Page 29 of Always Meant To Be

Before my eyes can find my wife, Liliya is suddenly in my arms, her lips on mine, making me freeze momentarily in fucking shock.

When she moans and tries to push her tongue through my lips, I snap out of it, and shove her away, causing her to fall on her ass.

I sneer, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

She smirks, not at all concerned about sitting in glass. Her makeup is smeared down her face, but she looks fucking pleased with herself as she says, “Thanking my savior.”

My nostrils flare in anger as I grip my pistol, really fucking tempted to use it, when Anastasia grips her daughter’s arm and pulls her up, growling, “Seriously, Liliya? He only jumped on you because the man was here tokill you. If you’d kept your legs shut and not screwed the cartel boss, then his wife wouldn’t want you dead. For God’s sake, we sold your sister to him to pay her off, only for you to go back there again.” She looks my way, seeing my gun tightly in my hand, and she winces. “I’m so sorry, Romeo. You’ve fulfilled your end of the contract. Liliya is no longer your problem. I’m just sorry I put the stipulations in place to begin with.”

I give her a nod in thanks as Liliya stamps her foot like a toddler, her face bright red despite all the makeup that’s smeared down it. Before she can throw her tantrum, Mikhail storms over, his phone to his ear. We make eye contact, and he nods to the kitchen. I follow him; the room is empty when we enter, which is no fucking surprise.

He puts his phone on loudspeaker.

“Miguel, your wife has just caused a fucking war. It wasn’t just my oldest here, my wife was under attack, my youngest daughter, my nephew, and his wife, my whole fucking family,” Mikhail growls, and I stand straight, my nostrils flaring.

Miguel curses to someone, then rasps, “I don’t want a war, Mikhail. I’m not stupid. You have the Greeks and the Italians at your back. It’ll be a fucking bloodbath.”

I cut in, pissed off he thinks a war is the problem when it’s his crazy wife who put mine in danger, “Your wife hired mercenaries who shot up a restaurant with my wife in it, Miguel.”

He curses again. “Romeo, I swear I’ve dealt with it.”

I scoff, “And how exactly have you done that, Miguel? You fucked my sister-in-law, starting this whole fuck up. My wife could have been hurt, and we both know if she was, then this phone call wouldn’t even be fucking happening.”

He sighs. “I know, and fuck, I don’t even remember fucking Liliya either time. The messages she’s been sending my wife, the pictures, I don’t fucking remember them. Every time I went out, it was after an argument with Renata. I’d snort some coke and drink myself silly.”

“How did you even fucking meet my daughter?” Mikhail asks, and I roll my eyes.

Does it fucking matter? The bitch is a whore.

“She came into one of my bars. I think it was around the time she had her breast enlargement surgery.” Miguel says, and Mikhail's face reddens.

I sigh. “Surely you knew, Mikhail. Anyone can fucking see it.”

He glares my way. “I don’t fucking look at my daughter’s tits, Romeo.” I chuckle, and he shakes his head before stating, “What’s being done with your wife, Miguel?”

I tilt my head while he’s quiet for a beat, then he admits, “I may have tied her to the bed.”

Mikhail smirks. “And you think that’s punishment enough for going after my family?”

I sigh. “Mikhail, Liliya caused all this shit because she’s hoping to piss you off for not allowing her to take over after you, and for allowing my marriage to El. She is the one who put everyone in danger, which means she’s the one you need to deal with right now.”

Miguel continues, “Renata hates being tied up. I promise I won’t allow her to come after your family, and I know, once she realizes Elena was there, she’ll feel guilty. We all know how much she loves that woman.”

Yeah, that’s definitely true.

They’ve only met twice, the first time at my wedding, but my wife enthralled her; she has a way of pulling people in, I should know.

“Miguel, if it happens again, it will be war, even if my daughter is a bitch,” Mikhail states, and I snort along with Miguel.

They make plans to speak again in two days, before Mikhail hangs up, and I sigh.

“I need to go find my wife. Pretty sure she saw Liliya’s fucking play after the shooting.”

He sighs. “Yeah. I’m just glad she didn’t fight the seating arrangement.”

I nod as I walk to the door, and as I go through it, I say, "She didn’t even want to come, Mikhail. She wants nothing to do with your family.”

Mikhail growls, following me out, hating that it’s true, but before he can say anything, Liliya is on us. She grips my arm and asks, “Where have you been? I’ve been worried.”