Page 12 of Born into Sin

“Oh, come on now. You would’ve never forgiven yourself if you’d just stood there and let me die.”

I raise a brow at him. “I’m guessing I could’ve managed it.”

He just laughs and smacks my back again. “Did you see the kids yet?”

“Yeah, I got here the same time as Natalya.”

His eyebrow piercing glints in the sunlight when he raises it at me. “Did you notice she’s not at all the spoiled princess you told me she’d become?”

I think about his beautiful daughter, the principessa that I can’t seem to get out of my head and say, “Well, I didn’t spend that much time with her. She could be a complete ass for all I know.”

Danil barks out a laugh while Lev mutters something about Italians that I’m guessing isn’t all that complimentary.

“Hey, Danil. How have you been?”

He smiles and takes another drink before saying, “I’m great, man. Sorry to hear about your dad.”

“Thanks,” I tell him, “but we all knew it was coming.”

“So now you’re officially the don,” Roman says, coming to stand by us.

“I’m not kissing your fucking ring,” Vitaly yells over his shoulder while he flips burgers on the grill.

I groan and look at Roman. “I keep telling him that’s not how it works.”

Roman shrugs. “He’s stubborn. You’ll never convince him.”

“Stubborn’s one way to put it.” I take another drink and watch Matvey walk out of the house and over to us. He gives me an easy grin, the kind he would’ve never been able to manage before they got Alina back. He looks happy, damn happy, and when he stands next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder, giving me a side hug, I can’t mask the surprise. I’ve seen him many times over the years, but this is the first time he’s ever attempted physical contact.

“It’s good to see you, Dominic.” His voice is just as gravelly as ever, but that’s the only thing that’s the same. He’s even wearing a T-shirt, not caring that his scarred, tattooed arms are easily visible.

“You’re like a different man, Matvey.” I raise my glass to him. “I’m happy for you.”

He smiles even bigger and lifts his glass before taking a drink. At the sound of his daughter’s voice, he looks over and shouts something in Russian. Yelena’s walking with Valentin, both of them eating off the same pretzel while they walk towards the dirt bike that’s parked outside the large barn at the back of the property. She smiles and hollers back at him before shaking her head and laughing.

“She hates wearing a helmet,” Matvey explains, “but it’s the only way I’ll ever let her get on one of those damn things.”

“Mia really wants one,” I say, looking over at Lev.

Laughing he says, “Yeah, she only tells me that every damn day. She can get one when she’s sixteen as long as I think she can handle it.” He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “She also wants a motorcycle as soon as she gets her license, and we just compromised on piercings. She’s agreed to not pierce herself any more, and in return we’ll let her get her nose pierced when she’s seventeen.”

Vitaly laughs and points the spatula at Lev. “If she’s anything like her dad, then that’s not the only thing she’s going to want to get pierced.” To really emphasize his point, he lowers the spatula so it’s pointing right at Lev’s crotch.

“Fuck, brother,” Lev groans. “Don’t even say shit like that.”

Vitaly just laughs and goes back to grilling.

“I’m so happy I have sons,” Roman says while Danil laughs and raises his glass, clinking it against Roman’s.

“A-fucking-men, brother.”

I don’t bother saying that I’m fucking thrilled I don’t have either, because the men around me are obviously thrilled to be dads, and I don’t want to piss on their daddy parade.

“What about you?”

I look over at Roman. “What about me?”

“You came here alone?” he asks. “You didn’t bring anyone from Italy.”

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