Page 57 of Kissed By Shadows

I release a sigh before replying, “We’re good, Peaches, but he’s Bratva, the head of the Bratva, so is basically untouchable.” My jaw clenches with frustration. If it was just as easy as killing him, I’d stalk up to his fucking mansion right now and put the bullet in his head myself, but there’s so much else at play. “Petrov, Nikolai, has a plan. I believe he’s going to eliminate Sergi and take over, which is the only way to keep you safe.”

Worry makes her forehead crease as she nibbles her lower lip, which has a growl rumbling in my chest. She immediately stops, releasing the abused flesh, and all I want to do is lean in and kiss it better, then bite it harder.

“I worry about him, Hunt. You don’t know what Sergi has done to him over the years. Hell, even I don’t know the full extent, but he hurt him so badly when we were younger.” Tears fill her eyes, making the green in them sparkle and shine.

“And it will have made him stronger, Peaches.” She flinches, but that’s the hard fact. Sergi’s abuse clearly hasn’t broken Nikolai yet, and I admire Nikolai for that. He used it to fuel his anger, channelling the pain into a strength that he will use to bring his father down. “He can take care of himself, and he’ll use that strength to take over the Bratva and keep you safe, baby.”

“But what will be the cost, Hunt?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper, and lead fills my stomach. I know the cost, have experienced it firsthand, and seen in it those that I love. I know my obsession with keeping everyone fed and safe isn’t normal. I know that the fact I would happily kill anyone who hurts them and not lose a minute of sleep isn’t normal either, but it’s who I am, and I’m a product of my upbringing and environment just as much as Petrov is.

“Something he’ll pay willingly,” I tell her, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her trembling lips. “How about we snuggle on the sofa and watch a film? We never did get to see365 Days.”

She takes a shuddering inhale as I pull back, and my stomach warms to see some of her concern has been replaced with lust. That’s good, because one lesson I learned very early on was there is no point in fretting over shit that can’t be changed. Because the universe doesn’t give a fuck and will change it anyway, whether you want it to or not.

“DON’T BLAME ME” BY TAYLOR SWIFT

IRIS

We don’t actually watch the sexy mafia film. To be honest, I have enough mafia vibes in my life right now that I don’t need anymore. Instead, I make them all watchBarbie, and the hilarious thing is not one of them complains.

Hunt keeps me on his lap the whole time, a blanket wrapped around both of us, and I find myself drifting off to sleep, his warm arms encasing me and keeping me safe as he always does.

“Time to get ready for the ball, sleeping beauty,” Roman croons in my ear, my eyelashes fluttering as I wake up from my nap, still snuggled up on Hunter, the TV on low. Warm, chocolate irises stare back at me, the look in them filling me with even more warmth. “There’s those beautiful eyes.”

My cheeks heat a little at the praise. It’s not that no one has ever told me that I’m pretty, Dad used to all the time, but it’s like these boys have made it their mission to tell me multiple timesa day how beautiful I am and show me how attracted they are to me. So sue me for it being a boost to my confidence.

“What’s the time?” I question as I stretch, the blanket falling down onto my lap. Hunter allows me to stretch but doesn’t remove his arms from around me, and I soon settle back into them, not quite ready to leave the comfort of them yet. A pleased purr sounds in his chest as he draws me closer, pressing a light kiss on my head.

“Seven, and I should make us some dinner before we leave,” he tells me, sighing as he hugs me close, clearly also not ready to release me. “How do chicken noodles sound?”

“Perfect,” I tell him, my stomach growling a little at the thought. He’s up in a flash, passing me to Roman’s lap like I’m on fire. Blinking, I look up to see an almost panicked look on his face, the whites of his eyes showing. “Hey, Hunt?” He looks down at me, his chest heaving, so I reach up and cup his cheek with my palm. “I’m okay, I’m not starving, just my stomach being greedy.”

I watch as he takes in a couple of deep breaths, his eyes closing while he reins in the worry that lines his face. “Still, I should get started on dinner.”

Pressing a kiss to my lips, he pulls away and heads towards the kitchen.

“He’s alright, Princess. Just his trauma showing,” Roman assures me gently, pulling me closer to him and kissing my neck. My eyebrows draw together, my stomach twisting as I think about what trauma leads to that kind of visceral response. Whatever happened, I guess his upbringing was harsher than I thought. “Now, have you thought about what you’re going to wear?”

Taking a deep inhale, I try to push aside my concern for Hunter since he can’t help his reactions. Willow hinted at some of the things they went through, like the fact that Hunter oftenhad to try and provide meals because their mum was too wasted to remember. Clearly, it’s still having an affect on him, and I guess he’s dealing with it in the way that he knows how.

“I think Willow still has some things in her wardrobe, so I was just going to look through there and see if anything would work,” I tell him, and his lips twitch.

“Oh, she definitely has some things that would work. Might send Hunter into a hissy fit, but it’ll be worth it to see you all dressed up,” he tells me, mischief glittering in his eyes. “Why don’t you go and get ready while Hunt makes the food?”

Placing a soft kiss on my lips, he encourages me to get up, and I head to my room. I mean Willow’s room, though each day it’s starting to feel more like mine. I go straight to the wardrobe, opening it up, and the light glints off a dress on the right. Pulling it out, a wicked smile tugs my lips upwards, knowing that this will be perfect.

“Dinner’s ready!” Hunter shouts just as I put the finishing touches to my make-up. Smokey eyes with some silver sparkle on my lids stare back at me, my hair in soft waves and falling to brush the tops of my breasts.

I look at myself in the full-length mirror, the silver sequin dress sinfully short as it stops just below my arse. It’s backless too, so I’m without a bra, which I know will drive Roman wild. I frown when I look at my bare feet. I only have my boots, and Willow is so tiny, which works great for the short dress but not so great as her feet are also smaller than mine. I should have bought some other shoes, I just forgot, but I’ll add that to my list of things to purchase next.

Pushing the fact that I’ll have to ruin the outfit with brown boots, I head out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. As I enter, all three guys stop what they’re doing and stare at me. It feels as though the temperature in the room has soared as their hot gazes devour me.

“Absolutely fucking not,” Hunter finally growls, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He’s dressed in dark jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt that clings to him and showcases all his gorgeous, tattooed muscles. “You need to change, you can’t wear that…scrap.”

Well, I guess Roman did say Hunt would have a hissy fit, so I channel my inner Chelsea brat and arch a brow at him. “What’s the problem, Daddy?” His nostrils flare at the name, and it takes a lot to hold my smirk back. “Is it the fact that it’s so short? Or that it’s backless so I can’t wear a bra?” I turn so my back is facing them, then glance over my shoulder when three curses sound behind me.

“Fuck, Princess,” Roman hisses, licking his plush lower lip.

“Do I look pretty?” I ask coquettishly, fluttering my lashes at him.

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