29. Vlad

Since leaving the doctor's office, Inessa has had a stick lodged up her ass. Trying to talk to her is more difficult than pulling blood from a stone and I can feel the angry glare on the side of my face as she sits with Vitali and Viktor. She's probably missed being a brat and getting all the backlog out in one go.

She perks up when Ana comes in. There's no doubt that she's called in reinforcements just to piss me off. I take my daughter before the pipsqueak can corrupt her with her presence alone. She pauses and blinks.

"Holy shit, you're almost a human being."

The next time we train, I'm aiming for her ribs with my full force. Or the back of her head, it might make her normal and stop talking to herself.

Fake smiling like a child, I drop it straight away and deadpan, "And you're almost an adult. Why aren't you with Dima?"

She's too comfortable with everyone adopting her into the family and she throws herself between Vitali and Inessa as Viktor comes to my side.

I ignore her presence and watch Viktor playing peek-a-boo, trying to get Verena to smile. She's a grump and refuses to, absolute perfection. No one deserves her smiles, and her glare is already deadly at only a few months old. I'll make her the first female Pakhan if she chooses to follow into the Bratva.

The conversation restarts when Vitali steals whatever food Inessa was reaching for. Her pissy mood isn't only directed at me as she turns to him with exasperation, throwing her hand up and gesturing to our daughter, "I'm surprised you're not trying to steal her food too."

It's an off-the-cuff comment, but my brain goes into overdrive knowing she breastfeeds Verena.I know every member of my fucked up family and they're wired the same as me. It may not be to the same extent, but the need to say the wildest thing is always at the tip of our tongues. It's evident by the wicked glint in his eye as he opens his mouth. If he says it, I'll forget the promise I made him, but he looks towards me and clamps his jaw shut. Shaking his head, he gives Inessa a tight-lipped smile and mumbles, "Not going to make that joke. I like my face the way it's currently arranged."

Smart man.

Going to my office when Dani takes Viktor away for his riding lesson, I keep my little queen with me. She can keep me company and get used to the seat for when she's old enough. Valentin follows me, making grabby hands and Verena opens both eyes, wanting to go to him. It's the first time she's ever given someone her full attention without them having a bottle in their hand. Fucking asshole. That's probably who turned my daughter into a grump. His tantrums have corrupted her.

He lifts her out of my arms before I'm even in my seat and kisses her cheek then smiles warmly at me. He never does that, and I sit taller, on alert, for whatever medical issue he has that's changed his personality.

"You suit being a girl dad, I always thought you'd have sons."

His comment has a crater opening up in my chest. The world only sees one daughter, but I have two. They're both equal in having power over me. Not sensing my mood change, he blows raspberries on her neck and speaks in a disgusting baby voice.

"Little mini Vlads that would drink their milk out of a crystal glass just to copy him and then take over the world. Yeah, they would, wouldn't they, Vero?"

Dickhead.

She closes one eye, coming to my defense, and he repositions her, so she's sat on his thigh facing me, before speaking again.

"I'm glad Vik wasn't a girl. I'd have more of a heart attack than I do now."

He still cuddles him, so I doubt it would be possible. Verena hasn't fallen back to sleep, and she lets out a gurgle before kicking both legs out. Valentin lifts her with his hand flat on her chest as she keeps kicking and talks to her in that creepy baby voice.

"You won't give me any heart attacks, will you? No, because me and Tali are going to beat the shit out of everyone who even looks at you."

He stands, lifting her higher and kissing her cheek before the door opens and Inessa thunders in.

She softens seeing Verena's happy gurgling and my brother has enough sense to see her mood and leave. My bratty wife hardens as soon as the door is closed and marches to stand in front of my desk. She flattens her palms on the wood and my beautiful, angry queen gives her order.

"You're going to start wearing a ring from now on. When we're in public, together."

The amount of times I'd have to remove the jewelry I'd end up losing it and then she'd rage about that.

I roll back in my seat and hold one arm up, silently telling her to come to my side. But the stubborn shit straightens and crosses her arms over her chest. Patting my thigh, I can't hold back my humor, anticipating her reaction.

"Come here."

Instead of arguing, she listens, and I don't know which one I prefer. Inessa is the only person I will ask to shut up while praying she never does.Whenever she starts her silent treatment, it makes my brain throb until she opens her mouth again.

Sitting primly on my thigh, she grabs my right hand and holds it in front of my face. "Ring." Then she does the same to my left hand. The V insignia on hers is better than a piece of metal and I wouldn't need to continuously melt it down to get rid of DNA. Holding her right hand, I press my lips to her ring finger and dig for her sudden behavior change.

"What happened, moya koroleva?"

She's never cared about the ring etiquette previously and we don't even wear it on our left hand for her to be glaring at the digit.

She snaps her head up and stares at the wall. Her angry mutters come out, "Oh, she's so small in your big, strong arms. Stupid bitch."

I've been around her all day, and I don't think she sustained a head injury, but the random ass conversation she's having with herself says otherwise.

"You're so cute. He's not fucking cute. He's brutal and violent."

She slaps my hand away as I press my knuckles to her forehead. Her mouth closes, but her thoughts are loud. She's still talking to herself, and I sit her on the edge of my desk before she can slap out at me or storm off. Her legs fall open as I lock her in with my chair and hold her thighs so she can't move.

My queen is still pissed but more coherent.

"I was standing right there, and she was fucking flirting with you, ignoring me. And she used my daughter to do it."

Biting the inside of my lip to stop me from smiling at her jealousy doesn't work. I want more, it proves she cares.Pulling her closer to get more of that rage out, she holds my shoulders and seethes against my lips, "I mean it, Vlad."

I take a full breath, feeling lighter than I ever have in my life as I press a kiss to her neck. The spot below her ear is usually her off switch, but she pushes against my chest, wanting my full attention. I take her hand with me as I sit back and trace the raised edges without looking away from her.

"It would be easier than a ring. You can do the same, meelaya."

My offer is half-assed, hiding how much I want it.

She copies my hold to inspect my hand and shakes her head.

"No, your tattoos would cover it. There needs to be something that says fuck off, do not talk to me, or touch me."

She's got high expectations of a ring. My face already serves the purpose she wants, but I play dumb.

"Why?"

Now she decides to become a mute and she refuses to say what we both know. So, I give her options.

"Is it because you want to put your claim on me."

She scoffs and turns her head. "No, you wouldn't let me do that anyway."

I would hand Inessa the knife to cut out my heart if she wanted it. A small gasp parts her lips as I drag her forward to straddle me. She moves back when I try to take her lips and presses her fingers against my chest as she stiffens.

"Vlad. I'm being serious. I'll just start killing people and I'll write my name on your forehead. Actually, that could work. I'll put ‘property of Inessa' in big, bold letters."

I've missed her mouth and push my hands under the skirt of her dress to hold her hips as she continues voicing her ideas.

"I'd get sick of seeing my own name, and it would make you look weak in front of the Vory."

I want her to admit she's jealous and remove any hope from my voice as I ask, "Are you jealous?"

She hardens and leans forward, gripping my nape to fill my vision with her. She drops her voice as she stares into my eyes with threat.

"Are you forgetting I tried to shoot you less than twenty-four hours ago? Do not piss me off, lapachka."

I hold back my laugh, but the emotion fills my voice as I stroke up her ribs.

"Your aim is shit. You can try again if you want."

I wouldn't even flinch if she said yes.

Her eyes widen, and she talks to herself. "You're a crazy person. Fucking neurotic psycho. Great, I love a weird idiot who tells me to shoot him again."

My heart stops and then restarts, beating faster. She's still muttering to herself while I'm waiting for my brain to function normally.I abruptly stand and sit her back on the desk to step between her thighs. The chair knocks into the wall, stopping more of her thoughts and admissions leaking out when I need them.

She looks up at me, huge, dark eyes, with the echo of her words repeating inside my skull as I seal our lips together. The echo isn't loud enough in my memory, and I beg into her mouth, "Skazhi eto snova, meelaya1."

She moans as I kiss across her jaw, and when I reach her neck, they get louder. But she repeats the wrong part.

"Ty sumasshedshaya, lapachka2."

Fucking brat.

Biting her neck in warning, my voice deepens with need.

"The next part."

She doesn't say anything. After all this fucking time of telling her to shut up, she decides now is the time to fucking do it. I move back, creating distance, and hold her throat as my queen grabs my belt to counteract it. I already know she'll be wet; all I'd need to do is push up her dress, and heaven would welcome me. But her mouth is more important right now.

"Say it, and I'll fuck you without making you crawl."

She keeps one hand on my belt and pushes against my abs.

My wife is torn between spilling the truth and lust. Trying to tip the scales, I cup her knee and make circles with my thumb as I move further up. Longing coats her features as she looks at my hand. I stop instantly, and she pouts, being adorable. My thumb is resting just below where she needs me. Straightening her shoulders, Inessa becomes a filthy liar.

"I don't need you to fuck me, I do it better."

Bullshit. She screams my name and claws at my back.

I step back, removing my touch from her, and hold my hand up towards the door. My lips twitching around my dismissal.

"By all means, go fuck yourself then."

Humor dances in her eyes and she fakes the heat in her voice as she drops her hand from my belt.

"You're an asshole," she huffs.

I've never pretended to be anything else, and I know she doesn't give a fuck either.She prefers me being a cunt, knowing every part of my brutality is hers to wield.

She slides off the desk and flicks her hair over her shoulder. She puts an extra sway in her hips, thinking it will be enough to change my mind. I sit back in my chair, speaking at her back, hoping it will make her angry enough to storm back to me.

"And you left a wet patch on my desk, meelaya."

I can't stop my laugh coming out, having got a rise out of her as she looks over her shoulder to check. My brat slams my door closed but not before I catch her smile.

My good mood doesn't last long when Maximoff calls, and I answer on the first ring.

"Have you reconciled?"

He sounds happy, as much as the old fuck is able to. Giving him one word that holds more, there's no emotion in my voice despite it coursing through me.

"Yes."

Inessa won't be anyone else's, she's mine and without my death sentence looming, I can keep her. Ending the call after agreeing to his bullshit family dinner, I'm stopped from forcing the truth out of my stubborn wife.

Dima is even more miserable than usual as he comes into the office and pours a heavy hand from the decanter like he needs it to function. Looking at me for help, he takes a big gulp, the uncivilized fuck. I met him when he was fifteen and an angry teenager, but he didn't look as lost as he does now.

"Ana needs to go back under Val, I'm going to kill her or fuck her. Either way, I'm choking the bitch."

I sit back and shrug, enjoying his misery.

"He's a Vor now, I can't tell him what to do with his own group."

I could, easily, but there's no fun in it. Watching Dima turn red is better.

If he kills her, it makes my life easier, and the pipsqueak will stop showing up in my house and eating all the fucking cereal then leaving the crumbs on the counter. It's like having another child when she argues with Vitali and Viktor plays referee.I have a bad feeling that Inessa is going to get attached to her and force me to protect the little psycho.

Shaking his head, he looks up, asking the heavens for help when we're in hell. It seems to be the day I'm popular for people's tantrums and he pinches the bridge of his nose as he starts bitching.

"She doesn't fucking listen to a word I say and she's more bloodthirsty than you, for fuck's sake."

The only positive about the kid is her ability to fight, she's twisted as fuck and her mind is full of barbaric torture. I stay silent and wait for him to leave so I can finally go to Inessa.

It doesn't take long when I stand, and he gets the message to leave. The house is filled with noise, people talking shit with each other and laughter. Actual laughter in a Vartanov home that has children in it. I knew it would happen, but I always thought it would be after my death. There's a hollowness in my chest, knowing I've broken my promise to Vanya. That she's alone. I take the stairs up to my floor to force my heart to beat.

Inessa is lying in the middle of the bed with her phone in her hand when I walk into our room. Verena isn't in her crib, and my queen puts me at ease straight away without looking up from her phone.

"Val wouldn't give her back, and Viktor wanted a sleepover, so she's on their floor."

I hope she shits on him in the middle of the night as payback for his constant tantrums. Looking up from her phone with a soft smile, she shows that she knows me more than anyone else.

"You'll sneak her back up, won't you?"

I nod and she relaxes like the alternative would fuck with her head as much as mine.

But she continues to examine me and gives me a soft smile. "Come here, lapachka."

I sit beside her, and she gives me her full attention as she drops her phone on the bed and rests her head on my shoulder. Her voice is soft and missing all of her previous ire as she asks, "Are you okay?"

Pressing my lips to her temple, I massage her scalp and soften my voice. "I'm fine. Go to sleep."

Her chest shakes with a soundless laugh, and she corrects me, "It's the middle of the day, and you're not fine."

I'm used to her doing this at night while I waited for her to fall asleep before I left.

After a lifetime, nearly three decades, of never voicing a single thought about Vanya it turns my voice hoarse.

"I miss her."

It never went away, this feeling that part of my soul has been removed from me and I know it never will because it doesn't feel like she's not here. It's as though she's away from me but still somewhere in existence. I'll have moments when I expect something to drag me out of a slumber and she'll be there waiting for me.

Inessa drags me from my thoughts as she kisses my jaw, maintaining the soothing cadence of her voice.

"Tell me about her."

My limbs are heavier, and I don't hear myself speak as my mouth opens.

"She was always happy, smiling, and laughing. Even when she'd cry, she'd still smile like her lips didn't know how to do anything else. When Valya would have a tantrum, she'd crawl to him. All three of them would stay on my bed all day, and she'd crawl to sit in his lap and then pull his hair." There's a small laugh and arms wrap around me. "He never cried, though. She would pull until there were lines in her little fingers, but he'd just make faces at her and kiss her cheek, so she let go. She was innocent and had that baby smell, it filled everything. I'd stay near the door so no one could come inside, and she'd lay on my chest with her hat pulled over her ears or she'd fuss. She hated her ears being cold. It was the only time she wouldn't smile."

Her ears will always be cold now. There isn't anyone to pull the hat down or tickle her stomach. No one to know that her left foot is ticklish, but she hates anyone touching the right one. Or anyone who knows how she'd always giggle when I traced the slope of her nose. If she needed to wake up to eat, that was the best way to do it without scaring her.

I blink and swallow, trying to get my throat to stop closing up. Inessa's eyes are watery, but her smile is soft, and I lift her chin. Stroking across her jawline with my thumb, I tell her my most shameful secret on a whisper.

"I asked her to keep you safe, you and Verena."

She copies my volume with her eyes widening. "You told her about us?"

I nod and kiss her forehead as some of the hollowness gets easier to hold. "Yeah, she knows everything important."

My phone rings, flashing Anastasia's name, and I don't move as I answer.

"I've found another house, but Dima said it's too risky," she says before I can speak.

She must be pissed if she's ringing me directly. Extracting myself from my wife, I wait for her to give me the details as I go to the private office.

"I've already sent you the thread, and this one is worse. It's the same people who Ana is looking for, so she knows them."

Inessa doesn't follow me, and I've never been more thankful when the details load of the auction the sick cunts are holding.

1 ?Say it again, darling

2 ?You're crazy, sweetie pie