I slipped my fingers along her face and stroked her soft skin. “Then, we should make it official.”
Those gorgeous fucking eyes had me transfixed. “I want you to be my wife. I’m tired of waiting.”
She grinned. “Have we waited?”
“I’ve been patient.”
“We haven’t even known each other for three months, Kaz.”
“Will it be three months soon? I don’t know. I feel like a year passed, the moment he took you from me.” I searched her face. “Are you telling me no?”
She opened her mouth.
“Yes or no?”
“It would always be yes, Kaz.”
“Would it?” I nipped her lips. “Would it always be yes with me?”
“Always.”
“Damn it, mysh.” I pressed my mouth against hers and drank my mouse in. “I knew the moment you were taken from me, that I had made so many mistakes.”
“You didn’t.”
“I should have married you.”
She gasped. “Uh. . .”
“And tell you I loved you more than I tried to cage you.”
She touched my face. “Kaz—”
“When you were gone, my world. . .it crumbled. . and the only thing that kept me standing, was that I knew you would come back to me. There could be no other way.”
“I didn’t stop believing either.”
“This can’t happen again.” I shook my head. “Never. I have to—”
“Don’t look back anymore, baby.” She kissed me. “We have so much going on with us.”
“We do.” I looked down at her stomach.
“Yes, Kaz. Yes.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were going to mention a doctor.” She grinned.
“Okay. I was.”
“I’m ready.”
“Good, because a doctor will be at the house when we arrive.”
“I expected nothing less from my lion.”
“Good.” I held her in my arms, sinking deep into the pleasure of having her near me.
Dear God. Thank you. She’s back to me.
Emily gestured outside of our suite. “I saw my men at the airport, and even shooting at the mall. They helped you too?”
“They did a lot.” I gave her a weary grin. “They helped me tear this city up. And Blue worked her ass off.”
She cleared her throat.
“What?”
She took her time speaking. “When you talk about messing up Paris—”
“I’m serious.”
She bit her lip and tried again. “Can we talk further about this tomorrow?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Maybe. . .since I was the one that was taken, I could think of the punishment.”
Intrigued, I asked. “What would your punishment be?”
“I need time to think about it.”
“No.” I shook my head. “The world is watching. Many know Jean-Pierre took you by now. Everyone needs to see what happens when they take my mouse.”
“I don’t want a war. Not for this.”
I laughed for the first time. Perhaps, the vodka had entered my bloodstream. “Are you insane, mysh? A war will come. The biggest one everybody has seen.”
“There’s no need to—”
“I’ve started wars for smaller reasons. I’ve killed families for a simple remark. This. . .” My teeth drummed with anger. “This will be a war. Something of legends.”
“No. Please.” Her voice stayed soft and low. “I get what you’re saying, but I understand what happened.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Kaz.”
“Fine, mysh.”
“You won’t start a war?”
“No.” I gave a wicked grin. “We can discuss it tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what a new day would change. I wanted to kill Jean-Pierre. I wanted to flatten all of France. The whole fucking country. They were a bunch of snobs anyway.
Friends? You think you can kidnap my mouse and then be friends? I’ll fucking gut you in front of your flute player.
It didn’t matter what they had discussed.
It didn’t matter that in the end, that she came back to me.
It didn’t matter that my plane now took off and rose safely into the sky.
None of it mattered.
Jean-Pierre and his cousins had to die. And France had to weep. And blood had to spill into the streets. A dark cloud would hover over them all, allowing a path for death to swoop down.
This wasn’t even about principal.
It was about consequences.
A low snore came from my mouse.
Emily nuzzled against me and I held her closer.
And then, all my anger disappeared, as I watched my mouse sleep.
She said yes. She agreed to be my wife. Did she understand how serious I was?
If I could, I would marry her on the plane. But she required the best of things. We would need a ceremony.
And what remained back in Moscow for us? Had Zahkar handled the monkey situation? If not, more blood would pour. My mouse had been through enough. There could be no more problems.
Friendship?
The audacity of that little perfumed pansy. Did he think he could slither out of my reach by warming up to my mouse.
I’ll have to hear the story of how she beat him up.
Still, the idea of him even fighting with her enraged me. Surely, he had a difficult task. It was damn near impossible to keep Emily, if she didn’t want to be kept.
I smiled at her.
You escaped him.
Pride filled me. Fear twisted along with it. I thought of Emily’s words.
“I don’t a war. Not for this.”
How could I let something like this go? I touched Emily’s stomach, wondering how our little girl was doing. If I proceeded with a war, how would Emily’s pregnancy go?
I’ll let the doctor decide.
I tried to envision a peaceful time, while I fought Jean-Pierre. The man wouldn’t be as easy as an opponent as I thought. He showed a lot of strength these past days. No matter what I brought at him, he was able to push against it and keep Emily hidden, and captive.
The one that eventually beat Jean-Pierre, was Emily.
I stared at her with more pride.
So strong. Who else could be by my side, but her? Who else was more worthy? No one.
Not even the Corsican could stop her.
Would we always be this lucky? Yes. It can only be that way.
I turned my view to the window. The plane rose above the clouds. The sun was slowly setting. We would be back in Moscow in less than four hours.
Emily’s words played out in my head.
“I don’t a war. Not for this.”
I let out a long breath and rubbed my face. Exhaustion took me over.
Okay, mysh. Maybe, I’ll listen. Maybe.
I would halt any plans for now. Just for now. Jean-Pierre could never live for too long.
First, see what the doctor says. Nothing could stress her out and make the pregnancy difficult.
For now, Jean-Pierre could breathe.
Enjoy these days, you fucking pansy.
The doctor and universe would decide how I would deal with Jean-Pierre later. My mouse had to be safe and unharmed. Our child, too. As long as they remained with me and protected, I would let France have Paris.
Not moving too much, I kept Emily in my arms and grabbed the bottle of vodka. She snuggled closer and continued to sleep. Nude, her soft body smoothed against mine, exciting my cock and waking him up.
She’s bruised. We can’t taste her yet.
Chapter 16
Emily
The smell of French fries stirred me out of my sleep.
I woke to ringing in my ears and throbbing pain from half a dozen bruises all over my naked body.
Blinking my eyes, I rose from the bed.
“You’re food is here,”
Kazimir said.
I put all my energy in my smile, barely able to focus with my eyes. “I know. I can smell them.”
“Here you go.” Kazimir set a silver platter on the space next to me. A large bowl of fries rested on the platter. “Eat it all up.”
I grabbed several fries, stuffing as many as I could in my mouth. I groaned as I munched down on the salty concoction. They were perfect—crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I licked my fingers and ate some more. “How long was I out?”
“Barely twenty minutes.” Kazimir watched me with a tickled expression on his face. He took a swig from the bottle of vodka, doing his own damage. It was still half full, but I didn’t think it would be filled for too long.
I devoured more fries, and licked the salt off my lips. “You should lay down too.”
He took another gulp of the bottle. “Not now.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t like nightmares.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How do you know that you’re going to have a nightmare?”
“Because I’m full of fear.” He clenched his jaw and set the bottle on the table next to him. “Fear brings nightmares.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“Fear of losing you. Fear of losing our child. Fear of the future.”
I stopped eating. “Fear is a part of life.”
“I don’t like it.”
I left the fries alone. “There’s nothing to fear now. We’re here. We’re together.”
“We should stay in the sky for the rest of the week. It’s always better when we’re up above the world. I wish I could build a castle in the clouds where no one else could come.”
I smiled. “You’re drunk.”
“I’m tipsy.”
“Your sister said you sing when you’re drunk.”
“Which is why, I know I’m tipsy.”
I ate a French fry. “A castle in the sky sounds amazing.”
He grabbed the bottle and took another swig of vodka.
I was surprised he shared so much of his fears with me. Kazimir was not one for showing his emotions or feelings. I hated that he was scared, but I understood. This kidnapping had pushed us both out of our cozy world.
I finished chewing and smiled. “We love each other. Fear comes with love.”
“Does it?”
“I think.” I shrugged. “Everybody is scared of something happening to a person they love.”
“Then, how do you fight fear?”
“Ignore it. . .I think.” I gave him a wicked grin. “Or fuck.”
“Hmmm. Perhaps, bombing is on that list too.”
I waved that comment away. “Definitely not bombing. I don’t think it’s healthy to bomb cities because you’re scared.”
“It’s worked for most governments.”
“You’re not a government, Kaz.”
“Then what am I?”
“My lion.”
He set the bottle back down and wiped his mouth. “After you eat, you should get some more sleep.”
“And what if I want some dick?” I grabbed more fries.
“You’ll get it later.” He gave me an intense stare.
I gazed back at him with my own intensity. “And what if I want that cock now?”
Letting out a long breath, he grabbed that bottle and went back to sipping. “Eat. Get some strength.”
Oh, really? You’re going to give me that cock.
I let the sheet drop away and fall onto the bed.
Lust blazed in his eyes. Moving his gaze from my feet up to my face, he licked his lips and took another drink of the bottle.
I finished the bowl of fries. “I’m sorry. I should’ve shared.”
“I ordered my own food.”
“Still.”
“Get some rest.”
“After I take a shower. . .and get some dick.” I gathered some of the greasy salt on the plate with my finger, licked it, and then rose from the bed. I didn’t grab the blanket to cover myself as I stood in front of him naked.
“We’ll see, mysh.”
“We will.”
“You need your rest.”
I limped over to the bathroom. “And I need some dick too.”
With a devilish grin, he set the bottle down and rose.
A playful chuckle left me. From the side of the bathroom, I eyed the view of darkening clouds out the window. A few raindrops battered the surface. Lighting flashed within them.
We had to be out of Paris’s airspace, but probably still over France. I wished we were even further away.
I didn’t know if I could trust Jean-Pierre. I didn’t know what would come in the next couple of days. The only thing I could control, was how I reacted to it, and maybe I could calm Kazimir too.
I glanced over my shoulder as he stood in the doorway and undressed.
“Are you coming to give me some dick?”
He pulled down black pants and exposed those bulging thighs and lovely cock. “I’m helping you in the shower.”
“I don’t need any help.” I limped that way. “But I would love your company.”
He closed the distance and got behind me, nudging his cock against my ass. “You’ll get more than that.”
“Hmmm. I hope so.”
He patted my ass.
I giggled.
And then he gathered me in his arms and guided me over. “You’ve already showed how big and bad you are. Now let me take care of you.”
I groaned. “Just this once, I’ll let you take care of me.”
“No.”
I turned to him. “No?”
“You promised me forever. That’s how long I want to take care of you.”
Tension filled my chest, but I nodded. “You’re right. We’ll be together forever.”
He turned on the shower. Steam rose. Water sprayed from double nozzles. It’s warmth rained down on both of us. He shut the glass door and grabbed a washcloth off the shelf.
His deep voice rose with the steam. “We take care of each other.”
“We do.” I turned around and trailed my fingers along the bruises on his chest. “You’re hurt too.”
“Just a few marks. Nothing broken or sprained. No bullets, although your friend tried to kill me.”
“He’s not my friend.”
Kazimir tilted his head to the side. “He’s a frenemy?”
I laughed.
Kaz grabbed the washcloth, filled it with pink liquid, and lathered my body. “Remember? Before coming to your art gallery in Harlem, I asked about you.”
“And people said that I was the queen of frenemies.” I leaned my head back and let the shower saturate my hair. “I’ve always found it to be the best way to fight someone. Make them your friend.”
“I don’t have many friends.”
I wiped water away from my face. “We should change that.”
“Mysh, my worse fear came to life. Someone took you from me.” Death blazed in his eyes. “Do you really think that I’ll now be a warm cuddly lion this year?”
I swallowed.
He slipped the soapy cloth along my body. “But. . .”
“But?”
“I’ve decided to wait for a few days.”
“With bombing priceless paintings and sculptures? I think that’s a good idea.”
He left a trail of soap along my stomach. “As long as Jean-Pierre stays quiet. The Louvre will be saved.”
“I think he will remain silent, but I’ve been wrong before.”
“If Jean-Pierre acts up?”
“Then bomb the shit out of him. I don’t want us to have to keep looking over our shoulders. But that would only be if Jean-Pierre was dumb enough to keep bothering you. If he does, then he’s not as smart as I thought.”
“And you think he’s smart?” Kaz asked.
“Smart and rising in power.”
Kaz groaned.
“What?”
“You saying that he’s smart, makes me want to kill
him.”
I sighed. “Then, we should talk more about this in a few days.”
“After the doctor.”
I smiled. “Yes. After the doctor. Let the Parisians enjoy their week. And don’t you dare think about taking away the Louvre. I never got to see it.”
“That museum will be the least of their problems. If Jean-Pierre fucks with me, I’ll stop the imports and exports from coming into that country.”
I stirred.
He leaned away and studied me. “What’s wrong?”
“Your power scares me.”
“Power?” He frowned. “I question how much power I have these days.”
Shocked, I eyed him. “What? Of course you’re powerful.”
“They took you from my bed.”
“No matter how much power someone has, shit can still fucked up.”
“Not me.”
“Your Uncle Igor had power and—”
“That’s not a good situation to bring up.”
“You’re right, but. . .” I took the washcloth away from him, added more soap, and lathered those muscular shoulders. “I feel safe with you. I feel protected. And even more, I feel loved and more powerful than I’ve ever been.”
Kazimir looked at me. Fear lay within his eyes. I had never seen him look this way.
“I would’ve never done half the things I did, if it wasn’t for you,” I whispered. “I knew they were too scared to kill me. The Corsican was careful. They knew what would happen, if I was harmed. Jean-Pierre did his best to accommodate me, even though I tried to drown him in a toilet.”
A loud, dark chuckle came from him. When I thought it would be a few seconds of laughter, he doubled over a little.
“Kazimir?”
He held his gut. I could tell the laughing hurt him a little. He was definitely more hurt than he admitted. Still he laughed some more and asked, “The toilet?”
“Yes.”
“You stuffed Jean-Pierre’s head in the toilet?”
“Yes.”
He grinned with pride. “Mysh.”
“Jean-Pierre had plenty of time to kill me. All of them could’ve done so many fucked up things to me.”
The smile left.
Fuck. I shouldn’t have reminded him.
“Either way,” I said. “They are scared of you. Terrified. His cousins seemed pissed that he’d even kidnapped me. They hadn’t planned it.”
Kaz grumbled but said nothing.
Leaving it alone, I returned to washing him as he grabbed another cloth and continued to clean me. The frown returned. Quiet fell within the shower. Steam thickened the air. He wiped the cloth all over my body. Every touch of the cloth soothed me. Every moment I heard the gentle pull and push of his breath, I calmed even more. And every few seconds, he gave me an intense stare.
Dirty Minds: The Lion and The Mouse (Book 4) Page 18