30. Valentin

THIRTY

Valentin

I 'm grinning ear to ear as I go back to my girl. I have the sudden urge to whistle. My Dani finally understands that she's that, mine. It drops hearing her begging, "I'll give you all the money I have as long as you stay away."

If those fuckers have got her involved in their shit I'll pull everything away from them and start a war that's deadlier than they've ever fucking seen.

Keeping my steps silent, I stick to the shadows and listen out for any of their twisted family to join. The Courts don't do shit alone, they're all crazy, and it used to be respectable before they involved my girl in their games. A feminine laugh bounces off the walls, it's erratic and high pitched and lead drops in my stomach recognizing the bitches voice.

"Look at that, I managed to sell the same thing twice."

Everything dims under my rage. Charging forward, I flick my knife open and grab the bitter cunt by the hair and yank her back. She screeches as the blade presses into her neck and fear sinks through her intoxication causing her to stumble to her knees. My voice is deadly, and I stand on her ankle pressing my full body weight into the joint.

"I told you last time what I'd do if I ever fucking saw you again."

She's too high to recall the conversation and looks ahead for help. A red line appears as I press the blade deeper into her skin and her nails scrape against my hands trying to get me away.

Her screeching gets my attention. "Dani, help. I'm your sister."

I forgot about her. I look up and her wide eyes flick from my hand to my face. She hesitates. My perfect Dani hesitates and doesn't stop me. Pressing harder into the useless cunts neck without looking away from my girl, it forces her mouth to open.

"Val, don't. She's not worth it."

I repeat the promise I made to my son and force my hand to relax. She's not mine to kill, if he wants her death when he's older the bitch needs to fucking be there.

It only relaxes enough to drop my knife and I hold her hair tighter. Kicking into the back of her knee she falls to the floor with a crack, and I drag her forward. My eyes don't move away from Dani's warm ones, she's not scared of me. My perfect artist is intrigued as I make her cunt sister bow at her feet.

"Beg." The deadly order has Carly looking up at me and I add, "Dani is the only one who will save you, so fucking beg her."

She's too sweet and good. The kneeling fuck begs, and it only has tears forming in my girl's eyes as she takes a step back, swiping at her cheeks to get them away. Fuck that. She is mine and no one gets to do shit to her. Carly's body jolts under my hold as I shake her and change the instruction.

"Now kiss her shoes and tell her how fucking pathetic you are."

She crawls forward as Dani freezes in place with her eyes fixed on me. The only thing that could make her more perfect is if she cocks her leg back and kicks her sister in the face. But she doesn't, she remains a statue as my words are repeated around her sobs.

"I'm pathetic. You're better than me."

I let her go and my tone is still rough. "Get the fuck out."

She scurries away with her useless life and fucks off. I wait until the door bangs closed to take my girl in my arms.Kissing the top of Dani's head, she clings to me and lets her tears free. She's too beautiful of a person to ever cry, not just physically. Her heart is the most precious thing about her. Her voice is a mumble into my chest, and it takes two tries for me to understand what she's saying.

"I'm sorry."

Picking her up so she's where she belongs, above me, I support her with my arm under her ass and gently wipe her tears away.

Her apology would only make sense if she invited the bitch here. From the end of their conversation, I know she didn't, but I need verbal confirmation.

"Why was she here?"

The bitter teary laugh leaving her is horrible, painful to my ears, and her bottom lip wobbles as she smiles sadly. "For money and to tell me how worthless I am."

I look at the door like I'll see the cunt waiting and she wriggles in my arms trying to escape.Sitting her on the table, I step between her thighs. There's no escape, we're inevitable. She admitted that she's mine and if that truth only comes out when I'm buried inside her, my dick will never touch air again. I rest our foreheads together filling her vision with me and only me as I cup her face with both hands.

"You are not pathetic."

Her cheeks lift a fraction not taking in my conviction.

Her tears burn my skin and I tighten my hold to stop what's going to come out of her sweet lips. But she steels her spine taking a deep breath and holds my wrists.

"She's right, and we're lying to ourselves."

My laugh is bitter and resentful, wrapping around what she's refusing to see as I say, "She's a twisted little crackhead, is she fuck right about anything."

Carly couldn't be trusted to lick an envelope but my girl's acting crazy, thinking anything she says holds merit.

I have to force myself to relax and step back dragging her with me. I dropped her food and she'll be hungry, but she stops us leaving. She pushes my hands off her face and hardens.

"You're not listening to me."

I hold her hips for no other reason than I can. She's mine and I don't need to suppress the urge to hold her anymore.Her forefinger moves between us like a pendulum as she guts me .

"This, won't work. I want things you can't give me."

I have money, power, and the ability to make her come so hard my neck is still stinging, so there's nothing more she needs.

"I'll give you everything you want."

It's an easy promise, giving Dani everything is all I have ever wanted to do. She could ask for my beating heart, and I'll crack open my ribs to fulfil her demand.

She presses her hand to my chest, right over the organ she owns. A soft whisper floats up and there's longing in her eyes.

"I want kids."

She's so amazing and I kiss her cheek to hide my giddiness. Excitement floods me as I speak against her cheek, "We'll start trying tonight rodnaya."

Viktor will be a good big brother, and I'll finally have the one piece missing from my family.

Her cheek moves away from my lips as she takes a step back and holds her hand up when I try to move forward.

" We can't. Do you realize how fucked up that is? Your kids would be cousins, for fuck's sake."

I grew up in the best dysfunctional family there is. My brother became both of my parents and Dima was like a stepdad picking up the slack when Vlad became a Vor.

Shrugging because I don't give a fuck, she bugs her eyes out at me. She's adorable as fuck throwing her hands in the air re-enacting a conversation that will never happen.

"Oh, meet my brother-cousin, and this is my sister-cousin. No, she's my aunt and my siblings mom." My smile gets wider, but she deflates and lowers her voice, "There are modern families and then there's a psychiatrist's dream."

By Vartanov standards, that's normal.

I don't tell Dani about the fucked up cunts who are on my birth certificate. It would only make her upset and she's intelligent enough to run away and distance herself from it. Holding her jaw, I say the only thing that matters.

"You are mine, and we can do whatever the fuck we want."

I tap my thumb off her bottom lip waiting for her to agree, that's all she has to do, and I'll give her the fucking world.

Instead, she doubles down and pushes against my chest. Physically there's only a few inches of space, emotionally it's a crater as she says, "It's better this way, neither one of us will be hurt in the end."

The little liar is ignoring my pain right now. I transfer my heartache to her, and I have to force out the words as I watch her eyes pull down in the corners.

"At least you're not being a pathetic fucking coward this time. Fuck you, Dani."

I turn without saying anything more, my jaw aching from how hard I'm guarding every horrible thing I think of.

I'm a dumb fuck. She has me on a string, ready to pull me in only to disappear as soon as she's done with me. Slamming the door like a toddler, I wait in the car to make sure she gets home safe. Carly has disappeared and there are no fights on tonight to get everything out of my head. I need something to calm me but the only person who has ever brought peace into my life refuses to stay in it.

I've turned into a stalker as Dani leaves when a car pulls up. The sticker shows it's a car service, but I hate the cunt who's driving. They'll get time with her, soak up her smiles and presence while I'm tailing behind like a psychotic fuck.

I go home instead of making a detour to search for some asshole that deserves a beating, and I smile at the sight of my weird ass family. Dani's deluded as fuck to think there's any world where she wouldn't fit in. Inessa, Tali, and Viktor are having one of their pampering sessions with face masks and cucumbers on their eyes while Vlad goes through the details for tomorrow's fight.

All of this is looked at as normal despite the deep scarring on Tali's knee, his tattoos, or Vlad being in a three piece suit with more brutality in his hands than a war general. But my girl thinks anyone would have the balls to look down at her.

Licking my finger as I walk behind the sofa, I shove it in Tali's ear just to fuck with him. It's all his fault for bringing Dani home. Asshole. He slaps at my hand and shouts, breaking the calm, "What the fuck man?!"

He looks ridiculous glaring up at me as he takes one cucumber slice away but the weird shit on his face doesn't show his full disgust.

"Filthy fuck, I don't know where your mouth or fingers have been."

In your best friend.

He takes an elbow to the ribs and Inessa's face doesn't move as she reprimands him. "Language."

I choose not to put his mind at ease as I sit opposite the all-knowing Vlad, and he nods his head silently asking what's up. Holding my hand up in the shape of a C, we both look to Viktor making sure his eyes are still covered. Tali's nosey ass joins our silent conversation, and he takes his phone out utilizing the group chat, rather than let the others in the room know what's happening.

Tali:

What did she say?

Me:

She wanted more money

Vlad:

Did you deal with it?

I couldn't, Dani was there and she was upset

He looks up from his phone, then narrows his eyes at me, making the paste flake off his face. His thumbs rapidly slap off the screen without looking away from me and I hold my middle finger up.

Tali:

Why were you with her?

She's not part of any of this shit

Is she okay?

Did cunt face do anything to her?

Are you in love with her or some shit?

I was there, she's fine.

Tali:

We're not all like you and need to fuck someone to want them around

Vlad:

How are you having a tantrum when you're typing?

I'M NOT HAVING A FUCKING TANTRU M

The bastard smirks and raises one brow before verbalizing his dickish ways.

Vlad:

Go have one of your bubble baths and come to the office when you're done.

It's going to be the same cryptic ass conversation, but I agree and stand. Viktor's head is already dropping, so I take him with me. They must have ran out of the gentle face mask shit because he has moisturizer all over his face and it soaks through my shirt as I take him to his bedroom. He's always tired now that he's started going to school and he's not sat on his ass bored all day. Getting him ready for bed, I wipe it away and try not to wake him as I change his clothes. It doesn't work and his eyes droop, but that little smile is enough to kill for as he looks at me without fear.

"Do you need cuddles?" he asks.

I nod and kiss his head. "Yeah, little man."

He wraps his little arms that are bigger each day around me and stops being so independent for once as he yawns. "I miss watching movies in your bed."

Today must be the day everyone decides to wreck me because he turns sad and asks, "Why don't I have a mom?"

Because she's a cunt .

Stroking his hair back, I sit at the end of his bed, hoping he falls asleep so I don't have to answer. Schools are meant to educate, not point out differences. I've seen the way he looks at other people when I pick him up, watches the other kids with their mothers, but there's no longing when he does it, just confusion.

I keep my voice low when he stares at me, waiting for an answer I can't give him. So, I deflect. "Want to talk about it in the morning when you're not half asleep?"

And I've had enough time to come up with some bullshit .

He's never been clingy, even as a baby he was too independent, but he hugs me tighter without getting off my lap. His little arms cling to me, his fingers gripping the back of my shirt, and he whispers, "Promise? "

Kissing his head, I nod. "Promise, little man. Go to sleep." I don't loosen my arms as I rest my lips on his crown. "I love you, you know that, right?"

There's no answer and I tilt my head back, looking down to check if he's fallen asleep, and his eyes are closed. I don't let him go when he's always been the only person who can stop the hurt of Dani's rejection, so I hold on to him when I'm meant to protect and comfort him, but he does it naturally as he sleepily mumbles, "Love you too, Dad."