Page 105 of Oathbreaker

I raise my eyebrows, my gaze dipping to her cleavage.

“Hunter, focus!” she says with a bright laugh.

“How am I supposed to focus with you sitting next to me looking damn near edible? It’s your fault you’ve got me thinking about blow jobs.”

And titty fucking, because her tits in that outfit....

“Hunter. Your birthday? How do you want to celebrate?” She tries to give me a stern look.

“As long as whatever we do includes seeing your smiling face, I’m good with whatever,” I say with all honesty.

Her smile grows with every turn of the tires.

“Fine, I’ll choose. Be prepared, H. I’m gonna throw you the best birthday party ever,” she says. Her excitement grows as she finishes her sentence. “Who do you want to be there?”

I think it over.

“Let’s keep it close to home at Amelia Manor. And maybe don’t invite anyone besides everyone who’s already around, so Leo, Ella, Veronica, and August.”

She deflates for a moment before smiling again. It’s not as bright as before. “Okay, H. One house party kick-back coming right up.”

She moves to bite her nails again, and I grab her hand once more, holding it in my lap until we arrive at our destination.

Misha Hroshko’s compound rivals Fort Knox. Literally. Renovated from an abandoned army base, thick concrete walls surround the acres of land he calls home. You can’t see his estate from the road leading up to it, but Leo told me he built a 15,000-square-foot mansion at the center of the compound.

Rio drives up to the gate, and Misha’s soldiers mill around it, carrying rifles at the ready. Winter’s fingers spasm in my hand.

“It’s okay, baby,” I murmur to her.

Rio speaks to the guards, and we all place our hands on a portable scanner to verify our identities. Or to make sure the pakhan can always find us.

Rolling up to the home, Leo was not exaggerating.

Rio cuts the engine and rounds to open Winter’s door.

“Before we go in,” I say, “I want you to wear this.” I pull a fourteen-carat, princess-cut diamond ring out of my pocket and slip it on her finger.

“Um,” she blurts out. “Hunter?”

“This one is just for looks. Soon enough, I’ll have my mother’s ring on your finger.” She stares at her hand for several beats after Rio opens her door.

A kiss on her fingertips rouses her from her stupor.

“Misha will respect us more if he sees we’re getting married. Trust me, please.” I look into her eyes and notice the far-off, bewildered look in her gaze.

“Fight me about it later?” I ask softly.

She visibly swallows.

We both exit the car and I grab her hand again, comforted by the feel of the diamond ring pressing against my palm.

The reality is that Misha’s support in finding Winter was highly unusual. In Misha’s world, just as it is in mine, people don’t care about girlfriends. They’re disposable. That’s part of the reason why I was so grateful for his help.

But a wife, however, holds a different place within our society.

Leo follows behind with his detail. He didn’t want to ride with us much for the same reason there’s Air Force One and Air Force Two.

“Good evening, sir. Madam,” comes a weathered male voice to our left. A butler stands at the bottom of the short stone staircase leading to the foyer.

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