The Russian's Captive (The Captive Series Book 2) (14 page)

“Yes, my wife glows.”

“So do you. Like you are full of pride.”

“I am,” Nikolai replied.

“But I don’t want to tell anyone until after the party. It’s for Luci, and I don’t want it overshadowed.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word,” he said with a grin and walked toward his wife.

“Bianca, are you hungry?”

“Yes. I am a little bit.”

“Come, let’s feed you and my son.”

“Son? What if it’s a girl?”

“Then I’ll apologize to my princess when she is born,” Nikolai said as he looked into her eyes before stealing another kiss.

“Can’t you keep your hands off her for a minute?” Sergei asked.

“No. Now go away.” They all laughed, and Sergei walked away with a shake of his head.

They stayed another hour, and Bianca started to grow tired. “Niko, I’m ready to go home.”

“Okay. We’ve been here for a while now. Let’s say goodbye and go home.”

††††

It was two days later when they learned that Detective Lana Grey was suspended for refusing to follow her chief’s orders to leave the Rykov and Rossi families alone. Sergei didn’t seem okay with the idea, but noticed that even after the suspension, he still saw her around, even more often than he’d seen her before. It ticked him off because she wouldn’t give up. He was on the verge of doing something crazy, and the woman drove him insane. 

He gave Nikolai a call the next day and told his friend that he’d be away for a while.

“What’s up, Sergei? You don’t sound well.”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just annoyed with that broad.”

“What broad? The cop?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen her all around town. Every time I walk downtown, she isn’t far away from me. I don’t know what she expects to happen.”

“I can make the call again.”

“No. That’s okay. I’ll deal with it,” Sergei said gruffly before disconnecting the call. Nikolai didn’t like the sound of that, but he knew Sergei had integrity and wouldn’t kill her.

The following week, Nikolai had a strange conversation with his wife when she stormed into his home office.

“Nikolai, did you know that Detective Grey just up and left town?”

“She left town?” Nikolai asked as he recalled his conversation with Sergei last week.

“Yes. Her apartment had been packed and cleared out. She sent a letter of resignation based on being suspended for doing her job.”

“Well, maybe she went back home.”

“That’s the thing. The rumor is that she didn’t have anywhere else to go. I hope nothing happened to her.” Bianca was looking pointedly at her husband.

“Don’t worry about it. She’s a grown woman that you don’t even know. She’ll be fine. I’m sure she went looking for a better job,” he said, placating his pregnant, emotional wife.

He returned to the papers in his hands. Everything was running smoothly at his company. The contracts had everyone working hard and getting the job done. He could rest easy knowing that everything was in order.

Then he thought back to the sudden disappearance of the cop and Sergei’s sudden need for a vacation. He’d already knew that it had something to do with Sergei, but what he didn’t know was how much he was involved.
Did she leave to get away from him? Did he chase her away?

“Hell, I hope he didn’t off her,” Nikolai said aloud to himself before returning the documents that required his attention.

Nikolai Rykov looked down at his sleeping family and smiled. The life he’d known had changed the day he saw her photo. He wasn’t the brutal, heartless monster Petrov had trained him to be, but he’d become the man who was worthy of the happiness he held in his heart.

His handsome son was wrapped up in Bianca’s arms as they rested from his birth. Little Nikolai was born after a long and arduous delivery. Baby Niko was a big boy, who had his mother’s dark, thick hair and fair skin, but his face was all his father’s. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. They were his everything, which made Petrov’s lifetime of lies a little easier to swallow, but he’d almost robbed Nikolai of all the things he had before him.

After searching Petrov’s things, it was clear the man had set to destroy Nikolai even before his father was cold in the grave. He learned all about Petrov’s family’s deaths and the pain the man suffered. What Petrov lost didn’t justify him taking action on the Rykov family, so Nikolai couldn’t hold on to the guilt that had hit him on occasion about the killing.

Nikolai slid the little guy from his mother’s arms, trying not to wake her, but wasn’t successful.

Bianca opened her sleepy eyes groggily and murmured, “Did he wake?”

“No, my dearest love. I wanted to hold my baby. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“It’s okay. How long have I been asleep?”

“Just about three hours.”

“Oh my,” she said with a startle as she tried to sit up too quickly.

With his other hand, he helped his crazy wife before she hurt herself. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“I need to feed our baby.”

“He is still asleep, love.”

“Yes, but he will be hungry soon, and my breasts will get too tender.”

“Do you hurt?” Nikolai said as he looked down at her lovely rack.

“No, but they said that it will start to hurt if I take too long in between feedings.”

“Okay. Come on, my son. It’s time for your meal.” Nikolai laid his boy on his wife’s lap as she pulled down her gown. Once she was ready, Bianca picked up the baby and placed him on her breast. Even in his sleep, Niko knew what to do and sucked out his food. They both smiled as they watched their son.

“Thank you, Bianca. You’re my treasure, and you’ve given me more than I could ever give you.”

“You gave me him too. I love you, my husband.”

Unable to resist, he bent down and kissed her. The kiss was too passionate and intense for the present moment. Nikolai backed away from his wife, hard and aching.

“Is it a bad time to say that I’m feeling really horny right now?”

“Yes, wife. It’s not the time. Tell me about it in six weeks,” Nikolai growled as he adjusted his soon-to-be-neglected cock, while Bianca laughed.