Page 108 of Voracious

Thankfully, he’s quick and he falls in step with me. “Are we meant to be training?”

“No,” I say, placing my hand in my pocket to make sure I still have her ring. “I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”

“Where?” He jogs to keep up with me.

I can’t tell him that I’m going to officially be his uncle because I’m not entirely sure on what Ana’s answer will be, I know what I want to hear her say but knowing my woman, she’ll most likely say ‘probably not’ when I ask her if she’ll be my wife.

Viktor is too much like Tali and he jogs backwards, facing me as he smiles, “Is Ana your girlfriend?”

“She’s mine,” I correct him.

“Well, if you give me your knife, I’ll tell you what my dad has planned with Tali.”

“If I give you a knife, Inessa and Dani will use it to chop my balls off. Your mom isn’t as nice as you think she is.”

His face pinches in disbelief and he shakes his head as I turn him by his shoulder so he doesn’t trip on the steps leading to the door. “My mom wouldn’t hurt anyone, she doesn’t like stuff like that, and Inessa isn’t very good at it.”

We both pause at the shouts echoing through the house and everyone else is frozen as they stare through the hallway leading to Vlad’s office. I keep Viktor behind me as I slowly enter the house and the screams aren’t dulled by the wood.

“You lying fucking bastard! Shut the fuck up!”

I can’t hear what Vlad says in response, it’s Ana’s voice ripping her vocal cords apart as she tells him to shut up. The door slams against the wood before I can make it to her, and she has the gut-wrenching mix of confused hurt on her face.

My feet carry me to her without a second fucking thought and I see red when the cunt puts his fucking hand on her.Stepping between Ana and Vlad, I keep her at my back with his hand easily dropping away from her wrist. There are red marks and blood all over his face, his nose is definitely broken, but his knuckles are unused and the blood on his lip looks to be his own. They likely won’t stay that way for long with the rage directed at me.

My hellion speaks before he can act out on his anger and her voice is deadly as she says, “Stay the fuck away from me, you lying bastard.”

I’ve seen a lot of reactions come from the devil, never pain. Until now.Inessa adds herself into the mix, giving me a tight-lipped smile as she steps in front of him to create a barrier. He moves back as though he’s been hit by a truck as she gently touches his chest and looks up at him as she calmly says, “Don’t make it worse, let her have time to think.”

I’m trying to work out what the fuck could have happened when Ana tugs on my arm to leave. I turn to face my life and wrap my arms around her, they barely have time to touch when there’s a shuffle behind me and Vlad’s threat weaves between his order.

“Get the fuck away from her.”

I look over my shoulder, even more confused, and Inessa plants her feet as she keeps him at her back. He continues issuing threats while she pushes her weight back into him and holds his forearms.

“I’m going to kill you,” he rages then looks down at my hand in Ana’s, “Take your fucking hands off her!”

Inessa’s smile is off and the tears slowly slipping down her cheeks don’t make sense as she nods, “Go, it’s okay.” Tilting her head to get Ana’s attention, she adds with a plea woven between each syllable, “He’s not lying, I swear it’s the truth. I’m so sorry.”

My sweet hellion pauses, her feet turning to lead, and she stares between the two of them, trying to make sense of their secret. Three words break the unbreakable.

“I don’t care,” Ana says emotionlessly.

I’m expecting rage but Vlad stills, and his wife keeps him standing. His brothers rush forward, grabbing his arms and taking the pressure off his pregnant wife. But my hellion stares at him with even more hate than usual as she uses words rather than her fists.

“You’re a liar, just like Marlo,” she scoffs, “you’re both the same person. He’s dead but you might as well be.” She looks at Inessa, ignoring the anger in the air. “I thought you were nice and you helped me once, so I won’t kill him. If he comes anywhere near me, I will, I’ll make it hurt and I’ll set all the pieces of him on fire.”

He remains frozen. I don’t think he’s even breathing as his brothers keep him on his feet, holding each of his arms andInessa tries to play mediator as she softly says to Ana, “You don’t mean that, you’re just angry right now. I promise we won’t do anything, okay? Vlad won’t try to speak to you and I won’t either, but you’re family.” Ana doesn’t agree, neither does Vlad as he tries to escape his wife and brothers without hurting them.

“You belong with us,” he looks at me, snarling, “not him.”

My hellion takes her knife from her boot and I grab her biceps, pulling her behind me, but she lets out her promise without her usual violent joy. “Come near me and I’ll fucking kill you! Like I should have killed Marlo. I hate you and your games, but I know things now!”

Inessa ignores everything, even the way she’s pushed forward and stumbles as she turns to her husband. “She’s safe with Dima, he’s family and he won’t let anyone hurt her.”

Val and Tali are struggling to keep him back, they push their shoulders into his chest but he’s fixated on Ana until the elevator pings and small footsteps run out. Viktor tries to call the little princess’ attention away as he softly says, “Vero? Shall we go in the pool?”

She runs around him, squealing, “Papa!”

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