Page 64 of Pregnant Bratva Possession

Speaking of the men, they had already started practice—training—shooting at dummies tied on sticks rooted in the grass. Frankly, they looked bored. Until they saw us. Lilianna and Giselle greeted their husbands with chaste kisses and plated themselves by their sides while I stood awkwardly among them tapping a silver gun against my thigh.

MyVadim wasn’t there. It was just Sergey, who conveniently ignored my existence, and Nikolai, who acknowledged me with a curt nod.

Only Maxim gave me the warmest smile whenever I saw him, but he was rarely home. And Vlad was nowhere to be...

“Do you know how to use a gun?”

Despite better reasoning, I whipped my head around so fast, I thought my neck would snap. There he was, standing in front of me with a rifle in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He was wearing a snug t-shirt that did nothing to hide the temptation of a body he hid beneath, black jeans, and black boots.

His long black hair fell below his shoulders, only partly covering the viper tattoo on his neck, and the rest of his strong arms remained exposed, all for my eyes to feast on. His intense gaze held mine and just watching him lift the cigar to his lips made me hot all over.

Seeing him made me remember something Giselle had said in the kitchen while she’d scooped pie onto my plate. She had spoken fondly of him and it appeared that they were close.

She’d said, “Vlad has this tough shell on the outside, just like the rest of his brothers. But when you get to know himbetter, you’ll see how big of a sweetheart he really is.” There was no malice or venom when she talked. It all sounded like a genuine testimony of her experience with him. A part of me was envious, but the other part wanted to see that Vlad for herself.

“Uh-huh,” I nodded. “My dad and I used to go hunting when I was little. He taught me how.”

Vlad didn’t hide his surprise. He dropped the butt and squelched it with the sole of his shoes, his eyes heavy on me. “Really?”

He took a step closer and my eyelids fluttered when I noticed how close we were. His chest brushed the light fabric of my top, pressing gently against my breasts. He smelled like musky cologne and cigarette. It was so overpowering, I wanted to taste it off him.

But I couldn’t. Not out in the open anyway. Plus, his family surrounded us and I could feel their not-so-subtle stares burn holes at the back of my head. Surely, Sergey’s stare burned the hottest.

I lifted my chin up to have a clearer look at his face. “Really.”

“Hmm. Impressive. Not bad for a princess.” He shrugged and did the most unexpected thing ever.

He tucked his hand into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box and opened it. I gasped when I saw the ruby-red mosaic art necklace and earrings inside. It was a rare piece. I’d seen it before at an exhibition. It was priceless. It was valuable. It was... It was... was itmine?

Vlad smiled. And,oh God,it literally snatched my breath away. It was dazzling and candescent. He rarely smiled. It waseither a smirk, or a halfway grin, or something of the sort. But this was real. And his folks thought the same as well.

I heard their murmurs.

“He smiled...”Giselle gushed.

“For her,”Lilianna added.

But we ignored them.

“Yes, it's yours.”

Jesus!Had I said that aloud?

He leaned the rifle on the grass, against his leg, and slid his fingers around my neck to strap the necklace on, then he helped me put the earrings on, taking out the white diamond ones I’d been wearing. His touch, however light and harmless, burned and set ablaze a fire in the pit of my stomach.

Then, he skimmed his slender fingers into my hair, grazing my scalp lightly as he released the bun. Something passed his eyes when he stared into mine. It was alluring and sofuckinghot.

He took a step back, picked up his rifle, and smirked. “I prefer it this way.”

Chapter 25 - Mariana

The sound of cooking pots clanking against each other, utensils clinking on ceramic plates, wooden cabinets going open and close, and hearty chatter rang out in the spacious kitchen, but blended awfully with the backdrop of a rich, mellifluous voice floating through my phone speakers.

I grabbed an apple from the fridge, peeled the sticker off, and leaned against the island, with my forearm on the gleaming counter. I bit down on the juicy apple, warmth spreading through my chest and a grin building up my cheeks as I watched Giselle almost double over with laughter. Tears were streaming down her face and the salt container in her hand almost slipped out.

I, for one, never expected anyone in Vlad’s household to accept me as quickly as the wives did. They drew me into their small circle with such speed; I’d almost forgotten I arrived yesterday.

“It’s terrible,” he said, waving a hand in the air and straightening up to catch her breath. Her eyes twinkled under the luminescent kitchen and her lips crooked upwards with mirth. She wore a short floral gown, which exposed her creamy legs, a pair of flat brown sandals, and had her long hair swept to one side over her shoulder. Giselle washot.And so was Lilianna.

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