The Jersey Vignettes (4 page)

Chapter Eleven

Ana felt like a mother when she heard her son cry for the first time. It was like an instant shot of understanding, love, and need straight into her heart. Nothing was ever as perfect or as beautiful as that one little sound had been. And when she held him, wrapped in fluffy blankets and still dirtied from being taken from his happy home, Ana decided the pain was worth it.

Because she did something amazing.

Adrik Nicoli was an easy child. He didn’t fuss or make a lot of noise. He was most happy in his mother’s arms, but he had an obvious attachment to his father, as well. Koldan planned on thoroughly spoiling his first son. It didn’t matter what Ana or anyone else said, Adrik was Koldan’s golden child. The boy could do no wrong.

Well, to Ana, Adrik could do no wrong, either.

“My God, he’s gotten big,” Viviana said.

Ana watched her eighteen-month-old toddler run after his grandfather in the back yard. Anton hid behind a tree and then popped right back out, making Adrik fall back to his butt on the grass. The toddler squealed loudly as Anton tickled the boy from his kicking legs all the way up to his belly.

“He’s growing fast,” Ana agreed with her mother.

“He eats all the damn time,” Koldan put in, laughing.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Claire said as she came to stand in front of the table with a tray full of glasses and juice. “Just means he’s healthy.”

Even Demyan had taken time out of his schedule to come over to visit with Ana, Koldan, and little Adrik. A smiling, grinning Roman sat on his quiet father’s lap. Demyan had been playing a game where he bounced Roman over and over and sang a song of some sort. Roman had his father doing the game for thirty minutes nonstop.

“Again,” Roman demanded in that childish voice of his.

Demyan shook his head, chuckling. “You’re making my knee tired, Rome.”

“GRANDPAPA!” Roman cried. “PAPA SAID NO!”

“Jesus,” Demyan muttered under his breath, dropping Roman to the ground. “Go, little man.”

Roman scampered off to Anton’s side. Without leaving either child out of the game, Anton managed to wrangle Roman into the tickle fest, too. It was so unusual for Ana to think of her father as a former crime boss when she saw him now like he was with the kids.

Only one thing mattered to her father: his family.

“He is so spoiled,” Demyan said, sighing.

“You love it,” Claire replied, grinning.

Demyan didn’t say a word but he caught his wife around the waist and pulled her into his lap.

“You think he’s bad, you should have seen you when you were that age,” Viviana said, smirking. “If there’s anything Anton does best, it’s spoil kids. It’s too late to save Roman, Demyan. Just grin and bear it.”

Demyan shook his head. “You’re awful, Ma.”

“I know.”

“He’s a good kid,” Demyan said, resting back in his chair. “A little high strung, but good.”

“I don’t know where he gets that from,” Claire said.

“Anton,” Viviana muttered.

Laughter rung out over the backyard.

“Where is Vera?” Ana asked.

Demyan scowled. “Ballet.”

Claire smacked his leg. “Stop it. You know she loves that school.”

“I know,” Demyan said, his voice heavy. “But they’re hard on her. If she misses a step, they’re right on her ass. I can’t sit there and watch it without needing to hold myself back from breaking someone’s fucking neck.”

“I know it’s not the same thing, but competitive swim training was hard, too, Demyan,” Ana told her brother. “The coaches—or teachers—are there to push you to be better. If she’s going to make a career out of dancing someday, the harsher the teacher, the better.”

“I still don’t like it,” Demyan replied.

Yeah, Ana supposed he wouldn’t. Demyan had always been a little overprotective when it came to Vera.

Ana felt Koldan’s hand slip into hers. Silently, he tugged her closer into his side. Content there, Ana took in Koldan’s warmth, silent strength, and love.

“So, when are you two planning on telling the rest of the world?” Viviana asked, never taking her eyes off her husband and the kids.

“Tell you what?” Ana asked.

Viviana smiled. “You know what.”

Ana tried to seem dumb. “No, I don’t.”

Butterflies beat around in her stomach. Nervousness had never worked out well for Ana.

“What, Ma?” Demyan asked.

“Ana is pregnant,” Viviana said.

Koldan’s arm tightened around Ana’s waist. Ana wondered how her mother could possibly know that. She was only a couple of months along in her second pregnancy and she certainly didn’t look pregnant.

“Mothers know,” Viviana said before Ana could ask.

“Or someone else spilled their guts,” Ana said, giving Koldan a look.

“I said nothing,” Koldan murmured before kissing her lips quickly.

Heat and desire swirled around Ana’s insides. Her second pregnancy was turning out to be different in the way that it took barely any prodding at all and her libido was up and revving, demanding attention. Koldan was more than happy to feed into that need, thankfully. Unfortunately, this was not the right time or place.

“Stop,” Ana whispered at the sight of Koldan’s growing, knowing smirk.

“So, when?” Viviana asked again.

Ana laughed lightly. “Why should I tell you anything? You just did it for me.”

“A girl this time, maybe?” Viviana’s smile was almost conspiratorial in nature. “You can name her after me.”

Ana guffawed at her mother. “What about
my
name?”

“You were named after me … and your grandmother, but me, too.”

Koldan hummed, dotting kisses along Ana’s cheekbone as he said, “I don’t know how well I would do with a girl. Let’s just say I’m hoping for a second boy.”

Ana poked her husband’s stomach. “We might have a girl.”

“Nope, God’s only gonna give me boys, Ana. It’s decided.”

Oh, was it now?

Chapter Twelve

“Ah, the little boss’s wife is in the house tonight, I see.”

Ana turned at the sound of the gravelly voice. A large, overweight man with a loosened tie and a wrinkled suit sauntered over to their table. His voice held the distinct accent of a Russian’s, but Ana didn’t recognize the man, as far as that went. When it came to Koldan and his work, Ana tried to stay out of it.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew Koldan was a brigadier—a Captain—for his father’s Bratva and that he often acted as Adrik’s right-hand man in most things where business was concerned. Koldan never pretended to hide the things he was involved in, but he always made sure to keep Ana at a safe distance away from the men he controlled and the darker side of business.

Ana didn’t mind, really.

“And getting larger by the day, I must say,” the man said, looking Ana’s rounded stomach over.

Ana’s hand fluttered up to her midsection, unnerved by the man looking at her. Sitting at the club’s table with a few of Koldan’s men while her husband dealt with some issue in the backroom didn’t bother Ana. Koldan wouldn’t leave her alone, especially not pregnant, with people he didn’t trust. But the guys were lost in conversation and gawking over the girls working the floor and serving drinks.

This man, however, Ana didn’t trust at all.

“Hello,” Ana said to the man.

“Hey there, pretty face,” the man muttered. “You’re Anton’s kid, yeah?”

Ana felt dirty as the man looked her up and down again. After her rape years ago, it took Ana a long time to feel completely comfortable in an enclosed space with men she didn’t know well. But once she had jumped over that hurdle, the anxiety rarely reared its ugly head.

The panic seemed to be thumping right in her throat at this man.

“Anton is my father,” Ana replied.

“Good man,” the guy said. “Damn good boss, but that boy of his … Demyan … he’s a nasty fucker. He’s the boss now, yeah?”

Ana didn’t answer that question. Apparently, the guy wasn’t looking for one. Leaning down over the table, he reached out and caught one of Ana’s stray curls in his fingers. Tugging just enough for it to hurt, the man grinned.

“Good to see Koldan’s doing something right—he’s got you knocked up, prettied up, and sat down to be admired by the rest of us. Seems the boy does know what to do with a wife like you.” He tugged again on her hair and said, “But we all know that with a little liquor, you’re just the kind of girl who’ll give a man whatever he wants, right? What was his name … Cavan, was it?”

Ana jerked away from him, a pain splintering in her chest at the sound of her rapist’s name. How and why did this man know that? “What in the fuck are you doing? Don’t put your hands on me! Get the hell away from me or I’ll make sure my husband has the pleasure of cutting your dick off and shoving it up your own ass.”

Finally, the other men at the table seemed to notice Ana’s predicament.

“Mud, didn’t Koldan say you weren’t welcomed back until you cleaned up your shit and opinions?” Ana’s bull for the night asked.

Mud—
odd name
, Ana thought—shrugged. “Just came to meet his wife. Heard he brought her in for the boys to gawk at.”

Ana swallowed hard, feeling something awful well in her gut. It was Koldan’s birthday and he had to work late because of some shipment or truck of shit he needed to handle. Ana convinced him to let her tag along for the night so that he wouldn’t have to spend the majority of his birthday without her.

With a sharp order in Russian from Ana’s bull, Mud disappeared back into the crowd of club goers. Not three minutes later, Koldan was sitting back at the table. As they usually did when they went out together and were seen in a space where other Bratva was present, Koldan was careful not to shower too much affection on Ana. She understood why—because it wasn’t safe for him to show where his weaknesses were.

Even still, under the table as he talked to the man at his other side, Koldan’s finger drew soft, tantalizing pathways on Ana’s exposed leg. It was just one of the ways he always let her know that he was there, loving her and wanting her.

Despite being eight months along in her second pregnancy and feeling like a giant balloon, Koldan never made Ana feel like anything less than beautiful and sexy to him. Even with the young, gorgeous women working around them and the ones dancing and drinking on the floor, Ana’s husband didn’t give them a single ounce of his attention.

She still felt sick in the seat, unsure if she should tell Koldan what happened before he arrived back at the table. She would tell him, to be sure, but not when his men were around. Ana didn’t want to seem like some petty, frightened wife. A person’s character and reputation was everything in the Bratva world. A man like Koldan couldn’t have a wife who needed coddled from all the bad things in life. His wife needed to appear as strong as him in all things and at all times.

Ana didn’t need to tell Koldan a thing, apparently.

“Who?” Koldan demanded.

The bull muttered something in Russian. Ana wished she had taken the time to learn more of her family’s second language growing up than just the little bit she did.

Koldan pushed out of the booth, turned, and offered Ana his hand without a word. She stared at it, confused. “Come.”

“Don’t you have that truck to handle when it comes in?” Ana asked.

“I have men for that. Come, Ana.”

Ana took Koldan’s hand and let him help her out of the booth. Without a word, he placed his palm over her stomach, put his other hand to her lower back, and directed her through the crowd of people, keeping her close to his side.

Lowly, Koldan asked, “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Ana assured.

“What did he say to you?”

“He asked about Anton and Demyan.”

“What else?” her husband pressed.

“He asked about Cavan and he made a remark that seemed like I asked for what happ—”

Ana didn’t get to finish her sentence. Koldan spun her around so that they were facing one another. In the dark back hallway, no one could see them though she could still hear the sounds of the music and people.

“Don’t you dare,” Koldan growled.

“I don’t think that,” Ana said, recognizing the anger in Koldan’s stare. It wasn’t often they talked about Cavan Dolan or Ana’s rape. They didn’t have to, really. It happened and she’d dealt with it through therapy and time. Eventually, she moved on. It was her past but it didn’t define her future. “You know I don’t blame myself.”

Koldan weaved their fingers together and tugged Ana closer. “I think I’m going to send you home with a bull. Okay?”

“Why?” Ana asked.

“Because I have something to deal with,” Koldan replied simply.

Ana didn’t feel like she had to ask, but she did anyway. “That man?”

“Has seen his last day.”

“You can just … let it go, Koldan.”

Koldan’s mouth drew into a tight, unhappy line. “No,
krasivyy
, I can’t. Letting someone off with behavior like that is asking for trouble. If I allow even one man to disrespect my wife in front of others, I’m allowing every man the same permission. Don’t wait up for me, okay?”

Nothing she would say could make a difference. Sometimes, this was just how their world worked. She was Koldan’s unrelenting cornerstone—she would support and stand by his side no matter what he did. He needed that from her and she was more than happy to give it. It didn’t matter to her if she didn’t like all of the things he did. She didn’t have to like them.

Because she loved him.

Entirely.

Ana smiled, shrugging. “I’m still going to wait up for you.”

Koldan bent his head down just far enough to capture her lips with his. “Yeah, I know.”