Page 56 of Viparious

3 I’ll kill you the next time I see you

4 You’re a dirty fucking cunt

5 Lower ranking member

6 Derogatory curse.

SIXTEEN

Inessa

Only the Vartanovs would make me feel at home while I know I don’t belong. Vlad’s angry, muffled shouting has stopped, and Vitali has left to pick up Viktor from school. But baby girl is happy when she’s here, and she doesn’t stop wriggling. Valentin keeps looking from my stomach to me as we sit in the lounge, and I harden my voice before he can say something offensive.

“Call her a dolphin or an alien, and I’ll kick you in the balls.”

He combs his fingers through his hair as he averts his eyes from me. “I’m not going to. I was just wondering can you feel her move? Like can you see it?”

I would expect him to be the least freaked out since he has a child and I slowly ask, “Yeah, obviously, couldn’t you feel Viktor?”

He looks at me full of vulnerability for the first time and his voice is low with his admission.

“I wasn’t there before he was born. Or while he was born.”

The quip leaves me before I can stop it.

“You must take after your brother.”

He doesn’t attempt to defend him, that’s a role that Tali has taken as his own, and he shakes his head in disagreement.

“Definitely fucking not, I’m a shit father but I’ll never leave my kid without me.”

It’s my turn to disagree with him and it comes out watery as tears burn the back of my eyes.

“You’re a good dad.”

He grimaces at my tears and gives me shit.

“Oh fuck, are you going to start snotting everywhere again? Wait for Tali to come back. You’ve already ruined one of my t-shirts.”

Despite his stupid mouth, he wraps his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. He’s clearly uncomfortable with my emotions. But he keeps me tucked to his side like I’m his little sister and puts on my guilty pleasure as I wince. My hand goes to my stomach as the little wriggler starts kicking. I grab Val’s hand and soften my voice, hoping it can somewhat fill the gaps of what he missed. He stares at me as I pull it closer.

“I’m not really the hand-holding type. Want me to get you a teddy bear or something?”

Jabbing my elbow into his ribs, I tell him what I’m doing.

“Don’t be an ass, she’s moving, and you’ll be able to feel her.”

He softens and lets me put his hand directly over the little wriggler. Emotion fills his voice, and he smiles without malice.

“Oh shit, it feels weird.”

We both flinch at the bark vibrating off the walls.

“Valentin, office. Now.”

Dress shoes follow it, and Vlad walks out of his office with his rage perfuming the air. It becomes more intense as he stops at the threshold of the lounge. His eyes focus on his brother’s arm, not his hand because he refuses to acknowledge my daughter.

Valentin attempts to play peacekeeper or get his asshole brother to do the right thing as he moves his hand back.

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