nibbles on my bottom lip until I open them with a moan.
By the time he releases me, I’m dizzy. Adrian’s mouth finds my ear and he whispers, “Be good.”
I bite my lower lip. “Do I get a reward for that?”
“Depends on how good you are,” his voice drops with dark dominance.
Jeremy tugs on my coat and Adrian reluctantly lets me go. After kissing my son one last time, I get in the back seat beside Winter. She’s glued to the farthest corner of the vehicle, her attention on Yan, who has his gun on his lap. I poke him, and he pretends not to notice.
I didn’t think I’d ever say this about my friend, but he can be a major jerk.
During the ride, I try to distract Winter from the two men in the front and the car following behind us. At first, she seems too scared to even listen, but with time, she starts talking, too.
As we round a corner, something catches in my peripheral vision. I stare out the window because I swear I just saw a man in black leather clothes, a black baseball cap, and a mask, riding a motorcycle, staring at our car despite the tinted windows.
I strain my neck to search the crowd of people and cars, but there’s no trace of him.
That was my imagination, right? Otherwise, I think I just saw Luca.
30
Lia
We’re at a party.
Well, not exactly, but it’s something similar to one. Sergei is throwing a banquet to celebrate the unification of the Bratva and the Luciano families.
As in, my family.
I’m still unable to wrap my head around that idea, but I guess it’s too soon.
It’s been a week since I nearly lost Adrian. A week since I met my father for the first time and asked him to help me.
My husband, who’s currently placing a firm hand at the small of my back, is wearing his tux that might be responsible for making me fall further in love with him. He just looks so delectable in formal wear, as if he was born for this type of appearance. Add his sharp features and his untouchable aura, and he’s a sight to behold.
I’m wearing on a knee-length satin gown with a somewhat deep neckline that reveals a hint of my cleavage. Its dark blue color compliments my skin tone and makes me look elegant. When I was getting dressed, Adrian kept glaring at the neckline and asked me to change. But we were already late, so I put on a scarf, then removed it as soon as we were in the car.
That’s one reason for his sour mood, but the main reason is that I insisted on coming to this celebration.
He was against it, saying that Sergei will only be angrier if he sees me and that Lazlo won’t leave me alone. While both of those are true, I’m done hiding away like a porcelain doll.
If there’s anything I learned from temporarily losing my identity and everything that followed, it’s that I can’t keep watching my life like a spectator. I have to take action, even if it ends up being wrong. At least I will have tried, not sat around, waiting for someone else to make the decisions.
Besides, a marriage is for two. I need to stand tall beside Adrian and help him as Rai does with her husband, Kyle.
So what if Adrian always had the last word before? That won’t be happening anymore and I proved that by insisting on coming here. I had to pay for it when he turned my ass red with his belt last night—to the point where I can barely sit today—but it was worth it.
We stop in front of the lounge area where Sergei is sitting with Igor and Mikhail. He lets Adrian kiss his hand, but when it’s my turn, he pulls it away and glares at me. “Why, isn’t this the reason Adrian is losing his logic?”
A muscle works in Adrian’s jaw. “Pakhan. I told you—”
He lifts a hand, shushing my husband without saying it and fixes me with a harsh stare. “Do you have an explanation about your implication in this situation, Lia? An apology?”
I take a deep breath. “I was a victim, and I will not apologize for that. Adrian did what he had to.”
“Are you talking back to me?”
“I’m only answering your question.” I square my shoulders even though my hand trembles around my clutch bag. “We took vows, Pakhan, to care for and protect each other, and