Page 56 of Ruthless Son

“Now, Mr. President.” Fedir clapped his hands together once, before rubbing them in anticipation. “We have much to plan. I will leave you to your little meeting, my men will be in touch.”

Fedir stepped closer, his hand out toward Mia. She placed her hand in his while I held onto her other, keeping her beside me and making sure she didn't move away from me. “Skoro pohovorymo.” I grit my teeth when the slimy bastard kissed her hand. He could have his men hit me, punch me, beat me, but I drew the line at him touching my woman. Gently, I pulled her into me, her hand falling away from his grip.

His grin was knowing when he met my angered gaze, his dark eyes shining with humor.

“Family is important, pryntsesa. Remember that.” He turned and walked away, giving no thought to showing us his back. It just showed that he was either fucking crazy, or knew that no one was stupid enough to try and touch him. “Do pobachennya,” he called out, before climbing into the back seat, his men getting in after him. The car pulled out slowly, leaving us all behind in a cloud of dust.

When his car was no longer in sight, Cal twisted to face me with a mix of confusion and worry. “Now do you want to explain what the fuck just happened and what we just signed up to?”

Mia

Millie had squeezed the breath from me when I got back. Rex sat on the couch, an ice pack on his face to try and bring down the swelling.

Did I feel a little bit bad that he had a broken nose… sure. Did I regret it? Not a chance. He needed to know that I wasn’t someone he could take advantage of. I didn’t have the strength to take my vengeance out on him physically, but I was smart enough to find other ways.

Taking comfort in Rex’s room from prying eyes, I finally relaxed enough to close my eyes.

Resting my hands across my belly, I rubbed in small circles, wondering what was happening inside me. I hadn’t even taken a pregnancy test, so I couldn’t even be sure that I was pregnant, but I knew my body. My breasts ached to the touch, the sickness was horrible, and I wanted to fuck Rex even though I kind of hated him too. But my first port of call tomorrow was getting a test and a doctor's appointment somewhere that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Millie sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she hugged a pillow to her middle. “I want to go home, Mia,” her whispered plea had my eyes shooting open. She hunched over the pillow, her shoulders curled in, it was as if a dark shroud had been pulled over her.

“I thought you wanted to stay?” I asked, confused at her sudden change of heart.

“I did… but this isn’t the life I wanted. You could have died.” Tears fell down her cheeks, her watery eyes looking at the marks on my wrists with a touch of fear, and she buried her face in the pillow. “I just wanted some peace, but now Margot is dead and… and… I just want to go home.” Her words transformed into sobs that shook her shoulders, and I moved toward her, holding my baby sister against me, offering comfort, the only thing I could give her right now.

“Ok, sweetheart, sshhhhh. I’ll take you home. Lay down and get some rest, I’ll be right back.” I pulled her down gently until she lay curled in a ball, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

God, what a mess.

Raking my fingers through my tangled mass of hair, I left the room, closing the door softly behind me.

It had taken a kidnapping to get Millie to change her mind, I’d seen the way she looked at the red rings around my wrist. The marks would fade soon, but Millie’s memory of me coming home with sores on my skin from being held captive would stay in her mind forever. She was soft and sweet, it’s why her working in a flower shop didn’t come as much of a surprise. But now with her desire to go back to England, I had to finish up some business here so I could get my sister back on home soil.

Rex sat amongst his brothers, his swollen nose and bruised eyes were a joke amongst them. I could hear their teasing voices and the gentle ribbing. Now that he was home safely, they could make fun of his experience. Eventually, it would be a story that they told others, how the little Ukrainian princess saved the life of the big bad biker. Rex took the jokes in good grace, smiling around the swelling and what must be a pounding headache.

I stopped beside the men, and now they were all filled in, they were more open toward me. They greeted me with open arms and hugs that had Rex fuming, his eyes narrowed on Gauge’s arms that engulfed me. His smile dropped from his face as his brothers all lined up to offer their welcome. I smiled and laughed at their jokes, but inside, my stomach twisted with anxiety. I slowly made my way through the huddle toward Rex, who eyed me with curiosity. I hadn’t come to find him since we got back, instead isolating myself in the quiet of his own room, and he’d been respectful, giving me space and room to breathe.

“We need to talk,” I told him, leaning over the back of the couch. “Can we go somewhere private?” I kept my voice low, but it wasn’t quiet enough, the others looked on awkwardly before moving away to find things to do. Leaving me and Rex in solitude.

Gauge and Sly leaned against the bar, trying hard to not listen in, their eyes darted toward us and back to the bar, pretending to not pay attention. I sighed. “Not here, Rex.”

He dragged himself off the leather, groaning at the aches he’d accumulated today, and ushered me into the kitchen, kicking the women out of it. They shot me irate looks and cutting glares as not only did Rex make them leave, but he didn’t acknowledge their attempts to say goodbye either, their whining a pathetic effort to finally be noticed.

Rex shut the door behind them, closing us in. Crossing his arms, he squared his shoulders, as he watched me with a blank look, his eyes gave away nothing.

Drawing a deep breath, I began, “I’m taking Millie home.” The only reaction was a flicker at the corner of his eye, it twitched as I told him that I was leaving. “I’ll come back, I just…”

“When are you coming back?” His jaw clenched around the question that I didn’t know the answer to.

“Soon? I’m not sure, I have things to sort out in England… my job.”

Rex scoffed. “Just say it, Mia.” His voice was laced with pain. “You had no plans on coming back at all, did you? What… am I not good enough? Too much leather and not enough fucking tweed for you?”

“No!” My chest squeezed and I reached out, grabbing at his arm, the muscle clenched beneath my fingers and he tensed to pull away from me. “Please, I… please don’t be mad at me,” I choked out, my voice a harsh whisper against his skin. My bowed head rested against his shoulder and I stood against him, feeling the heat of anger radiating around us. “I hate it when you’re mad at me.”

My shoulders shook with my silent sobs. Seconds passed until his body started to relax, he let out a deep sigh of surrender. “I’m not mad at you, princess,” he grumbled. “I’m mad at myself. I shouldn’t have tricked you. I was… arrogant. When I found out you’d been taken, and that anything could have happened to you. Dammit, I just wanted to keep you, and in doing so, I put your life in danger.” His big hands circled my wrists, pulling them to his chest and holding them against him. “Even now, you carry marks on your beautiful skin that I put there. I didn’t cuff you, but I’m to blame for them, and I hate that for you… and for our child.”

Rex’s hand dropped to my stomach, spanning the entirety of my belly. His hand was gentle as his fingers brushed softly against the cotton of my top, feeling the flat plane of my stomach beneath.

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