The Life (4 page)

“Go on, open it.”

Warm in her palm, Viviana opened the wax paper with her own smile. Inside the wrapping lay one of her most favorite treats.

“
Xachapuri
.”

The Georgian flat bread filled with cheese certainly wasn’t the healthiest choice for an after supper snack, but she didn’t care.

“Well done.” Anton praised her with a kiss to her temple. “You said that perfectly, baby.”

Viviana nudged him with her shoulder. “I do okay.”

“That you do.”

“You like?” Gio asked, seemingly delighted he’d found her weakness.

“Very much,” Viviana replied. “Thank you, Gio.”

“Okay, on with you. I have to get back to work. Take your wife home, Anton, and rest her feet.”

Anton shook his head at Gio’s wagging finger. “On it now, Boss.”

With one more wink,
Gio’s hand reached out to touch the spot where Anton’s was resting. Quiet words were whispered under the old shopkeeper’s breath too low for Viviana to discern, even if they had been said in English. Removing his touch only long enough to reach up and pat Anton gently on the cheek with two fingers, Gio disappeared back into his shop.

Viviana allowed Anton to guide her further down the street before she said anything about
Gio’s odd gestures.

“What was that?” she asked softly.

“Hmm, what, baby?” The amusement in his gaze had her rolling her eyes.

“That, at the end.
When he touched you.”

Anton shrugged passively. “His way of greeting a
Pakhan, I suppose. It doesn’t matter how they do it, so long as it’s respectful. If he was Bratva, it’d be a different story. I would have expected it from the beginning.”

Sighing, Viviana poked at his side. “That’s not what I meant.”

“The baby?” Anton mused with a wry smile. She nodded. “Blessing him, and us. He bid him good aspirations for the duration of the pregnancy and beyond, and wished him great things in his life.”

“And the one for us?”

Anton smiled softly, his fingers curving her waist tightening gently. While he spoke at a level too low for any of the passersby to hear and he didn’t turn to look at her again, Viviana heard his words and saw his emotions nonetheless. “He was asking for the ones we’ve left behind to keep watch.”

Viviana’s stare turned down to the lights blinking in the distance. “Do you think they do?”

Neither of them were religious. They still didn’t go to church, or the temple. They didn’t live a devout life, but that didn’t mean they had no faith.

Before Viviana realized it, a tear escaped the corner of her eye. She wiped it away before Anton would notice. The question wasn’t meant to affect her or her silenced lover the way it had, but it still hung between them heavily.

So much blood had already spilled for them to be where they were together, and Viviana sometimes wished that didn’t have to be so. More than anything, she so wanted to share the birth of their son with her dead parents, her brother, and Nicoli.

“Do you think they watch after us?” she asked again.

“I hope so.”

*

Back at home, Viviana scowled at her blood glucose meter. Scribbling down the number that was too high, she knew her next appointment with the doctor would be filled with another lecture.

Anton leaned over her shoulder to check the number with a raised brow.
“Too high.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

The bite in her tone didn’t escape his notice. Anton backed away, raising his one free hand in surrender. “Hey, I’m not the one who will be needing to take insulin for the remainder of this pregnancy if you can’t get it under control, baby.”

Yes, because Viviana needed another reminder.

Willing her raging hormones to simmer for a moment so she could think before biting his head off, Viviana took a deep breath and counted back from ten. She had never been one to let her emotions rule, but sometimes it just took the littlest things with this pregnancy to set her off.

Viviana didn’t want a repeat of one of those moments, so she forced herself to be calm and talk rationally. “I know my sugars are too high. I follow the diet, exercise, and whatever else. It’s being stubborn.”

Anton bit the inside of his cheek, glancing up at the ceiling with an amused expression. “I’m sure the
xachapuri
didn’t help. It is bread and cheese, Vine.”

Again, thank you, Captain Obvious
, Viviana thought. “But I like it.”

“
Mmhmm. I like strawberries but I’m allergic to the seeds. You don’t see me eating them.”

“That’s different.”

“Not really,” he argued, cocking that brow of his again. “You do know if he continues to grow at this rate, you’re going to need a C-section, right?”

Oh God, that stopped her heart right up. “But—”

“He’s already hitting the weight of a baby at nearly eight months gestation and you just reached seven months last week,” Anton interrupted quietly. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time, but you’re the one who wants to be out of the hospital as quick as possible with an easy recovery. Surgery won’t do that for you. C-section
is
surgery, Viviana.”

She hated it when he did shit like that.
“No more
xachapuri
, huh?”

The tender smile he sported had her air catching. “Nope, but I’ll get you some the moment you ask for it after he’s born.”

Viviana suddenly felt embarrassed and a little more self-conscious than she was accustomed to, so she wrapped her arms around her middle. “So I must be getting huge, too, then.”

Anton’s blue eyes widened. “Uh …”

“Well, you said it!”

Anton shot a fleeting glance at the entryway to the kitchen like he wished it would swallow him whole.

“That’s not what I said exactly,” he said weakly. “And you look fine.”

“Do I?”

“Of course!”

“But … but …”

Viviana didn’t even get to finish her sentence before the coffee cup he held was placed to the island and she was wrapped in his embrace. Burying her face into his chest, she inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne, letting it calm the overwhelming feelings that washed through her like a tidal wave.

“You look fine.” Anton punctuated each word with a kiss to the top of her head. “Fucking fantastic and it kind of drives me crazy, okay? You being pregnant
is my own personal ecstasy. I want to kill every fucker who looks at you right now. I’m always hard and ready. If you were up to it, I’d have you morning, noon, and night, baby. You look fine.”

“Fine?”

“
Fine
.” Anton drawled the word out with a teasing leer.

Viviana tapped her fingers along the hemline of his jeans. At the suggestive touch, Anton pushed against her lower back, drawing her body in closer to his. The length of his erection beneath dark wash denim proved his point loud and clear.

“It’s almost nighttime now.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Anton asked,
grinning a wicked sight.

“Yep.”

She didn’t have to say it again.

Chapter Three

“Anton, we meet again.”

Those words were as sweet as sugar and as poisonous as a snake.

A heavy weight settled inside Anton’s churning gut as he turned in the direction of Tatiana
Belov’s voice. One random meeting he could overlook, but two chance encounters in less than two weeks? No, that didn’t feel coincidental at all. Tatiana wasn’t exactly a straightforward woman, either.

She liked her games.

Now, Anton was beginning to wonder if she was playing one with him.

“Tatiana,” Anton greeted, turning his attention back to the coffee he was waiting for. “Did your father send you?”

Tatiana raised a blonde brow as she came to stand beside him. “No, I haven’t spoken to Daddy in days. Did your meeting not go well?”

“It didn’t go at all, though I’m sure you already knew that.”

“I didn’t,” she said with an apologetic smile.

It didn’t ring true. Nothing with Tatiana ever did.

“Are you going to tell me it’s funny to meet up with me again?” Anton asked, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his tone.

Tatiana waved at the workers behind the counter preparing coffees and specialty drinks. “I was told this was the best coffee shop in Brooklyn, Anton. That’s all.”

“The same coffee shop I buy every morning coffee from,” he intoned dully.

“One in the same.”
The quip was light and heavy at the same time. Loaded with more than what she was saying. It was only punctuated more by the vicious curve of Tatiana’s lips. “Surely I can grab a coffee without you being unnerved by my presence. Do I still have such an effect on you, old friend?”

Anton felt the bile rise in his throat at her suggestive implication. “The effect you had was the same effect any seventeen-year-old boy’s cock would have for a girl willing to spread her thighs for him,
Tati. Don’t play coy with me. I hate a coy woman.”

“Would you rather I
be a little more clear?” she asked demurely.

“No, I’d rather you left me alone.”

Tatiana sighed, eyeing Anton from the side, appearing frustrated. “You act like I’m chasing you. Is that what you want?”

That was a chain Anton refused to bite onto. What was it going to take for this girl to get the point and stay the fuck away from him?

“Does the thought of me killing you not scare you a bit, Tatiana? I was positive I made it clear that was exactly what would happen when you accosted my wife at my last birthday party.”

“I’m not accosting your wife, Anton.”

“But you are following me,” he said lowly, daring her to deny it. “And I don’t like it. Whatever you’re playing at, quit it before it becomes annoying.”

“Oh, but I’m just getting started,” Tatiana murmured in response. “Besides, I’m following your rules, staying away from Brighton Beach, keeping my distance from your pretty little wife. What reason would you have to hurt me?”

Without another word, Tatiana simpered a smile before turning to leave. Anton watched her go, confusion and simmering anger growing. Not only was the woman’s behavior strange, but erratic, too.

She was right, though. Anton couldn’t do anything about her appearances or unwanted presence unless she did something threatening. So far, she hadn’t. It was only two meetings, after all.

Viviana would have a fit if Anton told her about Tatiana. Worrying his pregnant wife wasn’t the best idea. She had enough stress as it was.

“Sir?”

Anton blinked away his thoughts as his coffee was handed over the counter. “Thank you.”

The young man nodded towards the front where Tatiana had disappeared. “Did she not want anything, sir?”

Well, that was the question of the hour, wasn’t it?

Tatiana hadn’t bought that coffee she supposedly came in for, either.

*

An envelope was passed over the tabletop with a stealth meant to hide the package from being seen by any other eyes in the diner. Anton made quick work of sliding the brigadier’s tribute into the inside pocket of his jacket as he resumed his meal like nothing had happened.

“How’s the wife, Boss?” Boris asked as he slid into the booth.

“Pregnant,” Anton answered.

There were a dozen other things Anton could have said about Viviana that were just as true and a great deal more heartfelt. Unfortunately Anton knew he needed to keep a distance built up between his wife and his guys. He didn’t want them feeling as though they had some kind of connection to her that they didn’t. Safety wise, it was better for Viviana, too.

“And the baby?”

Anton didn’t bother to hide his forming smile as he said, “Getting there.”

“I heard Sergei blew it,” Boris noted, not taking his attention away from the menu in his hands. “Goddamn moron.”

“Like a pro.” He was still a little sore over the other Pakhan’s refusal of their arranged sit down. It certainly didn’t help that everyone was waiting on Anton to make some kind of move about it. With Tatiana adding into the equation, he wasn’t ready to strike without knowing more. “Unfortunately this isn’t the best time for me to let my Bratva honor and pride control the situation.”

“True enough. I’m sure Vine wouldn’t appreciate being taken out of state while the issue was handled.”

No, she certainly wouldn’t
, Anton thought. With her being pregnant, it would probably only serve to worry her more. “
Issues
, I think.”

Boris’s brow rose. “Come again?”

“Issues meaning there are more than one.”

Noticing the
couple in the next booth were finally readying to leave, Anton waited until they paid for their meal and had left the table before deciding it was safe to continue on the topic.

“All dealing with Sergei?”
Boris twirled a butter knife between his fingers.

It was funny how the simplest of things looked the most dangerous when the brigadier had a hold of it. Boris was one of Anton’s more brutal guys when it came to handling some of the violent aspects of their business.

“Maybe,” Anton agreed quietly. “A little over a week ago I noticed a car behind my house. The driver was taking pictures.”

“And?”

“And I assumed it was FBI.”

“But?”

Anton shrugged as he took another bite of his meal, purposely wanting to keep his appearance as unbothered by the situation he was talking about. Frankly, he was horribly worried about it. The more time Anton had let pass by for him to consider the unknown photographer, the more unsettled it made him.

“Why would the feds be taking pictures of Viviana in our backyard while she was doing nothing more than sitting out in the sun?” Anton asked rhetorically. “I thought maybe they were attempting to catch me doing something, but I’d just arrived home. They would have been following me from the other side, not waiting out back.”

Boris leaned forward. “Whoever it was had been taking pictures before you even returned home, then.”

“Yeah, that’s my thought. If it were the feds, we’d know. Someone is always blabbing about something concerning us. One of our insiders would have heard. There’s been nothing from the federal side. That tells me it’s not FBI.”

Anton hated to even consider what that might mean for his wife. Who would be following her and why? Not to mention wanting pictures of her in situations that would show her without obvious protection. The bulls who kept a close watch while she was away from their home were instructed to close more of the gap Anton asked them to keep. He still hadn’t brought up the possible threat to Viviana.

Unfortunately, Tatiana
Belov raised a whole bunch of other questions. Anton despised the fact that she might be the answer to all the other ones, as well. Worse still was the fact there wasn’t any proof. That was what Anton needed, now.

“And you believe this is Sergei?” Boris pursed his lips in contemplation. “That’d be an awfully stupid move if you found out. From his end, I mean.”

“I know,” Anton replied. “I don’t want to risk thinking it is just the feds doing their usual nonsense if it isn’t. This isn’t exactly their deal, anyway. They’d be more adept to taking her picture when she was with me and we were in contact with someone connected to the Bratva. Not at home being happy and innocent. Not like that.”

“Maybe you should get her out of state. Have you talked to Ivan or Erik about this, Boss?”

“I want to know everything before I do anything.”

Making hurried decisions that could lead to messy situations later wasn’t exactly Anton’s forte. Finishing up the last bit of his parmesan risotto, Anton flicked his hand up as the waitress passed by his table to signal he was ready for the bill. Anton wanted to catch up with Boris about his trip to Vegas and what had come of it business-wise, but he promised to pick up Viviana from her study group.

“You have a good contact with a tracer. Is he worth his price, or what?”

“She,” Boris corrected, his gaze meeting Anton’s. “And yes, I’d say so. She’s done great work for me. Who do you want checked up on?”

“Tatiana.”

Instantly, Boris was sitting ramrod straight in his seat.
“Oh, hell. That’s a problem you don’t need. Were you messing around with the Jersey girl again?”

Anton nearly choked on his tongue. “What the fuck?”

“I’m just saying, Boss. We all know how pregnant women can be sometimes. Well, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary—”

“For me it would,” the boss interrupted coolly. Rage washed through his insides fast and hard, raising his pulse to a racing speed. “I don’t fuck around on my wife.”

The older man seemed struck speechless. Why was it that everyone seemed to find it hard to believe that Anton was faithful to his wife?

“Ever?”

“
Never
,” Anton hissed.

“Well, why in the hell do you think
Tati—”

“Because she’s up to something,” Anton interjected sharply. “Twice in less than two weeks she’s cornered me at either a place I frequent, or a place she would have needed direct information about. She’s acting like an annoying puppy sniffing at my heels, and my wife is being photographed in positions that make me rather uncomfortable. Both are odd.”

“And you think Tati’s involved.”

“I don’t
think
anything. What I know is even less, and I don’t like that.”

The brigadier looked uncomfortable. Anton could understand that. The Jersey
Bratva family had always been good to their side of the brotherhood, minus the birthday incident. If Tatiana or Sergei were involved in something like trailing Viviana—a well-respected Pakhan’s wife—no matter the reason, there would be hell to pay.

“Are you looking at this from her husband’s perspective, or the boss?” Boris asked, suddenly interested in the white crescents of his fingernails.

Anton expected that question, especially since the person of interest just happened to be one of his old lovers. To others, it could look as if the Russian boss was simply trying to avoid issues with his wife by ridding the source of the problem under the guise of Tatiana being dangerous to Viviana.

Of course, Anton wasn’t stupid, either.

“Tati was seen in my club a half a year ago causing her usual problems. More than one person heard the things she said to Viviana and any one of them would have construed it the very same way I have,” Anton explained calmly. Drumming his fingernails to the tabletop, considering his next words carefully, he shrugged and added, “I’ve looked at every other option. Who would want to hurt her, why, and what would be gained from doing so. The Italians are out of the picture.”

“Can you be sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Anton scoffed, almost offended that his opinion was being questioned. “She’s cut all ties with the Cosa Nostra. I thought about possible enemies from the Bratva side, but the girl doesn’t have any connections other than what she’s made through me. It all leads me to the same conclusion.”

“That whoever is doing it means to hurt you,” Boris finished with a nod.

Anton hadn’t once mentioned the baby boy Viviana was carrying, or her importance to him. In fact, he’d stuck to the facts he knew, the pertinent issues at hand that they needed to deal with for obvious reasons. He knew it wouldn’t be missed by his brigadier.

“So,” Anton said with a smirk, “I suppose you can say you’re dealing with the boss.”

“You really think it’s the fire bug?”

Exhaling harshly, Anton stood from the table. He tossed a hundred dollar bill down. It would more than take care of his meal, whatever Boris would choose from the menu, and still have quite a generous tip left over for the waitress.

“Like I said, I want all the facts before I make any rash decisions. You can get the info the tracer needs, yeah?”

“Sure, but I don’t know if it will get you your answers.”

“No, but it’ll get me one step closer to whoever, or whatever, it is if it isn’t the Jersey scum,” Anton said with the cold indifference of a Bratva boss. “I need to know if it’s her, Sergei, or someone else following my wife. And I needed to know it yesterday. So get on it.”