Til Death Do Us Part (Kornilov Bratva Duet #2) - Nicole Fox Page 0,49
that weight on Theo or my unborn baby. I simply won’t do it.
So, I keep my hand fisted tightly at my side.
Finally, Viktor shakes his head. “This life is dangerous, but you know I’m working hard to make it less so. I’m doing what I can to get rid of Fedor, and I’m making alliances I never would have made even two months ago … because of you.”
“Don’t do it on my account,” I say, interrupting him.
“I have to,” Viktor grinds out. “You are the reason I’m still fighting at all, Molly. You and Theo and our baby … without you, I don’t have a reason to fight. Don’t you understand that?”
My heart cracks. From top to bottom, a line forms in the organ in my chest, and I feel it change irreparably.
My eyes fill with tears, and I blink them away.
“If you were really my wife,” Viktor sighs and looks up towards the ceiling, like he is imagining it. “If you and I were really married, nothing would be different for me. I would still go above and beyond to keep you all safe. The only difference is that I wouldn’t have to wonder when you’re going to leave. But no matter what, I’ll protect you and our kids until my dying breath.”
Viktor’s blue eyes pierce through me, leaving me breathless, and then he turns and walks back into the bathroom without another word. I stand in the same spot for a long time, wishing I could go after him and confess my feelings. But I don’t. I stay motionless even as he collects his commissioned drawing from Theo and leaves without telling me where he is going.
14
Viktor
It feels good to have work to keep me busy. It’s just a delivery of cash. Money made from various deals over the last few weeks that needs to be funneled through the motels I operate around the city. A lot of people pay cash for a night in the hotel, so it is easy enough to do.
Still, I’m grateful for the distraction.
After my conversation with Molly, I feel flustered and vulnerable. I need to get out and do something. Anything.
Usually, I’d call Petr in to handle something like this. Or, at least, oversee that it’s done. But I’m not sure I can trust him anymore. George still hasn’t gotten back to me about what Petr is doing in Italian territory, and I don’t want to rock the boat until I have all of the facts. My boat has been rocked too many times as it is.
Just as I’m climbing back into my car, debating whether I should go back to Molly’s place or mine, Molly calls.
“Hi.” Her voice sounds small on the other end of the line, and I’m not sure why she is calling me. To apologize. For what? I can’t even blame her for being afraid to be with me, even though it has me near the end of my rope.
“What’s going on?”
“I just got off the phone with Niamh,” she says, the words coming out in a rush. “She called, and I tried to tell her I needed to talk with you first, but she told me I could make decisions for the both of us, and the next thing I knew, I was agreeing to have her and Seamus over to our penthouse for dinner.”
I nodded along, trying to take in what she’s saying. “Okay, but we don’t have a penthouse. Not together, at least.”
“Hence the call.” She sighs. “I wanted to give you space after … well, after.”
After she told me it was never going to happen. After I cut my chest open and handed her my heart, and she stood there silent and motionless.
I push the thoughts out of my head, trying to focus on the present.
“But,” Molly continues. “I realized that we don’t have a place together, so we’ll need to pick one and … make it home.”
“Okay.” I still feel slightly lost, but I’m catching up. “We’ll just do it at your place.”
“That’s what I thought, too. Since Theo and I already have our stuff here. Plus, your place is still a total bachelor pad. Niamh would never believe I live there.”
I can hear the teasing in her voice and it feels good to have a moment of normalcy. “So, it’s settled.”
“Yeah, but we still need to make it look like our house,” she says. “Pictures of us. Mementos from our life together.”
Seamus praised my attention to detail at the restaurant when I