32. Vlad

People have tried to kill me and taken up less space in my mind than Inessa when she's silent. Her silence will always be more violent than my scarred hands. Dani has become the person I get to do things for me when I want my bratty wife to have something or be in a certain place. It's why I stop her leaving the kitchen after having silence for the last twenty-four hours. She looks up at me, confused after losing some of her fear since being reintroduced to the family, and waits for her new task.

"Go find out why she's pissed."

She laughs and shakes her head like she already knows before looking around me to see my wife and kid giggling at each other in the other room.

"She looks happy to me," she says. "Maybe she's just pissed at you?"

That much is obvious, and I turn to watch them as she walks away. Inessa is laughing and talking to Ana, but she fucking ignores me. That little weirdo has become her best friend and I grimace at the thought of telling Inessa to do something.

Even Verena is besotted with the soulless pipsqueak as she reaches her arms out towards her. Fuck it, I'll force it out of Inessa myself. Verena's giggling gets louder, with the babysitter from hell tickling her stomach. Dima voices it so I don't have to, as he asks Ana, "Did Satan run a daycare service?"

She answers in the same monotonous way as always, making everything awkward.

"There were always new babies in the house. I didn't like hurting them."

Does my wife take our daughter away from her? No, she wraps her arms around the freak's thin shoulders.

I lift Verena out of Ana's reach despite knowing she won't hurt her. Somehow she's managed to teach herself that the shit she was taught is wrong after being raised by child traffickers. It doesn't mean she can hold my kid. I don't even like my brothers having her. Without looking at Inessa, who is most likely glaring at me, I turn and call her name as I walk to the office.

She's not wearing heels, but her socked feet still manage to make noise as she follows me to rage. Good. If she starts speaking again, I don't give a fuck what the conversation is as long as she stops ignoring me. She doesn't slam the door behind her as I take my seat and leave space for her to sit on my other side. Some of the anger dissipates and transfers to me when she takes the seat opposite.

Verena's spit-covered fist touches my cheek and it gets the first smile on Inessa's face in the last two days.

"What's wrong with you now?"

Her head snaps to me at the question, and I move further back, silently telling her to move her ass where she belongs. The huff on her lips is unnecessary as she lifts out of the seat and rounds the desk. She throws herself into me with more force than required, as if I'm someone weak that would break under it.

I move her hair over her shoulder as Verena reaches her hand out so she can't grab onto it and my bratty wife finally opens her mouth.

"Nothing, just because I love you doesn't mean I forgive you for abandoning me. I understand why you did it, and I understand that you're heartbroken. But you still did it when you could have told me."

Pressing my lips to her forehead, I speak softly as all the guilt mixes together.

"I couldn't."

I don't know how I managed to tell her in the first place. It's a blur that I can't fully recall, but she knows the important parts. Both mother and daughter move at the same time. Like a mirror image of the other, they lay their heads on my shoulder opposite the other. Verena has hold of Inessa's thumb and I'd give the world for Vanya to be here. But she's not and soft lips brush my jaw before an equally gentle whisper.

"That's even more heartbreaking that you didn't trust me. But I'm not a newborn who won't remember. You have to do something for me if you want me to stay." Whatever she wants is hers and I wait for the demand. "Amend the prenup, remove the clause about you taking my baby if I leave."

I laugh because she's crazy and is it fuck ever happening.

"You want me to speak to you, or be your wife, then you'll do it and treat me like one rather than forcing me to stay here. Let it be my choice instead of me choosing my daughter because I will choose her eleven times out of ten over myself and over you."

I sit taller, my arms automatically tightening around them both as I refuse to do what she wants. I'll give her any item, she can tattoo me, I'll even let her pierce my damn dick, but am I fuck ever allowing any condition that makes it okay for her to leave.

"Fine, I can live with that being the reason you stay."

She sits up and presses her hand against my shoulder. Verena has fallen asleep on my other side, making her lower her voice despite the wildness in her eyes.

"Then I'm leaving," she dares.

She was back in the same night without me having time to plan. There's nowhere she could go. Even if it's to Maximoff's, I'll drag her back. So, I move my arm from around her and ask, "Would you like me to call you a car?"

Her tone hardens and she roughly grabs my jaw. "I'm being serious, Vlad."

"So am I. You can go to the middle of undiscovered land, deep in a jungle, or to the fucking moon, and I will always find you. So go, I'll prove it to you that way. But I will not remove that clause when I know that's the only thing stopping you from filing for a divorce again."

She blinks and moves her head back, muttering to herself, "That's fucked up."

I don't know who has made her believe I'm some upstanding citizen with the moral code of an accountant, but she's deluded.

"To you? Yes," I say evenly. "To me? No. I don't really give a fuck what makes you stay as long as you're here. I'd prefer you to do it willingly, but I'm not above forcing your hand where my family is concerned." My voice deepens as I watch her dark eyes widen. "I told you once that I will do whatever is necessary for my family. Your mistake was taking over my life, so now you'll stay here at my side where you belong. Not two steps ahead or two steps behind, your place is right fucking next to me."

She glares at each curse word and cups the back of Verena's head. Our daughter's not going to be some do-gooder either, she's going to be vicious and psychotic. With her mother's mouth and my violence, she'll rule the fucking world and niceties won't be a requirement when it's going to be dropped at her feet.

Inessa still argues despite the softness in her features.

"Not good enough. I don't want a captor. I want a husband. If you can't do that, then there's nothing for us to discuss unless it's about our daughter."

My chest expands every single time she says those two words and I pull her closer to kiss her cheek. "You have one, and you will only ever have one."

"No, I'm married. There's no partnership between us when your secrets and neurosis are there."

"So, you want normal shit to be bored?"

She doesn't answer me and lifts Verena off my shoulder before she stands and walks away.

* * *

Valentin is a slob.I make my way through the shit in the lounge of his floor, not understanding how he turned out the way he did. There's paint and clay stuck to the floor, which is already drying around the edges, and Viktor pokes his head out of his room. His brows go up when he sees me, and he rushes back inside to pause his game before coming to me. He's back to being my mini-me, and he has paint on his t-shirt, showing that he's the particular creative who has redecorated the floor.

When he stops in front of me, I realize he's not my mini-me anymore. He ignores me and tickles Verena's foot as he talks to her.

"My dad said you're staying with us tonight. I have teddies that Dani got me, and you can have them. Don't tell my dad though, he hugs them."

The child is more mature than the adult as Valentin walks in with bags hanging off his arms.

"Is Veroushka ready for her sleepover?"

The baby voice makes me second guess who I've chosen as the babysitter and my arm tightens around her. But Vitali is fighting, and Dima is organizing everything, so my idiot brother is the only option.

Viktor stares at his dad like the weird fuck he is and his lip curls up as he asks, "Why do you sound like that? It's creepy. Did you talk to me like that too?"

I don't let her go until the actual adult is in the room and Dani is dressed in clean overalls for once. She takes Verena from me and kisses the top of her head without doing any weird fucking voice while Valentin argues with his son.

"It's not creepy. She's a baby and you used to make weird ass noises all the time. Do you see me complaining about it?"

I don't want her to cry but she isn't even phased as I walk away. Exactly like her mother.

Our floor feels different without her here and the baby smell hits me as soon as I walk into the room. Inessa is sitting on the middle of the bed cross-legged, going through the Maximoff Media accounts when she shouldn't be working. Other than the ugly ass orange socks that match her disgusting pants, she's dressed in me with only my t-shirt covering her body. She's probably checking the blind items for gossip. I know she deletes any information given about Anastasia despite their friendship being strained.

Grabbing the edge of the screen, I lift it away from her and say, "Get ready. You have ten minutes, or we're not going."

She perks up slightly and then a crease forms between her brows as she checks the date on her phone.

"We're not going to Grandfather's until next week. Where are we going?"

Lifting her chin with my knuckles, I plant a chaste kiss at the corner of her lips and give her the only information she needs.

"It's a surprise. You have eight minutes now."

She sits up on her knees and wraps her arms around my neck to ask, "Are you killing someone? I need to know whether to dress for murder."

She's not going to move of her own accord, so I hold her hips and pick her up. I went forty-eight hours without her voice and it's back fully as she muses aloud with her head on my shoulder as I take her into the closet.

"No, you wouldn't take me with you because you'd be a sexist asshole."

The flowers have all been removed but the cast of her swollen belly is on the wall, glittering away. Setting her on her feet, I move back and take the t-shirt she's wearing with me.

"Six minutes, or you can leave the house naked," I promise.

It gets her moving and she pulls a random dress off the rack before deeming it unworthy and throwing it over her shoulder. I live in a house of slobs. My floor used to be pristine, but Inessa is making sure it doesn't stay that way. She settles on part of her outfit once there's a significant pile of clothes behind her, then turns to look out of the window. I don't think she's zoning out of reality or seeing things that aren't real, but she tilts her head to look up at the sky and then nods to herself. My wife is insane.

She's actually fucking crazy. How have I never noticed?

I'm in too deep for it to ever change so her crazy ass better not listen to whatever voices are in her head.

The black dress hugs her figure, and her hips are wider now, making her ass more prominent as she bends at the waist to pick up a pair of black boots. She's definitely dressing for murder, to be the fucking cause of it. She might be insane and bratty, but when she stands on one leg to put her shoes on, I move with this need to make sure she only ever knows comfort and ease. It overrides everything as I drop down in front of her and take the boot from her hand.

One knee skims the floor as I pull her ugly sock up and then the boot up to her thigh. She holds my shoulder for balance and speaks slowly. "I thought you don't kneel?"

I do the same to her other foot and look up to watch her scrutinizing me. She's staring at the small shadow under my knee. I drop it so it's fully touching the floor and her lips twitch as her eyes come back to mine. My voice is low, filled with reverence as I stand without removing my hands from the backs of her thighs.

"Kazhdyy muzhchina klanyayetsya svoyey koroleva1."

The smuggest smile lifts her lips, and she tilts her chin in the air. There's no argument or bullshit avoidance as she plasters herself at my side, ready to leave. My hand doesn't leave her hip the entire way down. Valentin is slouched with Verena sitting on his chest when the elevator doors open. I don't even attempt to hide my laugh as she begins kicking into his chin while holding his thumbs and a bony elbow hits my ribs.

Inessa steps forward, reprimanding a baby for kicking someone as annoying as my brother.

"You won't hit your uncle, will you, Vero?"

She does it softly and strokes her hair back. I'm the only sane one and lift her up to kiss her cheek and tell her the truth.

"Kick him as much as you want. If he starts one of his tantrums, you can just shit on him to shut him up."

Valentin scoffs as he playfully ruffles Viktor's hair.

"Yeah, what's one more after little man spent two years pissing on me every chance he could get."

Vitali walks through, ready to leave for his fight, and the puppy is overexcited after the doctor said he's completed his rehabilitation for his knee and cleared him. His smile is from ear to ear, and he focuses it on Inessa as he gives her shit.

"Aww, cute, the parents are going on a date."

She doesn't rise to it and continues the joke rather than argue with him for once.

"Keep being a poohead and I'll ground you."

Everyone in the room pauses, I'm sure Verena does too at her attempt of clean language that Viktor tries to help her as he corrects her, "Did you mean shithead?"

I'm the mature one and kiss the top of Verena's head before sitting her back on Valentin's chest and dragging her mother out with me. But I'm only human and manage to keep it back until we're in the car.

"For such a filthy mouth, the best you could come up with was poohead?"

She nips my thigh, continuing her immaturity.

"Don't swear in front of children, and don't tell her to shit on people. It's not nice."

She sits taller as we approach the gates, and the guards open them.

I need her to relax for the important part, so I wait until we're further away from the house to fix her incorrect thoughts.

"She's not going to live by anyone's expectations of her. If she curses, who gives a fuck? They're just words, and she won't have any rules. Whatever she wants is hers."

The eye roll in my periphery is audible as Inessa relaxes into her seat without anyone able to see her.

"Okay, you psycho, children need some rules, or they'll become feral."

I shrug, uncaring and take the turn for the restaurant, "So let her be feral."

Twisted humor lights up her eyes as she leans over the center console and says, "I bet you'll suddenly find rules when she's a teenager or wants to date."

Turning to look at her, I watch realization slowly sink.

"You seem to think the rules would be for her. I'd break any cunt's legs who so much as takes a step in her direction. If she wants to date, she can want to do that, but it doesn't mean that it will happen. Anyone she's interested in will be tested, between Dima, my brothers, and me, I can fucking guarantee they won't get very far. Viktor will be older too, so he's going to be stuck to her like a shadow."

"Because that's healthy," she mutters.

"She's going to be insufferable, a spoilt pain in the ass, her feet won't touch the floor, and her chin will never touch her chest. The moment she opens both eyes and gives someone her full attention, it will be my job to ensure they treat her right."

"By beating the shit out of them?" she deadpans.

"Among other things."

I pull up outside of the restaurant and turn to face her as she asks for specific details to prove me wrong.

"What other things?"

Holding the headrest behind her, I cup Inessa's knee as my thumb finds the inch of skin between her dress and boots.

"Showing her how a queen deserves to be treated. She won't just be spoilt by her own experiences. It starts with you, so shut up and stop arguing with me."

"How romantic," she mutters while rolling her eyes, "be sure to let her see that too."

"Have I ever said that to you publicly? Even in front of my brothers?" She shakes her head. "Exactly, because only I can tell you to shut your mouth. I have never, and will never, disrespect you openly or with actual malice. You know why our daughter will be a spoilt brat? Because she's going to take after her mother, but it won't be as a way to protect herself. It will be who she truly is."

The smile on her face doesn't convey the intense emotion in her dark eyes as she squeezes my hand. She looks around, seeing where we've stopped, and her smile dips once she notices.

"Don't go here," she says softly.

There's nervousness and pain on her features. I'm definitely killing someone. My jaw is already pulsing, and it makes my voice rougher.

"Is this to do with your ‘secret' that Dima knows?"

The fucker said I should ask her, but she's been ignoring me and that took precedence over whatever secret she could have with someone else.

She squeezes my hand and slowly shakes her head. "There isn't one, he was just being an ass."

It's an uptight, snobby restaurant, the type of place that I thought she'd like considering they'll kiss her ass as soon as she walks through the door.

"Stay in the fucking car."

I turn and open the door when she grabs my arm, pulling me back in panic, "Where are you going?!"

The door slams as I turn back to her, still nervous and fearful.

"Someone in there hurt you. I can see it in your eyes, you're not fazed by anything but you're nervous about going inside. So, I'm going to kill everyone and burn the place to the ground. Happy?"

She doesn't let go of my arm and, instead, holds it with both to keep me in the car. Her voice is lower, almost shy with her admittance. "It's not that you psycho, the place always smells like sugar because of their desserts. You don't like the smell and you always move your head away from it. You won't be comfortable."

Even if she is crazy, she's got a beautiful soul to match her features. Lifting her hand off my arm, I bring it to my lips and kiss the back of her fingers. "Stay here, meelaya."

"You won't kill anyone, right?"

"Right."

Inessa keeps her eyes pinned on me as I get out of the car and go inside. She was right about the smell. It hits me as soon as I open the door and my stomach churns. I manage to hide my grimace as I tell the ma?tre d' what I need. He looks at my hands as I speak, and I already know it will be done to exact specifications before I go back to my bratty wife.

Despite being able to see me through the glass frontage, she inspects my knuckles as I open her door. My hand automatically goes to her hip, and I keep her on the side furthest away from the road as I lead her through the cut at the side of the restaurant. The door is open with a waiter ready to guide us, and she looks up at me full of innocence and sweetness. Fuck me, if this is all she needed, she could have just said, and I'd have bought her the restaurant.

Her brows go up as we're led up a dimly lit stairwell. She turns to me and mouths fancy, being a sarcastic shit. I only asked for a table outside, but they've got other staff lighting candles and it works in my favor as Inessa leans into me. The small table is covered with linen and the bench has cushions to hide how old it is. But she acts like it's a five-star service as we take our seats and we're left with the menu. Everyone leaves in a rush, and I pick her up, so she's sat on my thigh once we're alone. It's cold under the dark night sky and I keep her in place with my knees trapping her legs as I shrug out of my suit jacket and drape it over her shoulders.

She doesn't look at anything around us, not the generator for the building or the pipes. Her head is tipped back, watching the sky as she breathes out in awe, "I can see some of the stars."

They're most likely satellites or planes flying overhead but she looks so happy about it I don't tell her.

"It's like what Dani made."

Is it fuck.

I can't keep the insult out of my tone as I look up at the boring ass sky. "That's the exact constellation that was above us when Verena was born, not two blinking lights."

I'm certain they're orange, so they're definitely not stars. She shakes her head before laying it on my shoulder and wrapping her arm around my waist.

"How do you know everything?" she asks.

Kissing her cheek, I pull the jacket around her tighter and lower my voice, spilling my own secrets.

"I told her to do it. She was going to paint it and I thought that was better."

"Did you tell her to use diamonds too?"

She hasn't looked at it clearly if she thinks those are the only stones in it.

"You said I didn't give a fuck, yet there's every precious metal and gem laid in the cast of your bump because it held something that renders those materials moot."

She melts into me, and her forehead touches my jaw as she mumbles, "Okay, that was romantic."

I only have to turn my head to seal our lips together and she wraps both arms around my neck as she returns it with the most intense emotions I've ever felt. My plea is breathed into her mouth.

"Never shut up, meelaya."

She nods and all is right with the world as she gives her own four words.

"I love you too."