She’s safe under my roof, where no one would dare to touch her, no matter how much the elders in the brotherhood disapprove of her. Being my wife gives her an immunity that she won’t be able to find anywhere else on earth.

However, there has been a slight miscalculation on my part concerning Yan. Or rather, a misconception. I thought I could handle seeing them getting close.

That’s far from reality.

Every time he’s in her vicinity, my head fills with murderous thoughts that keep getting more creative with each passing day. They become more brutal whenever she smiles at him, like right now. The fact that she rarely offers me her smiles anymore but gives them so freely to Yan gets on my very last nerve.

Maybe I should ship the fucker back to Russia.

Some Spetsnaz training would do his personality good. If he dies there, oh well. What a fucking pity.

“Sir.”

“Hmm?” I release an absentminded noise at Kolya’s voice while I continue to stare at Lia and Yan. Even Jeremy, my traitor son, is giggling at him.

“Don’t do it.”

I halt my tapping and stare at my second-in-command sitting across from me with his laptop resting on his thighs. “Don’t do what?”

He pauses, then replies, “Kill Yan.”

“What makes you believe I’m thinking about killing him?”

“The way you stare at him.”

“I wasn’t thinking about killing him.”

“No?”

“No. The Spetsnaz will take care of it. What’s the most ruthless unit there?”

“You have it in you to get rid of him?”

“If he keeps getting on my nerves, yes.”

“He’s only befriending her, per your orders, sir.”

“I never ordered him to smile at her.”

“If he’s stoic, she’ll never open up to him.”

“Keep defending the fucker, Kolya, and his Spetsnaz future will become a reality sooner rather than later.”

“You can’t send him away and you know it, sir.”

“Of course I can.”

“And leave Mrs. Volkov alone?”

“She’s not alone. She has me.”

“You work all the time. Besides, you’re not talkative enough for her taste.”

“I can be talkative.”

“No offense, sir, but no, you can’t. Let Yan fill that gap. She needs a friend and you’re well aware of it.”

My lips twist in disapproval. I dislike it when Kolya is right. One of the reasons I allowed her to be close to Yan in the first place is because she’s a lonely soul who needs a friend, someone she can feel at ease around.

While I prefer she talks to me, that’s not possible lately, after I snapped at her for trying to leave. Though she comes undone around my dick, mouth, and fingers every night, she’s still scared and wary of me. She counts her every move and word, and even her damn breaths around me now.

I meet Yan’s gaze through the window and beckon at him to come inside. He says something to Lia and she stares back at me, her smile disappearing and her lips parting before she lowers her head and focuses back on Jeremy.

Standing up, I close the shutters. Soon after, Yan knocks on the door before he opens it and comes in. The moment he steps inside, I grab him by the throat and slam him against the wall.

He wheezes, his hands instinctively wrapping around my wrists, but he soon drops them when he meets my murderous expression.

Kolya abandons his laptop on the chair and comes to our side, but he’s smart enough not to interfere.

“Aren’t you getting too cozy, Yan?” I ask with deceptive calm.

“No, sir,” he manages through my strong hold.

“Good. In case you’ve forgotten, your only mission is to watch her, not to get too cozy with her.”

“You’re the one who told me to befriend her.”

“Did you just fucking talk back to me?”

“Just stating facts.”

“Here’s a fun fact for you, if I catch you being cozy with her, I’ll crush your windpipe. Or better yet, I’ll ship you to the Spetsnaz so they can do the honors.”

When he nods, I release him with a shove. He catches his breath, massaging his neck as he stares at me. “If you send me to the Spetsnaz, Lia will be sad.”

“Shut up, Yan,” Kolya scolds.

I tilt my head to the side. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“I’m the only one she opens up to…after you, of course.”

I narrow my eyes on him.

“I’m just being there for her. Don’t take it away, Boss. I promise to never touch her.”

“That’s because if you do, I’ll break your hand.”

“I need my hand, so I’d never do it unless absolutely necessary.”

“And don’t smile at her.”

“That would be impossible. I’m not you, Boss. I can’t stop myself from smiling when she does it…” he trails off when I glare at him. “But I will try.”

“Your future depends on how you behave.”

He grumbles a response, and I turn my attention away from him. I should probably call it a day, put Jeremy to sleep, and have Lia all to myself.

I believe that with time, she’ll forget about the idea of leaving.

Sooner or later, she’ll realize that her place is with me and our son.

34

Lia

Four years later

Life has never been the same after that night.

I was right. I lost a part of Adrian.

At first, I wanted to fix it, to tell him that it wasn’t him I hated, it was what he stood for. That me and my baby’s survival came before whatever feelings I’d developed for him.

But my pride forbid me from it. He spent weeks avoiding me, not even eating with me until his anger lessened and he came back to my side.

Our sex life is still as crazy as when we first started out. He still whips, spanks, and ties me up to the bedpost. He still takes me roughly and puts my pleasure first. But there isn’t that slightly mischievous tone or dirty talk anymore. He just gives us both what we need, then usually spends the night working.

He’s stopped hugging me to sleep when I turn away from him. Once, I was so starved for his affection that I turned around and pretended to snuggle into him during my sleep. He didn’t hug me back. But he didn’t push me away either, so whenever I feel like I’ll burst, I do that.