Page 6 of Toxic Salvation (Krayev Bratva #2)

VESPER

It hurts so badly that I almost slap him.

Maybe I should. If nothing else, it would make me feel better. And if it leaves a scar? Well, Kovan can add it to his fucking collection.

I turn around slowly, certain I must have misheard him. But one look at his face tells me I heard him perfectly.

His expression is carved from stone, those green eyes cold and remote. The same eyes that used to look at me like I was his everything now regard me with complete indifference.

We don’t need you anymore.

“Good to know,” I manage to spit out. “And so kindly phrased. Anything else you’d like to add before I disappear forever?”

His face hardens even more, if that’s possible. Those green irises turn into bright flints of ice. He shakes his head. “The fact that they called you was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“Wonderful. Now, I’m just gonna say goodbye to Luka, and then I’ll fuck off forever, so you can?—”

“No.”

I pause. “What?”

“I said no.” He advances closer. “You will not say another word to Luka. I don’t want you having any more contact with him. It’ll only hurt him.”

I stare at Kovan in complete disbelief. I just flashed a sonogram picture of his baby in front of him, and he can’t even bring himself to look at it. He can’t even bring himself to acknowledge it. And now, he’s trying to ruin this brief little moment of joy, too?

“He’s not picking fights at school because he’s thriving without me, Kovan.” I step closer, forcing him to look at me. “Are you really so damn stubborn that you can’t see what’s right in front of your face?”

“We’re doing fine.”

A laugh bursts out of me, harsh and crazed. “What part of this is ‘fine’? I just saved your ass with the social worker! She was two seconds away from figuring out we broke up. If I hadn’t lied?—”

“You want a damn medal?”

I poke him hard in the chest. “What I want is for you to act like an adult for five fucking minutes. But apparently, that’s too much to ask.”

“You should go, Vesper.”

“Eliza thinks we’re still together now. Which means if you want to keep custody of Luka, we need to maintain this charade.”

His eyes narrow to slits. “I can handle my own problems. I don’t need you swooping in to save me.”

“Right.” I throw my hands up, my voice climbing toward hysteria. “Silly me for forgetting. Big, bad Kovan doesn’t need anyone, does he? Never mind that you only got custody in the first place because I helped you. That doesn’t count for anything!”

His jaw works silently, those green eyes burning holes through me.

“What matters is that you can lock yourself away from everyone who cares about you and handle everything alone.” Tears threaten to spill over, and I know I need to get out of here before they do.

“You were right about one thing, though: Coming here was a mistake. I won’t make it again.

” I push past him, my shoulder knocking into his arm as I rush toward the exit.

“Tell Luka I said goodbye,” I call over my shoulder without stopping. “Tell him I’m sorry.”

I’m fumbling with my car keys in the parking lot when a massive hand slams against my driver’s side door.

“What the hell?—”

“Is it mine?” Kovan sounds unhinged. Raw, desperate. Wild.

Laughter bubbles up from somewhere deep in my chest. “Does it matter?”

“Just answer the damn question.”

“Screw you.”

“Pretty sure screwing me is what landed us here in the first place. Answer me. Is. It. Mine?”

I consider slamming the door on his fingers. Instead, I do something far crueler. I step back out of the car, making sure I have a clear view of his face before I destroy him.

“No. It’s not yours,” I lie. “Right after you dumped me, I went to some dive bar and hooked up with a stranger in the bathroom.”

Every muscle in his body goes rigid, and I can practically see the violence he’s holding back. “Is that so?”

“That’s exactly so.” I force myself to keep talking, even though his expression is making my bones rattle. “And he was incredible. So much better than you ever were. Wanna know how many times I came, Kovan?”

I may have pushed too far, because we both know I’m lying through my teeth. No one could be better than Kovan. No one could make me feel what he made me feel.

“Now, you’re lying to my face.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“Show me that ultrasound again.”

“Absolutely not.”

Before I can react, he reaches into my front pocket and snatches the folded paper. That tiny brush of his fingers in my clothes is enough to make my brain go haywire. It thinks all the right things are happening, but it’s incorrect.

Everything that’s happening now is so, so wrong.

“Give that back!” I jump for it, but he holds it high above his head like we’re children on a playground.

He doesn’t even have to stretch. Just holds his arm up straight and that’s enough to keep it away from me.

“You bastard!” I pound my fists against his chest, but it’s like hitting a brick wall. He doesn’t even flinch. He’s too busy studying the image.

“Three months,” he reads. “You’re three months along.”

My hands fall to my sides. I back away slowly, suddenly realizing how trapped I am. I should have driven away the second I had the chance.

I can see him doing the math in his head, counting backward. “We were together then.”

I back up until I hit my car door, nowhere left to run.

“The baby’s mine.” It’s not a question anymore. His eyebrows draw together, and I can’t tell if he’s angry or shocked or what.

Not that it should matter to me either way.

“Yeah,” I whisper, suddenly too tired even to fight. “He’s yours.”

“‘He’? It’s a boy?”

My face is flushed, my skin prickling with unease. “What do you care? Do you not remember five minutes ago, when you told me you didn’t need my help? Well, I don’t need yours, either. So let’s just agree to stay out of each other’s—HEY!”

He yanks my keys from my hand.

“I don’t think so, sweetheart. You’re not going anywhere.” He wraps one strong arm around my waist, hauling me away from the car like I weigh nothing. “You can ride with us.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“Why not, Vesper?”

The small voice takes all the air out of our argument. Luka stands twenty feet away, backpack slung over his thin shoulders, hurt written all over his face.

“Please come home with us,” he adds. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Yeah, Vesper.” Kovan’s snarl is mocking, dangerous. “It’s been forever.”

“And whose fault is that?” I mutter under my breath.

“Don’t worry, malysh .” Kovan tosses Luka his car keys without taking his eyes off me. “She’s coming with us. Put your stuff in the back. We’ll be right there.”

Grinning ear to ear, Luka goes skipping off. I wait until he is out of earshot before I explode. “You are unbelievable. Two minutes ago, you wanted nothing to do with me!”

“That was before I knew you were carrying my child.”

“And that changes everything, does it? Now, all of a sudden, you care?”

A muscle in his jaw jumps. “I have responsibilities now. This changes things, whether either of us wants it to or not.”

I blink back tears, waiting for him to look me in the eye. Waiting for some sign that I’m more than just another loose end.

It doesn’t come. He turns his back on me and starts walking toward his car.

The message is crystal clear: I’m not his girlfriend. I’m not the woman he loves. I’m just the vessel carrying his heir, and that makes me his responsibility.

Nothing more.

Not now.

Not ever.