reached the door of Vivian’s gallery. “Come on, Dad, we both know you can handle it. She’d never let me agree to it if I raised the subject during dinner or something.”
Shaking at my son’s stupidity, I considered for a second hanging up on him but then remembered that we had other matters to discuss. “Boy, you have a lot to learn about women if you think I’ll go unscathed after this. You just ruined my plans for an entire weekend.”
He groaned at the other end of the line. “Dad, for the love of God, I seriously don’t need to know that stuff.” Then he cleared his throat. “So Lily grew up.”
Frowning at this weird information, I walked inside the gallery, where Vivian stood next to her latest masterpiece, studying it with interest as she shifted it slightly, so the frame would be right in the middle of the wall. Various pictures were scattered around the floor with titles and the expensive small details she liked to add to different frames. The usual mess before a show, somehow she always transformed it into magical creations depending on the theme she chose. This time, it had something to do withunited between generationswith no relation to each other, but rather their workplace. As she traveled through Russia, she took different pictures of generations and generations of people doing various professions.
Then she turned to me, sending daggers my way, as her tight, black pencil dress emphasized the body my hands twitched to touch.
I had spent the last few weeks in Russia heavily invested in mafia rivalry, so we couldn't spend much time with each other. I had big plans for this trip, dinners and sex.
Lots of fucking sex that with years just got better. But thanks to my son, my wife was pissed as hell at me.
Kids.
“Yeah, she is quite the beautiful one.” Rosa and Dominic’s daughter planned to be a prosecutor, and it probably didn't make anyone as happy as me. Considering my kid ended up being a lawyer, I had to listen for years to countless jokes from the Bratva members that someday my son would be saving my ass or work for our opponent. Needless to say, Lily warmed my heart with her decision. A lawyer was bad, but a prosecutor? It was fucking hilarious. Dominic just groaned anytime someone brought it up, because his girl was crazy about all this stuff, already knowing all the laws and having her own gun collection. “Why?” Silence followed my question, and dread filled me.
Fuck, I hoped it wasn't what I thought it was. Those would be seriously fucked-up problems, and having Dom up my ass because of my son wasn't on my agenda for life. I had enough problems with Yuri’s son, who claimed my baby girl. His only saving grace was that they were so close in age, and he’d never hurt her. Otherwise, he would have had his ass kicked a long time ago.
“She’ll be mine.”
Just like that, my hopes crushed, and I sighed in resignation. His voice held no trace of hesitation, and the kid was cocky enough to think he was irresistible. I loved my kid, but he just had no clue what he signed up for.
“Lily isn't a girl you can screw and leave,” I warned, knowing full well my son’s reputation. He wasn't exactly known for sticking to one girl. Somehow Jake ended up being a complete whore, changing girls like shoes, and honestly, Lily deserved better. I’d hate to hit my own son for not keeping his pants zipped.
“I know that,” he answered angrily.
Vivian’s brows rose in surprise as she folded her arms, while cocking her head curiously.
“Do you? Have you made your claim on her known?” I prayed he didn’t, the boy was just too young to sign up for the treatment that awaited him.
“Of course.” He sounded offended now.
“Son, you do realize you will have to stay away from women? One simple mistake, and the pakhan will never give you access to his princess.” And I could relate to that. If Artur screwed up, I wouldn't hesitate to cut all access to my only daughter from him. We loved all the Bratva kids, but men drew the line at their daughters. We didn't raise them for some fuckups to break their hearts.
“Yeah, Dad. I know what I want.” He cleared his throat. “Wouldn’t mind your support though, just saying.”
My heart panged painfully when I detected the traces of vulnerability in his voice, bringing me back in time to when he used to be a small kid and needed me in everything. Parents sometimes forgot kids needed their moral support no matter how old they were, twenty-five or five.
“You have it.”
Vivian snatched the phone from me, before I could hear his reply. “Jake, you agreed to work for the Bratva without telling me?” She glared at me, but I just shrugged. What was there to tell? He agreed to help with Bratva dealings when he visited Russia a few times a year, but it most probably would change with his obsession with the girl. I might as well kiss my private times with my wife goodbye. Jake wouldn't live far away from Lily now.
Fucking kids.
“What do you mean you will call me later? Jake? Jake!” Vi shouted and then glared at me with her mouth open. “Your son just hung up on me!”
Removing the phone from her hands, because she almost dropped it on the floor in frustration, I placed it on the table and then hugged her close as she pressed her palms on my chest, not giving me complete access to her, and I growled in displeasure.
