Three Weeks. Two Days. Six Hours.
I hear Ruslan crying from his crib. The sounds of having a baby in the house is both exhausting and soothing. Harlyn has barely been out of bed these first few weeks so I had to hire a nanny to help out until I can get her ass on her own two feet again.
Ever since Ruslan was born, I could see a change in her. I don’t think she knows how to deal with being a mother and keeping this secret from Stavros. I haven’t mentioned any of this to him because he’ll just drag her back to the clubhouse and that’s not what she needs. Getting out of bed, I make my way towards the nursery and pick my nephew up out of his crib.
“Hey, little man,” I coo at him. His face scrunches up and I know that it’s his shitting face. Every time he does it, he ends up needing a diaper change and that isn’t one of my strong suits. Give me a dead guy every damn day of the week instead of a shitty diaper.
“How about we change your smelly ass and try and get your momma out of bed.” His eyes close for a second before he opens them again. I set him down on the changing table and pull his onesie thing off of him, tossing it in the laundry basket Harlyn set up next to the crib.
Once I change the little man and think that I’m dying due to his stinky ass, I redress him and pick him up off the table. First we go into the kitchen to make him a bottle before we go to his momma’s room. Pushing her door open with my foot, I see that she’s still passed out.
Judging by the red eyes and nose, she must have just went to bed. As much as it pains me to watch her destroy herself again, I can’t let it happen. Ruslan needs at least one of his parents and if she doesn’t want to man the fuck up, then I’ll just call Stavros.
Walking over to the bed, I take a seat next to her and nudge her with my elbow while making sure Ruslan still has his bottle.
“Harlyn, get your ass up,” I say after a few minutes. I listen to her groan before she rolls over and covers her head with the blanket. “So help me God, if you don’t get your shit together I’ll call Stavros and tell him about his son. At least maybe he’ll take care of him,” I bite out. I’m not only pissed that they still haven’t got this shit worked out, but Ruslan deserves at least one parent who gives a fuck about him.
“Harlyn,” I growl when she doesn’t respond. Before I can say anything else, my phone starts to ring. Pulling it out of my sweats pocket, I see Ivelisse’s smiling face. “Hey, doll,” I answer.
Her cheerful voice brings a smile to my face and all the shit with Harlyn disappears. “Hey, what are you doing?” she asks. Her voice is way too damn perky for this time of the morning.
“Not much why?” I haven’t told her about the shit with Harlyn yet. They’ve met once, but that was right after Ruslan was born. She looked tired but was at least getting up with her son every time he cried.
“I’m at the door.” I can hear her smile through the phone and it’s addicting. Getting off Harlyn’s bed, I take Ruslan with me to answer the door. As soon as the door is unlocked, my girl is pushing her way inside. “Hey.” She grins before looking down at Ruslan in my arms. “Oh my God, he already looks so different!” She gently runs the tip of her finger along his cheek as he drinks from his bottle. “Can I hold him?”
“Yeah of course,” I reply, gently handing him over to her. “Can you stay in here? I need to talk to his mom for a second.”
Her eyes meet mine and I feel the questioning glare in them. I don’t say anything as I make my way back to Harlyn’s room. Walking into her room, I see that she’s at least moved a little. Kicking the side of her bed, I hit it hard enough for the bed frame to move a little. Her eyes shoot open and when she sees me she narrows them on me.
“What the fuck?” she growls.
“Don’t fuckin’ start with me. I’m done watching you sleep away every fuckin’ day. I’m done. You want to ruin your life and your relationship with your son, fine do it, but get the fuck out of my house. You don’t want to be his mom anymore, okay fine; I’ll call Stavros and let him know the shit you’ve been keeping from him. At least I’ll know that someone is taking care of Ruslan.”
Harlyn goes to say something, but her expression drops. Her shoulders slump and tears start to fall down her face. As shitty as I feel for having to be the bad guy again, she needs to hear this shit. Ruslan needs her to be a mother. He needs someone else on his side besides me. “I just don’t know what to do anymore.” She sobs. I take a seat on her bed and pull her close to me. She pretty much face plants into my chest as she cries.
Running my hand down the back of her head, I try to soothe her. She’s got to get her shit together.
“I can’t always be here for you. I’ve done everything I can do and it’s still not enough. You either want to be his mom or you don’t. Stop being half way in. He needs you.” I hear footsteps coming into the room and I see the look on Ivelisse’s face. She looks heartbroken and I know she wants to help Harlyn.
“I’m giving you a week. If you can’t pull yourself together enough to raise him, then I’m making the call to my brother.” Harlyn pulls back and her eyes are wide when she stares at me.
“You can’t.” She sobs. “You promised you wouldn’t tell him about Ruslan. You fucking promised!” She sobs into my chest, hitting her fist against me. I grab her arm and tighten my grip on her.
“I promised to help you take care of him. Right now I’m the only one holding up my end of the bargain. You don’t want to take care of him; I have a brother who would love to meet his only son.”
Ruslan starts to cry from where Ivelisse is holding him. Harlyn’s head snaps up and she gives Ivelisse a dirty look. Before Harlyn can even say anything, I stop her. “Say one word to her and I won’t give you the chance. She hasn’t done shit to you and doesn’t deserve you being a bitch because you’re mad at me.” She shuts her mouth and I get up off the bed.
I walk over to Ivelisse and wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to me. “Shower and get dressed. Ruslan needs a mother.” I lead Ivelisse out of the room and towards Ruslan’s nursery. His eyes are now closed as she slowly lowers him on to his mattress. She strokes her fingers along his cheek a few times before she turns towards me.
“I’m sorry you were in that position.” Her words do nothing but remind me how innocent she really is in this life I live. What I did to Harlyn was nothing. Her and Stavros have had shouting matches that will make most people shrink back in fear that he might actually hurt her. I’ve heard her side of the story and I know she’s a tough girl. She can take me yelling at her, hell it might be the only way she sees what she’s doing to herself and her son.
“Don’t be. She needs to be his mother. She wants to keep this secret from my brother, fine. But I won’t stand here and let her hurt that little boy too. He deserves parents who love him.” Her hand cups my cheek and I have to look away from her. “That is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.”
Grinning I can’t help the next words out of my mouth. “You mean all the dirty things I whisper in your ear as I’m coming inside of you isn’t sweet?” She giggles as she pushes me away from her.
“You’re such a perv.” She starts to walk away, but I stop her by wrapping my arms around her waist hauling her body back into mine.
“I’m only stating facts.” She smiles up at me as I lead her out of Ruslan’s room and straight for mine. As soon as I get her through the door, I’m tearing at her clothes, trying to get her naked. I toss her shirt somewhere behind us as I push her back against the door. Her jeans are the next to go. I unbutton them and slide down her zipper as I sink down to my knees, dragging them down her legs.
She has no panties on, fuck me. When I look up at her face, I see the devious little smirk. “Surprise.”
“Fuck, it’s a good surprise,” I murmur before putting my lips back on her skin. I kiss my way down her thighs while helping her get her jeans off her feet. I grab her calf and put her leg over my shoulder. I can smell how excited she is already. Fuck it’s a turn-on.
The minute my tongue hits her clit, her fingers grip my hair and she pulls it hard. This eggs me on. I lap at her pussy until her legs threaten to give out. Her whimpers fill the room, my dick trying to break through the sweats I’m currently wearing.
“Please, Nikolai.” Her voice is hoarse from her moans and it’s just the way I like her. I’ve learned over the last few weeks that she doesn’t mind when I get a little rough with her – in fact, she enjoys it more that way. Two weeks ago, she finally asked my name and I refused to give it to her so she asked Stas one night while I was off handling some business.
As I start to make my way back up her body and get to my feet, my phone starts ringing. A groan slips past my lips as I look over towards the dresser that I left it on. When it stops ringing and doesn’t start again, I go back to kissing her body. I’ll deal with everything after I fuck her. Her hands slide my sweats down to my knees. Picking her up, I press her body into the door. Her legs wrap around me and I grip my dick with my right hand, slowly stroking my hand up and down my shaft.
As soon as I start to push inside of her, my phone starts to ring again. Dropping my forehead against her chest, I blow out a breath. “You can get it if you need,” she whispers, running her fingers down my back.
“No. I only want to focus on your sweet cunt.” My voice is hard and I know I shouldn’t take it out on her, it’s not her fault. This is who I am. I’m the next in line for taking over the family so I have a lot of responsibility.
When the phone stops, I thrust my hips hard, filling her in one stroke. Her gasp fills my ears and I love the sound. Her fingernails dig into my scalp and the back of my neck, bringing a bite of pain to me. I love the pain almost as much as I love being inside of her.
If any other bitch were to mark me, I’d be pissed, but when she does it, it’s like the holy fucking grail. I fuck her hard against my bedroom door. Every pump of my hips brings a grunt or a moan from her. It doesn’t take long to have her crying out her release. Her pussy clamps down on me and I know I’m going to blow inside of her. She feels just too goddamn good.
As she comes down from her orgasm, she drags her nails down the sides of my arms. The pain is what brings me over the edge. I pound into her roughly as I come. The high is unlike anything else. She was made for me, even if she doesn’t believe it.
Her soft and sweet side counteracts my rough and crazy side.
When I first heard my brother was pussy whipped, I couldn’t help but laugh. He was never the type to stay with one girl for longer than a night, but she changed him. It may have been in the worst way, but I don’t doubt that he loves her or their son.
Resting my forehead against her shoulder, I huff out trying to catch my breath. I don’t pull out of her as I pull away from the door and make my way towards the dresser to grab my phone. Her lips are running down the side of my neck as I grab my phone and walk us to the bed. Laying her back on the bed, I kiss my way down her body and stop on her belly.
Thoughts of having a baby fill my head and I quickly tamp that shit down. This life isn’t one for kids. If our father was alive while we were growing up, I have no doubt that I would have grown up in the life. I would have been involved years before I finally joined the ranks. I would be like Ilias – a cold-blooded killer.
My phone starts ringing in my hand and her lips press against my chest. Laying my face in between her tits, I put the phone to my ear and finally answer it. “Yeah?” I bark out. I’m not in the mood to do anything but lay next to my girl’s warm spent body.
“Niko, what the fuck happened?” My brother’s harsh voice is the only thing I can hear. I don’t want to get into this shit with him right now. He knows some of the shit I’ve been dealing with.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I reply, slightly annoyed at his tone. He may be my older brother, but there isn’t shit that I would do to ruin my position in the family.
“Your fuckin’ men took over my damn shipment. Uncle Viktor needs to watch his fuckin’ back. I’ll be coming for him.”
I blow out a breath and kiss her chest before lifting my head up.
“Chill the fuck out. How do you know it was us?”
His sharp laughter makes me wary. He’s still on the edge, even after all this time of Harlyn being with me. This shit will end badly if I don’t interfere. There will be lots of spilled blood and that isn’t happening on my watch. I’ve lost a few men over the years, but if I let Stavros do what he does, I’ll lose ten times the number.
“The damn calling card that was left in the warehouse, it’s yours. I swear to God if you don’t fix this shit, I will.” Before he hangs up on me, he asks one question. “How are they?” He asks the same questions every time and I give him the same answer. I don’t let him know that she’s falling apart or that she doesn’t get out of bed most days. I give him the answer that keeps him away. The only one that I know will keep them both safe from his anger.