Page 23 of Ruby Menace

“Kirill, I-”

“Shhh…” I tell her, lifting my hand to stroke her hair from her flushed cheek. “I know.” I smile. She responds with an expression of sheer adoration that would melt me if I were the kind of man who did such things.

Finally… reluctantly, I step back, tucking myself away and straightening my clothes. I run a hand through my hair to slick it down while Tiana smooths her dress back into place. She looks up at me, her dark eyes full of understanding. In them, I see everything I cannot put into words – my grief, my rage, my sheer exhaustion with it all. Wordlessly, she lifts a hand to my cheek.

I close my eyes and lean into her touch, just for a moment. No one else has ever made me feel so seen. So accepted. Even in my darkest moments. I don’t know how she does it.

With a deep breath, I harden my expression back into an impassive mask once more. The side of me that the rest of the world needs to see. Taking her hand, I lead her from the office and back to the gathering. I know I can make it through the rest of this wretched day with her by my side.

And one day, I might be able to thank her for that.

* * *

I know that she’s disappointed when I release her hand and move away from her as we return to the restaurant, but she doesn’t say anything. She simply melts back into the crowd, allowing me to begin circulating again.

I make my way through the gathered guests, accepting brief condolences and making small talk with the others. It’s all surface-level pleasantries, nothing of substance, but after the interlude with Tiana, I’m able to tolerate it. My gaze constantly searches the room, carefully avoiding where Zoya stands with the boy.

Your son, dolboyob.

At least that’s what she says.

Dima finds me after a few minutes, two glasses of vodka in hand. He passes me one. “It was a nice service,” he says. “Tiana did well with the arrangements.”

I nod, taking a slow sip. Tiana. My fierce, fiery beauty who makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I’d told her that she would be my wife one day, and I meant it. I still do, but my reasons feel different now. There’s something deeper driving me. Something unfamiliar… but I like it. I want to have a child with this woman. Start a family to rebuild the one I lost. A swell of possessiveness rises in me as I picture her belly round with my child. I realize how much I want that. I want her to bear me a son. Or even a daughter… as beautiful as her mother.

My eyes land on Zoya and the boy again. Stepan. Supposedly my son too, but something feels wrong about it. I don’t believe it. There’s a resemblance, for sure, but I don’t trust the woman. I never did. Even less since she returned. But looking at him now…

I need to be certain.

I set my glass down and pull Dima aside, lowering my voice. “I need you to do something for me. Privately.”

“Name it, boss.”

“The boy.” I jerk my head in their direction. “Something feels off.”

“I agree.” He nods. “All this time, we’ve been going to meet her, you’ve been paying for her security, her lifestyle… and this is the first we hear of the kid? I don’t buy it.”

He’s right. There are too many things that just don’t add up. “I want you to look into it. Dig deeper. As deep as you have to.”

Dima empties his glass in one gulp and then gives a cold smile. “I’ll take care of it,” he assures me.

I clap him on the shoulder. Soon I’ll have the answers I need. And if my suspicions are correct, I’ll be able to get Zoya out of my life once and for all.

Chapter Nine

Tiana

I smooth my dress over my hips, giving myself a final once-over before heading back to the restaurant.

Holy shit!

That was one of the most intense experiences of my life.

As I smooth away unruly stray hairs and try not to lick my lips in an overtly suggestive way, I ponder my predicament. Here I am, totally tangled up with Kirill, even more so than before. Every time I think I’ve figured this man out, he goes and does something to completely upend my carefully laid plans.

My plans.

Every time I think of getting away to save myself and my baby from this Bratva life, my heart breaks a little. Not to mention that I still don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to pull it off. Even if I manage escape like last time, I won’t last very long out there. FBI Agent Asshole and the others will be on my tail as soon as I leave the estate. I need to be smarter than I was last time. But how am I supposed to figure this out when Kirill has me falling head over heels for him every time he’s around me?

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