by Zoey Parker
Chapter 22
Andrei
Earlier today, after I ate lunch but before I called Aleksey, I had gone to the bathroom using Kelly’s bathroom. It wasn’t something I typically did, considering just how many bathrooms there were in the house. But I had, and I noticed one of the pregnancy tests had been opened.
Kelly had taken a test. And while it was possible it was negative, I doubted that was the case. I had noticed for a few days now, when palming her breasts, just how full they were getting, larger than before, and it wasn’t from weight gain, as far as I could tell. Plus, her skin looked even more beautiful, too. She wasn’t the kind of girl to wear a ton of makeup. Compared to the other women I had been with over the years, that was a refreshing change, but it also made that change all the more noticeable. Her hair also looked thicker, fuller. All of these signs led me to believe she was finally pregnant.
But did she tell me she was pregnant? No. Did she even mention she had taken a test, regardless of the result? No.
And here she was, questioning me about my job.
Yeah, so I was pissed, and yeah, that was why I told her about killing the man. I wanted to rile her. I wanted to rage, but not against her. I had been attacked, and I had defended myself. And now Kelly was attacking me in a fashion, too, and I did not want to have to defend myself against her.
But I would if I had to.
After I pushed her onto the bed, I pulled off her shorts and lifted her tank top off over her head. Kelly didn’t resist and even lifted her butt to help me remove her shorts. She definitely didn’t look pregnant yet, but she did cover her abdomen with her arms, probably instinctively.
“When were you going to tell me?” I asked in a low voice, staring at her flat stomach.
Kelly glanced away. She took a shuddering breath, and tears streamed down her face. “I…I just found out. But…but I didn’t…I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Something inside of me crumbled. I couldn’t explain what I was feeling, and I didn’t want to. There was something about her that drew me in. Maybe it was because she was good and kind. Maybe it was because she didn’t belong in my world. Maybe it was because she was the only woman who cared about me, not my looks or money or position.
All I did was focus on her. Ignoring her tears, I kissed her. Much like how I had pushed her down, it was gentle and not too forceful. It was short, too, and maybe tender. A single kiss, one that broke me apart, shattering me. What was I doing with her? What was I doing to her? She was torn, I could tell, and, frankly, so was I.
Kelly kept on crying silently. In all honestly, she wasn’t obligated to have sex with me at all, and that notion had me pulling up and away from her. I cupped her cheeks and asked her with my eyes if she wanted this.
She stopped crying. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and opened them again. She stared up at me, and I watched her, waiting for her reaction. If she pushed me away, I would respect her. I would leave and see to her medical care and follow out the rest of the contract with her from a respectful distance. We would revert to business partners.
Revert to business partners. When had that line been crossed? Because we had sex more than the four-time limit? Because of the shared meals? Our conversations?
All of it. And then some.
Did I want to go back, to make things solely business between us? My hard, throbbing cock wanted her, but what did I want?
I wanted her. Again and again. It was so easy for me to find women, but I never talked to them about anything important. I never talked to any of them about work, so in that regard, they were identical to Kelly, but I had confided in Kelly far more than any of the others. She knew which school I wanted to send my son to. She knew which tutors I had already lined up, which activities and sports I hoped he would partake in. She knew other matters, too, like that I had a dog growing up and had thought many times about getting another one but never had. She knew I preferred to drive stick shift and was willing to teach her if she wished to learn. She knew my taste in movies and music, which was something I didn’t broadcast. I did not often make time for such trivialities, but we had actually watched a few movies together. And I had talked to her, albeit with hardly any details, about my parents. She understood loss. She didn’t look at me with pity but with sympathy.
My time with her was changing me.
But was that a good thing? I could not risk being softened. I had to be hard, to be brutal, to be ruthless, if I were to have my revenge. Afterward, we could watch movies and listen to music and dance and fuck all we wanted. After. Not yet. Not now.
Yes, I did want her around. She kept me in touch with my humanity. She would help prevent me from becoming the monster Mikhail Vasilev was. Maybe I shouldn’t go after his family after all. Should one family rise and grow on the bones of another? It was what Vasilev had done to my family. Did I want to be the same as him? Having Aleksey seduce a daughter was one thing, but could I really have her and the others killed to get back at Vasilev? Before, that hadn’t been a question. Now, however, I was rethinking things.
If Vasilev made a move on me, I would not hesitate to defend myself and my people, but he hadn’t. Yes, I was sure that was only a matter of time. I hadn’t gained my father’s men by waiting around, though. I tended to act first. Better to plan and strike than to be hit first and be left scrambling to defend yourself.
But my son would be here in eight or so months. That changed everything. I didn’t know what to do, what to plan, but I knew I would not hesitate to give my life to protect my son’s.
And to protect Kelly’s, too.
I stared at her, at her beauty. After a moment, she reached up, and I steeled myself, anticipating another slap. Instead, she caressed my cheek. I nuzzled against her palm and turned toward her hand to kiss her. Kelly sighed, the sound happy and content, and something inside of me wound up tightly.
Nothing would happen to her. Nothing would ever happen to Kelly or to the child she carried. Boy or girl. Nothing would ever happen to Kelly after she gave birth. I would protect her like she was family.
How had this happened? Kelly was never supposed to mean anything. And I knew that sounded terrible, but it had been meant to keep her safe. Involving a woman in my life specifically with the intent of impregnating her meant she could possibly be targeted as it was, but if that woman should actually mean something more to me like Kelly did, that introduced a whole new level of terror that could be brought down on both her and me. One of Vasilev’s men had already tailed her, followed her, instructed her to give me a threating message. She was already in the crosshairs. If Vasilev should learn she was pregnant…I was willing to kill a dozen or even more to protect her.
I hadn’t meant to fall for her. With all of my carefully laid out plans, the idea of that happening had never occurred to me. But she brought out a side of me that I hadn’t thought still lived. A part of me — the carefree and easygoing side — had died when my parents had. I used to enjoy my studies, but I had friends and enjoyed fun and games. After their deaths, I went almost a year before I laughed again. I gave up my school, left behind my friends, and went into hiding. I didn’t bother to make new friends. I didn’t bother to have fun or to enjoy life. All I did was work hard on honing my skills and daydreaming and planning for the day when I would take down Vasilev.
Yet here Kelly was, bringing it back to life. Bringing me back to the light.
My chest was feeling tight. Nervous. Uneasy. On edge. I hadn’t felt like this since the day my parents were murdered.
Kelly sat up and stripped me. Once I was naked, she removed her bra and underwear. She traced my lips with her finger, and I kissed it. Her eyes closed, and I brought her finger into my mouth, sucking it. I would make myself forget my worries. I would make her forget everything, too. We didn’t need anything but each other.
She was pregnant, not made of glass, but things were different this time around. I took things slowly, gently, tenderly. It wasn’t about fucking.
It wasn’t about the money.
The kisses, the licks, the tiny bites, the rubbing, the scratches, the touching…neither of us could get enough of each other, and I didn’t last long at all, but as soon as we finished round one, round two started.
Chapter 23
Kelly
Not the way I had planned things. At all. Andrei had stared down at me and, for once, his face was so easy to read. I could see how much he cared for me. His eyes had even trailed down to my belly, and it hadn’t been to admire my body. He already cared about the child I was carrying. He was frightened, and that frightened me all the more. What was he afraid of and for whom? Himself? His child?
His nose was still swollen and bruised. It served as a visual reminder of the danger he was in, of the danger the baby and I could be in, and his nose had been the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes when we finished having sex.
This time had been goodbye. This time had been the last time. I couldn’t stay. I just couldn’t. I might have fallen for him, but that wasn’t enough. I had to run. For the baby’s sake. It didn’t matter if Andrei had bodyguards. It didn’t matter that he assigned some to me. The baby would always be in danger if I stayed.
My eyes fluttered closed and I fell asleep in his arms. More times than not, I fell asleep in his arms afterward, and it was going to be something I’d miss. Despite his job, despite his mysterious side, I always felt safe in his embrace.
When I woke up, I kept still, feigning sleep since Andrei was still asleep himself. My mind had been made up. I would run. I would find a way to disappear. I couldn’t let him have the baby, no matter what contract I signed. He was a dangerous man. Yes, he might have feelings for me, and I definitely had feelings for him, but that he could kill without any regret…that was a deal breaker. No child should be raised by a man like that. Mine sure as hell wouldn’t be.
It wasn’t easy, staying in his arms, pretending to sleep, pretending everything was fine, but I managed, thinking and planning my escape. I’d leave Mom with most of the money. I would only take what I needed to get away, and then I’d figure something out. I was resourceful. I would make things work. Somehow.
Finally, Andrei woke up. He stirred and kissed my forehead, and I had to suppress a sigh. How could a man be so tender at times yet also be such a ruthless man who would kill others without batting an eye? He was Jekyll and Hyde. That was my biggest issue, and had been all along. Reconciling the two sides of the elusive, enigmatic Andrei Petrov. He was dangerous in every sense of the word.
Tenderly, gently, he climbed out of bed and dressed. He was trying not to wake me. I couldn’t risk even peeking with my eyes. If he saw I was awake, he might pounce back on top of me, and I would give in again, and I had to be strong. I had to get away.
Only after the door quietly shut behind him did I open my eyes. I was alone, and I had a feeling I was going to be alone a lot for the next eight or so months. Take a deep breath, Kelly. You can do this. My hands trembled as I gathered my few belongings. Anything Andrei had bought for me I ignored, so there wasn’t a whole lot I had to grab. It wouldn’t be right for me to take them.
I eased the door opened and made my way downstairs, careful to avoid any servants and especially Lucas. While Lucas had become a friend, I doubted he would help me with my escape, and even if he would be willing to, I didn’t want to risk him getting in trouble with Andrei. Who knew how he would react when he realized I had gone and taken his baby with me, that he had gone to so much trouble and paid so much to have an heir and for that heir to then be stolen away? Since he would kill his enemies, it wasn’t that much of a stretch to think he might be willing to also kill his employees, or anyone who stood in his way.
But for so long, I had worried about others and not myself. I would see to it that Mom was settled in. It wouldn’t be fair to uproot her, though. She would stay here, with her doctors. I would pay Claire to stay on with her. No matter how angry Andrei would be with me, I did believe he wouldn’t take anything out on my mother, not after he told me about his parents.
Once I had Mom and Claire set up, I would find a way to take care of myself, and the baby. The leftover money from Andrei should be enough to keep Mom up to date with the hospital and its many bills, and if that money did happen to run out, I’d go back to taking care of her, too. Everything would work out. Somehow.
I called a cab, instructed the driver to meet me a few blocks away and, after making sure no one saw me, left the house behind. The entire time I walked those blocks, I had to fight the urge to look behind me. And that was when it hit me. That I’d be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.
But I didn’t have a choice. I had to leave now, before the baby was born.
The cab arrived a few minutes later, and I instructed the driver to take me to my mom. I wasn’t sure where I would go afterward. I only knew I had to get away.
Funnily enough, I didn’t regret signing the contract. My hands rubbed my still flat stomach. I was going to be a mother. Andrei had given me that. I had him to thank. Even if I was going to raise the child alone.
Goodbye, Andrei. Please don’t hate me.
Chapter 24
Andrei
My head was swimming. My body felt lighter than ever. Kelly had a way of relaxing me, of making me forget about all of my troubles. Kelly Greene, the woman I had impregnated. The woman I had already paid one million to so I could have sex with her for the sole purpose of getting her pregnant.
The woman who drove me crazy and the woman I had fallen for.
The woman I just had sex with…or had it been lovemaking? I normally fucked women. I had never allowed myself to fall in love. In my business, it wasn’t wise to fall in love. Not when you had enemies like Mikhail Vasilev.
So while my body felt lighter than ever, my head was filled with doubts and worries. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling, and it wasn’t something I was used to. I would have my revenge against Vasilev. And sooner rather than later.
Things were changing between Kelly and I — for the better and for the worse. I had always wanted to keep her safe, to keep her separate from my lifestyle. Would she understand my life, the hard calls I had to make to keep my men and me safe? It was doubtful, though she might, if I were willing to give up my quest for revenge. No one would be able to get me to stop, not even Kelly. That was just not going to happen.
If I knew Kelly, and I did, she was going to bring up the man I’d killed, and we might fight again. If it led to more sex, well, I wouldn’t complain, but this was definitely an issue. I had to figure out what to tell her, but not right now. As much as I wanted to go right back upstairs to her room, to crawl beside her beneath the covers, to hold her and explain everything, I couldn’t. I refused to let everything that happened with her distract me. In my line of business, distractions led to mistakes, and mistakes led to deaths. It was too big of a risk.
She was too big of a risk.
Enough worrying! I was a man of careful planning and precise action. I needed to focus on Vasilev, and Vasilev alone, if I wanted us all to survive.
What then, though? What if I did survive? What if Kelly and I both came out of this? What if my revenge cost me her, even if she didn’t die? I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. The power of meditation was not to overlooked. It was powerful, a useful tool.
But clearing my mind proved almost impossible. I kept imagining scenarios in which bleak outcomes resulted: the thought of Kelly not being in my life, the thought of the goodness she brought into my life being blotted out, and not even through death but through my own actions…it all made it hard for me to breathe.
No matter what, I had to ensure she would not die. Even if it meant we would go our separate ways. If she lived, nothing else mattered.
Opening my eyes, I squared my shoulders and marched down the hall to my bedroom. As quickly as I could, I stripped out of my clothes and showered, imagining Kelly was the one washing my body the entire time. I got so hard think
ing about her that I had to find my release. Between the soapsuds, the hot pulsating stream of water, my strokes, it didn’t take me long to orgasm.
My shower finished, I toweled off and changed my clothes. Then I called Dima and instructed him to have everyone come over to my place immediately. Most of my men lived nearby.
After I hung up, I settled myself for breakfast to give the men time to arrive. Kelly didn’t show up, and I found myself looking toward the doorway every few minutes, hoping she would come. We had started to eat a fair amount of meals together, but maybe I had worn her out from all of the sex last night and she was still sleeping. Whatever she needed, I would take care of it. Speaking of which, she needed a doctor’s appointment scheduled. I wondered how far along she was. I’d have to have someone go out and get her prenatal vitamins. Weren’t there foods she should avoid while pregnant? Maybe I should get her some literature. Hell, I’d read it, too.