The Score by Bethany-Kris Read Free Book Online

still and focus on the television.
    “The car one?” he asked his father.
    Anton nodded and started the movie of his son’s choice. “Yeah, little man. Let’s watch that.”
    Watching children’s cartoons wasn’t his favorite thing to do, but his son enjoyed it. This was the first Friday night he’d spent at home in a long time. Too damn long, really, so he wasn’t about to make Demyan watch something more grown up that would bore the kid.
    Viviana walked through the living room with her book in hand, sitting down in a lounger and giving her husband a wink topped off with a brilliant smile. She was happy to have him home on a Friday night, too. Things had been so good between them since they arrived home from Barbados three weeks ago.
    Anton was dying to know if she picked up any pregnancy tests. They’d been trying for their second child for a month. Actually, a month and a half if he took into account the two weeks she’d been off her shot before telling him. If Anton considered how fast she conceived Demyan after forgetting her birth control shot the last time, he was hoping this time wouldn’t be any different. Viviana was a fertile woman, thank God. Beyond all that, he was pretty damned sure his wife was late this month, but he was too pussyfoot to ask.
    Yeah, his curiosity was a killer.
    “Vine?”
    “Hmm?”
    “How’re you feeling?” he asked.
    Viviana looked up over her book with glittering eyes. “Fine. Why?”
    Anton shrugged and turned back to the cartoon. “Just curious.”
    “Sure you are.”
    The teasing lit in her tone didn’t escape his notice. Had Viviana already taken the steps to find out if they’d conceived or not? He was away from the house most of the week doing business and back at a later time than normal, so she very well could have picked something up at the store, or made an appointment at the clinic.
    “Do you have something you want to tell me?”
    “Not yet,” she replied sweetly. “But soon, maybe.”
    That was enough for Anton. God, he so wanted to see her growing with his child again. “Yeah?”
    Viviana grinned knowingly. “ Maybe , Anton. Stop worrying about it.”
    “Papa?”
    “What Demyan?” Anton asked, glancing down at his ever curious child.
    “Shhh, be quiet.”
    Damn kid.
    “All right, little man. Papa will shut up.”
    “Yeah, shut up,” Demyan muttered.
    Anton didn’t correct Demyan, mostly because he’d been the one to say it first. He had a feeling that was going to be the story of his life when it came to his son.
    ***
    Anton rushed out of the bathroom with a toothbrush still stuck in his mouth to catch the ringing cell phone he’d left in his jeans pocket. Viviana raised a brow at him from their bed, obviously recognizing the ring. It was his work cell phone, the one his men used to call him if something needed attention and it was Bratva related.
    “Yeah?” he mumbled into the phone.
    “Boss, you busy?”
    Anton recognized Boris’s voice instantly. Boris was one of his oldest brigadiers, or captains, and one of his very best.
    “Why?” Anton asked, pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth and turning his back on his glaring wife.
    “Remember those fucking gangbangers that were poking their noses in mine and Viktor’s streets?”
    Some of Anton’s men had been having issues with a few local gang members. Anton wasn’t sure if the young kids were actually members of the gang, or simply trying to be. Problem was, they were dangerous, moving in on the Bratva’s dealers, causing shit, and stealing. It just wasn’t okay or acceptable. Anton tried to let it go, stay out of view of the police, but sometimes it didn’t work that way. He had a feeling this was one of those times.
    “Sure. What about it?”
    “They tried a goddamn drive by on one of Viktor’s guys tonight. Clipped him good.”
    Anton cursed under his breath. “And?”
    “Some of Viktor’s guys retaliated. Let’s just say it’s finished. But we were left with the