Page 44 of Bound by Blood

Laney’s eyes lifted in fear as she watched the nanny rushing toward her with a wide-eyed Jin clutched tightly in her hand. As soon as the nanny got close enough she flung the little girl toward her mother and turned on her heel to flee the massacre taking place all around her. Though Laney was horrified that the stupid woman would place a child directly in the middle of the bloodshed, she supposed she should at least be grateful she hadn’t left Jin by herself.

Sobbing, Jin huddled against her bloodied and beaten mother, wrapping her tiny arms around Laney’s stomach and burying her head against Laney’s chest. Laney desperately wanted to get them to safety, but her body simply wouldn’t obey commands. Her eyes were beginning to droop, she suspected from either concussion or blood loss. She had so many wounds, she couldn’t tell.

“Shhh, my darling… I’ll keep you s-safe,” Laney whispered brokenly in Japanese as pain engulfed her. She rested her lips against Jin’s soft hair. “We are… t-together now and I won’t… let anything happen.”

Each time Laney’s eyes closed she felt certain they wouldn’t open again. The fighting grew dimmer and silence reigned in the courtyard once more. She wasn’t certain if it was because the Russians had won, the Yakuza had won or because she was about to pass out.

She heard footsteps approach from above and managed to open her eyes. Tilting her head back, she watched with a mixture of resignation and fear as her father limped toward her with his sword clutched in his hand. He was hurt. She could see blood pouring from a wound in his side. It made him seem more human. Less indomitable. She knew right away what he wanted.

She moistened her lips and tried to beg Jin to run away, but her voice was too weak. Only a cracked whisper emerged, causing the child to nestle closer against her. Laney watched helplessly as her only living parent pressed his foot against her back and shoved her forward, over top of his only grandchild so he wouldn’t have to watch either of their faces when he disposed of them. He pressed the tip of the sword against Laney’s back, over of her heart, right where Jin’s head was pressed.

“No more weakness,” he declared.

Laney closed her eyes and dreamed of Boris and a heaven where she could spend every day and every night with her daughter. She felt no pain. Instead the tip of the sword was jerked away from her. She heard gurgling and a terrifying snap that could only be one thing. She wanted to roll over and see what was happening behind her, but was too weak in body and spirit to complete the task.

“Laneykotenok,” the most beautiful deep, rumbling voice she had ever heard spoke over her shoulder. “Please be alive. Fuck, my beautiful kitten, I will sink this fucking island if they killed you.”

With a gentleness she hadn’t known he was capable of, Boris wrapped his long fingers over her shoulder and rolled her toward him. She moaned in pain, showing him that she was very still much alive. She managed to open her eyes and gaze up at him with agonized sapphire eyes.

Though terribly worried, his own eyes lit up in relief. “My Laney,” he breathed, touching her bloodied cheek.

Movement against her breast drew his eye toward the terrified little girl huddled against her. The tiny black head moved enough that he was able to see the pixie-like face that, except for the dark eyes, was an exact miniature replica of Laney’s. Surprise and understanding finally flashed through him. Reading it, Laney nodded and closed her eyes with a sigh.

“My Jin,” her lips formed the words, though no sound came out.

Boris reached beneath Laney and lifted both the woman and the child that clung to her in his massive arms as though their weight meant nothing to him. Jin shifted to wrap her arms more firmly around her mother’s middle as though determined not to let go now that she finally had her. Boris understood. He had no intention of letting go of either mother or daughter ever again. He strode toward the exit with his small family tucked safely in his arms, ready to head hack to their new life in Russia.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“I need to see her,” Boris explained as patiently as he could to the little gargoyle crouched protectively over her mother. “I must check to make sure she is still just sleeping peacefully and that her injuries are not worse than they look.”

“No!” The little demon hissed at him, looking as though she would launch herself at him if he dared take another step closer to her sleeping mother, despite weighing a solid 300 pounds less than him. If Boris weren’t so annoyed at her interference he would be impressed with her fierce protectiveness.

He reached for as much patience as he could, which admittedly wasn’t much considering his experience with five year olds ranged in the zero category. “Can you explain to me why you do not want me examining your mother, babykotenok?” he asked in as soothing a voice as he could manage.

“Because I don’t know if you are the evil Mothra or the maybe okay Godzilla,” she announced imperiously. “So just stay away. I can take care of mama.”

Boris sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his head wondering what to do. He had men out looking for his old nanny who was apparently staying with relatives near St. Petersburg. He had no doubt she would agree to come back and work for him. But for now, he was desperate to check on Laney. At the same time, he also did not want to damage the very fragile relationship he needed to build with his new daughter.

“Godzilla.”

Boris looked up in surprise at the hoarse whisper. Jin was bouncing on the bed excitedly and seizing her mother’s arm. He quickly reached out and snatched the child before she could accidentally jostle her extremely bruised parent and cause further pain. Laney moaned anyway and struggled to open her eyes.

Jin looked up at Boris and grinned. “You are Godzilla!” she announced happily and hugged his neck in a surprisingly strong grip. He decided he would be very proud of this mini Laney as she grew.

He deposited the little girl in the armchair. “Stay,” he said sternly when she quickly tried to scramble back out of the chair.

She frowned at him. “I am not a dog!” she exclaimed haughtily.

Definitely a miniature version of her mother. He swallowed a grin so he could maintain a stern tone with the child and obtain her compliance. He stared down at her from his massive height until she stopped squirming in her chair, sat still and listened. He crouched in front of her and took her small hand in his. The incredible fragility of her tiny fingers against his rough palm made his chest ache with the need to protect this small, bothersome human.

“If you want to stay and protect your mama, then you must be silent and stealthy like a ninja so I can check her over. I know you do not want to leave her alone because you were parted for many long months. I can respect that if you can respect my rules.Da?” he asked gravely.

Jin nodded her head, her eyes wide. She reached out and traced her fingers along the tattooed dagger that ran from his neck to his shoulder blade. There were two drops of blood dripping from the end of the dagger signifying the two people he had killed while incarcerated. One day he would tell her the story of their deaths. How they had disrespected a Bratva elder and plotted his murder. How Boris had defended the man and been rewarded handsomely. For now, he was simply floored that the little girl was so easy around him. He was used to grown men crossing the street to avoid him.

“Will you sit quiet in this chair for me, tinykotenok?”

“Yes, Mister Godzilla,” she whispered, staying true to her word to be quiet.

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