The Life Read Online Free

thoroughly enjoying the view of Anton tugging off his shirt. Her husband froze, the action making her nerves grow. “I mean, I know it’s the equivalent of Damien in a way, but it still has that Russian ring and style. It’s strong and fits in. I kind of liked that one. But if you don’t, then that’s okay.”
    “ Demyan.” Anton tilted his head, his fingers drumming a tantalizing beat to her side. “And what about for the rest?”
    “I think the middle names should reflect the footsteps he’s following, because you can say he’s making his own way all you want, but he’s still an Avdonin. Your middle name is Daniil, and I really wanted your given name somewhere in there. So if we add in Daniil, it’s almost a repeat of yours, anyway. You don’t want that. So, Anton Nicoli for the middle, then.”
    “Say it for me, all of it. I want to hear it from you first.”
    “Demyan Anton Nicoli Avdonin,” Viviana said, smiling nervously. Names were so important, especially for this boy she carried. After all, it would be his first title, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, so much was already expected for Anton’s son. “What do you think?”
    The flash of his movement as he leaned down over her, his face coming to stop just a millimeter from hers, was a flurry in her vision. The brilliant grin overtaking his features washed every worry she had down the drain. When his hands weaved into her hair, his thumbs sweeping along her neck, Viviana sighed into his touch. Instantly, she was relaxed again
    “You like?” Viviana asked, breathless.
    “ Love ,” Anton said fiercely. “It’s fucking perfect.”

 
    Chapter Two
     
    Anton tossed a wrench hatefully to the floor. “I’d rather be shot in the face than deal with this crap.”
    He was completely exasperated. Every damned ounce of patience that was left in his body disappeared. Anton didn’t think he could take another minute of this shit before he totally blew his top.
    “Why does this have to be so hard?” Anton asked the empty room.
    Well, he thought it was empty.
    The snickering from the doorway drew in his narrowed, aggravated gaze to where his lawyer stood with half of a cookie shoved in his mouth. At the sight of Anton’s growing anger, Ivan shrugged apologetically and took a step inside the room. Looking around at the mess scattered across the floor, the older man didn’t seem to know what to say.
    “You’ve built three of these goddamn things so come fix this for me,” Anton barked.
    “Nope.”
    “Ivan!”
    “Nope, I did not build them,” Ivan said, cocking his eyebrow. “I came home one day and they were already set up. Eva did it without a lick of my help and never fails to remind me.”
    Turning to glare at the offending wooden and metal pieces scattered over the floor, Anton had absolutely no idea how he managed to get himself in this predicament. Running guns, getting the narcotics past authorities, and keeping his business and guys in line was his thing, not this .
    Even the fucking directions were in Chinese!
    Not really, but they might as well have been.
    Defeated, Anton heaved a sigh. “This is pointless.”
    Ivan swallowed the last bit of his sweet. “No, it isn’t. You’re just pissed off because everything else comes easy for you and this hasn’t.”
    That was a little bit true. Anton couldn’t help it that he wasn’t the kind of guy who had tools in the shed and the basic understanding of how to work a fucking wrench. That wasn’t the values and life lessons he’d learned growing up. If Viviana walked in and saw him now, she’d probably laugh herself into labor.
    “I feel like an idiot,” Anton said, sitting down to the floor.
    Sounding just as bleak, Ivan muttered, “I did, too.”
    “Eva did it for you, remember?”
    A bitter laugh chimed in the room. The silence that followed the laughter felt awkward, and Anton wondered if maybe he crossed a line with his friend, but Ivan only shook his head and