AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Keep telling yourself that.” My hand is still held out between us. I’m not backing down.
She lifts her hand into mine, and I take it. Her warmth flows into me, and the tension in my shoulders relaxes. “Wise choice. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to throw you over my shoulder. I was giving you ten more seconds.”
She tries to pull her hand away, but I hold tighter. I’m never letting her go. I walk her to my car.
“This is far enough. We can talk here,” she argues.
I tsk, shaking my head. “This is more of a show-and-tell thing.”
I lean into her, my arm brushing over hers as I open the door. She flops down into the seat, yanking her seatbelt on before I have the chance to do it for her.
She’s silent the entire way there. We stop, and she gets out on her own, looking uninterested in the new building. Using my key card, we ride the elevator to the top floor, and there’s still no reaction. The elevator door opens, leading straight into my new penthouse. In fact, I bought five properties that will allow us to move around, making it hard for anyone to know where we are at one time.
“This is our new family home,” I announce proudly.
“I have my own home. I bought it today while I was out with Max. I don’t need your handouts. Like I told you when we first met, I have my own money. I don’t need yours.”
I grind my molars, hearing Maximus’s name.
“If you want your visitations in this place, work will need to be done.” She walks around, looking unimpressed, when this place is like a palace. It’s fucking beautiful, fit for my queen.
“You will have to gate the stairs. A child could easily fall down them. It’s a safety hazard. Your electrical sockets need to be covered.” She walks around the kitchen. “You have cleaning supplies under the sink with a cabinet door that’s not locked. A child could easily drink it and be poisoned. That’s only what I saw in the first minute. This place is a danger for kids.”
I get into her personal space. “And your home is better?” I question, and she steps back until she touches the fridge. She’s not afraid of me; I can tell by the way her eyes sparkle and specks of gold come to light. “I will fix it. Thenyouand the girls will be safe here.”
“Demetri, there is no you and me anymore,” she says in that soft, low voice I adore. Her hands flatten on the metal of the fridge. I don’t believe her. She’s just been through too much to believe me.
I move my head down, so my nose glides from her jaw to her ear. “You’re a liar. I’ll prove to you there’s still a you and me. I have the rest of my life to prove it to you, because I’ll never accept those divorce papers. You are mine, Katrina.” I allow my Russian accent to thicken, knowing how she always reacts to it. A shiver dances through her. She likes when I’m demanding. But I only let myself gloat on the inside.
I step away, when all I want to do is fuck her. If she would listen to her body, it would remind her that she loves me as much as I love her.
“You’redoingitwrong!”I yell at the third company I’ve hired to make this place safe for small children. “You’re fired.”
I turn, and all I see are inadequate jobs. “You’re all fired. Get the fuck out of my house.” I watch as every man hustles to get their stuff and runs out of my penthouse.
If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself.
So I spend the next two days repairing my home myself.
It has to be perfect.
Chapter 41: Demetri
Ithasbeenaweek since I set eyes on Katrina. I somehow managed to convince her to allow me to pick her and the girls up from her new house. I walk up the driveway and see Max Mancini in a car, watching over her. If she were living with me, she wouldn’t need to be protected by her family.
I continue my walk to the stairs of her condo. The outside is beautiful, but I can’t help but think I could give her so much more. I pause, shielding my eyes from the sun to get a good look at the place. It’s in a good neighborhood, but I’ll be placing some of my men on this street from now on.
I hate to admit it, but it has charm like Katrina does. Walking up the steps, I ring the doorbell. Charlotte opens it with a bright smile. It breaks my heart that I’ve been away this long. It will never happen again. I don’t remember my absences hurting so much whenever I returned before.
“Daddy!” She flings herself into my arms. Katrina is watching with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
Holding Charlotte against me as she rides on my foot, I take the three steps toward my wife and place a kiss on her cheek. “Ready to go?”
This shouldn’t feel awkward, but it does. I want to hold her hand, and all she wants to do is stay ten feet behind me. I hate the distance that’s placed between us. But it’s my fault.
We get to my place, and I’m nervous. Katrina’s eyes take in every detail; nothing is too small.
“Can I pick my room out?” Charlotte asks, and I nod.
