Page 108 of Viparious

Tension fills him and he loses his smile as he starts the car. Whatever is inside his head makes him anxious. I want to hear his outrageous thoughts. All the times he’d spew the craziest shit replay, filling the silence. Now there’s only the gentle tap of his finger in the new repetition of three, five, three, three as he continues to drive in silence with Dima and Ana following us. I look back to see if they’re killing each other but they’re calm, and Ana is sat on alert, staring out of the window as though she’s doing surveillance.

Vlad’s finger doesn’t stop tapping against the steering wheel. It increases in speed the closer we get to the doctor’s office. Leaning forward, I curl my hand over his shoulder from behind. I can’t do much from the back seat, but it gets his attention, and he breathes. Pulling up in the underground space, he picks my hand up and kisses my knuckles before getting out.

Acting like a bodyguard, he opens my door, and his eyes soften when he looks at me holding Verena. The other two stay in the car watching the entry and exit points. They’re going overboard, it’s just a doctor’s office, but he needs this because of his fears, and I walk steadily. He remains half a step behind us, positioning his body to block us from anyone else. Big, deadly teddy bear. Anyone waiting for the elevator decides the stairs are a better option from the violent look emitted over my shoulder and I lean back into him.

Once we’re locked away from other people, he pulls me into his side and kisses the top of my head. He can read my thoughts as he speaks into my hair.

“Don’t be scared, meelaya.”

He’s distracting me on purpose and lifts Verena off my shoulder. All of the Vartanovs are baby thieves. Even Viktor and he’s still a child. But I don’t stop him, and I know I look dopey, staring up at him as he holds her, so they’re face to face.

I love my daughter and she’s the most adorable baby in existence. When she opens one eye as though no one deserves the energy it takes for the other, it turns into even more admiration. The dismissive look doesn’t deter him as he kisses her forehead and tucks her to his chest, arranging her so she can look out if she can be bothered to. It should be criminal for Vlad to hold a baby; it makes him even more attractive. The brutal, busted, inked hands delicately holding innocence and his harsh face promising murder if anyone goes near her just add to the appeal.

He turns to me as the elevator continues its ascent, and my knees go weak. I’m definitely losing the game he’s created. There’s no other choice and he knows it as he kisses the top of Verena’s head over her hat. When he lifts his hand to cup my face, I have the sense to take a step back and lower my voice, so I don’t disturb the baby.

“You’re not playing fair. Stick to the rules, Vartanov.”

He laughs lightly and straightens his shoulder to stand taller, effectively weakening me even more. The cocky shit smirks as he turns and flicks his eyes to me.

“There are no rules where my family are concerned, and you were crowned at the top.”

Inside I’m screamingtake meas I grab the railing digging into my ass. He turns off the gentleness in favor of murder as the ping indicates we’ve reached our destination. My own murderous thoughts start when we step out of the elevator, and the receptionist coos over Vlad.

“Oh, you look so cute.”

Is she on drugs? There’s no fucking planet that Vlad would ever be classed as cute. Appreciation fills her eyes as she rakes them down his body and they pause below his chest. I follow her gaze and she’s checking him for a ring when I’m fucking standing here. He’s never worn one. It’s never been an issue. His hands are covered in blood too frequently for any jewelry to be worn, but that’s going to change now. This stupid fuck has no critical thinking skills. A ring doesn’t mean shit when he’s stood atmyside holdingmydaughter.

I step closer to him, wrap my arm around his middle under his suit jacket, and purposefully lay my hand bearing his rings on his chest. He looks down with a small crease between his brows and softly asks, “are you okay, meely moy?” without moving his lips.

Obtuse asshole. I can’t feel a gun in his waistband, or a knife, and the crease disappears as he smirks to himself like a jackass.

TWENTY-NINE

Vlad

Since leaving the doctor’s office, Inessa has had a stick lodged up her ass. Trying to talk to her is more difficult than pulling blood from a stone and I can feel the angry glare on the side of my face as she sits with Vitali and Viktor. She’s probably missed being a brat and getting all the backlog out in one go.

She perks up when Ana comes in. There’s no doubt that she’s called in reinforcements just to piss me off. I take my daughter before the pipsqueak can corrupt her with her presence alone. She pauses and blinks.

“Holy shit, you’re almost a human being.”

The next time we train, I’m aiming for her ribs with my full force. Or the back of her head, it might make her normal and stop talking to herself.

Fake smiling like a child, I drop it straight away and deadpan, “And you’re almost an adult. Why aren’t you with Dima?”

She’s too comfortable with everyone adopting her into the family and she throws herself between Vitali and Inessa as Viktor comes to my side.

I ignore her presence and watch Viktor playing peek-a-boo, trying to get Verena to smile. She’s a grump and refuses to, absolute perfection. No one deserves her smiles, and her glare is already deadly at only a few months old. I’ll make her the first female Pakhan if she chooses to follow into the Bratva.

The conversation restarts when Vitali steals whatever food Inessa was reaching for. Her pissy mood isn’t only directed at me as she turns to him with exasperation, throwing her hand up and gesturing to our daughter, “I’m surprised you’re not trying to steal her food too.”

It’s an off-the-cuff comment, but my brain goes into overdrive knowing she breastfeeds Verena.I know every member of my fucked up family and they’re wired the same as me. It may not be to the same extent, but the need to say the wildest thing is always at the tip of our tongues. It’s evident by the wicked glint in his eye as he opens his mouth. If he says it, I’ll forget the promise I made him, but he looks towards me and clamps his jaw shut. Shaking his head, he gives Inessa a tight-lipped smile and mumbles, “Not going to make that joke. I like my face the way it’s currently arranged.”

Smart man.

Going to my office when Dani takes Viktor away for his riding lesson, I keep my little queen with me. She can keep me company and get used to the seat for when she’s old enough. Valentin follows me, making grabby hands and Verena opens both eyes, wanting to go to him. It’s the first time she’s ever given someone her full attention without them having a bottle in their hand. Fucking asshole. That’s probably who turned my daughter into a grump. His tantrums have corrupted her.

He lifts her out of my arms before I’m even in my seat and kisses her cheek then smiles warmly at me. He never does that, and I sit taller, on alert, for whatever medical issue he has that’s changed his personality.

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