Page 15 of Viparious

Biting my neck, he sucks the sensitive skin between his teeth and the deep rumble vibrates through his chest to mine as he copies my taunt. “Anything you give away, I’ll take back with interest.”

My eyes snap open as he loosens his hold on me, and he stands, bringing me with him. He doesn’t let go of my neck, but it’s not restricting, and his thumb is gentle, stroking down the column of my throat.

He doesn’t say anything else and closes my robe while my arms limply hang at my sides. Picking up my limbs, he folds them over my chest and kisses my forehead. As soon as his lips leave my skin, he steps back into the detached person he was. The little moments are killing me, they highlight who he really is but never allows himself to be.I should be grateful when I’m already falling for him and accepting the coldness he has. If he was the gentle, caring Vlad he allows in snippets all the time, the organ responsible for keeping me alive would have his name on every inch.

* * *

I promisedViktor a cake and it looks like someone has invaded the kitchen and destroyed every shiny surface in my attempts to fulfill it. I’m trying to avoid staring at the cut on his face, but he’s too intuitive and licks the mousse off the spatula before calling me out.

“You can look if you want. Dad said I can’t touch it, but it gets itchy sometimes.”

Wrapping my arm around his shoulders, I pull him to my side and kiss his crown. He’s a little boy who shouldn’t have even a scratch on him, never mind fucking stitches.It doesn’t mean anything that he seems to be adjusting well, too well, to everything, and I rest my cheek on top of his crown.

“Does it hurt?”

I wince at my question like I know the answer, but he smiles up at me. “No, just itches. Like a tattoo.” He continues cleaning the spatula before adding, “I’m going to get one when I’m older. Vlad said I have to be eighteen, and I’m not allowed anything stupid.”

I let him have the bowl with cake mix stuck to the sides as we wait for it to set and listen to his retelling of what has been deemed stupid tattoos.

“No words I don’t know. I have to be able to spell everything myself, and no names. Oh, and Tali said no butterflies because he had to get one when he lost a bet.”

I prefer listening to him talk about the future, even though he’s not freaking out or reacting to the violence he’s seen, I keep imagining how terrified he must have been. So, I use him to stop me thinking about it.

“What tattoo will you get first? A kot?”

It’s usually the first sign of initiation that every little Bratva boy dreams of getting. But he slowly shakes his head and looks up at me with chocolate on his face and a wide smile.

“No, I’m going to get a big V at the front of my neck, so everyone knows I’m a Vartanov.”

This family act as though they own the letter. They’d wage wars with the dictionary if they ever saw one.

Viktor drops the spatula in the bowl to dig around in his pocket. When he pulls out his fist, there’s a small glint of metal, but it’s too small to be a knife. The gold ring would easily fit two of his little fingers as he tries it on and holds his hand in the air.

“Don’t tell Tali I took it out of his room. Dad has a chain, and Vlad has his cufflinks, but I might just keep this.”

As if he can hear his nephew talking about stealing from him, Vitali walks into the kitchen and tries to steal the bowl from Viktor. Slapping his hand away, I taunt him, feeling like he’s my kid brother, so Viktor has enough time to hide his stolen goods.

“Where’s your butterfly?”

His hands are covered in ink, his rankings are all over his arms and hands. But I can’t imagine a delicate insect fitting in with them. Being a dickhead, he holds the waistband of his shorts and raises a brow, “My ass, want to see it?”

I’d rather rub salt in my eyes than see his bare ass.

It turns into a family affair as Val stalks in with Dani and joins the conversation.

“It’s on his hip, he even has it colored in to be all pretty.”

Tali pulls his waistband down to expose his hip, showing a mix of purples, blues, and pink on his skin. It’s done impeccably and it takes too long to realize I’m basically staring at his groin. Dani nips the skin near his tattoo and pouts at him.

“And you still didn’t get my name?”

I love every single one of these people and they’re my family. It doesn’t even matter whatever happens between Vlad and me because that’s separate to the rest of the Vartanovs. Clapping my hands together when their arguing becomes insufferable, I extend my voice like I’m speaking to children.

“Everyone sit down and shut up or you don’t get any cake.”

The supposed adults stare at me wide eyed while Viktor takes his seat. Speaking slowly, they form one sentence between the three of them.

“Freaky as fuck.” Tali starts with Val picking up, “He’s made her like him.” Dani is standing between them, nodding, and sounds haunted as she says, “It’s like we’re kids again.”

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