Preg-Not: AND BEYOND

Maksim freed his wrist and flipped the locks. “Get back!” he screamed at a scrambling Raelynn.

If this was his last day alive, then he’d go down smiling, but his family wouldn’t go with him. He needed them safe. They needed to live for many, many more years.

He didn’t understand where the guards were. His father had guards posted around the house, but they didn’t shoot back. Could this have been an inside job?

Raelynn swung the baby to her hip and ran to the living room.

“Yoohoo!” came from outside.

“Viktor, you motherfucker!” Maksim tore the locks off, aimed, and fired his gun.

The bullet skimmed Viktor’s thigh. He went down with a scream. The gun in his hand clattered, but he clung to his bottle of Vodka.

"You shot me!” he roared.

“I missed. I was aiming for your head!” Maksim slammed the door shut to keep Raelynn inside and stomped to his sorry ass of a brother. He picked him up by the back of his shirt.

“Ебать! You smell like a brewery,” Maksim scowled.

Viktor was alone, but he was fucked up.

“Where is Knives? Please tell me that you shot him.”

“No,” Viktor slurred. “I gave him a shot of my vodka when I walked by him. He mentioned something about Moscow and prostitutes. I should have gone with him. Hey, where’s your little diaper shitters? Tell them that uncle is home!”

Maksim released the hold on his shirt and waved off the guards that watched. They only refrained from shooting Viktor dead because they recognized him as a Kuznetsov.

He kicked the gun away from Viktor’s reach. “You don’t fire a fucking gun near my family, or next time I’ll shoot your hand off.”

Viktor laughed. “The mafia boss wants to pretend he pets kittens for a living? Give me a break. Where is father? Did geezer die yet?”

Maksim sighed. “Not yet, unfortunately. Get up and take a shower.”

Viktor remained on the ground. Some blood was coming out of his cut, but nothing severe. “I want to play with your ankle biters. Where are the chubby bastards? They’re so goddamn cute I think they resuscitated my dead heart.”

“Maksim? Is everything okay?” Raelynn called from inside.

“Fine!” he answered while staring at Viktor.

Is this how torn he looked when Raelynn first left him and he depended on alcohol to function? It was awful.

“What the fuck happened to you, Viktor?” He gripped him by the shirt, and a few buttons popped off.

“I realized I’m alone.” Viktor answered.

He fumbled to pull his shirt off until he was half-naked. “Hey, who do you think is more ripped? Should we make Raelynn decide? Hey, Raelynn! Would you sleep with me?”

“What?” Raelynn yelled back.

Irritated, Maksim dragged him up and led him inside. Kazimir recognized him and made a happy noise.

“Hey, chub-chub. You want to drink some vodka with uncle?”

“Viktor, what is the meaning of this?” his father asked.

“You’re in no place to be asking questions, father. By the way, Demyan said fuck you.” He placed the bottle on the nearest table, and Maksim took it before it shattered.

Everyone watched Viktor limp upstairs.

"Please fall,” Maksim whispered.

“Well, its been an exciting day. I think it’s time to put- what did Viktor call them? Chub-Chub? Yeah, these two need a nap or they’ll start getting cranky soon and I’ll need to drink Viktor’s vodka.”

Maksim tried to calm his heart-rate. She was safe, and so were the kids.

Without caring about his father’s presence, he hugged Raelynn tight and shoved his tongue down her throat. The babies squirmed against their chests, so he kissed their heads and cupped Raelynn’s hips.

“Let’s all go to bed.”

They were snuggled in minutes later, but sleep wouldn’t come because Viktor was singing Russia’s national anthem, and the happy twins seemed to recognize the song.

-Months later-

“Mmmm you look good in those heels. I could fuck you while you only wear them and the wedding band.”

Raelynn struck a little pose. The twins were one year old now, and Maksim’s genes were beginning to shine. Not only did they resemble him better, but their temperament was impatient. They were momma’s boys, though, so a few kisses and some ice-cream bribes calmed them down.

They hired the best babysitter in the state, and now Raelynn had time to go to work.

“Seriously? We had sex last night.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“That was seven hours ago! Get off your lazy butt.”

“You think I’m lazy?” he chuckled and grabbed her. “You think running an empire and keeping up with you, little hellcat, is easy? Oh, and we can’t forget the ankle biters.”

“They’re not ankle biters,” she giggled. “More like ankle droolers.”

“Can I do some drooling? Sit on my face, baby. Just for a little while?”

“No! We have to go.” She ducked and checked on the babies. They were still asleep, and the babysitter was watching them like a hawk.

Raelynn smiled and gently closed the door. She picked up her purse and followed Maksim to the elevator. On their way to work, she called the babysitter four times and checked the cameras. Everything was fine but she was having severe separation anxiety. Focusing on work would be hell but worth it. She needed to overcome her insane fear that Maksim’s mother would rise from the dead and take the babies again.

“Promise me that you won’t come looking for me during work? You’ll distract everyone if you show up.”

Maksim smiled at her. “I’m very proud of you.”

She blinked. “That was unexpected. Are you okay?”

“Just a little lovesick.” He tossed his phone on the leather seat and touched her hand. His thumb stroked her rings, as if he was assuring himself that she was still hers.

When they arrived, they entered the building together. Heads turned as people recognized the bling on her finger.

Sensing her nervousness, Maksim squeezed her hand. "I’ll see you at lunch, but you can always come to me if someone needs to be fired.”

She snorted and stepped into the elevator with him. “This is for you.” She dug into her pocket and took out a folded note.

Maksim looked at it skeptically. “I don’t want it.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because whenever you give me a note, something bed happens.”

“Come on mister big, bad, and scary. You can handle a little paper.” She slipped the note into his hand right as the elevator doors opened.

Maksim let her go and peeled open the note.

You won’t find any cruel words in this letter. I love you.

He stepped out of the elevator. “Raelynn Kuznetsov!” He took long strides to reach his wife.

Employees turned, and an embarrassed Raelynn froze in his arms.

He looked into her glaring eyes and whispered, “I love you too.”

Thank you guys for reading Preg-Not and sticking to these crazy plot-twist! I know the fake-death of the babies was a scare.

I’m now going to start updating Rider King (up to chapter 6) and Alpha Adrian.