Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4)

by Nancy Haviland

  “Why were you on your feet all day?”

  She smiled when Lekzi yanked on her hair. She patiently unraveled it from little fingers and kissed the baby’s hand. “I was doing double shifts waiting tables to save enough money so I would not have to work for the first couple of months after her birth. I knew I would be babysitting afterward as my primary source of income—so that I could avoid childcare costs and stay home with her—but I did not want to bring the other children into the apartment until she was old enough to handle the germs that would come with them.”

  Protective right from the start. How could he not admire that? “Were you afraid?” he asked, even though he didn’t really want to hear the answer. He’d realized after Sydney’s lecture that he’d been so busy thinking about himself, he’d skimmed over what Sacha must have gone through.

  “Yes. I was terrified.”

  Fuck. “The labor?”

  “My due date was the last day of April. Everything I had read indicated she would come after that, but she came early. Right, my sweet sunshine?”

  She was rubbing her hand over the pink elephants on Lekzi’s white sleeper. Alek couldn’t look at them. He only saw her do so in his periphery.

  “I was at work during the early dinner rush when my water broke. I could not afford an ambulance bill, so I had to catch two buses to get to the hospital. I remember being so worried I would not make it in time, but I did. She was born at 7:42 in the evening, not an hour after I arrived. So I guess the labor went quickly for my first.”

  “Jesus Christ, Sacha,” he whispered raggedly through the massive regret crushing his chest. He reached over to cover her hand. “I am so fucking sorry you had to go through that alone. Why didn’t you tell me?” He felt as if the words should be shouted, but they came out barely audible. “By then, could you not have told me?”

  “By then I was afraid you would take her from me. Plus, I thought you would be too busy with your women to want to bother with us. I had no idea what I saw that night was not real. And…I was so angry with you.”

  Yeah, his fault.

  But hers, too. She was not some conniving bitch. She was tender-hearted. So that meant she’d struggled with herself, and had still made the decision she had. To keep him and his child apart. To rob him of the joy of being a father. He couldn’t discount that because it was fucking huge. It wasn’t her. Not the woman he knew.

  The worst part was, he’d brought that out in her.

  He squeezed her knee and got up. “I’ll bring the bags upstairs and make sure everything is ready. Vasily had a couple of the boys move much of what was in the nursery into the room next to ours.”

  “What nursery?”

  Alekzander’s smile was wry. “My uncle is pretty anxious for his grandson to arrive. He’s had a fully functional nursery ready to go for weeks now.”

  “That’s very convenient.”

  Their eyes clashed. “Hmm. Very convenient.” He broke the connection. “Go on to the kitchen to prepare her cereal when you’re done here. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Alekzander?”

  He stopped and looked back with one foot out the door.

  “Thank you. I know you are trying not to be angry with me, and I appreciate that.”

  The picture she made with her hair flowing over her shoulders, her expression open, their baby cradled to her breast…he’d never seen her appear more angelic.

  Justin Sheppard. Gay. The guy never touched her.

  Alek went back and lifted her face. He kissed her twice, and then a third time. “Every time you open this mouth, I’m finding I don’t have to try so hard.”

  He left her with that.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Sacha was finally winding down after the long day when the sound of approaching footsteps had her straightening in her chair. Lekzi was strapped into her highchair, and her face and hands were, as always, sticky with cereal. At least she hadn’t gotten any in her hair yet.

  Spooning another portion into a mouth that was still accepting it, Sacha turned and waited with a familiar anticipation to see Alekzander come through the archway into the large kitchen that housed a massive old-fashioned stone hearth and enough cupboard space to please any woman.

  But it wasn’t Alekzander. It was the Pakhan of the Tarasov Bratva and his grim-faced byki who’d touchingly come to her rescue earlier.

  She quickly scrambled to her feet, which put her in front of Lekzi.

  “Hello, Sacha.” Vasily’s gaze swept the room. Looking for his nephew? Yes. Now would be a good time for him to appear.

  “Hello, Vasily.”

  She could hear Lekzi kicking her legs and babbling in her darling voice to show her displeasure that her supply had come to a halt.

  Dmitri expression darkened as he made his silent exit while Vasily approached her. “I hear you are not alone. Would you mind making introductions?”

  She looked up from the steeple she could see tattooed at the base of his throat where the top two buttons of his white dress shirt were opened. Her face cooled as the blood drained from it. So much history would be on this man’s body. That was hair-raising.

  Too nervous to bother with English, she spoke Russian. “If you would rather Alekzander introduced you to his daughter, I would understand. It is probably a moment you would like to share—”

  “I am finding myself too anxious to wait any longer. Besides, I do not mind sharing the moment with you.” He smiled encouragingly.

  “Oh. Er, okay.” Her heart was racing.

  A loud screech from behind her had her jumping.

  “Perhaps she is also anxious.” Vasily chuckled.

  Sacha nodded and stepped to the side and back. When she saw Lekzi looking up at her, she smiled a reassurance, even though it meant nothing to the baby.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Vasily whispered as he closed the distance between them.

  The sound of his voice had Lekzi’s attention shifting, and the sharp breath Sacha heard let her know he’d recognized his nephew’s eyes. He cursed in Russian and apologized almost immediately. “Forgive me. I tried to keep it clean.”

  She waved it off. “This is Alekzandra Liliya.” She bent to the baby’s ear. “Lekzi, this is your dedushka.”

  If she wasn’t mistaken, there was gratitude on his face when he smiled his greeting at the baby. Sacha was glad she’d never thought of her child as anything other than an extension of the man she loved—even when she hated him. To give her son or daughter Alekzander’s name hadn’t even been a conscious decision. It had just been something she’d known she would do. She’d also known the second name would come from her parents.

  Vasily took the baby’s chin in a gentle hold. He turned her face toward the light and his smile widened when little Miss Sunshine’s gums made an appearance. A gooey hand landed on his wrist and slipped a couple of times before it made purchase.

  “Hello, beautiful.” He sat in the chair Sacha had been using.

  Without taking his eyes—which were wet; Maksim won his bet—from the baby, he held out his hand for the spoon. Sacha didn’t think twice about giving it to him and then watched as he picked up the small bowl of cereal and began feeding her daughter.

  “You two certainly make gorgeous babies.” He was speaking English once again. “Eva is going to be excited about this development.”

  Sacha pulled a chair over and sat. This wasn’t as bad as she’d been expecting. “Sydney and Maksim were able to meet her when they accompanied us here. Alekzander told them to bring the others for lunch tomorrow so introductions can be made.”

  “That will be nice. There is not much I enjoy more than having everyone together for a happy occasion. Alek is upstairs?”

  “Yes. He went to ready our rooms.”

  “Forgive the personal question, but how many are you using?”

  Her face did the opposite of only moments ago, heating up as though she was standing too close to a campfire. “Two,” she murmured.

  He
appeared to stiffen. “If you are not comfortable with that, I would be happy to arrange a room of your own.”

  Oh, God. Could this be any more awkward? “Forgive me for saying so, but I am happy with the arrangement as it is.”

  He glanced over, his brow quirking, and she looked away. He wanted to laugh. She could tell. “You don’t have to ask my forgiveness, Sacha. Your answer is a relief. Despite this hiccup, it is my wish that you and Alek find your peace again.”

  That made her feel teary. “Thank you. That is very generous of you considering what I have done to him.”

  “Not so generous considering what he did to you.”

  Something passed between them at that moment. Forgiveness on both ends? An understanding? Sacha didn’t know, but she was grateful to this generous man for whatever it was because she knew it was in his power to make her life miserable, and he had no intention of doing that.

  “Thank you,” she repeated in a whisper.

  “And I thank you,” he returned with a gentle pat to Lekzi’s head.

  “I thought I heard your voice.”

  A tremor started up in her lower belly when Alekzander padded into the kitchen wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of black Adidas warm-up pants. His feet were bare. Oh, God. His feet were bare. Had he done that on purpose? He had to remember how much she liked when his feet were bare.

  Vasily got up and congratulated his nephew with a robust, affectionate embrace. They spoke quietly, and even though Sacha went to the sink to wet a cloth so they’d have some privacy, she still caught snatches of congratulations, son, and you’re a father, and she couldn’t be more precious. As she went back and cleaned Lekzi’s hands and face, for the first time in their acquaintance, Sacha was pleased to see her baby’s pale eyes were sleepy.

  “It is time you went to bed, my angel.” Mummy and Papa are going to have some alone time, she added silently. Was the excitement thrumming through her what most women felt when putting their children to bed at night? Knowing it was time for them and their partner to enjoy each other?

  “Sacha?”

  She blinked to attention and looked at Vasily. It was apparent he’d called her name more than once. “Yes?”

  “I would like to ask you to think back over the last year. Have you come into contact with any of our people?” He reclaimed his seat. “Not formally, but in passing. On the street. Maybe seen someone in a car.”

  She thought for a moment and felt silly mentioning it because it was probably nothing. “I was sure I saw Sergei once. But that was last spring, and it was more the way the man held himself that reminded me of Alekzander’s cousin than what I actually saw because he was quite far away.”

  Both men frowned.

  “Where was this?” Vasily asked. “What was the man doing?”

  “Just standing there. He was next to the school that is across the street from my building.” She remembered squinting through the rain but hadn’t lingered because she’d been on her way to work and her back had already been aching. She’d had Lekzi three weeks later.

  She was too aware of Alekzander coming up behind her. He placed his hands on her hips and shifted her to the side. “I’ll take her,” he murmured.

  She watched the surety of his movements and found her gaze traveling to the tattoos on his arms that were generally hidden by the dress shirts and suit jackets he favored. The artwork was of religious figures, and on each muscular forearm was a different passage praising loyalty and the power of family. The broadness of his back was showcased as he bent forward. She wanted to purr when she saw the two muscles that ran the length of his spine ripple as he straightened.

  She started at the feel of a hand on her arm.

  Vasily’s eyes were hooded, his expression grim. “Unless we have given you permission, you do not leave Lekzi with anyone other than myself or Alekzander. Not under any circumstances.”

  As an icy sensation trailed up her spine and she nodded, four men came into the room from the hallway that led to the small medical center at the rear of the house. Yuri, Dmitri, Anton, and Aron gathered around the table while Alekzander prodded Sacha toward the exit with a hand low on her back. She didn’t protest.

  As they made their way upstairs, Lekzi cuddled her face into her father’s neck, searching for a comfortable spot to sleep.

  “Your uncle is one of the nicest men I know, but also the scariest I have ever met,” Sacha admitted.

  Alekzander’s thumb stroked the bottom of her spine. “The one I told you about that’s causing trouble from the inside; he, or rather they, are getting ballsier. We can’t say for sure, but we’re assuming the warehouse explosion was their doing. But it’s nothing for you to worry about. Just don’t fuss about me keeping you in the house for the time being until we deal with our issue.” He pressed his lips to the top of Lekzi’s head as they entered a nursery.

  Sacha gaped. If this was a make-shift move in the middle of the night, she’d been interested to see what Vasily’s men would do if they had some time.

  Alekzander handed the baby over, kissed her and Lekzi on the temple, and left with the words, “I’ll let you put her down. Meet me next door when you’re ready.”

  TWENTY-ONE

  With a fan quietly hissing through the baby monitor gripped in her hand, Sacha entered Alekzander’s bedroom. What would now be their bedroom. At least for the time being.

  The sound of the shower running in the en-suite bathroom stopped her dead. An image of a naked Alekzander, tawny skin gleaming over his rippling muscles slammed into her brain.

  Warmth filled her, much of it centering between her legs.

  Doing her best not to overthink—or think at all—she crossed the room, shedding her clothes along the way. When she reached the bathroom door she was in her maternity bra—yuck; she removed the pads so she wouldn’t be completely unsexy—and panties.

  Nerves swept in to pause her hand before she could turn the knob. What if he didn’t find her extra pounds acceptable? What if they turned him off? What if she forgot the things he liked her to do to him? What if she disappointed him? Left him unsatisfied?

  How could she not overthink this?

  You’re going to use me hard tonight.

  A trembled moved through her as she remembered his earlier demand. There had been no indication he found her new body distasteful when he’d had her on the table in her apartment. Not in any way. He’d acted as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His behavior hadn’t been controlled or calculated. He hadn’t looked as if he was suffering through her touch. He’d been lost, and hadn’t seemed anymore capable of denying this thing between them than she was.

  God, that was exciting. And encouraging.

  She twisted the knob and entered the steamy room.

  Utter perfection met her eye through the glass door. And, oh God, but she’d missed that. All of that. Every hard inch. And every inch was already hard. His eyes were closed as he washed his hair and she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about.

  She placed the monitor on the counter and devoured the familiar sight of the skull tattooed on his front. It had human hands covering the eyes, mouth, and where the ears would have been. Free of color, it was elegant, and she’d always found it eerily beautiful. He had a new one on his side; a fancy old-fashioned timepiece attached to a length of chain that had a distorted, grotesque heart hanging precariously off the end. Unlike his uncle and Maksim, Alekzander’s artwork didn’t catalog his history. It merely hinted at it.

  She made a small sound when he turned. The muscles in his back rippled as he rinsed the shampoo out. His ass… Mmm, his firm cheeks were begging for her nails to sink into them as she pulled him deeper into her body. Off came her bra and underwear. She went to him.

  She placed her hands on his upper back and pleased herself immensely by pressing her front against his wet skin. A surprised grunt came from him, his body stiffening when she brushed her navel across his buttocks.

  “Oh, fuck me,” he
murmured. “A naked angel.”

  Something rooted deep in her lower belly clenched with need when he put a hand around and drew her in front of him. Rather than kiss her as she’d been expecting, he spun her to face the wall and sent his hands roaming everywhere at once. She felt warmth at her entrance as she grew wetter and wetter from something other than the falling water. He was gentle and reverent, but after that first pass from her shoulders to her hips, it all changed.

  “Fucking incredible. And still all mine.” A firmer touch sent her forward so that her breasts pressed into the cool tile. She gasped and moaned when he traced across her shoulder blades with his fingers. He hissed when he went down and grabbed two handfuls of her ass, squeezing hard before bringing a stinging swat down on one cheek that made her cry out and her inner muscles pulse with need. “Don’t you ever lie to me again about allowing another man at what belongs to me. I’m a greedy, selfish fucker, but never more so than when it comes to you.”

  “I could never,” she assured him with a shaky voice.

  “Never what?”

  “Be this way with anyone else.”

  With a hand splayed on her abdomen, he pulled her back into his hips so she could feel his heavy erection part her cheeks. He thrust in a lazy rhythm. “So this is still mine?”

  “Da.”

  Down his hands went to stroke the front of her thighs. He spread her legs as he came back up. “Here, too?”

  “Da.”

  He swept between her legs to cup her mound. “This sweet little pussy is all mine. Isn’t that right, Sacha?”

  “Yes, Alekzander. It is yours.”

  “It’s only ever been mine. No other man has ever seen it or touched it?”

  “No. Just you.”

  He growled. “Because that is such a perfect answer, I’m going to make you come so hard you just might pass out.”

  Her entire body shook in reaction to the threat, her breathing turning ragged.

  He stroked up and down her back with his palm, swearing as he shoved her hair aside to lick and bite at her shoulder. “You haunted me. Never gave me a moment’s peace. Not only this unforgettable body. But you.”