“Still asleep. She really hates me. I’ve sold my strip clubs, given up drug dealing, I’m living in celibacy and she still hates me. Every member of the Bratva wants to kill me and she still hates me. My own daughter hates me. And Rey still hates me.”
“It’s not like that. Brianna doesn’t know you, that’s all.”
He nods at me. Tiredness clouds his eyes.
“How is Lizzie?” I ask and coldness runs through my veins. Lizzie was seen with the Feds a few times. “Sorted?”
“Sorted. I really liked her and she wasn’t stupid, you know. I kept reminding her about the rules, but she was stubborn. Stubborn to the point where it was dangerous for the whole family.”
I swallow thickly. “How is Mike?”
“Drunk. For the second week in a row. He’s never offed a woman before.”
I feel like an enormous tangle of hair appears inside of my stomach. Like something cold and slimy is slithering down my back.
It had to be sorted. Lizzie could have put us all to prison and that would have meant the lack of protection for our women and children.
A thought drills through my brain. My life is about choosing from the different sorts of shit to sink my hands in. It doesn’t matter that I choose the shit of a nicer smell. Shit is always shit.
“I will never ask Mike again,” Dimitri says. “He and I are even.”
It’s not the whole truth about Mike’s role in the family. He’s single and the rest of us have families. Mike cleans all the mess by himself so others don’t have to do this and don’t have to contaminate their own families. He wants to be useful. And he wanted to pay Dimitri back for taking him out of jail.
“Any news from the outer world?” I ask after a pause, my voice hoarse.
“We are at war with my whole Russian family but they know we’re strong now. They won’t risk another massacre.”
I have a few hazy memories of that evening when we went to save Dimitri and Reyes. Sometimes the distorted faces of the men I killed on that night torment me in my dream.
“We will be prepared,” I say.
“We have an army. We’ll protect our little utopia for as long as possible.”
I nod at him.
“One day we’ll be strong enough to go and smash them,” Dimitri says firmly.
“Leave it. Everything is as it should be. The revenge won’t bring you any good.”
“They came into my house and wanted to kill my family. I can’t leave it.”
“You won’t wipe away all the evil in the world.”
“You’re saying we’re the good ones?”
“I’m saying we’re not perfect.”
There is an eerie silence for a moment.
I suck in a breath. “The Broken Crusaders.”
“Yeah, the Broken Crusaders.”
“I can take the six of our men and smash them. They’re growing in strength. There’re rumours that the Bratva is subsidising them.”
“You see, Zane. You can’t leave that either. You won’t wipe away all the evil in the world.”
“I won’t. But I thought I could kill just this one fucking rotten cell.”
“I will think about it. See you.” Dimitri extends his arm to shake hands and slaps me on the back.
“See you.”
I turn back and dart inside of the house. Brianna is tidying up the kitchen.
“Something wrong, baby?” she asks. “You’re very pale.”
“Everything is as it should be.”
She watches me with cold eyes for an instant then moves closer to me and wraps her arms around my chest as tight as her pregnant belly allows her.
“You want a shower with me?” she asks in a low voice.
“Always.”
She holds my hand and leads me to our bathroom. We strip and step into the shower cabin. I’m in a different realm now, far from the filth of my life. Brianna always knows what to do when I struggle with who I am. Her kisses and touch erase all the bad things I hear or do.
The shower cabin fills with the purity of our love, with our joy of having each other whatever happens, with our desire burning eternally like the sun in the sky.
“I love your tits,” I say, stroking her nipples.
“After this baby I will have no tits so enjoy them while you can.” She holds my hard cock and strokes it gently. “More touching?”
“Always.”
She giggles like a teenager. We finish the shower, brush our teeth and go to bed.
My wife is on all fours for me, naked, her knees on the edge of the bed, so I don’t waste time and enter her hot pussy from behind.
She moans softly and bucks her ass against my hips. “It’s always so good.”
The animal inside me growls with excitement that I can fuck my wife properly.
“Wait for me,” I say. “I want to cum with you.”
“Together,” she gasps.
“Always.”
I pump my cock in and out at a steady pace as she strokes her clitoris, her breath heavy. The tattoo on her lower back wavers, a knight’s sword and my name below, clearly indicating who owns that hot pussy I’m fucking now.
Picking up the pace, I grip her hips. Her moans bring me to the brink. Her pussy contracts around my cock, as my own orgasm ripples through me.
As we lie on our sides some time later and my wife falls asleep in my arms, my thoughts travel to Dimitri.
He’s gathered up millions on his secret bank accounts. He’s built an army to protect his small kingdom. Four watchtowers are protecting its border with ten former soldiers and five members of the MC who joined us on guard and of course the state of the art equipment.
He’s bound so many people to him. The people who would stand to fight by his side if that was needed. The decent people who would do so because of the mutual respect. Because of honour.
Everything for one sleeping beauty. Everything for Reyes.
I would do the same for Brianna and my kids though.
There will always be a threat lurking in the shadows of the outside world, waiting for the opportunity to smash us, but we’ll be well prepared.
We are strong. We are united. We are a family.
Chapter 23
Brianna
Zane is doing great. Athena is very impressed with his rapid recovery. I’m happy and relieved.
I crawl out of the bed as a wave of nausea rolls over me. Not that I didn’t expect that. I’m eighteen weeks pregnant after all and the morning sickness is still natural at this stage. It should fade in two-three weeks. Theoretically. With Daisy, I was throwing up throughout the entire pregnancy.
I want to chop Zane’s dick off as I sit on my heels and almost spit out my stomach into the toilet. Then a thought stirs in my mind. He loves kids. Our little treasures stimulate his brain in so many ways. I guess I just need to use Kolya and my father as the babysitters more frequently. Not to mention that Sive and I want to start Uni in two-three years. Our lovely husbands will have to look after the kids.
Somebody’s mouth touches the top of my head and strong hands lift me up.
“Is it very bad?” Zane asks.
“You want to swap?”
“No.”
I retch and Zane chuckles.
“Brush your teeth,” he says and nudges my chest with his elbow.
“I will kill you, I swear.” I shuffle towards the washbasin and grab my toothbrush.
We brush our teeth then go to the kitchen. The kids will be awake at any moment.
“You were really upset yesterday,” I say.
“Some shit happened, but it’s sorted.”
I know there are things I shouldn’t know for my own good so I always ask Zane as few questions as possible, just to have some ideas of how to support him. It has to be like this. Amanda knows that. Sive and Athena know that. I know that.
“But not something crazy like my father going to fight with all the Bratva?” I ask.
“Not yet.”
&n
bsp; “It’s stable now. He’s done something wonderful for our whole family, made our lives much easier. We should focus on our life here.”
“I told him the same.”
“He is a respectable businessman now. Renewable energy sources and all of that. I can’t believe it. He even has his own charity. My own father. If he stops doing arms trafficking he’ll be shining like a saint—“
“Talk to him, Brianna. He just wants to help.”
Zane and my father are friends. I’m just avoiding my father. I’m nice to him whenever we see each other, but that’s all.
“I will think about it.” I inhale deeply as I hesitate to spit out the question drumming in my head. “Are we safe, Zane?”
“We’re well prepared, Brianna.”
“So you mean we’re not safe but in case of any shit we have resources?”
Zane threads his fingers through his hair. Gosh, I love that sexy gesture of his so much. “We’re well prepared.” He smirks at me.
“Brilliant. Maybe we should listen to Boulder and go to live somewhere else?”
“I’m thinking about it.”
I salute him and his eyes flicker fiercely.
“Don’t do that, woman.”
“What do you mean?” I tease him.
“You make my dick rock hard and the kids have just woken up.”
“You’ll have to wait until they go to bed in the evening.” I put my hands on my hips. “Or until they are grown up.”
Zane grips my wrist and pulls me to him. “My mother can look after them today. And we can go on a date.”
“Cinema?”
“Cinema and more fucking. Interested?”
“Very interested.”
The kids crawl into the kitchen, crying and shouting, and our day starts.
Zane calls Amanda and after three hours, we are free like two teenagers. I sleep in the cinema. What can I say? I’m a busy pregnant mom.
Zane takes me to the restaurant and after the meal, we sneak into the office in ‘Jilly Jet’. He’s the president, after all so he can bend the rules a bit.
We fuck in the president’s chair. I’m straddling his lap, impaled on his cock, and he’s stroking my breasts through the fabric of my dress.
“Boulder would kill us did he see us,” I gasp.
“More touching, Brianna.” Zane brings my lips to his and we kiss as he moans his satisfaction into my mouth.
I laugh quietly then slide my fingers under my dress and touch my clitoris, bringing myself to the brink. Zane kisses my neck as my orgasm rolls over me violently and I sink into his embrace, panting.
We rest for a few minutes and then Zane has a glass of beer at the bar as I drink apple juice next to him.
“Talk to your father,” he says.
“Why are you so annoying?”
“Brianna, talk to... to...”
“To him.” I run my knuckles down his cheek.
His brain sometimes switches off for just a second or two. No big deal, but Zane hates it.
“Okay, baby,” I say. “I will visit him next week and talk to him.”
Zane nods at me and tosses back his hair. My hot husband. I want him again.
I lean towards him and purr into his ear. “More touching, Zane.”
He chuckles. “I’m the happiest husband on the face of the earth.”
We return to our house. The kids are asleep and Amanda is exhausted so I send her home.
Six days later, I take my kids and visit my father. We go to see my sleeping mother first. She looks as always—an embalmed body. My kids pat her hands and run around the room. At least they’re not scared of her.
Kolya takes the kids to the garden as I leave my mother’s bedroom and settle myself at the kitchen table. My father puts a mug of herbal tea and a bowl with Beef Stroganoff in front of me and drops into the chair beside me.
“Kolya has been cooking?” I ask and dip my spoon into the dish.
“Yes, Kolya has to cook otherwise we’ll be starving.”
“Good that you have Kolya by your side. You’re like lovebirds.”
My father raises his finger at me.
“So,” I say. “How are you?”
“Fine. You?”
I spread my hands. “Pregnant again.”
“I noticed some time ago. You need a bigger house.”
“I don’t want to live here,” I explode.
“This is your home, Brianna,” my father rumbles.
“Chaviva has never been my home. It’s always been prison not home. I fucking hate this house.”
My father’s face turns rigid, eyes blazing like he will leap towards me and twist my neck at any moment. “I only tried to keep Rey and you alive. I did what I had to do to keep you both safe.”
“Thank you very much. We’re still alive though my mother is in a rather poor condition because of your gentle care over her.”
Surprisingly, his face softens and sadness fills his eyes. “You hate me like your mother did.”
“She didn’t hate you. She hated the life you both had here. She hated the lack of peace and freedom here. She hated what that life was doing to you both and to me.”
“There was the code, Brianna, family ties—“
“Yeah, yeah, also that entire male pride, money and thrill. I get it. I grew up in that shit. Decadence. Evil. Darkness. It is tempting, I know that.” I suck in a breath as my father’s lips curl into the ghost of a smile. “You want my advice? Take my mother to that house in the Pyrenees she loved so much. Chaviva is occupied by the evil or tormented souls of the people who died here. This is not the place for my children. This is not the place for my mother either.”
My father nods at me and I see how tired he is.
“I will think about it,” he says.
Something heavy presses against my chest and I feel sorry for him. My hand reaches for his and I lean towards him. He wraps his arm around my back and draws me closer to him.
“She will wake up, papa. Have hope.” I choke back tears. “And I don’t hate you. I love you. I always loved you.”
“I love you too,” he says. His matter-of-fact tone almost makes me laugh, but then peace seeps into every cell of my being. “Are you happy, Brianna?”
“You know I am. I’m very happy with Zane. We’re soul mates like you and mama.”
“I’ve always wanted only your safety and happiness.”
I know that now. He is who he is. He loves me how he loves me.
“Axel and you,” he says and clears his throat.
“Yeah yeah, he wanted to twist my neck.” I nudge his chest with my elbow. “He wasn’t your best choice in life.”
“I’m never wrong,” he says with humour and nods. “Everything is as it should be now.”
I meld into him. We remain frozen like two sculptures and it’s as though he’s sharing his strength with me. I feel the love radiating from him, twisted and dark but at the same time honest and powerful.
The sound of somebody’s footsteps diverts my attention and my eyes travel to Mike walking into the kitchen.
“You look like shit, Mike,” I say.
Mike widens his eyes at me. Daisy runs into him and he growls with fury at her but that only makes her giggle. He grabs her and puts her under his arm.
“You stink,” Daisy says with disgust as she pinches her nose.
She’s right. That man needs a shower. He also needs to stop drinking alcohol. He’s my age but looks like a wreck.
I tolerate him as I tolerate Axel in my life, but my father and Zane seem to really like him.
Daisy writhes under his arm so I rise to my feet and take her over from him. “Go, have a shower, man. You will poison my kids with your smell.”
Daisy stares at him. “Are you a skunk?”
“Are you a rat?” Mike asks and she giggles.
My phone vibrates in my pocket so I take it out and read the message from Zane.
Zane: Do you want me to pick you up now?
<
br /> I text him.
Me: Yes, in ten minutes.
Zane: I love you.
Me: I love you too.
“I have to go,” I say. “It’s late and the kids are sleepy.”
My father nods at me as Mike crosses the kitchen like a ghost. I go to the garden to take Tyler.
Zane comes for us in ten minutes.
“You okay?” he asks as I settle myself into the passenger seat of our car.
“This house is like an asylum for all the crazies of the world,” I say. “Mike—“
“He needs professional help.”
“He needs a wife.”
Zane erupts into laughter. “Really?”
“I don’t know. He’s single. Maybe he’s lonely.”
“He needs to get over some shit.” Zane’s face stiffens for a moment and he takes a sharp breath. “I’m going to cook lasagne for supper.”
I sense that he doesn’t want to talk about Mike so I don’t interrogate him. “I’m going to lie down on the couch.”
“I’m going to put the kids to bed after the supper.”
I chuckle. “I’m going to have a long bath after the supper.”
“I’m going to spend the evening with a beautiful woman.”
“I’m going to spend the evening with a handsome man.”
Chapter 24
Mike
I breathe in the mystical harsh aura of the Pyrenees as my eyes sweep over the house in front of me. The white exterior walls reflect the bright sun’s rays and the windows armed with brown shutters stare back at me like real eyes. The house is three-storey high and has eight bedrooms and five smaller rooms in the basement with three more in the attic if I remember correctly. Bikes and cars are parked around it. I see the plates from the UK, Spain and Greece.
My hand runs down my cut. It’s old. Worn out like me.
A smile parts my lips. The name ‘Shadow Wolves’ suits us perfectly. We are scattered, hidden in the shadows but at the same time, united like the real pack of wolves.
I jump off my bike. My plates are from the US. Somebody has to keep an eye on the Bratva residing there, after all.
I walk towards the front door then knock on it. Zane opens it for me.
“Long time no see,” he says and waves his hand at me, a wide grin crossing his face.
“Four years?”
Brianna (Shadow Wolves MC Book 2) Page 15