Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4)(72)

SEVENTEEN




Alek was next to Maks in the back of the SUV stretch limo while Sacha and Sydney sat across the way. Micha was driving, Anton riding shotgun, and back at Sacha’s place, Grigori and Lucas were stationed with a team of four others, guarding what was now Alek’s most prized possession.

Every little while Sydney would give Sacha a pat on the knee or arm. Sacha would look at her, offer a small smile; Sydney would return it, then look over and glare at him and Maks. It was more than apparent the two had bonded in the restroom. Women were funny like that.

He turned over his cell that he was holding loosely in his hands, and took the edge of his jacket to wipe over the camera lens he now had every reason to use.

His leg started bobbing, and he turned to look out the window. No traffic. “Micha drives like an old woman,” he muttered.

“Cooks like one, too,” Maks drawled without taking his eyes off his phone. “Does a lentil soup that’ll make you cream your panties. Look. I took a pic of it last time for posterity sake.” He held his phone to Alek’s face so he could read a text that wouldn’t get sent.

Congratulations, Papa. I have no words. You?

Fuck. “Yeah,” he admitted, conscious the girls could hear them. “Put it in front of me and get me an army. No one’s getting anywhere near it. You guys liked to ride my ass about not being the sharing type before? Fuck you.”

Sacha was looking puzzled. Oops. They were supposed to be talking about soup.

He finished what he was saying regardless. “I’ll use a spoon or a fork. Don’t care. You can even give me a knife. A dull one that has a rusty bent tip that’ll really mess up the soft spots if anyone dares come near what’s mine.”

Maks laughed and nudged him in the ribs to shut him up. “You want drive-thru, brother? Sounds as if you’re starving.”

Sacha’s eyes, which somehow looked more beautiful in their exhaustion, clashed with his. “Famished,” he murmured, tearing his gaze away when he started to get hard.

He needed a kick in the groin. Fucking dick didn’t have a clue. Idiot, he snapped to the thickening appendage. She’s a fucking thieving liar. Shut it down.

It didn’t listen. In fact, it shot back a response.

She’s a thieving liar because of you. Now give me what I want.

Then it hardened to stone and sent memories up to remind Alek’s of how hot and snug its favorite place was.

The vehicle’s heat turned on and began blowing in his eyes as he tried to get his head out of his pants.

A child.

Living in a paper apartment with no protection from the time of her birth.

His thoughts began to race right along with his heartbeat. How could Sacha have kept this from him? He wanted to rail. Lose his shit all over her firm, round ass. At the duplicity, at all he’d missed, at what he was missing even in that moment. He had a baby, yet he’d had no clue she was out there in the world. How could that be?

Or maybe deep down he had somehow known. Had felt the connection on a level so deep he hadn’t recognized it. Maybe it was that connection that had pushed him so hard; that had refused to allow him to give up on his search for Sacha. Maybe it had been about his child and not her mother.

Alek was jostled when Maks leaned over and took Sydney’s chin in his hand. He openly scrutinized her perfectly structured face, turning it this way and that.

“What are you doing?” she asked guardedly.

“Reminiscing.” He let go and sat back. “Haven’t seen that expression aimed at me since I was in hunting mode. First woman I ever had to chase,” he said to Sacha. “Caught her, of course, but it took some work. Used to think she was just a fine piece of ass.” His goatee curved into a smile. “Little did I know how much more I’d be getting.” His focus was back on the woman he was speaking so openly about. But, with Maksim, you had to expect that. “You look at me like that and it kind of makes my palm want to get busy because there’s no justification for it. It isn’t my story to tell.”

The quiet sound Sacha made at the mention of an itchy palm was ignored. Well, ignored by everyone but the idiot sitting all achy and shit on Alek’s thigh.

“If I understand what that means,” Sydney drawled with her nose tipped in the air. “Might I ask that you close the bathroom door before you begin satisfying that palm. Maybe even get in the shower, so there’s no awkwardness afterward when we pretend we didn’t hear you making those odd noises. Isn’t that the normal way of things?”

Alek found himself watching Sacha’s reaction to the backtalk. She’d rarely offered Alek any. Though in his favor, he’d never been quite as tactless as Maks was capable of being. Right now, Sacha was looking between the couple, appearing to hold her breath.