Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4)(73)

“If we’re in the shower, princess, your tight little bod might slip out of my hands. Then where would that well place swat land?”

“Well, if I were to climb onto your shoulders, Russia, most likely right where it should.”

It was obvious Maks was totally enjoying himself as he slid to the edge of the seat and reached for his woman’s dainty ankle. Sydney didn’t pull away when he started massaging her calf. “Why are you mad at me?”

“I wasn’t, really, until you opened your mouth. It’s more about being mad at all of you.” She included Alek in that, then said to Sacha, “Because no one will tell us—and by us I mean the ladies of the house—why you left him, we’re left to imagine the worst case scenario. Now that there’s a baby involved, and you still stayed away? Wow. Just, wow. The worst case scenario suddenly seems that much more painful.” She patted Sacha’s leg again before clasping her hands together in her lap and looking out the window, muttering about men in general. With her history of being left pregnant and alone at seventeen, Alek didn’t hold it against her.

When Maks put Sydney’s foot down and took up the other, he jerked her leg so her butt slid forward and she instinctively threw her arms out to save herself from landing on the floor.

“Don’t lump me with the masses,” he warned. “I think we long ago established I don’t belong there any more than you do. And I’m not making what Sacha did a gender thing and cursing you for it, so, again, don’t put me where I don’t belong.”

Sydney sighed and adopted a sheepish half-smile as she came over to their side and climbed into Maks’s lap much the same way Alek had pictured Sacha doing last night. Just like that, all was well in Maks’s weird little world of Bickerville.

“Sorry,” he heard Sydney whisper. “Hearing what little I did brings back memories of how terrifying it was to be pregnant and alone.”

Seeing a flash of resentment when he met Sacha’s stare, Alek was suddenly glad they were going to Vasily’s house. Because if they were going home, where Sacha would have the backing of Sydney, Eva, and Nika, Alek would be done for.

The limo came to a stop, but it wasn’t until Sacha started spinning her rings that his gut began to churn.

“We’ll be out here if you need us,” Maks said with an encouraging thump on the knee.

Alek climbed from the truck, and after helping Sacha do the same, they moved at an even pace to the door. Most men had at least eight or nine months to prepare for fatherhood. He’d had just over an hour.

He nodded at Lucas and Grigori, then held up a hand before Sacha could unlock with her keys. “This is what keeps going through my head,” he told her as he put his hand out to Grigori. “You must have a tension wrench on you.”

One appeared on his palm in the next second, and he bypassed the cheap lock as if he’d inserted her key. His skin crawled as he turned the knob and much too effortlessly entered the small unit.

“Just that easily. More than seven fucking months.”

As she came forward to greet them, Angela was much more subdued than she’d been earlier in the day. Which meant she’d already been updated. Sacha must have called ahead when she’d gone to the restroom with Sydney.

“Are you going to be okay?” her friend asked with genuine concern.

Sacha pulled back from their hug and smiled. “Yes. Of course.” She sounded as if she meant it. He wasn’t sure why, but it bugged him that she was more nervous than afraid.

“I’m taking her and the baby home,” Alek said as he shrugged out of his coat. His gaze strayed to the closed bedroom door. Made sense now why Sacha had drawn him away from it this morning…

A slow burn started up when he realized something, but he put it aside to deal with later.

“Sacha will call you in a day or so,” he continued. “If you’d like to see her, let her know, and I’ll bring her into the city. We have a place near Madison Square Park in the Flatiron District.”

Sacha’s eyes flared. “You still have it?” she said in surprise.

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because it was our home,” he ground out through a tight jaw. He wanted in that fucking bedroom.

“Oh, girl…” Angela whispered, her voice rising an octave at the end as she beamed at him. He wanted to yell at her that he didn’t need the approval shining in her eyes and she seemed to get that because she got her ass in gear. “Okay,” she said as she gathered her things, which included her little guy asleep in a portable bassinet. “Get settled then call me. Don’t leave me hanging for more than a day or two, though, okay? God, I love this. Sorry, but I had to say it. You better play nice, Russian,” she said over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.