25. Vitali

TWENTY-FIVE

Vitali

M y girl is where she belongs and I’m on cloud fucking nine. Zidane’s message comes through as I walk into the house and the idea forms of finally being able to show everyone Stasi is fucking mine. I’m stopped from having her in my arms when Vanya pulls me to the side, and she looks so innocent despite the ink she uses to harden herself up and the absolute psychotic bullshit that is her personality.

“Stasi was upset when we told her about the auction.”

Fuck. I thought they’d keep their mouths shut and I could use it as an excuse to force her into my life.

I take the stairs to my floor two at a time, ignoring the twinge in my knee. There’s no screaming or sounds of things being destroyed as I reach our floor. My girl doesn’t do that shit though, she’s the silent type and holds everything inside herself, if she started destroying my shit I’d be proud of her.

A cushion smacks me in the face as soon as I step into our room. At least it’s not a dick this time. That fucker was heavy and packed a good weight.My beauty sits on the end of the bed with her arms crossed and hurt on her face as she asks, “Why did you lie to me?”

No tears. I can cope as long as she doesn’t cry. I check for anything that could do damage if she chucked it at me before fully stepping into the room and slowly walking towards her. “I didn’t lie, I just didn’t see the point in telling you about the cunts.”

Her fists ball up and I smile, seeing that she’s out of shit to throw at me unless it’s herself and I’ll always fucking catch her.I stand taller, goading her and hoping she uses herself as a weapon, but she just looks me up and down with disgust and spits out, “So, you thought it would be better to make me think you fucking wanted me here?”

The fuck. I didn’t make her think anything, I told the only truth that mattered. There are random pillows on my bed, half the closet is hers and I bought her the same shampoo as me. If that’s not wanting her here what fuck more am I supposed to do?

She shakes her head and stands as if I’ll ever let her leave. My hand wraps around her throat as I block her path, and I grab her hands before she can lash out. My lips touch her ear, and I can’t soften my voice with the urgency inside me.

“We’re going to fucking talk because you seem to miss every fucking word I say, and I’ll go through every language, explaining it until it sinks into your pretty little head.”

I harden at the sight of her bare finger as I push her back and she bounces on the bed. I don’t have to look far to find the ring that should be on her finger and slap out at the nightstand where it’s laid.

I’m nice enough to give her a choice and I hold it out to her as I contradict the action.

“Take it off again and I’ll make you swallow it, Anastasia.”

I wouldn’t, but she doesn’t need to know that.I’d just find a way to keep it on her finger. Have claws placed in the back so she can’t take it off. My stubborn woman lifts the ring from my hand and doesn’t look away from my eyes as she pulls her arm back and throws it behind me. It doesn’t bounce off any walls and I grab her ankle, keeping her in place as I pick it up. Stasi is half hanging off the bed, her fingers gripping the sheets, dragging them with her, and I let go of her ankle, replacing it with her wrist.

I don’t let go of her wrist as I press my knee against her stomach, pinning in her place. Her legs are bent, and the back of her head is resting on the edge of the bed as I hold her hand between us and fight the urge to scream.

“This ring tells everyone that you are fucking mine. You seem to struggle understanding that, so it will be a reminder for you too.”

Forcing her hand to straighten, I push it onto her middle finger while she glares at me. I sit her on the bed again, so she’s not suspended in a perpetual fall and smile. The sheets are all mussed from something other than fucking, but there’s a new light in her eyes. She’s showing emotion, even if it’s anger, and my girl finally fucking gets it.

Stasi is a stubborn fuck and has to argue as she crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m not an object you can own.”

She’s fucking dense for someone so intelligent, I’ve watched her hack shit, her mind finding little loops within code to break into things she shouldn’t be able to, yet this one topic is so fucking simple she’s failing to grasp it.

I prove myself physically and drop to my knees, holding her thighs and dip my head so she can’t look away from me as my voice deepens.

“I’m not an object but you fucking own me, sweetness, still want to act dumb?”

Her lips twitch, fighting a smile while doing the same with me as she holds her hand up and then looks to my bare hands pointedly. If she wants me to wear a ring, it’s time for her to get on her knees, equal opportunities and all that shit.

“I expect a good proposal and for you to get down on one knee with a please. I’ll say yes on both.”

She pushes her palm against my forehead with a scoff.She can deny this shit all the wants, I’m not fucking crazy, and we both feel it. It’s more than need, it’s coming home, and being in comfort. Being the versions of ourselves we want to be and not having to hide or feel like shit about other people. She proves she cares when she pulls on my hands and tries to get me to stand with her anger subsiding.

“Your knee is going to hurt.”

The small voice might as well be a scream in admission with how my girl softens. Jumping up, I push my weight into her so she’s flat on the bed under me. Giggles brush against my cheek and I want to live inside the sound. Her happiness is the best thing I’ve ever witnessed, and I blow raspberries on her neck to prolong it then nip her cheek with my teeth. She feigns offence as she wipes the spot with her hand and scrunches her nose up.

“Don’t lick me, you weirdo.”

She doesn’t complain about my tongue usually, but I don’t point it out, the joke is too obvious. Instead, I hold her jaw and forehead, so her head is still and lick the full length of her face while she presses against my hips and complains, “Stop licking me!”

I want her like this all the time, only ever with me, and press a wet open-mouthed kiss to her cheek before sucking the skin and letting it go with a wet pop. My girl is perfect and wipes it on me before settling back into the sheets with a soft smile.

One of her hands trails up my abs with faux innocence until it’s curled around my neck and the other goes to my belt, pulling me closer. Stasi wraps her legs around my waist and says against my lips, “You really are a puppy.”

It doesn’t sound like an insult with the smile on her face and the softness in her eyes. I grind into her, allowing myself a hint of relief. I can’t fuck her, if I was inside her every time I wanted to be my dick would fall off from being used so much, but she rolls her hips and threatens to make me weaker than she already has.

“Keep looking at me like that,” I say slowly, “and we’ll never leave this room, sweetness.”

I’ll seal the floor off and survive solely on her if she gives me those eyes for a second longer. She pushes against my shoulder and blinks the seduction away as I pull her up with me. I’m taking my girl out and no fucker is going to stop me. Once she’s standing, I wipe her wet cheek with the backs of my fingers to get her to be agreeable and hold her ass.

“Want to be my lucky charm, malysh?”

Her brows come together, but that little light of emotion – of the real Anastasia – is still there in her eyes. Fuck, if she lets herself out fully I’m going to have to create a religion in her name to satisfy my need to worship her. I don’t give her any more information and lift her off her feet to carry her into the bathroom so we can get ready to show her off to the world as mine.

I’m going to kill Zidane. The prick didn’t tell me he invited every member of my psychotic family to the event his family are hosting in their casino. The fuckers are taking my alone time with Stasi away and Vanya comes to my side with her elbow out, digging into my ribs as she acts like her dad.

“Now you decide to wear a mask?”

It’s a theme and my girl likes dressing up. It will stop us being identified when I fuck her somewhere in the casino too. Probably one of the private rooms, have Stasi ride me while we play Texas Hold ‘Em.

But I’m stuck in a different private room with my family around us and take my seat beside my beauty. The waterfall edge hides the bar with only enough space for someone to pass drinks through and Dani proudly surveys her art on the walls. I stretch my arm across the back of Stasi’s chair and graze her shoulder with my fingertips to get her to give me attention. She doesn’t break her conversation with Inessa and my sister-in-law is the only one out of the two of them who acknowledges the movement as she looks from my hand to me.

It’s a subtle claim that isn’t needed with my ring on her finger, but I like touching her and move my seat closer. She follows Inessa’s gaze and leans into me, keeping her voice low.

“Are you going to piss on me too?”

She’s even more beautiful with half her face covered to fit the theme and it takes work to stay in my seat. I pull her closer so no one else hears and Inessa can stop stealing her attention. She smells like me as I whisper into her ear, “Not into watersports, sweetness. But I can cover you in something else if you want.”

She strokes down my thigh and pats my knee, giving a disinterested ‘maybe later’ as though I asked her to watch a movie.It’s rare that everyone is in public together and Inessa keeps checking her phone every two minutes with Vlad staying behind to look after my niece and nephews. She’s either afraid he’s going to lose his shit or being an overprotective mother while Val and Dani are relaxed. There are six empty seats which are soon filled by the Courts and a new face. Inessa’s brows go up in recognition and our side of the table go on alert seeing Khalilah ready to attack as the man at her side stops beside my sister-in-law as they make polite small talk.

“How’s Amber? I rarely see her now that we have the two buildings.”

Khalilah is staring Inessa out with murder in her eyes, and it intensifies as he responds, “Yeah, she’s good. I’ll let her know you were asking about her.”

He whispers something to the raging woman beside him and it has her relaxing, the anger disappears, and she smiles widely, crazy bitch.

Inessa isn’t usually around the criminal crowd outside of the Bratva and the ones she’s aligned herself with at her charity, so I lean behind Stasi’s chair to prod her arm. Her hair nearly whips me in the face when she turns with a face like thunder and I whisper, “Do I need to speak to Vlad?”

“He doesn’t control who I speak to, and you don’t need permission from me to speak to your brother.”

Stasi nudges me and she coolly says, “His sister works at Steorra.”

My sister-in-law could have just said that instead of being weird, for fuck’s sake, I know she wouldn’t touch anyone else because she’s crazy enough to accept my brother as he is, I was only curious, and I enjoy getting under her skin.

But Zidane makes the mistake of not recognizing who she is as he holds the back of her chair and attempts to charm her.

“You’re in my seat, pretty girl, I’ll swap you for my thigh?”

Stasi smirks while Val and I are about to beat the shit of him. My girl doesn’t look at him as she gives him a challenge.

“She’s Vlad’s wife, it’s been nice knowing you.”

“Oh, you’re married?” The prick looks at Inessa then to Stasi, Vanya, and Dani before he mutters, “Two out of four isn’t bad.”

I didn’t even know he fucked Dani and Val’s mood darkens as he watches Zidane take his seat. I drop my arm from the back of Stasi’s seat as Alia walks past and she discreetly drops my new meds in my hand. The prescriptions are getting weaker, so I have to deal with her unlicensed medication, as she walks like death to her seat. Once we’re all seated, the table fills with conversation and my focus is split between testing the new pills and Stasi.

The first hand hasn’t even been dealt when she stiffens, her body turning cold, and she sits straighter while staring at her thighs. I follow her gaze to see her cunt mother’s name flashing on the screen of her phone as she silences the call. I’m stopped from ending the call as she beats me to it and excuses herself. She doesn’t stand away from the crowd, instead she removes herself from the room completely. I don’t look at anyone as I follow her like a lost puppy as she tries to lock herself away in a storage room beside the private room.

Fucking infuriating woman. We’ve already had the conversation, she needs to learn that I’m not going anywhere. Her bitchy personality hasn’t kept me away, so a door won’t do shit, yet she still tries and pushes her weight into the door. She should eat more, then it might actually be a challenge for me. Once I’m in the room with her, I close the door and wrap my arms around her from behind, my chin resting on her shoulder so I can hear the conversation through the other end of the phone and because I love the feeling of her cheek against mine.

Her mother’s voice is fucking grating as Stasi answers the phone and I hear her say, “Family are meant to be there for each other, you haven’t called to check in on your father after his accident.”

I smile at her use of accident. Dumb fuck. He didn’t accidentally get his hands impaled on the desk or accidentally trip into a knife that carved words into his chest. My arms tighten around her as she weakly says, “I’m busy.”

It’s for comfort until her mother’s fucking scoff has rage hardening my bones to steel. “Doing what? Or should I say who?”

Stasi contorts her body, so her head is between her knees and blocks me grabbing her phone. The shuffling has the cunt’s voice coming out louder.

“If it’s that Vartanov boy, remember what I told you. Don’t use protection, you’ll have eighteen years to wear him down.”

I’m going to fucking kill her with her husband. I find Stasi’s wrist and the bitch is back to mumbling while my girl brings her other hand up and she disconnects the call. Stasi doesn’t need to fucking wear me down or even try, she’s perfection and the reason she hasn’t heard me screaming it at her is because of that cunt. It’s her mother’s voice forcing her to run away, and I block the door so she can’t leave now that I know who the cause is.