Page 13 of Treasured By 3

“I hope to see you in higher spirits soon. No bride should be so sad. Especially not with three husbands to fix it.” He winks at me.

I motion to the doors. “Go ahead in, Vasily. The Volkovs are eager to start.”

He nods once, his black hair, scruff on his face, and that scar. Rumor is he got it when he was young, only twenty. An operation went wrong. Since his survival, he doesn’t fear god, death, the devil, or anything else. He’s made himself into the most dangerous person in every room, despite his easy smile.

I put Valerie in the passenger side of the car and drive us home, looping around to make sure, as always, that we’re not being followed. She sniffs again, but I haven’t seen a tear, no matter how watery her eyes are.

Not knowing what to say, I say nothing. Valerie groans after twenty minutes. “I know I fucked up! Stop giving me the silent treatment.”

“It’s rather blue today,” I comment, glancing at the sky. “No clouds.”

She nods once. “The pollen count is high today. It’s bothering allergies in the clinic.”

“You told her,” I say, addressing the problem.

“I’ve been so good, never sharing with a soul, and then it just slipped out while I was asking Sophia who she decided to marry on paper,” she whispers. “That’s all it was supposed to be, but it was so easy for her and I needed to get out my confusion and it just ... it slipped.”

Nodding feels right. Within the mafia, we’re taught the price of letting our tongue be so free. I saw it when I first joined. Mr. Volkov cut a man’s tongue for saying ‘mafia’ instead of ‘business’. Hunter and Chase had to monitor themselves their whole lives and with examples being made left and right (maiming and death), it was a lesson that became as vital as breathing.

“I understand,” I answer, taking her hand. “You haven’t been through what we have.”

“I know better! I do. It’s been clear since I found out. I mean, look what happened to me just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, then I go and ... fuck,” she says. “And then, my stupid ass said, “they’re going to kill me” right after that.”

I chuckle.

She glowers at me. “It’s not funny. We know that’s not the case, but Sophia just learned that Chase is the mafia boss. Imagine if you were in my place and you told your best friend that secret, then followed it with ‘they’ll kill me’. It’s like a threat.”

“We’ll defuse it when they get here. Holden’s known about us for a while. He’s a hard one to limit when it comes to computers and Chase underestimated him,” I say, assuring her.

It doesn’t help. I know that the second she goes to the kitchen. She cooks when nervous–and the banging of pots and pans grates on my nerves until I join her.

I prepare a pan and take the potatoes she gives me, so it will be a productive use of time. I season them, mash them once, then stick them in the oven with butter. She’s working on a pork rump, but I see her hands shaking.

“Chase and Hunter aren’t going to forgive me like you,” she murmurs.

“They’ll come around,” I say, guiding her hands and making it easier. “I heard from the florist. We have a few options to go with. He wants to meet with you to discuss your bouquet.”

“You’re assuming Hunt and Chase will still want to marry me,” Valerie grumbles.

“Doesn’t matter to me if they back out. I’m not,” I say against her ear. “And you know they can’t stay mad at you for long.”

She softens against me and nods. “I’m worrying too much.”

“The right amount based on our lives,” I disagree, kissing her cheek.

We get a meal started and finished by the time rapid fire knocking echoes from the front door. Valerie looks up at me. I have on a pink apron she bought that says, “Forget dessert, taste the chef” and my hair back in a braid.

“I love you, Viking. Always. You know that, right?” she asks.

I nod and kiss her. “At least half as much as I love you, Viper.”

She kisses me again, then goes to the door. “Stop banging! I hear you!”

Sophia runs in, followed by the guys. I know Holden didn’t share with them, but they’re not as worried as Sophia is. Valerie looks between them, being as calm as possible. “You didn’t bring Link.”

“No, I didn’t bring my baby!” Sophia yells. “After what you told me, I’m getting you out of here. Take off the rings and let’s-”

Valerie backs up to me. “No.”

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