Consumed by Deception (Deception Trilogy #3) by Rina Kent

He’s not the only one involved.

There’s also Lazlo, and judging by the way he made Lia do the rounds of meeting his family members, I have no doubt that he’ll soon announce to the world that she’s his daughter. The only reason he’s pulling back is because she probably asked him to. However, Lazlo Luciano was never a patient man, especially when it comes to things he considers his right.

He’s known to be brutal and unforgiving when it comes to family matters. And for that alone, I don’t have time to waste.

So as soon as we finish dinner, I stand. Lia stares up at me with those huge imploring eyes. She’s so beautiful, it physically aches sometimes.

Like right now.

I spent the entire dinner observing her every movement; the flutter of her long lashes, the twitch of her lips when she talked or ate. I even let Damien address her just so I could hear the tenor of her voice and the newly-found spark in her words.

My Lenochka has been slowly but surely evolving, and I don’t want to miss any second of it.

Is this a new form of an obsession? Possibly. I have no doubt that just like her character, my obsession with her will keep growing to match it.

Lia gracefully gets to her feet and slips her hand through my arm. Usually, she wouldn’t touch me in public—or in private, until recently—but my Lenochka is changing.

It’s not only about how she went to her father and faced that part of her life or how she put her foot down to protect my men and Winter. She’s been slowly integrating herself into the criminal aspects of my life, which she used to abhor. It’s like she’s finally accepting her role as my wife without my having to force her.

If anything, she’s the one who’s been demanding things.

“What are you doing?” she murmurs, flattening her small frame to my side.

The scent of roses fills my nostrils and I breathe her in, engraving her to memory. She’ll always be my lone rose—the resilient rose that I’d pluck from the side of the road over and over again, even if her thorns caused me to bleed.

She’s my rose.

Her thorns as well as her exotic scent are mine and mine alone.

After taking my fill of her scent, I say, “I need to talk to Sergei, Lenochka.”

She shakes her head, her delicate throat bobbing with a swallow. “Not yet. He’ll kill you.”

“Do you have such little faith in me? Hmm. It seems that I haven’t punished you thoroughly enough lately.”

Her cheeks turn a deep shade of crimson. “Stop it. And you did last night.”

“Not enough apparently.” I stroke her hand that’s looped in my arm. “I’ll be fine.”

“I want to go with you.”

“No. Sergei doesn’t react well to you.”

“Rai told me it’s an act and that he appreciates how you showed loyalty to me.”

I raise a brow. Seems that Rai genuinely likes Lia if she went out of her way to placate her. But then again, she wouldn’t have gone against me and risked my wrath to help Lia escape if that wasn’t the case.

“He appreciates my loyalty, not yours, Lenochka. I don’t want you there when he learns who you are.”

She pouts. “Because I’m a woman and my existence doesn’t matter?”

“Because you’re my wife and I’d rather die a thousand times over than put you in danger.”

I can tell she’s not convinced, but she doesn’t press the matter. However, she hesitates before she releases my arm.

Grabbing her cheeks with both hands, I turn her slightly and brush my lips against her temple. I’m well aware of the onlookers, just like earlier when we danced. They’re all shocked by how close I am to Lia tonight compared to all of the other gatherings. Damien and Kirill even asked me about the sudden change.

It’s simple.

I’m done treating my wife like a stranger when she’s always been the only person who mattered in a room full of people.

The only person I see.

I reluctantly release her and go to Sergei’s side. He’s been watching me, too, though he’s remained quiet about it.

After making sure Lia is in Yan’s direct view, I stop beside our Vor. “A word, Pakhan.”

“Why?”

“It’s of interest to you.” I stare at Vladimir who’s been observing me all night, no doubt waiting for me to slip up. “You, too.”

Kirill slides to our side with quiet steps and readjusts his glasses. “What about me?”

“Me, too.” Damien jumps in with less finesse. “Why does everyone leave me out?”

“Not today.” I motion at Kirill with a tilt of my head, and he thankfully takes the hint and drags a protesting Damien away.

Vladimir and I follow Sergei into his office while Igor, Mikhail, and even Lazlo and his men stare at us.

Actually, Lazlo’s attention is on me. I ignored him as much as possible the past week, and if I don’t do something about it, he’ll do things his way.

But I need to take care of my own before extending it to outsiders.

At soon as we’re in the office, Sergei sits in the lounge area and Vladimir and I join him.

“What is it?” The Pakhan leans on his fist. “I assume it has to do with the wife, whom you once mentioned means nothing?”

“Yes. There’s something about her you should know.”