Page 121 of Volatile

High-pitched, manic giggling echoes around the kitchen and I turn to see Vitali grab Dominik, picking him up with one arm around his shoulders, and hauls him to the sink as he says, “I’ll get the demon out of you.”

He lifts Dom so his head is over the sink and runs the water to give him a fake exorcism.

“Tali! Put him down,” Dani seethes as she storms into the house covered in clay. She leaves a muddy handprint on his shoulder as she smacks him and saves her son who is still laughing.

“What were you planning?” I ask Vasy since there’s no matches or knives in the kitchen — which are their usual weapons — after Inessa got rid of them all.

The little shit laughs and a shiver works up my spine as he lifts his eyelids and folds them over. “This, Val taught us how to do it.”

Natalya fits in with her family despite her sweet disposition because she laughs too. It’s creepy as fuck and I hold my hand in front of his face. “Okay, don’t do that again, your eyeballs will dry out.”

It’s a lie, I don’t think it will happen, but the sight of it is nasty. He keeps laughing until the office door opens and he quickly swipes his hand over his folded eyelids before his dad can see what he’s doing. Kissing the top of Natalya’s foot, he scrunches his nose up at her and whispers, “Sweet dreams, little baby,”

I lower her so he can kiss her cheek as per his tradition before someone goes to sleep. Vlad doesn’t pull him away, he studies his son to gauge what he’s planning and waits for him to go to his side. There’s one thing I will never get used to the sight of and it’s watching him be semi-human around his children, so I don’t watch them as baby girl waves over my shoulder to get her uncle’s attention and says, “Bye bye, Talya do nap then do B-raids?”

He must nod because she confirms that he’ll do her hair when she wakes up and makes up gibberish instead of a time as I step into the elevator.

“Naps for flippity then B-raids.”

As always Vitali follows me, and heat covers my back. He stretches both arms around me, one hand on my stomach and the other going to our daughter’s back as she lays her head on my shoulder, singing to herself, “Talya love Mama.”

She wraps her arms around my neck and finally gives her dad what he wants.

“Talya love Papa.”

Vitali rests his chin on my other shoulder and kisses my cheek to hide his sing-song as we turn to face the correct way.

“Mama loves…”

I push my ass back against him and he lets out a small laugh before pulling my T-shirt up, so his hand is on my bare stomach. His soft sing-song continues as he cups my still flat stomach.

“Papa loves Mama.” He kisses my cheek and cups the back of our daughter’s head. “Papa loves baby, Talya, and the new baby.”

She picks her head up at the sound of her name and brings her little hands to each of our cheeks as she softly orders, “Mama give Papa mwah.”

I turn my head and kiss Vitali’s cheek and he pulls us closer to his chest.

“Papa give Mama mwah.”

He noisily kisses my cheek, and she sighs like it’s the best thing she’s ever witnessed before she says, “An’ kisses for Talya.”

She puckers her lips, looking down her nose to see if she’s doing it properly as we both give into her, and the doors open. Tali doesn’t let go of us as we get out, and our baby girl lays her head back on my shoulder to play with my hair. I can’t break the habit of dyeing it and her hair is a few shades darker than my natural color. But I will never allow anyone to make her hate a single part of herself, it will only ever belong to Natalya. Her choices and her own voice in her head.

Her room is ridiculously decorated, between her dad and uncles, she will never want for a single thing. There’s a designer handbag on proud display beside her bed to match her cousins’. All three of them look comical with the bespoke designer-wear filled with things children find importance in, but Natalya hides her cookies in hers. Vlad is the only one brave enough to swap them out when she’s not looking so she doesn’t make herself sick with stale treats.

She’s a good baby and she doesn’t even murmur as I get her ready for bed with Vitali stuck to my back. She lays herself down and smiles up at us as her long lashes droop.

“Talya loves Papa and Mama.”

I kiss her cheek and Vitali copies me as she whispers her secrets. “Talya had Papa burger. Was yummy.”

“Little snitch,” he mutters.

“Papa give me and Vero cookies. But have milk so Talya no cough.”

She hums cookies to herself and smiles exactly like her father. I’m certain that Vitali has made her love food more than people so she’s never interested in anyone beyond what they can put on her plate. He’s already tried to teach her to bite everyone who isn’t family while her uncles were teaching her how to throw a punch. Even Viktor was in on it. He dragged mattresses into the living room so she didn’t hurt herself then began teaching his sister and cousins how to take someone down.

Before we leave I make sure her nightlight is on in case she sleeps longer and I’m about to go back to my cave to find the information Vanya wanted, but Tali doesn’t let me. Instead, he pulls us into our room and as soon as the door closes he turns me to face him and cups my face with both hands.

“How you feeling, sweetness? Sick? Tired?”

He became extra attentive when I was pregnant with Natalya, and I kiss his cheek as I wrap my arms around his middle, reassuring him that I’m fine.

“I’m okay, Mama loves Papa too.”

He abruptly lifts me off my feet so fast that I squeal and kisses my neck as he blindly walks us to the bed with his voice deepening.

“Say it again when I’m inside you.”

My head touches the sheets with a laugh despite knowing he’s serious. It will never change and there’s no fear of Vitali being taken from me. His psychotic ass is mine and I’ll never run so far from him that it’s impossible to chase me.