Page 86 of Captured By the Bratva

His gaze softened, darkening with adoration as he stepped up close to me. Emily slept once more, lax in his arms, and he got in my face.

“That’s not all you have, sweetheart.” He leaned down to kiss my lips, hard and incessant with that taste of need I was addicted to.

“I’m sorry things have been busy, but I wanted to make it a smooth transition when you and Emily move into my home in the city.”

My heart soared. I smiled, hoping he was serious.

“You’ll always have my love.”

I reached up and pulled him down for a deeper kiss.

“And it will never, ever be conditional.” He narrowed his eyes playfully. “Do you understand?”

“From the bottom of my heart,” I replied, sealing it with another kiss.

33

IVAN

One month later…

I adjusted Emily in my arms as I checked my phone.

Alek had texted me again, and I sighed. With Murphy dead and the Rossinis minding their own business, we didn’t have anything crazy happening.For now.I wasn’t so deluded as to think peace would last for good. The peace Becca and I were finding together wouldn’t last long, either. It seemed that having “two under two” would be a challenging trial, but at least we would have staggered ages between our kids. Nik and Amy would have two babies at the same time any day now.

Alek:I think Maxim feels left out.

I rolled my eyes, following Becca through the studio space.

“What?” she insisted playfully, looking back at me. “Why’d you roll your eyes like that? Don’t you think those windows look lopsided?”

I smiled at her. “I was checking in with Alek.” Then I furrowed my brow. “And no, they’re not lopsided.” I bumped her hip, making her step off the thick rug. “You were lopsided.”

She made a silly face at me, walking around and checking out the studio property I wanted to buy for her. If it suited her needs. And if it checked her preferences.

“Da, Da, Da, Da.” Emily babbled away in my arms, filling me with so much joy that she was already identifying me as her daddy.

Just yesterday, I got the papers of official adoption, and I would never forget the soulful euphoria of knowing I really had a daughter.

Alek:He’s mentioned it three times now.

Alek:That he thinks he doesn’t do enough for the family.

I shook my head. He always did. Our youngest brother was more of a behind-the-scenes man, but he was important. He’d moved from doing bookkeeping under our uncle to all kinds of administrative tasks for Alek. He knew how to fight like the rest of us. He stepped up to be backup as needed. I’d forever be grateful for his help tracking Becca when Dom took her from that sex club.

Alek:I think he’s hoping for something more dangerous.

I let Emily down to toddle after Becca in this wide-open space.

Ivan:Or maybe he wants to be trusted with a job or mission on his own.

Ivan:Assign him to something so he can get a taste of what it’s like out there.

Alek:I think I know exactly what to assign him to.

I huffed a laugh, pocketing my phone.Then why ask me?

“Something wrong?” Becca asked, holding Emily’s hand as she approached me.

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