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“It’s worth it.You’reworth it.”
As soon as he opened his mouth to argue, I grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him down, slanting my lips against his. After a moment, his body relaxed and he slipped his hands over my shoulders.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him, kissing along his skin softly, from his lips to his chin, his throat, until I pressed my face against his chest. He curled forward, cradling my head against him and burying his nose in my hair.
Closing my eyes, a calm contentment spread through me. Marek was so convinced he brought nothing but negativity to my life but he failed to see that he’dbecomemy life. He gave me something to fight for, something greater than myself. Time and again he insisted that he could never repay me, but how was I ever supposed to repayhim?
43
MISHA
Marek wasnothappy when Valery appeared at the penthouse the next morning, unannounced. “At least that other asshole left,” he muttered, clearing the breakfast dishes from the table and shooing the children down the hall to the guest bedroom. Their bedroom. Well, one of their bedrooms. There were enough for them to each have one but they hadn’t separated yet. It was one of many things Marek and I would have to discuss once everything else had settled down.
“They’re all at the house,” Valery said when we were alone. “All four of them. I have men keeping an eye on it in case they leave.”
“Good.” I finished my tea and carried the empty mug to the sink.
“Who’s taking the fall for this?”
“No one.”
Valery’s dark brows raised as I rounded the kitchen island. “No one?”
“No. We’re not going to disguise it as something else this time. Let it be a warning to the rest of his colleagues.”
“Didn’t we already send a warning by dropping off the heads of those Neon King assholes on their doorsteps?”
“That was a ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood,’ to let them know that we know who they are. And this, today, is to show them that they’re not untouchable.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with Marek?” He cocked an eyebrow.
I smirked. “It has everything to do with Marek. But his colleagues don’t know that. Let them think he was chosen at random.”
Valery considered it for a moment, nodding. “Are you going to try to buy them out after?”
“No. I have no interest in Nirvana.”
“Then why bother sending a message at all? Why not just kill the bastard?”
“They started this endeavor for fun, as an easy way for bored businessmen to make money on top of their millions. If they want to pretend they’re criminals, then they’re going to learn what happens when you don’t respect the rules of the game. It has nothing to do with Nirvana and everything to do with the fact they’ve been unchecked for too long. It’s all about power and reminding them they don’t have a monopoly on it.”
Valery nodded again.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, stepping away and heading down the hall.
I found Marek in the master bedroom, arms crossed, staring out the window at the dark lake in the distance, the white-capped waves rippling toward the snowy shores.
“We’re leaving now,” I said quietly so as not to startle him.
Marek turned to face me, dropping his arms to his sides. “No commando outfit this time?”
Glancing down at my black suit, I shook my head. “No. I’m not hiding who I am today. Nor am I planning on doing anything to get myself injured again. I should be back before dinner.”
“I have to go to Delirium and make sure they have everything they need for all the New Year’s Eve stuff tonight, so I was going to see if Sveta would come stay with the kids, if that’s ok. Or I can take them back to the other place. Whatever you’re comfortable with. It’s your apartment.”
“Whatever is easiest for you. I don’t mind if she comes here but I understand taking them to the other apartment if that’s where they’d prefer to be.”
“I don’t think they really care as long as there’s a working TV.”
