Page 204 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

I don’t know why I’ve allowed myself to be roped into this conversation, but I’ll go ahead and blame my hormones.

“It upset you that she was hitting on me?” Artem asks.

I take a huge mouthful of pancake and pretend I can’t talk for several seconds. Artem takes a sip of his coffee and leans back, waiting patiently.

When I finally swallow, he smiles. “Finished?”

I sigh. “I didn’t care that she was hitting on you,” I say, trying to sound convincing.

Artem laughs. “It’s amazing you managed to keep your pregnancy from me for so long,” he remarks. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“It wasrude,” I snap, jabbing my fork at him to underscore my point. “I was in the fucking plane, only a few feet away. I climbed aboard in a fucking wedding dress. I mean, she had no idea that we weren’t exactly the most traditional couple. We could have been madly in love for all she knew.”

“Well, she is in the hospitality industry,” Artem points out. He gives me a little wink that just pisses me off more.

“That’s not funny.”

“Sorry,” he chuckles. “It’s not like I took her up on the offer.”

“No. You didn’t exactly push her away, though,” I reply.

“Would you prefer I had?”

“Yes,” I say simply.

“Alright, then,” Artem says. “Next time, I’ll push.”

“Push hard,” I tell him. “Like, off the plane, preferably.”

He smiles. “Anything for you, my wife.”

I turn my attention back to the remnants of my pancake to hide the shiver of sensation that those words cause in me every time.

The fuller get, the better I feel.

“I don’t have my vitamins on me anymore,” I remember suddenly.

“Don’t worry,” he assures me. “We’ll stop somewhere on the way and pick up a few things. You’ll need more clothes, too.”

I nod. “That would be great. Not that Cillian didn’t do well picking out these clothes for me. I never got to thank him properly.”

“I’m sure he’s not holding a grudge about a couple items of Walmart’s finest apparel.”

“I’m not talking about that,” I scowl. “I’m talking about the fact that he saved our lives yesterday.”

“Did he? Oh, right,” Artem recalls with a grin. “Don’t worry. I thanked him for the both of us.”

“Did you give him a hug, too?” I ask, keeping my face serious.

His mouth twitches. “Maybe.”

“A kiss on the lips?” I tease.

“Watch yourself, Moreno.” He shakes his head and takes another sip of his coffee.

“You and he are close, huh?” I ask. It’s crazy how much of Artem’s life is still a total mystery to me.

He nods. “He’s the closest thing to a brother I have in this world,” he tells me. “I trust him completely.”

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