AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I step forward and press the blade of my knife to his palm. The restaurant around us is silent. Every person in the room is there for the initiation ritual, and they understand the commitment the recruit is making.
Now, I have to make sure he does, too.
“This knife has sliced the palm of every member of the Volkov family,” I say to the room. Then, I turn to the recruit. Sweat has gathered on his forehead, and his eyes are wide. “When this knife slices your palm, the spilling of your blood will signify your devotion to the Volkov family. It will signify your oath to serve your fellow family members with your own life should it come to that. Do you understand?”
His throat bobs as he swallows and nods.
I hesitate for only a moment, and then I drag the blade across his palm.
He hisses as blood drips from the cut. When I pull the knife away, he keeps his hand held aloft, allowing everyone to see. After a few beats, the room erupts in raucous cheers.
Men come from every direction, practically tackling the young kid. Someone rubs their knuckles in his hair and several people shout for shots at the same time.
I laugh and back away from the melee.
Eve is standing at a table behind me, and she holds out a glass of scotch as I approach.
It has been eight months since she gave birth, and she looks the exact same as she did the day I met her. Chestnut brown hair tumbles in big waves over her shoulders, and she still looks killer in a pair of skin-tight high-waisted jeans. Her stilettos bring her closer to my height, and I wrap an arm around her lower back and pull her against me.
“You looked like a cult leader out there,” she whispers, pressing her pink lips together into a tight smile. No matter how much time it has been, her smile is something I’m still not quite used to. It sends my heart into palpitations.
“A sexy cult leader?” I ask, rocking my hips against hers.
She stretches up onto her toes, and I think she is going to kiss me, but then her lips slide over my cheek to my ear. Her breath is warm against my skin, sending goosebumps down my neck. “I’d join.”
I pull away and press my forehead to hers. “Where is Milaya?”
She opens her mouth to answer, but before she can, someone else does. “Being fawned over by a group of the wives.”
I look up and see Kostya standing on the other side of the table, watching us.
Eve stiffens in my arms, and I smooth a comforting hand down her back. I tip my head towards the kitchen. “I’m going to go have a smoke.”
I grab her hand and for a second, I think she might resist, but then she follows after me, checking over her shoulder to be certain Milaya is being well cared for.
Everyone loves our daughter as much as we do. She looks so much like her mother with curly chestnut hair and bright pink lips. She is a chubby-cheeked doll, and when we are all gathered together, she is constantly being cuddled by someone.
As soon as I step into the kitchen, Eve pulls her hand from mine, and by the time I get to the alley behind the restaurant, she has her arms crossed over her chest. I light a cigarette and lean against the wall.
“Beautiful night.” Spring is giving way to summer, and I can feel the humidity in the air. But for now, there is still a cool breeze and the smell of fresh flowers.
“I can’t do it anymore, Luka.”
Eve is standing with her arms crossed over her chest, pushing her breasts together and making it hard to focus, but I do. Because the look in her eyes lets me know she is serious.
“Can’t do what?” I ask, settling my cigarette between my fingers and shoving the lighter back in my pocket.
She walks over to me and pulls the cigarette out of my hand, holding it away from her to the side. “You didn’t used to smoke.”
“I did, actually. But I quit.”
“And now you’ve started again?” she asks.
I narrow my eyes. “What is this about?”
My plan was to lead Eve outside and fuck her against the brick wall, but clearly, that is not going to happen.
“I’m never alone.Ever.” She tips her head back and looks up at the sky. “Someone is always hovering around me.”
