Page 92 of Of Murder and Matrimony

“Don’t forget about the church,” Sean pitched in from where he shrewdly observed the exchange.

“Why should I have known anything about that?” Ilya fidgeted in his seat like he was an addict suffering withdrawal. Only his drug of choice was the power he held in secret. “The Italians recruited those men.”

“Yes, but somebody in the Bratva had to get to them,” Adrik pressed on. “And you were the only one with that kind of access.”

Ilya’s bald head paled at the realization that he’d walked into a trap. “You can’t be accusing me.”

When doubt flickered across Adrik’s features, restoring some of Ilya’s confidence, I added some nails to his coffin. “I heard an interesting accusation when Olesya returned.”

All eyes turned to me as I stood and moved toward the cousin.

“Olesya says you’ve been a problem since she was a child.” I placed my hands on the back of Ilya’s chair and noted how it shook.

“She’s lying,” he blustered.

“I haven’t even told you what she said,” I reminded him. “How would you know she’s lying?”

He had no answer, but Adrik and Yuri were on alert.

“Why don’t you tell your cousins how you entered their home while they were out and tried to rape my wife.”

The brothers growled.

“She wanted it!” Ilya screeched, losing any last bit of sense he had as sweat beaded on his smooth head. “Panted for it like a bitch in heat!”

Yuri reached for his knife and lunged, but I was quicker, pulling out my knife and slitting Ilya’s throat just deep enough for him to bleed out, but not so deep that he wouldn’t understand what was happening.

I leaned down, looking into the bastard’s fading gaze. “I promised her I would kill you for that. Enjoy hell.”

The rest of the men stared on, and I shrugged, addressing the brothers. “Sorry. I keep my word.”

Adrik was the first to recover, clearing his throat. “Understandable.”

“I propose an immediate cease-fire,” I announced as Ilya flopped forward, his head landing on the table as his mouth gaped. Nobody paid attention to the dying traitor. “If you agree, we can discuss reparations at another meeting. I still consider you responsible for the actions of your men.”

Seamus nodded his approval, Shane and Sean following.

“I’ll agree to that,” Adrik accepted. “It will take some time, but I’ll find every Bratva traitor and personally dispatch them. Unless you want the honor.”

“Only if they were directly involved in harming my family,” I told him.

“We want any who harmed the Irish,” Seamus added.

Adrik inclined his head humbly. “Of course.”

“I’m satisfied with this for today.” I stood, eager to return home to Olesya.

“I want to see my sister,” Yuri called out as I walked to the door.

I looked over my shoulder. “Of course. I won’t keep her from you. But she won’t be available for a couple of days.”

I left him groaning in disgust at the allusion I’d made about his sister as I headed down the hall, nodding to Filippo and Stefano. The ride home seemed to take twice as long with my impatience. Stefano had barely stopped the SUV in front of the house when I flung the door open and nearly ran inside and upstairs, finding Olesya naked in our bed, napping.

I’d never stripped so fast in my life as I did with her warm, soft body as my motivation. It was like a part of me was missing every minute I was without her. Maybe it was post-traumatic stress or obsession. Perhaps love. Love had driven men to insanity, but I would gladly lose my mind for my wife.

I climbed into bed behind Olesya, my hardened cock slipping between her thighs as I stroked my hand over her hip and to her mound, delving between her damp folds until I found her clit.

“Dante,” she whimpered sleepily as my cock prodded her entrance, still wet with my release from earlier.

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