Page 90 of Kings of Violence

I stare down at them, scowling. “Why does it matter? It’s just a place for a baby to sleep. It might not even be aboy.”

I’m still rankling from that conversation, how Sierra thinks we’d ever let a girl have any sort of position in this household.

“And it’s probably a bad idea for her to be pregnant anyway,” I add, even though I’m not quite sure why I feel that way. Konstantin will call me out on it though, so I go on, “I worry about you and Yura being so…” I make a face. “Enamored with her.”

Konstantin looks up from the blueprints. “What? Why would it be a bad idea? You’re the one who suggested babies in the first place.” He smiles. “But she would indeed look amazing carrying our child.”

“I was wrong,” I say. “I shouldn’t have made any comments about knocking her up. It just sounded sexy.” But the reality isn’t as nice. The reality is that I can tell they’re both falling for her, and I do not fucking like it one bit. “We should get her on birth control and make sure she can’t try to make any plays for power.”

I’m not even making sense, and I know it.

But I’m passionate about it for reasons I don’t understand.

Maybe, a tiny voice taunts from the back of my mind,you’re just afraid of where all of this might landyou.

I ignore it.

Konstantin scoffs at me. “What plays for power would she be making? If she wants her child to be my heir—well, that’s the idea.” His expression turns darker. “Roman isn’t the only one who can create a legacy.”

“Next you’ll be talking aboutmarryingher,” I snap. “Like she isn’t just a piece of meat. You know better than this, Kotya. You’re letting her lead you around by your balls.”

“Excuse me?” Konstantin demands. “She is still a piece of meat—one who will carry my child. If I marry her, it is only to ensure the legitimacy of my child. But if you want to talk about attachments, aren’t you the one who suggested we bring home up thiszayaof yours?”

Something cold stabs me in the heart. “I was wrong,” I say again. “It was a mistake. She’s not the right one for us.” Because I need there to be anus. If they take her in deeper and cut me out of the equation, what am I left with? I’m just a Russian-American with little to speak of and so much to dream of, and the only thing lending me any air of legitimacy is Konstantin, now that Petrov is in jail.

“Then who is?” Konstantin shakes his head. “We’ve already branded her. She’sours. She’s beautiful and smart, and Yura would never forgive us if we cut her off now. Which I have no intention of doing regardless.”

I grit my teeth, preparing to launch another argument when the door opens.

Sierra and Yuri walk in, and my eyes instantly snap to her. She looks breathless, gorgeous, and radiant. She’s everything I should want, but I’m all too aware of what she could destroy. I scowl at her, and she frowns back at me.

“Nice to see you too, Nikolai,” she says.

Her dry tone only makes me scowl harder at her. “The two of you look happy,” I mutter.

Yuri shrugs. “We went on a drive afterwards. Sierra likes to feel the bike between her legs.” He pinches her ass with a lecherous grin.

She yelps and swats him lightly. I wish their good mood was contagious, but it only makes me feel more isolated.

Caged. Trapped.

Konstantin laughs and goes to wrap an arm around Sierra. He kisses the top of her head while his hand rubs her belly. “You got her all revved up for us, Yura?”

I want to storm out, but I know I’d never hear the end of it if I do. So instead, I stalk toward Sierra, boots thudding hard against the floor, and grab her by the back of the neck.

She lets out a surprised sound, but I lean in and kiss her, tongue instantly thrusting past her lips as I demand it, demandmore. I pull her roughly away from Konstantin, not giving a fuck about him or Yuri. They won’t have her without me.

They won’t have anything without me.

Sierra pushes at my chest, surprise making her eyes go wide fora moment before she meets my gaze. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she demands.

I scowl at her, not moving. My fingers tighten around the back of her neck as I keep her there, so close that I could kiss her again if I wanted to. I don’t want tokissher, though. That’s weak. That’s pathetic.

“I just want to fuck. What’s wrong with that? That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?” I sneer at her.

“Back off,” Yuri says, grabbing my arm. “You don’t talk to her like that.”

I try to shake him off, but he’s like a chihuahua attached to someone’s leg. I release her. “I could talk to her however I wanted before you got back,” I snap. “Kotya didn’t care how we talked to her. He didn’t care how I treated her, either.”

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