The Life (19 page)

Viviana snorted. “When am I ever not? Can I claw her eyes out after?”

“No,” Anton said, laughing. That’d surely be a sight. He bet Viviana would give Tatiana one hell of a run for her money. “Not while you’re pregnant with my child, anyhow.”

“Yeah, but making her swallow a few teeth would sure make me feel a heck of a lot better.”

“My God. You know there’s nothing there, right? Her and me, I mean. That’s not … It’s just not there, baby. You don’t have to be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous, Anton.” Strangely, he believed her. Viviana shrugged under the weight of his arm resting around her shoulders.
“Why should I be … of
Tatiana
? I have exactly what she doesn’t. Everything she thought should have been hers is mine. I have your life, your son, and your love. Even if she was nothing more than your whore, which she isn’t, she still wouldn’t have any of those things. So no, I’m not jealous of that girl. On the other hand, I do wonder if she is envious of me.”

“I have no doubt of that.”

Viviana sighed. “Exactly. Tatiana has defied her father, you, and God knows how many others just to hurt me once. That was before we were married, before Demyan, and she only managed to sling words. This time might be different. At this dinner, she’s going to see me pregnant, happy, and protected, all because of you. Again, all that she doesn’t have and everything she wanted. So it brings me back to safety, I guess. You made it clear you don’t want her in any way so would she hurt me, or worse your baby, because of her resentment? Is she that crazy over you?”

Anton stayed silent, letting his wife’s words sink in as he considered them. It wasn’t that what she said didn’t make sense, because it did, but he wondered why Viviana had asked for Tatiana’s presence at all.

“You asked for her to be there, Vine. If you were worried about all of this, why ask at all?”

“I also asked for no guns.”

“And I’ll make sure that’s adhered to as best I can,” Anton said, still feeling confused. “You won’t take a step into any establishment unless it is weapon free.”

Viviana felt tense in his arms. “You don’t need a gun to kill someone.”

“She won’t have any chance to be alone with you.”

“I know.”

“Then what?” Anton asked.

“I want this done,” she said so low he strained to hear. “Put an end to it, however you have to. I don’t want to worry about her or her goddamned family after it’s over. I don’t want to think if she can’t hurt me, she’ll go to the next best thing.”

“You’re worried she’ll try to hurt Demyan.”

“Or you. To me, that’s just as bad.”

“You know that’d never—”

“No, I don’t,” Viviana interrupted coolly. “But if I didn’t have them to worry about, it’d be one less thing for me to consider.”

It was only then that her hidden meanings were starting to dawn on Anton. Viviana never asked him for anything in regards to business. She didn’t like to have her hands in his pots, so to speak. This was entirely different, especially if she was asking what he thought she was asking.

“Come on, Vine …”

“I want it
done
,” she repeated thickly. “Please.”

“On your head, though? You want that on your mind, bloodying up your hands, too?”

“Please?”

“Stop it,” Anton said, practically spitting the words. “Fuck, just don’t say that shit. I’ll handle it.”

“Before or after one of us is dead?”

Anton was out of the bed before he had blinked. Grabbing the cotton sleep pants he’d kicked off earlier in his haste to be with his wife, he tugged the article of clothing on and avoided Viviana’s stare. With the sheet wrapped tightly around her frame, Viviana turned and watched him from under her lashes.

“You don’t know what that means, baby.”

“I do,” she murmured.

“No, you don’t.
Really
,” Anton said, raking his fingers through his hair. “Once you’ve done that, you’ve done it. You’re dirty, then. No amount of soap and water is going to wash that filth off of you, Vine. It doesn’t go away.
Ever
.”

“This isn’t about money, or disrespect, or greed, Anton.”

“Stop trying to justify it to yourself. If you have to do that, you shouldn’t be making the call for it.”

“I’m not justifying the request. I’m not making any calls. And I’m not just anyone asking you for it. This isn’t you being the boss, it’s me being your wife and asking you as my husband. Can it be done?”

Anton blinked out of his haze, meeting Viviana’s determined eyes with his own. “Anything can be done, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be.”

“I think this does. I can’t wake up some morning and you not
be here. Why do I keep getting this horrible feeling that’s exactly what’s going to happen every time I think about that family?”

Another blazing understanding slammed down on Anton. He hadn’t thought much of it the night before, but the door to the guestroom had been left open, and they hadn’t exactly been quiet during their discussion. A little too much vodka had made Anton forget his wife was sleeping just down the hall a few steps from his office instead of the other side of the upstairs like she usually would.

In fact, he’d went to their bedroom first looking for her.

Shit
.

“Did you eavesdrop on my meeting last night?” he asked.

Viviana didn’t look away as she said, “I didn’t eavesdrop. I
woke
up.”

Instantly, Anton knew he should apologize for hiding the things he had. “I’m …”

“Don’t bother giving your excuses to me,” Viviana said, her gaze narrowing. The coldness in her tenor surprised him more than her words. “But given how you treated me for an entire week after I made the mistake of keeping something important from you, I wasn’t about to do it again. I suppose you didn’t see it the same way, huh?”

“No, I did. What I didn’t want was you having this crap on your mind right now. If I had to handle something, I didn’t want it on your conscience, too.”

“Well, it is now, Anton. And I’m asking you to finish it.”

Anton let his emotions simmer as Viviana moved across the bed. With her bare legs dangling over the edge, she reached up and fisted his sleep pants with one hand, using the other to keep the sheet tight to her chest.

“I’m not mad,” she told him quietly. “Not with you, anyway.”

“Nobody’s going to hurt me,” he said.

“But they’re going to
try
.”

“Hit them
first, is that what you’re saying?”

Viviana shrugged one shoulder. “You’ve got the call on when, where, and how. Use it.”

Anton released a shaky exhale, nodding subtly. “Did you hear what I said about Tatiana, too?”

“That she was bothering you,” she replied, calmer than she probably felt.
“How?”

“It was only twice. She didn’t cross any lines, so I overlooked it.”

“That’s not what I asked, Anton.”

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Anton said, “When I bought your pearls, she showed up at the jeweler
’s. A week or so later, she showed up at the coffee shop I frequent.”

“She has no need to be in Brooklyn,” Viviana noted quietly.

“I know, and I’ve considered that. I had someone check up on her, to make sure she wasn’t trying to get close to any of my guys. She came back clean, or so it seemed.”

Bleakly, Viviana nodded her assent. “I still don’t trust her.”

“Me, either.”

He couldn’t help but remember how tightly Viviana had held him that morning, how sharp her teeth had felt nipping into his jaw, and the way she somehow pulled him deeper with every cry. Their lovemaking had been frantic, rushed, and desperate. At first Anton hadn’t known why, but he supposed now he did.

“That’s what this was for you, huh?”

Viviana cleared her throat, looking away. “What?”

“Me and you this morning. Like you weren’t going to have me again.”

“No, more like I didn’t want to forget.
Like every other day, you have to leave. Are you going to be back, Anton? That’s my new question. Do I get a new promise to go along with it, too?”

Smacking his lips, Anton could still taste the hot and heady flavor of his wife lingering on his mouth. Viviana’s fingers shadowed along his thigh over his cotton pants, keeping his nerves awake and aware of her body’s closeness and the heat it caused. Already,
his own body was reacting to her and her innocent touch.

“I’ll handle it.”

“Will you?” Viviana asked, her stare flicking up to seek out his.

“Yeah, but I won’t tell you.”

Bloody hands
, Anton thought. She’d never have them on his watch.

Chapter Fourteen

Two weeks later, Anton found himself calm and waiting as he fixed the knot on his tie in the master bath’s mirror. Things had fallen seamlessly together for the dinner with the Jersey
Bratva family. A little too easily, maybe. Anton was going to make sure that after tonight, his family, his Bratva, and his wife wouldn’t have one more thing to worry about when it came to the Belovs.

“What do you think?”

Anton turned at Viviana’s voice, his eyes widening and a low whistle of appreciation falling from his lips. The thigh-high, black dress she wore was tight enough to show off every beautiful curve of her body. And despite being pregnant, Viviana still had her curves and a swaying walk that memorized him if he watched for too long. Black peep-toes with a four inch stiletto heel clicked-clacked against the hardwood floor as she came a little closer, waiting for him to speak.

The sleeves of the V-neck dress stopped at her wrists, effectively covering the scarring she rarely ever noticed anymore. A slight shimmer to the fabric glittered under the lights in their master bath. Her black hair fell in silky, sleek waves and the sharp cut of her bangs only served to shadow her gaze to a demure effect. Not that her eyes needed shadowing. Viviana’s features were flawless with her high cheekbones accentuated with blush, full lips painted a striking red, and her dark eyes lined with heavy, black strokes of kohl.

Holy sweet, good goddamn
, he thought.

“Is it good?” Viviana asked.
“Or too much?”

“No, no way,” Anton said quickly. “Definitely
not
too much, baby. God, you’re beautiful. You’re killing me here. Look at you.”

With one hand held out, Anton spun Viviana in a small circle, taking an inventory of her figure in a dress he’d never seen before. While his wife always dressed appropriately and looked amazing, it wasn’t often she went to this extent.

“You trying to prove a point or something, Viviana?”

“Nope.
Just thought it’d be a while before I’d get to dress up like this again. The next few months are going to be what? Spit up, formula, poo, no sleep, and
joy
.” Viviana laughed a tinkling sound, her hand falling to her stomach. “He’s not going to give me much of a break to be your pretty wife, so, why not?”

Leaning down, Anton kissed the corner of her mouth, mindful of the lipstick she’d carefully applied. “You’re always going to be my pretty wife, Vine.”

“Yes, but will I always look the part? That’s the real question.”

Anton hummed dismissively, dragging his hand down to the swell of her hip.
“Yeah, always.”

“So …” Viviana smile turned into a thin frown. “What’s the plan tonight?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with. You’ll stay no longer than five or ten minutes, and then go. The only ones aware you’re going to be leaving are me, Ivan, and Erik. That way, it’ll be a last minute thing no one expected. I don’t want you there for longer than necessary. The less people who know you’re leaving, the better. It’ll seem unplanned, which is better for us all.”

“That’s not what I meant, Anton. I mean about handling—”

“You don’t get to ask about that,” he said calmly.

“But you are going to deal with it, right?”

Anton stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes immediately drawn to the woman at his side and the swell of her midsection. Yeah, he was going to handle the Belovs. It wouldn’t be pretty. Actually, it’d be downright messy. Erik’s ability to bribe certain city officials was going to come in mighty handy, also when it came time to handle the cleanup.

“Smile, baby, that’s all you need to worry about.
Just smile.” Anton glanced down at his watch, seeing the time. “It’s nearly five, so we need to go.”

“Joe and Rory aren’t escorting us?” she asked.

“They already left. Two other bulls are at the restaurant helping them check Sergei, his guys, and Tatiana when they arrive.”

The wooden box on the bath’s counter caught his eye for a second. Luckily, as Anton nearly forgot about the object in the presence of his wife. Viviana had that effect on him every damned time. She made his mind muddle up something fierce.

“Also, before I forget.” Anton snatched up the box, opening it up to expose a small handgun resting in a holster. “You’re wearing this, no arguments.”

Viviana stared at the weapon with barely contained disgust. “But if I’m leaving and there’s no risk for me, why do I need it?”

Anton shrugged. “Because you’re pregnant with my child and I’m asking you to. It’ll be hidden on your thigh, I know you can shoot it, and it’s just a precaution.”

“Joe and Rory—”

“Stop arguing with me on this. It’s important you have a gun on you.”

“We’re being checked at the restaurant, too, Anton.”

“There’s not a soul in that room who would dare put their hands between your legs. Not with me standing right there. That dress is too tight for it to be hidden elsewhere, and as you asked for no heat, they won’t expect you to have one on anyway.”

Bending down, Anton said nothing as he clasped the holster around her thigh and tightened it to fit. Viviana didn’t fight with him as he tugged on the Velcro to insure it wasn’t going to slip down.

“Comfortable?”

Viviana shuddered. “No. I know it’s there.
So, no.”

“Vine, listen to me,” he whispered pleadingly. Glancing up, Anton could see the tension in her face, the unease in her eyes. His fingers skimmed the insides of her thighs, hoping to will some of her discomfort away. “Do not take this off until I say it’s okay to do so. Please.”

“Do you honestly think I need it?”

“I know what I’m doing tonight. I know what Ivan and Erik are doing. I know what my brothers will do when I ask them to do it. What I don’t know is who has been working with Sergei, or who would hurt you if given the chance. Could someone be waiting outside of the restaurant when you leave?” Anton asked rhetorically, ignoring the wince Viviana responded with. “Yeah, baby, they could. Rory and Joe aren’t going to be inside so they can also keep their guns, but they don’t know why they aren’t allowed inside. They, like everybody else, think you’re going to be there start to finish. Just … do this for me.”

Over the last two weeks, Anton had provided his wife whatever information she wanted. When she asked about the tires, he told her the truth. When she wanted to surmise on who was going behind Anton’s back, he talked it out with her. While it wasn’t easy, and there was a lot he didn’t want her to know for the sake of her own sanity, he told her anyway.

If she had the will to ask, she had the will to know.

Anton made no apologies for keeping it from her initially and Viviana didn’t ask for one.

“Okay,” Viviana finally said with a small nod.

*

As far as Viviana was concerned, the differences between her and Tatiana
Belov were obvious. She was an olive hue to Tatiana’s milk and cream complexion. Dark eyes to a slate-blue. Viviana had been born with an Italian set of morals and the Russian girl had been brought up spoiled by her Bratva roots. And while they were both exceptionally beautiful in their own rights, Viviana was not ugly in her heart.

There was no hatred in Viviana’s stare as she stood across from Tatiana.

Tatiana, however, did not hide her contempt in the slightest.

Viviana ignored the burning gaze from Tatiana as Anton removed the fur coat from her shoulders and handed it to a man waiting. The article was dubiously checked, as was the suit jacket her husband removed. She stood in silence, watching as Anton stood off to the side and allowed Sergei’s men to check him for weapons.

A pen was drawn out of his pants pocket and Anton scoffed. “Really? You’re worried about that?”

“Boss?” the man asked, turning to Sergei expectantly.

Sergei waved off the item and the pen was handed back to Anton like nothing was amiss. When the unknown man turned on Viviana, ready to check her as well, Anton growled under his breath.

“Do not put hands on my wife without asking for permission.”

“Touchy,” Tatiana said dryly.

“Shush.” Sergei admonished his daughter with a single look. “
Kain, you know better. Anton, may he check her?”

Anton nodded, his eyes flicked away from the man, dismissive and bored. “Touch her skin and I will remove your fingers.”

Viviana managed not to shiver as Kain’s hands skimmed her waist. There wasn’t a place on her body she could hide a gun, other than the spot Anton had put the small revolver, so to her the act of being frisked was nothing more than a show. Something to make her uncomfortable. And it did.

When
Kain’s hand unexpectedly roamed over her midsection, Viviana flinched.

Anton didn’t miss the distress for a second. Without warning, Viviana found herself pushed backwards at the same time
Kain was lifted from the floor. His back slammed down to a table. The room went deafeningly quiet as silverware, wine glasses, and a chair toppled over in Anton’s aggression. The warning that shouted from Anton’s mouth in Russian was nothing compared to his clenched fists as he pulled Kain up from the table just long enough to slam him back down.

It only took a brief moment before people started to move around them. Fortunately, no weapons or guns meant there wasn’t much anyone could do but watch and wait it out. Viviana caught sight of nothing as Ivan tugged her to the side, his arm wrapping to her shoulders and turning her back to the action.

“Shh,” he said quietly in her ear. “Let him make his point.”

“You dare to touch my child?” Anton shouted. “Do you think she’s hiding something there, you fucking fool?”

“I apologize,” Kain said in a gasp of breath.

“Louder, so my wife will hear it, too.” Another slam of
Kain’s back hitting the table resounded. Viviana bit her lip to keep from asking Anton to stop. She understood he was only doing it to keep anyone else’s hands from touching her again. “Now!”

“I apologize for touching your child,
Pakhan.”

Viviana was allowed to turn around just in time to see
Kain moving off the table. Anton was wiping his hands on his dress shirt, seemingly disgusted that he had touched the man at all.

“I think I’ve had enough of my wife being handled, Sergei,” Anton muttered bitingly. “The next one of your men who
do it will apologize with their life. Are we clear?”

“Funny, my daughter didn’t have the slightest issue being checked by your men,” Sergei replied.

“My wife is not your daughter.” Anton tipped his chin up, offering Tatiana a baleful look and a cruel sneer. “Viviana is accustomed to my hands, not just any man’s. Can Tati say the same?”

Sergei turned red but Viviana beat him to the verbal punch.

“Anton, no more.” It was quiet and forceful, but the statement was enough to level out the emotions running high in the room. Viviana took a step out of Ivan’s hold and laid her hand to Anton’s arm gently. “Apologize. That was uncalled for.”

Anton glanced down at her, his brow cocking as the corner of his mouth lifted with the ghost of a grin.

“Acting like a
principessa
.” His Russian roughened up the Italian word, and Viviana snorted under her breath when he added, “Not the time, baby.”

“A lady, not a
Cosa Nostra princess. Apologize. For me?”

“Sergei, my wife assumes I’ve offended your daughter,” Anton said, not taking his eyes off Viviana. His smirk grew when the Jersey
Pakhan stayed silent. “My wife forgets it was Tatiana who called her a Russian whore months ago.”

“I didn’t forget, I forgave.
There’s a difference.”

Anton ticked two of his fingers under her chin, winking as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “True, my merciful little wife,” he said, turning back to the others.
“My apologies, Sergei. Are you happy with the restaurant, and did it meet your requirements?”

Sergei, looking unhappily at his daughter who studied her manicure with the falsest fascination, sighed. “Well enough. The employees were fine with letting my men check the floors and backrooms so long as your men were with them. The owner closed before supper to extend us privacy. It works.”

“Any feds following?”

“They trailed after my daughter’s bulls when we switched cars an hour away.
You?” Sergei asked.

“The same, though it took us … What, three switches, Vine?”

“Three too many,” Viviana said under her breath. She hated switching cars, but the meeting wasn’t one anyone wanted overheard or recorded, so she dealt with it. “May we sit, now? I’m not feeling well, and I’m not to be on my feet for long.”

“Yes, sit.”

Sergei wasted no time prodding his daughter into a chair at a ready-set table. Anton pulled out a seat for Viviana, his mouth coming down to graze along her neck as she sat. She couldn’t help but notice the acidic gaze of Tatiana had turned on her once again.