Til Death Do Us Part (Kornilov Bratva Duet #2) - Nicole Fox Page 0,27
eyes, trying to rub the exhaustion from them.
I shouldn’t have gotten angry with Hannah. Her words came from concern, I know that, but she doesn’t have the first idea of what I’m going through. She imagines me as some wide-eyed woman in love. Or, if not love, then lust. I could see in the way she spoke to me that she thought I walked into this relationship blind, wooed by the wealth and finery to the point I would risk the life of my own son.
She doesn’t know the first thing about my relationship with Viktor.
She also doesn’t know anything about Viktor.
I’ve had more than a few complaints about his conduct over the last few weeks, but at the end of the day, everything he has done is to protect me and Theo. I can’t fault him for that.
My phone vibrates next to me in the bed, and I see Viktor’s name on the screen. It is late—far later than he has ever called me before—and my heart leaps into my throat as I answer, afraid of what news I’ll find out.
“Hello?” My voice is raspy, and I clear my throat.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“I was already awake. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” He sounds out of breath and exhausted.
“Did you call to talk to Theo?” Viktor rarely calls to speak with me. If he has something to say to me, he’ll come by the house. But he has called to talk to Theo a few times. Their connection is growing stronger every day, and while it is precious to see how much Theo likes Viktor, their bond concerns me as well. What if we leave and Viktor can’t be there anymore? How will Theo handle that?
“No, no,” he says quickly, almost emphatically.
“Are you okay?” If he doesn’t want to tell me what he has been doing, then fine. I trust him to tell me things when and if they concern me. But I still want to check on him. If he has been in a fight or some kind of conflict, I want to ensure he hasn’t been hurt.
He sighs. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Go to sleep,” I say. I’m tempted to tell him to come here. I’ll clean him up and put him in bed next to myself and Theo. A happy family.
But the image feels like a pipe dream.
“I will soon. I wanted to talk to you first.”
There is a long silence, neither of us saying anything. I keep waiting for him to deliver some piece of news or ask me a question. Finally, I realize he just wants to talk. To hear my voice. The realization makes my stomach flip.
“Theo is asleep next to me, so I’m probably talking quietly,” I say, unable to think of anything else. “Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you,” he breathes. “How are things going with Hannah?”
If I tell Viktor what Hannah said about him, what she may or may not know about his business, he might request that she leave. Honestly, that might be the safest thing for Hannah to do, anyway, but I’m not ready to get rid of my friend. The other Bratva wives don’t understand me at all. They know who I appear to be now, but they don’t know anything about my life growing up or what I’ve been through. It feels good to have someone around who I can relate to. I want Hannah to stay.
“Fine. She wants to go to lunch soon.”
Viktor hums, concern clear in his tone.
“We’ll take the guards with us,” I say, assuaging his worries before he can give them voice. “I’ll be careful.”
“Just tell me where you decide to go. I want to know where you are.”
I agree, and we slip into silence again. I don’t have anything else to say, but I don’t want to end the conversation until I know Viktor doesn’t need anything from me. Finally, Viktor speaks.
“I guess I also called to gauge your interest in coming to a dinner I’m hosting in a few days,” he says. “For the Irish.”
“Like, a party?”
He hums an assent. “Fedor has allied with the Italians and taken some of my men, so I need to do what I can to strengthen the alliances we already have. I’ve rented out a restaurant and have everything set up. You would just need to go and stand by my side … my beautiful wife.”
There is real tenderness in his voice, and it makes me feel lightheaded. I think that might have been the point.