Page 27 of Zafira

A final wave of ecstasy swept over her, tearing away the last of her control and leaving her shattered in his arms once again.

“That’s beautiful, my pet,” Bogdan grunted, flayed bare and ragged as he came inside her, pumping and convulsing, squeezing her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“God, I can’t breathe,” Zafira gasped as he finally allowed her to lower her legs and massaged them again.

“Breathing is overrated, subbie.” His smile was evil. “Better power up. This is only the beginning. We have another good three hours of flight still to go.

“You’re kidding, right?” Zafira was too tired to do anything but blink at him in disbelief.

“Nope. I promised to fuck you all the way home, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ferma La Guzun, the residence of Zafira Guzun, nestled on the banks of the Dniester River, Dubasari, Moldova...

“I’m done waiting. You had better start talking quickly, Rusu. My patience is rapidly running out. Why the hell did we have to run away like scared rabbits in the middle of the night from very good friends of the family?”

“Calm down, Mom,” Vanya said soothingly. “Bogdan only did what was the best for you.”

“I’m not a child or incapable of defending myself, Vanya. I don’t need to be treated like a porcelain doll, for one thing.”

“Well, excuse us for wanting to have you around long enough to meet all our kids,” Vanya snapped. “You forget that you nearly died not so long ago. Someone is out to kill you, so if you think for one minute we are just going to idly sit by and watch that happen, you don’t know us very well.”

Zafira’s heart sank as she looked into the worried eyes of her children. Their fear and concern for her safety were palpable. The sobering realization jolted her out of the single-minded focus she had maintained for so long. In her relentless pursuit of building a covert group to counter Luciano Maranzano’s ambitions and to maintain the kind of Bratva group her father had supported when he had offered Viktor his backing, she had lost sight of the toll her actions were taking on her loved ones.

Vanya’s words cut deep, a painful reminder of how close she had come to losing everything. Her children had already suffered the trauma of her nearly dying once before, yet here she was, recklessly pursuing a way to get rid of Maranzano and placing herself in harm’s way once again. The weight of her actions pressed heavily upon her. A surge of guilt washed over her.

Eyes softening, her gaze shifted from Arian to Vadim to Vanya and Andrei, taking in their concerned expressions and the unspoken fear that lingered behind their eyes.

Blyad’! I’ve been so blind to the emotional turmoil I inflicted upon them. In her quest for acknowledgment as a fearless Comare and her desire to protect her family, she had inadvertently neglected the very people who meant the world to her.

She blinked back the unexpected tears burning her eyes as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. If she wasn’t careful, her family could become collateral damage in her crusade. The thought of losing them was more terrifying than any threat she personally faced.

I’ll never let that happen! I’m supposed to be their protector, not them mine!

“You are right, my darling. I have to be more aware, especially of your feelings and needs. I’ve been selfish, I know, but it’s only because I’m trying to keep you all safe.”

“It’s not your job to keep us safe, Mother,” Arian said gruffly. “That’s on us. We’re adults now, and we were brought up to take care of ourselves. We all made a promise to Dad that we’d protect you. So, it’s on us. We’re the ones who should take care of you.”

“Arian said it,” Vadim added. “You’ve done your job by teaching us the values of life and protecting us as kids. Now, it’s our turn.”

“I already—”

“It’s useless to keep protesting, Mom. It’s been said, and so it shall be.” Vanya hugged her fiercely. “Besides, you have to be there to help me with my little one. I have no clue about being a mother, and I’m shit scared I’ll fuck it up.”

“For one thing, you should stop cursing. Parents shouldn’t use bad words in front of their little princes.” Bogdan shifted his weight but ignored Zafira’s sardonic glance. “He’ll be catching on quickly enough as it is. We don’t want fuck or blyad’ to be his first word.”

“Heaven forbid,” Andrei agreed with a smile. “Tata would be my preference, of course.”

“Dream on, big boy. Our son’s first word is going to be Mama, and that’s it.” Vanya walked into Andrei’s embrace. Their love shone from deep within, enhanced by the trials and tribulations they had to endure to finally find each other again. The new life growing inside her had only strengthened the golden thread weaving their souls together.

“What the fuck!?” Before anyone could comprehend what Bogdan’s furious cry was about, he stepped in front of Zafira, lifted her off her feet, and dove behind the sofa. The Ming vase on a side table exploding into hundreds of pieces alerted everyone of the danger. “Sniper outside. On the outside perimeter fence,” Bogdan growled as he got up and confirmed that he hadn’t smashed Zafira into the ground with a gruff, “Are you still breathing, Ms. Guzun?”

“Who can breathe when squashed like a bug by your lug of a body,” she snapped as she slapped his hand away and got to her feet. Her eyes rounded, and she went pale as she noticed blood on his sleeve. “You’ve been shot!”

Bogdan glanced at his arm. “It’s a scratch. Come, boys,” he said as he brushed her hand away before stomping toward the side door. “Let’s catch the motherfucker.”

“It’s a waste of time,” Zafira said, concerned about Bogdan’s wound. “He’s long gone by now.”

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