Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“And Nicoli.”
Sasha smiled. “Daniil was his sun. Nicoli his moon.”
“And you?”
“You know, that came after for me, when he was older. By the time Anton was a teenager, he was at a whole new level of difficult, doing his drugs and worrying me half to death. It took him becoming a man to close the gap with me. We lost a lot of time in-between.”
Viviana could hear the tension in her mother-in-law’s voice as clear as day. “Why didn’t you have more children?”
“Because the Bratva practically took my first and only son away. I nursed him, woke up with him night after night for months, and loved him so fiercely and yet they made him feel like he wasn’t even mine. Had they taken him from my arms, it would have felt just as bad. There wasn’t a day when I wasn’t reminded of who my son was to those people and who they expected him to be. It scared me to think the next one would be the same. I know that sounds terrible and selfish of me,” Sasha finished with a sad smile.
“It doesn’t. You’re entitled to your feelings.”
“Daniil begged me for more and it was the one thing I couldn’t give him.”
Viviana opened her mouth to speak, but a high screech from the back end of the lodge stopped her.
“Ma! Gone!”
Sasha grinned at her daughter-in-law. “Despite her she-devil tendencies, I am glad you didn’t make the same mistake as me, Vine. It will get better. It just takes time. Go find Anton and I’ll get Ana ready for a walk.”
Grateful for the reprieve, Viviana wasted no time slipping out of the lodge before her daughter noticed her absence. It didn’t take her long to find her husband, son, and beloved pup. Unfortunately, the sight of her nearly six-year-old boy with a rifle in his hands and his father squatting down in front of him pointing at different parts of the weapon were not what she wanted to see.
It didn’t help there were a couple of other guns placed out on the grass as well. The small handgun sent rage and fear spilling into Viviana’s blood instantly.
The fucking thing Demyan held in his small hands was longer than he was tall with scopes the width of his arm.
“Show me again,” Anton demanded.
Demyan rested the weapon to his thigh, pulled back on a release, and opened the loading chamber like he’d been doing it for years. Just as fast, he clicked it shut with a smooth swipe of his hand before the butt of the gun rested to the ground.
Viviana’s air rushed from her lungs as her stomach dropped. Why was this happening? Now? God, why? He wasn’t even six, yet. He was too little and too young to be playing with guns. Still just her boy.
“And how do we hold it?” Anton asked.
Demyan lifted the rifle, placing one hand on the butt a couple of inches below the trigger, and another along the barrel. He kept the barrel pointing towards the ground as he showed his father.
“Right, Papa?”
“Just like that,” Anton praised. “Good job.”
Viviana’s anxiety and anger seeped into her tenor as she said, “Anton!”
Blue eyes flashed with surprise as her husband glanced over his shoulder. With a sigh, Anton stood, brushing off his pant legs like nothing was amiss. That only served to piss Viviana off more. It wasn’t often she got angry at Anton, but when she did, Viviana wasn’t very good at hiding it. Demyan gazed between his parents. The child was far from stupid.
“Papa?” Demyan asked, staring up at his father, likely confused about what was wrong.
Viviana could list a dozen and one things if someone wanted her to, starting with the weapon her child was still holding.
“Put it back, Demyan, and we’ll practice later.”
“Ah, no, you most—”
“Vine.” Anton’s tone was as sharp as a blade, the edging warning curling her name short. “Don’t, not right now, sweetheart.” Then, he turned back to Demyan and added, “Put it back like I said. Why don’t you go see if Gia can play, hmm?”
Ivan had bought a small piece of land from Anton across the lake. It was nice to have their closest friends share their favorite spot for time away from the real world. It wasn’t often both families were able to take a vacation together, but this particular summer, the times were just right.
“We don’t play, Papa,” Demyan said, rolling his eyes as he placed the rifle back to the ground. “I’m not a baby.”
“Yeah, I know. You hang. Whatever, smartass. Go.” Anton crossed his arms over his broad chest, turning to face his wife as Demyan disappeared around the side of the lodge. “Not even six and he doesn’t like to call it playing anymore. He’s growing too fast.”
Viviana scoffed, unable to keep her irritation at bay any longer. “It might help if he wasn’t playing with things far beyond his age, Anton.”